The Sheikh’s Pregnant Foreigner

by Leslie North

  “Yes, we’re finished,” she decided. She couldn’t stay here and look at the view while everyone else was hard at work. Or hard at something. She wasn’t sure what Shahd was up to, but the image of herself in a lounge chair didn’t sit well.

  Gina wandered inside to the cool of the palace, her eyes adjusting to the dimmer light. A few doors down from the balcony was the library. A heavy wooden door guarded floor-to-ceiling shelves of books. The shelves were deep mahogany, none of them with even the slightest speck of dust. Gina needed to know more about how a challenge to the ascendant king and the convocation worked. She started in a section that had the family name on a small gold plaque beneath the shelf. A slim volume in English gave the basic outlines of the challenge, but the history was dense, and Gina switched over to a computer in a sunny corner. What was the deal with Nassif? She scrolled through online news reports about his company. It was basically a consortium, hoping to profit from ownership the way shareholders profited when a company went public.

  There were more articles about the lagoon project and another about an idea to develop a gated community that would feature high-end real estate and amenities for foreigners. Her stomach twisted. It all seemed related to the construction at the market, somehow, and Gina had been so quick to defend Skandar and his decision. But projects like this…now that she had a better look at the plans, under less duress, it was clear they didn’t fit in with the history of the city. No wonder people were mad.

  A soft knock at the door had her hastily closing the browser window. “I’m coming,” she said.

  “No need to rush.” Her heart skipped a beat. She recognized that voice, but—it couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t. Gina slowly turned her head to find Tali entering the library in a blue sundress with capped sleeves and a big grin on her face. “Surprise!”

  Gina scrambled out of the chair, tripping over her dress as she did so and managing to recover at the last minute. Perfect. “You’re—you’re here. I didn’t know—I never thought—”

  “I decided to pay a visit to a fellow Moonblade fan who ended up in the same situation as me.”

  Shock rolled over her in a giant wave. Of course—Tali had married a sheikh, too. What were the odds? “It’s honestly so weird that you’re here,” burst out Gina. “I was preparing myself for a day of...of research, I guess.”

  “Come tell me about it while we walk in the garden. I love the gardens here.”

  “Great idea.” Gina tried to catch her breath while they went out to the balcony and descended a narrow staircase into the gardens. They were in full bloom, and Tali tipped her head back and let the sun play over her face as she walked. It was so strange, how close she was. “So—what really brought you to the palace?”

  Tali’s eyes sparkled. “I’m serious. I wanted to meet Skandar’s new wife. In person, this time, instead of in an online forum. How did you end up here?”

  “I fell down the side of a dune.” Tali laughed, and Gina told her the whole story of that night. “But really, if you must know, I was here because of you.”

  “Because of me?” Tali’s eyebrows shot skyward. “No way.”

  “Yes, way. Your descriptions of the desert beauty made it easy to accept the project. And once that happened...well, here I am.”

  “Here you are,” said Tali softly. “And you’re doing all right with everything?”

  Gina took a beat.

  “I know that hesitation.” Tali drew her down to sit on a bench. “What’s going on?”

  Birds sang in a nearby tree as Gina searched for the right words. “It’s not that I’m unhappy,” she said carefully. “I’m only trying to help, but sometimes it feels like I’m doing all the wrong things.”

  Tali gazed out over the landscaping. “It’s different with men like our husbands.” The word sounded so delicious, coming from her, and Gina felt a pang that Skandar wouldn’t be her husband for long. “They’re proud. Alpha. You can’t challenge them head on, even when you have them tamed. It’s better to work around them.”

  “It makes things difficult when there’s a strain like that. For a while, when I was growing up, my parents had…tension around my brother’s future.” Gina mused. “Anyway, I just think that if there’s a rift in the family, it should be mended.”

  “You mean Nassif?”

  Yes. “What are you two cooking up?” Skandar’s voice cut into their conversation, and the two women got to their feet. Skandar hugged Tali and kissed Gina gently on the lips.

