Pregnant With the Sheik's Heir (The Abbot Sisters Book 2)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  “Who are you?” she demanded.

  He extended his hand, saying, “Call me Kular.”

  Simply because of manners that had been ingrained over many years by her mother, Rayne shook his hand. But only briefly because she didn’t like the way her hand burned with his touch. She started to pull her hand away, but his fingers tightened on hers.

  “I frighten you,” he said softly, his smile disappearing. “That is not my intention.”

  Rayne felt a softening with his words. “What is your intention?” she demanded, tugging again, but his hand pulled her closer. Had her feet actually moved? That seemed…ridiculous because Rayne was fairly certain that her mind hadn’t ordered her feet to get closer to this man.

  “Right at this moment, my intention is to buy you a drink and get to know you better.”

  Rayne’s bright blue eyes narrowed. The words were plain, but there was something he wasn’t saying. “And your intentions later?” she asked, needing clarification. Logic, she mentally chided herself. Logic and information were her best defense.

  His smile returned, although there was a different light in his eyes, a light that she refused to translate.

  “I suspect that my long term intentions are to marry you,” he replied.

  Rayne gasped, pulling back with shock. “Excuse me?”

  He shifted slightly, taking her hand that was still encased in his long, warm fingers, and placing it on his arm. “Marriage. Children. Then happily ever after.” He looked towards someone and nodded, but Rayne’s mind was still buzzing with confusion and stunned surprise. “I think that you would be a beautiful bride.”

  Rayne wasn’t sure what to say as they entered the bar area. Immediately a waiter arrived as Rayne sat down. Not because she wanted to have a drink with this man, but because her knees were trembling and a chair seemed like a good choice at the moment.

  There was some mumbling behind her, then the stranger…no, he’d said his name…Kular! He sat down beside her, taking her hand once again in his.

  She stared at their entwined fingers. As a natural red-head, she had the stereotypical pale skin that burned quickly in the sun. In her case, even dappled sunshine caused her skin to turn a very unflattering lobster-like pink. But his fingers were darker. Warmer. As her eyes traveled higher, she noted that the material of his jacket was expensive and his tailored shirt was made out of a sort of silk blend that she suspected would be very soft.

  When his thumb rubbed against her palm, Rayne jerked her eyes upward, startled by the tingles his simple touch created within her.

  “Why did you do that?” she asked, her blue eyes staring into his darker gaze.

  “Do what?” he asked, leaning forward, resting an elbow on the table as he shifted his body towards hers.

  She wanted to call him out on his seduction, but perhaps stating that out loud might indicate that she was aware of his machinations. And Rayne refused to be another tumble in this man’s bed.

  Gently, she pulled her hand out of his and folded both on her lap. “Mr….Kular, I’ve had a long day and I’d like…”

  “You just told your companions that you didn’t want to go up to your room. Why not stay here and have a glass of wine with me?”

  At that precise moment, the waiter arrived with a bottle which he turned for Kular to examine. With a curt nod, Kular approved the wine, then leaned back in his chair while the waiter poured two glasses and opened the bottle with a flourish.

  The whole time, Rayne watched Kular, trying to figure out what he was really up to. Marriage! Good grief! What baloney! No one proposed marriage at a first meeting! The man didn’t even know her name!

  When they were alone once again, Rayne realized that the waiter’s presence had given her a very easy excuse to leave. Kular couldn’t hold her hand and, since the waiter had stood between them, she could have easily made her get-away. So why hadn’t she?

  It made absolutely no sense and that irritated her even more.

  “Try the wine,” he encouraged, lifting his own glass to his mouth and took a sip. Rayne watched, her eyes fascinated by the man’s lips as they pressed slightly against the glass, moved to a small O, then pulled back. His tongue darted out, perhaps pulling in the last of the wine, then disappeared again.

  Tingling. Rayne realized that her whole body felt as if it were vibrating with awareness when he finally set the glass of wine back down on the polished table. Was that reaction simply because she’d watched the man sip wine? This whole encounter just…didn’t make sense!

  Rayne lifted the glass and took a sip, just to wet her mouth which had become oddly dry all of a sudden. But as soon as the taste of the crisp, white wine hit her palate, she closed her eyes, stunned by the glorious tastes hitting her! “Oh my!” she sighed, closing her eyes to continue to savor the flavors.

  Kular watched with increasing fascination as the gorgeous redhead leaned her head back slightly, savoring the flavor of the wine. Would she look that sublime when she climaxed? Would the glorious blue of her eyes finally dim slightly so that he could see the rest of her? His eyes drank in her figure, noting the gentle pulse beating at the base of her throat, the gentle curve of her breasts, and the sweet, tempting curves of her hips. The dress she wore looked to be an original design, although he didn’t recognize the designer. But the yellow ruffles danced around the lovely woman’s shoulders and neckline, making his fingers itch to pull the material away and explore all of that beautiful, pale skin.

  Never in his life had he been so completely entranced. He’d always delighted in the sensual pleasures of women over the years, and found them to be wonderful creatures. He’d even had a mild affection for some of his lovers.

