The Sheikh's Surrogate Bride

by Holly Rayner

  “You asleep?” Olivia asked.

  They had been lying there for about fifteen minutes. She tried to pay attention to his breathing, which never slowed. They had only spent one night together in the same bed. The soft sound of his gentle snoring and the slow deep breaths that he took had been calming to her. She remembered thinking that it was so nice to be able to sleep next to someone for once. There was a sense of security there. It wasn’t just about the companionship. He made her feel safe. Asleep or not, she got the same feeling from Yasin on their wedding night. She kept her voice soft in case she was mistaken.

  “Nope,” he said.

  “I hate to be the stereotypical girl but—”

  “What am I thinking about?” he asked with a chuckle.

  She snickered.

  “My mother,” he said.

  Olivia narrowed her brows as she continued to stare at the ceiling. He’s thinking about his mom on his wedding night? she thought to herself.

  “Do you mind if I ask why? I mean, you never really talk about her.”

  “I try not to think about it,” he admitted. “I was only thirteen when she died, and her death tore me apart. I was distraught. Broken. I still miss her every day.”

  “Of course,” she said. “That’s totally understandable. How were things after your father remarried?”

  He shrugged. “I was young, and all that I knew was that she was sitting in my mom’s seat at the dinner table. It took me a while to warm up to her. By the time I did, she left.”

  “I’m sorry, Yasin. That sounds really difficult.”

  “Save for my sister, all of the women who have meant something to me have disappeared from my life. They just…leave.”

  “Is that why you want to raise your child alone?” she asked, noting the pattern.

  “If I can save my son from that heartache.”

  “Son?”

  “Or daughter.”

  Olivia rolled onto her side and faced him.

  “I understand that sort of heartache,” she said. “I lost both my parents to a car accident. I wasn’t as young as you were, but I get that loss. I understand what you’re going through. I just think that you can’t shield your kid from every sort of heartbreak. He or she will end up getting their heart broken sooner or later. It’s a part of life. Instead of shielding your kid from it, you should be teaching them how to deal with it in a healthy, normal way.”

  Yasin turned to her and looked her in the eye but didn’t say anything, so Olivia continued.

  “That’s a part of what my parents taught me when I was young. They taught me that I could turn to them if I ever had to go through something difficult. Then, when they died, I turned to my sister instead. Jennifer and I were there for each other. That’s what family is for. Helping each other and holding each other up. We’re there for each other when we need an extra hand or a shoulder to cry on. We cheer each other on and celebrate the victories, too. It all comes with the package.”

  “My siblings are great,” he said. “But we have a different relationship than you and your sister.”

  “Yeah, I sense that,” she said softly.

  “I like your relationship with your sister,” Yasin said. “It’s something to aspire to.”

  She snuggled up against his shoulder. “I like your sister,” she said. “She seems like the type to have a close relationship with her siblings.”

  “Eh,” he groaned. “We don’t have a lot in common.”

  “You don’t have to date her,” Olivia said, smacking his arm playfully. “She’s your sister. Just talk to her.”

  He sighed and put his arm around her, pulling her close to him. “All right, all right,” he said. “Want to watch something?”

  She nodded.

  Yasin turned the TV on and flipped through some of the channels, but it didn’t take long before Olivia’s eyelids started to feel heavy. It had been a long day and the drone of the TV was enough to lull her to sleep. The feeling of Yasin’s lips on her forehead was the last thing she felt before she fell asleep.

  Chapter 18

  Yasin

  Holding her in his arms was the closest feeling to bliss that he had experienced, and felt even more intimate than their night of passion had been. He would happily have spent his whole life holding her like this, but he knew better. Yasin needed to push the thought out of his mind so he could focus on the plan.

  He continued to keep that frame of mind the next day, when their lives started to get back to normal—or what normal would look like for them. One day turned into two days, and before they knew it, they were in a regular routine. Their schedules moved like clockwork. Normally, Yasin felt bored and burdened with all the consistency and complacency of a regular boring life. He found it dreary to have a regular schedule, but even with a calendar and to-do list that worked like clockwork, he found that life with Olivia was anything but boring.

  “I made coffee,” Olivia said. She was dressed in a beautiful yellow sundress—her favorite, if he remembered correctly.

  Yasin walked into the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast bar. She had been trying to cook breakfast well since they’d gotten back from their honeymoon and she was—he sniffed the air—trying her best. He could smell something burnt in the air. Toast? Pancakes? Waffles? He looked around the room for any sort of clue and found it in a pan in the sink.

  “Tried to make pancakes again?” he asked.

  She set a coffee mug in front of him. “Eggs,” she said sheepishly.

  He furrowed his brows. “That smell is eggs?”

  “Well, your favorite type of eggs,” she said. “The kind in the middle of the piece of toast.”

  He smiled. “My mom used to make those for me,” he said.

  “I know. I was trying my best to make them and…” She looked down. “Don’t look in the trash can,” she said.

  He patted her on the shoulder. Her skin was soft. He let his fingers linger a little. “Tell you what,” he said. “How about I cook breakfast tomorrow morning?”