  “We were just talking.” The wind blew in restless gusts through the gardens, rustling the leaves and singing through the flowers. “About our families.”

  Skandar’s eyes narrowed. “Families? I hope it was good things.” He let out a laugh that seemed more wary than genuine.

  “Well, we were talking about your uncle,” she said tentatively, her heartbeat thrumming hard. Skandar tensed. It was obvious he had just been dealing with this subject. “And the ways opposing views can come up in families. I was saying that it might be a good idea to find some common ground.”

  Tali stood tall, her hands clasped in front of her, and Gina was glad for her steady presence. But even Tali couldn’t make the tension in the air dissipate. There was too much of it, even for the gardens. Gina had the sickening sensation that she’d made another misstep. Well, it couldn’t be so bad, not out here alone in the garden with Tali.

  “It’s not always possible to find a middle ground.” Skandar folded his arms over his chest. “And, Gina, you shouldn’t be concerning yourself with things like this. You should be resting.” He softened, then stepped around beside her and worked his fingers through her hair.

  Tali struggled to hide a smile as Skandar gently massaged Gina’s head, then dropped his hands back to his sides. And look—there she was, a melted puddle on the garden path. He’d just completely shut her down, and yet she still wanted to be close to him.

  With a jolt, she remembered the library. She’d been sitting at a computer, and she’d closed one browser window, but that hadn’t been the full extent of her research. There had been another window. And now it was sitting there, open for the next person who decided to use the computer. Theoretically that would only be someone within the royal family, but—

  She had to get back there.

  “Let me take you back to Hamid,” Skandar told Tali. “We’ll walk with you.” The three of them made their way back inside the palace. Gina’s heart beat hard, smashing itself against her rib cage. If Skandar took the wrong hallway, she’d need a better excuse. But in the end he took them straight past the library door.

  Gina waited until they were three steps past the door, then hesitated. Could they tell the hitch in her step was fake? Skandar noticed immediately. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I left some of my things in the library. I’ll catch up.” She waved them off, her cheeks hot with the half-truth. She had technically left something in the library—an open window. Gina leaped forward and embraced Tali, who laughed at the sudden affection. “I’ll see you in a few minutes,” she promised. “We’ll keep talking.”

  Skandar’s eyes met hers, and Gina felt that familiar tumbling sensation—he made her legs into jelly just by looking at her. “We’ll see you soon.”

  She answered him with a wink and went confidently into the library, hoping against hope that they wouldn’t follow her in at the last moment. Gina took several hasty steps across the room to the computer and dropped down into her seat.

  The window she’d left open popped up as soon as she moved the mouse, ready to go. Thank God nobody else had been here while she was gone. Otherwise, they’d find that someone in the palace was doing research on Nassif’s company, and specifically on him. The page she’d opened was his company bio. At the very bottom was his email address.

  Her hand froze on the mouse. She should close this window and walk away. That’s what Skandar would tell her to do, if he were here.

  But he wasn’t here.


  Gina took her phone out of her pocket. What would it hurt if she just saved the email address? She opened her email app, hands shaking a little, then took a deep breath. This was nothing. But once she had the email typed in, her fingers itched to write more.

  15

  “How much support can I count on?” Skandar looked across his desk at Zaki, who had a leather portfolio open to a page filled with notes. It was a few days before the convocation, and they were running out of time to get more people on board. Skandar had the unsettling feeling that he had already done everything he could do, but he still wanted to do more. “Be as specific as possible.”

  Zaki glanced down the sheet in front of him. “The majority of the nobility will favor you if you give them more royal access. Monthly meetings, perhaps? That’s one possible item I have down. Now, the business community hasn’t been very pleased with the delays to the market upgrades. Perhaps if you agree to—”

  The door to his office opened, cutting off his secretary, and Shahd stepped in with a phone pressed to her ear. She closed the door gently behind her, meeting Skandar’s eyes and mouthing I’m sorry. What on Earth?