  But nothing in his past compared to what he felt now. A burning need to claim this woman possessed him. He wanted her sexually, obviously, but, his desire was more complex than simple sexual attraction.

  He wanted to ravish her. And he wanted to make gentle love to her until she was drenched with so much pleasure that she could barely breathe. He wanted to pull her into his arms and vow that he’d vanquish the demons lurking behind those beautiful blue eyes. The fact that she’d been hurt before was evident, although she kept that pain hidden behind an almost impenetrable cloak of proud dignity and refined elegance.

  Yes, this glorious woman was clearly proud and strong, but he could also see the endearing tenderness inside of her. How he could see something so nebulous, he wasn’t quite sure. Perhaps it was in the wariness that haunted those incredible blue eyes, or maybe it was in the stiffness of her shoulders as she watched him, wanting him but not wanting to want him. He could tell her wounds were deep and unhealed and Kular wanted to understand those wounds, to soothe her and tell her that he’d shield her from the world.

  He would protect her with his life, he thought, startled by that need and yet, roughly determined as well. Marriage was the only solution. She was proudly dignified and would obviously settle for nothing less.

  Nor would he, Kular thought with deep satisfaction now that his future was decided.

  “Tell me about yourself,” he urged, needing to know more about this woman who would share his life and his future. He almost laughed at how dramatic that sounded. He was a pragmatic man, but she brought out instincts in him that he hadn’t even known existed.

  She shrugged and the movement caused her dress to shift on her shoulder. Since there wasn’t a great deal of material there to begin with, the slip caused his mind to blank slightly as pale, beautiful skin was revealed.

  “There isn’t much to tell,” she said, and his eyes moved from her shoulder to her lips. Pink lips, he thought. No lipstick left on them by this time of the night. He liked that. She wore makeup, but wasn’t overly caked with the stuff. Her looks were more natural and the effect made her appear even more beautiful. Also more innocent while, at the same time, more intelligent and capable.

  Kular suspected that this woman was a complex mixture of innocence and determination. She wa
s intoxicating!

  “I’m sure that there is a great deal to tell,” he countered. “But perhaps we could start with your name?”

  His body hardened when those almost translucent cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. Shifting in his chair, he watched her intently, not wanting to miss any reaction from his future wife.

  She looked down at her fingers, then back up at him with what he suspected she wanted to be a more confident expression. But those blue eyes couldn’t hide her wariness and he wasn’t sure how to ease her concerns. Especially since he wanted to pull her into his arms and make love to her for the next week!

  “My name is Rayne,” she explained. “And I’m here in Monaco to celebrate my sister’s graduation from college. She finished with honors and is traveling to New York for her first real job.”

  He watched her eyes brighten with pride and he smiled. “You love your sister?”

  She stared at him as if he’d just grown a second head. “Of course! Doesn’t everyone love their siblings?”

  He chuckled at her innocence, shaking his head slightly. “No. There are many people in this world who compete with their siblings for power or wealth. It’s a testament to your good character that you and your sister genuinely like each other.”

  “I actually have two sisters.” She reached for her glass of wine. “And surprisingly, we just found out that my older sister finished with her degree as well. Although, I’m ashamed to admit that we didn’t know that she was even going to school.”

  “How is that possible?” he asked, lifting his glass and he watched her gaze fall to his mouth again, before returning to his eyes when he set the glass back down on the table.

  She blinked, and took a small breath, as if she needed to refocus her attention. “Sloane takes care of us.”

  “This Sloane is your mother?”

  Rayne laughed, and sipped her wine before carefully setting the glass back down on the table. “No. Sloane is my older sister. But she acts just like a mother hen most of the time.”

  He nodded his head in understanding. “Ah! An older sibling usually takes on that role.”

  “She had to,” Rayne explained and he stiffened when her eyes turned sad. She looked away, but he still caught the look of anger and sadness. The emotions were obviously still too raw for her to hide effectively. “My mother was killed by a drunk driver. I was only sixteen at the time and my older sister, Sloane, was eighteen. She was in her senior year of high school, with only months left before graduation. But she dropped out in order to get a full time job. At first, she didn’t earn much money, but she worked incredibly hard to provide for me and my younger sister.”

  Kular watched as she looked over at him, obviously startled that she’d revealed so much. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I usually don’t bore strangers with our family sob story.”

  “What happened?” he encouraged, waving her apology away.

  There was a slight shift of her soft shoulders, but Rayne looked away so he wasn’t able to see into her eyes anymore. He wanted to reach out and touch her chin, to turn her towards him once more so that he could see those eyes. Her blue eyes were intensely expressive, but he didn’t say so, assuming that she’d try to hide her feelings if she knew.

  He saw the tears as she blinked. “Nothing dramatic,” she replied and he suspected that whatever had happened had been horrific. “My sister got a job. We moved from an apartment,” there was a crack to her voice that told him that she’d omitted something significant, “to a house in a better neighborhood. My sister studied hard and passed the high school equivalency test and, well, the rest is history,” she replied, taking another sip of her wine.

  “I doubt that those years were as easy as you want me to believe. But that’s okay. We have a lifetime to get to know one another,” he replied, leaning back. “What is your master’s degree in?”