  “How about this morning?” she asked. “Should I make some toast or something?”

  “I figured that we could get something on the way to the doctor’s office,” he said. “We need to make those appointments soon. There’s a doctor I know who may be able to help us in our situation. He’s a family friend. I can take you to meet him, so you can make sure that you’re comfortable with him before he does the procedure.”

  “That’s kind of you,” Olivia said sincerely. “And where does breakfast fit into all this?”

  Yasin grinned. “I was thinking of having breakfast at your favorite restaurant. We haven’t been there for breakfast yet. Maybe eggs Benedict or something? I know that your favorite type of eggs is poached and I know that’s not a thing that you’re supposed to eat when you’re pregnant. So maybe it can be like your last—”

  He paused.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  He watched her closely as she fiddled with her fingers.

  “Can I pour you a cup of coffee?” he asked, noticing that she didn’t have a cup.

  “That’s okay,” she said. “It’s just that…I mean, I heard that when you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t drink too much caffeine.” Without looking up, she added, “I guess this also means that I shouldn’t have any eggs, either.”

  Yasin sat on the barstool and stared at her. When he didn’t answer, she finally looked up at him. Her eyes were big. Worried.

  “Oh?” he said, finally. “Um—What?”

  “I missed my period a couple weeks back and I’ve been having some weird symptoms lately. At first, I thought I was getting sick, but when I figured out that I was late—which I didn’t do for ages what with everything that was happening with the wedding—I assumed it was all because I’m…” She looked past him, then down at her feet. With a dramatic inhale, she finally looked him in the eye and smiled. “I’m pregnant!”

  Yasin exhaled. A smile formed on his face�
�slowly at first, but then it went from ear to ear as he was unable to contain himself.

  “Pregnant?” he said. “Really? Have you taken a test? Or…” He looked at her stomach. She wasn’t showing. When did that happen? They had only had sex once. His mind was racing.

  “Are you okay?” Olivia asked. Her eyes scanned his face intently.

  “Yes!” he said, his voice louder than he had anticipated. “Yes, of course!” He jumped up from his seat, his arms outstretched. “This is wonderful news! I didn’t know. I mean…” He thought back to the last few weeks. “I know that you’ve been really tired lately and that your stomach has been a bit sensitive. Also, I noticed that you didn’t have any champagne on our wedding night.” He cocked his head to the side. “Did you know then?” he asked. “Did you know that you were pregnant?”

  She shook her head. “I had an inkling, but I just assumed that it was jitters—wedding jitters. You know.”

  He nodded. He’d definitely had them as well, though he’d tried his best not to show it.

  He reached for her hand. She took it and smiled at him. He wasn’t sure if she already had a motherly glow, or if he was just imagining it.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said. “I’m so excited to have this baby.”

  “And to conceive naturally,” she said. “Not through some test tube in a lab. This is so much better!”

  He nodded. “I agree,” he said. “Well. We should still get you looked at by a doctor. You’ll still need a physical and we need to get you set up with an O…”

  “An OB-GYN,” she finished.

  He nodded. “Yes! One of those!”

  His voice rose when he was excited. It was something that his brother used to make fun of him for when they were younger, so he always tried to keep it under wraps. But he didn’t care. Not now. Not with Olivia. They were starting their family. Nothing could ruin this moment.

  Yasin rushed around the breakfast bar and reached for her. He wanted to hug her. He wanted to hold her. There were so many things that he wanted to do.

  Without his control, his hands took the back of her neck and her head and held it gently as he kissed her. His fingers combed through her hair while his other hand moved down toward her waist. The spontaneous kiss turned passionate quickly as they both sank into it.

  After a brief moment, they separated. The daze clouded his view as they took a step away from each other. It took them both a moment before they realized what had just happened.

  “Oh,” he said. His cheeks flushed. “Sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I just—”

  “No. Yeah. No. I understand.” She waved her hand and let out an awkward laugh.

  He took a sip from his coffee cup. “Oh!” He jumped. “Have you had breakfast yet? You should eat something.”

  “I’m not that hungry,” she said. “Not after trying to make breakfast. Whatever I ended up with kind of ruined my appetite.”

  He snickered. “I’ll make breakfast. I’m sure that once you smell that pancake batter, you’ll feel hungry again.” He led her to the bar stool and had her sit down. “You relax right here.”

  “I’m not fragile,” she said, wrapping her arms around him for a quick hug. She quickly let go. “Sorry. I just—” She stumbled over her words. “What you said was sweet, that’s all. But really, I’m not breakable. Not yet. Just wait until I’m all big and round; then, I’ll be wishing there was a chair everywhere I go.”

  He laughed. “Fair enough.”

  They talked all the way through the two plates of pancakes and a glass of orange juice for Olivia. There was so much that they both had to plan for. Between doctor’s appointments and the press, there was a lot to do in the next nine months.

  “It’s more like eight months, actually,” she said to him. “I mean, that night that we spent together…that was a month ago.”

  His eyes widened as he looked down at his coffee cup. “Oh, wow. You’re right. I hadn’t realized that it’s already been that long. It feels like you just got here yesterday.”