  He stood up and signaled to his secretary that they’d be back, then ushered Shahd out to his private balcony. It was a narrow stone structure off a set of double doors in his office. Before it was his, it had been his father’s, and Skandar had always liked the way the light came through the doors in the morning. Even as a child, he’d recognized it as a space he’d like to have. The last thing he wanted was to give it up to Nassif at the convocation. Skandar pulled those doors closed behind the two of them, and they stepped out to the balustrade.

  Shahd rolled her eyes and waved him closer. Skandar slung his arm around her shoulders, and she put the phone on speaker.

  Nassif.

  Skandar’s uncle’s voice curled out of the speaker like cigarette smoke, filling the small space between the two of them. “You’d be doing the right thing if you helped me,” said Nassif. “Oh, and Shahd, I’ve met that young man who was at the polo match—Amjad? He seems like such a decent guy. Isn’t it a pity that your brother won’t even consider allowing the two of you to date?”

  Shahd glanced at Skandar. “My brother does what’s best.” It pricked at him, the sharp truth of her statement digging in at his heart. Of course he did what he thought was best. For the kingdom. But that also meant he did what was best for Skandar.

  “Yes,” answered Nassif. “As I told Gina when we spoke—”

  Skandar froze, the rush of his blood in his ears drowning out the rest of Nassif’s sentence. They’d spoken? When? Gina hadn’t mentioned any such meeting. She’d have had to schedule it outside the palace, or—or Nassif could be lying. Shahd watched him with wide eyes.

  Is it true? he mouthed.

  She shrugged. No idea.

  “Nassif,” Skandar boomed into the phone. “It’s so lovely you’re trying to make contact with the family through my sister, but it’s time to stop. And stay away from my wife. You won’t poison her mind like you have so many others.”

  After a startled silence, his uncle laughed. The sound made his lip curl, and Skandar wanted for all the world to crush the phone and hurl it off the balcony.

  “I have to go, Uncle Nassif,” Shahd said quickly, and ended the call. She stepped away from Skandar and held up her hands. “I can’t answer any questions.”

  “But—”

  “If you want to know anything about what he said, go ask Gina. Don’t attempt to play games to find out. Be direct and open.”

  He blinked, still rocked from the admission from Nassif. “Is this Gina-speak?”

  “Yes.” Shahd lifted her chin. “And Amjad speak. They are alike in that way. Amjad prefers plain, direct communication. And no, before you ask, I haven’t seen him today.” Shahd brushed at the front of her skirt and turned to go back in through his office. “If you have a question for Gina, ask her.” Then she was apologizing to Zaki for the interruption and gone before he closed the balcony doors.

  “We’ll pick this up later,” Skandar said. Zaki closed his portfolio with a neat snap and departed, and Skandar went to find Gina.

  The sooner the better. Nothing unsettled him more than the idea that she’d been communicating with Nassif behind his back. Things were so delicate this close to the convocation, and extra complications could bring the whole thing down. Surely she knew that. Surely.

  He found her with his mother in one of the receiving rooms near the front of the palace, a long room with an equally long window and several tables displaying fresh blooms from the garden. Karima and Gina were seated at the back of the room, a delegation arrayed around them in a neat semicircle. He’d put a stop to all the running around in the city. The delegations came to the palace now, and it was better for Gina that way. Plus, it flattered his constituents more, his inner voice told him. An invitation to the palace was an honor, and they would get to see the royal family at work.

  Gina caught his eye over the front row of people and excused herself with a warm smile. She met him at the door, and he guided her into the hallway, going a few doors down to a shady alcove.

  “Have you been in touch with Nassif?” He hoped for a no, so fervently that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

  “Yes.”

  Anger, hot and pure, burst up from his gut and threatened to fry him to a crisp. “The man is slime. He’s not the sort of person you’re used to dealing with, Gina. How could you? I told you that some things aren’t worth doing. There’s no middle ground to be had with him. None at all.”