  Her shoulders straightened. “I have a master’s degree in chemical engineering. I start my new job in San Diego next week.”

  “That sounds exciting,” he replied, even though he didn’t like the idea of her working so far away. She’d have to…well, he couldn’t work out every obstacle to their relationship just yet. He’d make some calls later and figure out the details. “And challenging.” He suspected that his high council wouldn’t like the idea of his wife working outside of the palace. Their antiquated ideals tended towards traditional roles for women. They believed that a wife’s job should be ensuring the success of her husband. But Kular didn’t give a damn about those antiquated ideals. He had an entire staff that ensured his success. Furthermore, as ruler of Contirra, his career had been decided at birth. Although he accepted his role and the responsibilities that came along with his position, he’d never put the burden of a pre-defined role on anyone else.

  “It’s both exciting and terrifying,” she admitted, glancing at him and he suspected she was startled to have revealed something so personal.

  Kular was charmed by her honesty. “Why terrifying?”

  She shifted, looking around slightly and he could see the debate running through her mind. “I don’t know. I just…it’s always a concern when I start a new job or internship. I worry that I’m not going to be able to keep up with my peers.” She glanced up at him and he noticed her eyes widen, almost as if she were startled to have admitted such a personal thought to a stranger.

  He took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her soft skin. “I doubt that will happen, Rayne. You seem to be an intelligent person and I’m sure that you would be able to keep up with anything that was asked of you.”

  “Why do you say that?” she asked softly, and he was aware that she didn’t pull her hand away from his.

  “I’m a good judge of character,” he told her. “There are many times that I must evaluate a person’s character quickly in my line of work.” He leaned forward and smiled. “You are one of the few people that I would instantly trust.”

  Rayne wasn’t able to smother her smile. She was proud of her accomplishments and couldn’t hide it. Not even from this man who was most likely a con man. A charming, handsome con man, but that wasn’t relevant. This man clearly had a secret agenda. Still, it was flattering to sit here with him, to simply accept the man’s admiring gaze instead of thinking about and analyzing every nuance of their conversation.

  Tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow she’d be more careful. Tomorrow, she’d have her defenses back in place and she’d be stronger when this man pulled out his charm. Tonight, she was just tired and it was really nice to talk to a stranger who wasn’t judging her.

  “So, what do you do?” she asked, more than ready to change the subject.

  His eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed slightly. “You don’t know who I am?” he asked, and Rayne got the impression that he was surprised.

  She tilted her head, looking at him with assessing eyes. “Should I recognize you?”

  He chuckled. “I suppose there’s no reason you should.”

  “What do you do?”

  He leaned back against the soft leather of the booth, taking a sip of his wine. “I have a great many responsibilities.”

  She laughed, rolling her eyes. “That’s not an answer. Since your job is most likely of the illegal variety, how about if you tell me what your hobbies are?”

  He choked on his wine. “Illegal?”

  She shrugged and set her glass down on the table again. “I’m guessing that you are one of those people who mingle with the public a great deal.”

  “You’re correct.”

  She smiled slightly, intrigued by this guessing game. “And you said that you had to size people up quickly, make judgments.”

  Rayne leaned back against the cushions of the elegant chair, suddenly feeling more confident. She was back in control now that she was the one asking the questions. Being in control felt much better than feeling off kilter. Laboratories weren’t conducive to chitchat. So talking about herself instead of her experiments or studies was discomfiting.<
br />
  One side of his mouth quirked up, almost as if he were hiding something from her. “Making quick judgments of someone means my work is illegal?” he asked. She could see that she’d amused him.

  “Perhaps not illegal. Maybe your profession is just…unsavory,” she finished, feeling triumphant. “Used car salespeople have to make snap judgments on potential buyers. That’s not illegal. But so do con artists.” She leaned forward, unaware of how her blue eyes sparkled. “So, are you a con artist?” she asked, using a teasing voice, but she wasn’t kidding. Not really.

  He shrugged one shoulder slightly as if acknowledging her question. “There are people in this world who would consider my line of work to be manipulative.”

  Rayne was startled by his honesty. She didn’t trust the man, but she hadn’t expected him to openly admit his work wasn’t completely on the up and up. “Well, it’s refreshing to hear a man be so open about his less than savory exploits,” she laughed, lifting her glass of wine in a salute. Then she drained her glass. “And with that, I must leave your very interesting company.”

  He stood as well and Rayne was startled all over again by his towering height. Her head barely reached his chin and she didn’t like that. Control, she thought. His height and the power she sensed in him made her feel out of control.

  “What are you doing?” she gasped, stepping back when he reached for her. His hand slid down her arm, leaving a trail of fire along her skin.

  “I’m going to walk you to your door,” he told her, taking her hand and tucking it onto the crook of his arm. It was a chivalrous gesture, but she didn’t like standing so close to him. It made her feel small and vulnerable, both sensations reminiscent of her painful past.

  “I don’t need an escort,” she replied sharply. The good humor she’d felt moments before was gone, dissipating along with the loss of her control over the situation.

  “Ah, I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I didn’t ensure that you arrived safely to your room,” he countered and started walking.