  “A lot’s happened in that time, though,” she said. “We’ve gotten to know each other, and we got married.”

  They both laughed.

  “Is it weird that it feels like you just flew in, but at the same time, the wedding feels like it took place months ago? It’s like we’ve been like this for forever.”

  “Like this,” she repeated.

  “Yeah, you know. We have this routine. You get up in the morning and mess up breakfast. Then we talk while I make breakfast.”

  “Hey!”

  “I’m just kidding.” He laughed and put his hand on hers. “In all seriousness, I’m glad that I chose you,” he said. “I met with a few other candidates during the interviews, but as soon as I saw you, I knew that you were the one that had to be the mother of my baby. There’s just something about you.”

  “My flawless skin, lack of illness in my medical history, and the fact that baldness doesn’t run in my family?” she joked.

  He nodded. “Well, that and your nose. It’s a good nose.” He booped her nose with his finger. “I’m glad that you were single,” he said. “I know that’s weird to say to someone, but I really am. I don’t know how you weren’t in a relationship, but their loss is my gain, I suppose.”

  “Yeah, I guess. I haven’t really dated a lot, so your chances were pretty astronomical.”

  “Why not? If you don’t mind me asking.” He regretting asking the personal question as soon as it left his lips. “I’m sorry. That’s inappropriate of me to ask, since we…work together.”

  There was an awkward silence.

  It was true. They worked together. But it was a different sort of transaction between the two of them. He had never said it that way before. Especially out loud. While it was true that she was under contract and that he was—technically—her employer, he knew that it was a different dynamic. She wasn’t just a faceless client. It was Olivia. The mother of his child.

  “It’s okay,” she said, breaking the silence. “I know that we work together.” The words came out slowly, as if she had to force them out of her mouth. “But our business relationship revolves around things like this. It would be like if you asked one of your clients about other partnerships that they had in the past.”

  He nodded. He often stayed away from those questions during meetings as well. What made him think that it was okay to ask her?

  She continued, “I had a couple relationships in the past,” she said. “And they were all juvenile and horrible. It was all school-age stuff, anyway,” she explained. “So it’s nothing that I get too riled up about anymore.”

  He wanted to ask her more. He wanted to ask her who she pictured as her husband when she was growing up. He wanted to ask her how many kids she wanted, if she wanted a career and children or just one, if she pictured herself raising kids in the city or the country… There were so many questions on his mind, but none of them could breach his mouth.

  Chapter 19

  Olivia

  “This is going to be difficult, isn’t it?” Olivia asked as Yasin knocked on the door.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because you’re knocking. Normally, you just walk right in.”

  He looked at the door. “Oh.” He took a breath. “You’re right.” His hand reached for the doorknob but the door flung open instead. One of the palace workers held it open for them as they walked in.

  “Is your father expecting you?” the footman asked.

  “Yes. Yes, I called him last night and told him that we needed to talk.”

  The man nodded. “If you’ll wait right here while I ask him where he would like to meet with you.”

  Yasin nodded politely, without uttering a reply. Olivia had never seen him this nervous before. Even at the wedding, he had looked as cool as a cucumber. Cool as the Antarctic, even.

  “Why are you so nervous?” she whispered to him as the footman walked away.

  “I don’t know,”
he admitted. “I mean, my father likes you. My whole family likes you. This is something that my father wants. I’m sure that he prays for it each night. I don’t…I don’t know why I’m nervous. Maybe—” He thought for a second. “I just get nervous whenever I have to tell my father anything.”

  “You didn’t seem so scared when you introduced me to your family.”

  He shrugged. “I had already breached the topic the night before, on the phone. It wasn’t a surprise, like it is now.”

  “It’ll be fine,” Olivia said. She was looking up at the intricate woodwork of the banister on the staircase when she felt Yasin’s eyes on her. She turned to him. “Did I say something wrong?”

  He smiled. “No.”

  “What, then?” She could feel her cheeks blush. She was getting all flustered under his eyes.

  “It’s just nice that you have my back when I’m nervous,” he said. “You know I’m supportive of you, as well.”

  “I do know that,” she said. “Thank you.”

  The sound of footsteps caught their attention. The same footman that had opened the door reappeared in the foyer.

  “The family will receive you in the sitting room,” he announced.

  He led the way as they walked through a few hallways and rooms to get to a spacious living area. The room was simply decorated—with walls that were lined with bookcases, rugs covering the hardwood floors, and only tables and seating through the rest of the room.

  Yasin’s father was sitting in a tall wingback chair while his two siblings were sitting on a couch. Each of them had a teacup in hand except for Rashad, who just looked impatient—like he always did.

  “What’s going on, brother?” Rashad asked.

  Olivia could feel the word “divorce” hanging in the air over Rashad’s head.

  Won’t he be surprised when he finds out why we’re actually here, Olivia thought. Why does he hate me so much, anyway? I’ve never done anything to him. I don’t even know him. She pondered over whether she should get to know him a little better while Yasin showed her to a seat on the couch across from his siblings.