  She watched him, green eyes calm. “May I?” Her voice was so sweet, but her spine was so straight. He took a step back. She didn’t. “I set up a single phone conversation with Nassif. And during the call, I felt that he was duplicitous. Not honest. Not open.” She shrugged. “I want to see families reconciled, but it’s not always possible if that’s not the aim of both parties. Still, we should never say never. Anyway, when I felt we couldn’t reach that common ground, I thanked him for his time and hung up.”

  The wind left his sails, leaving Skandar deflated and off balance. The solution, however, was standing right in front of him. She’d had more insight and understanding, and her openness had allowed his uncle one final chance. Nassif wouldn’t be able to come after him for not reaching out. Gina had done that.

  Skandar took her into his arms, taking a deep breath of her hair. Somehow, she still smelled like sunshine, no matter how many meetings she sat through. “Please,” he murmured into her ear. “Don’t go out on a limb like that again.” The ghost of his shock and tension ran its fingers down his arms. “I have to know all the pieces being played in this, and I don’t like something new blindsiding me.”

  “I wasn’t trying—”

  “I know.” He kissed her, the movement so centering that his feet touched back down on the ground. “I appreciate everything you’re doing for the convocation. It’s so soon, and then it’ll be over.” She quieted, stepping closer and putting her arms around his neck. This wasn’t the typical way they stood together when someone from the palace might approach at any time, but he allowed it. He wanted it, too. “I know you’ve been meeting with so many groups.”

  “Oh, I’m only doing what we agreed on for the time we agreed.” Her soft sigh against his neck sent a teasing pleasure down the ridges of his spine. Better than standing in this alcove would be to take her back to their rooms, but the meaning of what she said sank in a moment later, turning that hint of pleasure to something edged with pain. Gina was only doing her duty. She was doing all this because they’d agreed on it, and the moment the term of their agreement ended, she’d be gone.

  It hit him like a punch to the gut. He’d been the one to suggest the time frame, but now that it was due to end, Skandar felt like he was trying to stop a moving train with his bare hands.

  Six weeks had seemed like such a long time when Gina stood up in front of him during their desert wedding. It had seem
ed interminable and nothing at all. Nothing compared to the weight of his duty. And now his emotions pulled at him, moving him in two different directions. He belonged to the kingdom, but part of him would always belong to her. How was he supposed to live with that once she was gone?

  And the baby...

  He couldn’t just send the baby off to live away from him, where he’d never know the child. And he couldn’t ask Gina to move her life to his kingdom so she could be faced with seeing him on the news and out in the city.

  His heart ached. Gina turned her head and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of his neck, and Skandar wanted all of her next to all of him—nothing but a thin layer of air dividing them. How could she do it? How could she kiss him like that, when deep down she wasn’t really interested in the man, only the fling? Only the heady adrenaline rush of pretending to be a real husband and wife.

  She leaned back, searching his eyes with hers. They were so shockingly, endlessly green. Gina appeared to see everything. He was torn between wanting to let down his guard and to throw up a shield. It would only hurt more, being vulnerable. Skandar was not the type to be vulnerable.

  “Was there anything else you needed?” she asked.

  You. The thought ran wild in his mind, clanging around the inside of his skull and echoing against itself until it hardly made any sense. You.

  “Nothing.” He bent to kiss her, painfully aware that those kisses were numbered by his own doing. And hers, too. She was helping him because she wanted him to be the king, not because she wanted him for herself. It was only a coincidence that they’d been thrown together at all, not the stuff of fate—

  “Are you sure?” A gentle hand slipped around his elbow as he moved them both into the hallway and ran a quick hand over his hair. “I’m sure your mother can finish the rest of the meeting, if there’s anything else you need.”

  Seconds ticked away. Skandar felt each one of them go by, but he was a man divided. Part of him wanted to lock the door to his room and spend the rest of the afternoon with her. Another part of him knew that they couldn’t. Not this close to the convocation. Not with the stakes so high.