“I’m guessing a while then, yes?”
Zuri could only nod her head.
“Okay, that’s a pretty good indication. Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
“I didn’t realized it!” she admitted. “I know that sounds stupid but…well, I’ve been more focused on avoiding you and our wedding. And then Jabril disappeared and then came back married. There were all the issues with Ditra and then Ilara needed my help and…”
He chuckled softly, pulling her into his arms. Tarin relaxed slightly when she went willingly, leaning her cheek against his chest. “You’ve had a rough time of things lately.”
“Yeah, life has been a bit chaotic,” she agreed.
Chaos wasn’t even close to describing what was going to happen soon. “So, we’re getting married.” He felt her stiffen and wanted to punch something. “Is that bad?”
“No,” she sniffed. “It was going to happen eventually.”
“Are you upset about being pregnant?” he demanded, suddenly angry at the thought.
“No! Don’t you dare think that!” she snapped right back.
Relieved, he tried to pull her back into his arms, but she was angry with him now. “Zuri, it was a reasonable question. You don’t seem excited about having a baby.”
She groaned. “You don’t have to tell my very arrogant and very protective brother that I’m pregnant.”
He laughed softly, nodding in agreement. “Good point. But I do have to tell my friend. And that’s going to be a difficult conversation.”
Worried eyes looked up at him. “He won’t hurt you, Tarin. I won’t let him.”
Tarin threw back his head, laughing at even the possibility of her brother hurting him. Jabril might try, but Tarin knew how to fight. “I’d like to see him try it, honey. But he won’t.”
“You know my brother, right? The jerk who…”
He rested a thumb over her lips. “Let me handle Jabril. You need to rest.”
Not a good thing to say, he realized when she stiffened and backed up. “Don’t you dare go all idiot-caveman on me now,” she warned with what she probably thought was a threatening voice. But he thought it was cute. “I’m a healthy female that is pregnant. It isn’t a disease.”
“Yes, but you need to…”
“I need to continue on with my life exactly the way I have been. Minus the alcohol. And coffee,” she corrected. Then Zuri looked confused for a moment. “And I think there are vitamins I should be taking. But still, I don’t need to spend my days lounging in bed.”
“We’ll talk to a doctor and see what he says.”
“She!”
Tarin had no idea what Zuri meant by that correction. “She?”
“Yes. I have a female doctor. Never assume that doctors are male.”
He chuckled at her feisty response. “Fine. You can have whatever gender you prefer, as long as they are the best. You’re having my child. I want…”
“I’m having our child, Tarin.”
He laughed, thinking she was cute. “Right. Our child.” And then he pulled her into his arms.
“We need to get married, Tarin. Your people won’t accept our child if they think it was born out of wedlock. They are gaining in acceptance of modern norms, but there are some things that they still want to happen. One of those things is for the pregnancy to come after the wedding vows.”
“I agree. I’ll arrange everything. We’ll fly back to Catare tonight and will be married tomorrow morning.”
Wait…tomorrow?! Zuri jerked out of his arms. “Tomorrow? But…”
He took her hand, pulling her back towards him. “It has to be soon, honey.”
“But…I can’t be married in twenty-four hours! That’s just too soon.”
His hand moved lower, covering her stomach. “It has to be soon,” he emphasized.
Defeated, she sighed. Finally, she nodded her agreement. “Tomorrow.”
“I’ll have my assistant arrange for someone to send over wedding dresses.”
Zuri rubbed her forehead. “Fine. Tomorrow. But I don’t need a wedding dress,” she told him. “I…” she thought frantically while blinking back the tears that threatened. “I’ll find something appropriate to wear.”
He stared for a long moment, then nodded curtly. “Fine. I’ll have my assistant send you the details.”
With that, he walked out of her bedroom.
When she was alone again, it occurred to Zuri that, for the first time, they’d had a conversation that didn’t end with sex. Was that a good thing? Or bad?
Chapter 10
Tarin stared out the window of his office, furious with himself for…hell, he needed to make a list! He’d messed up royally with Zuri on so many levels! He’d vowed to court her, to show her how he felt about her and how their life together could be a partnership. And yet, every time they were close, that sexual need seemed to take over, for both of them. Neither of them seemed to be able to resist or control it.
He should have used protection and, for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why he hadn’t. His whole life, he had a perfect track record in that department. Never, ever, had he enjoyed a sexual encounter without using protection. Even if the woman promised that she was on birth control, he’d still used protection. It had been ingrained in him from a very young age that unplanned pregnancies were not allowed. Under no circumstances had he ever allowed himself to become so carried away that he’d forgotten to use protection.
Until Zuri.
There was just something about her, a need for her that was like a flash fire in his veins. Just seeing her made his body ache with need and desire. She was a potent mixture of sauciness and tenderness. Every time she touched him, he wanted to share that experience with her, and the only way he knew to explain how he felt when she touched him was to touch her back and show her.
He hadn’t even realized that he’d forgotten protection during their last time together until he’d gotten home and had the ability to think about their time together. He’d considered the possibility that she’d gotten pregnant, but whenever he’d tried to talk to her about it, she’d either avoided him or he’d become so frustrated, he hadn’t even thought about asking her if she was okay.
So, here they were. Zuri was pregnant with his child. Their child, he corrected. A small smile formed on his features at the memory of her correcting him. She was exactly what he needed. What his country needed. She was fire and light, happiness and stubbornness. Add in a side of compassion and genuine concern for others and she was perfect for him.
And yet, she didn’t love him. He didn’t know if she felt anything at all for him. Oh, he knew that he angered her. That was evident enough. So, he might be thrilled that they would soon have a child together, but he’d wanted her on different terms. He wanted her to be just as excited as he was about their future together.
But if anyone were to ask her how she felt, he suspected that she’d utter some politically correct, diplomatic platitude.
Looking at his desk, he realized that he had to make the hardest phone call of his life. He had to call Jabril and tell him that his sister was pregnant. Yes, he and Zuri were already betrothed, but that didn’t mean that Jabril would appreciate the fact that his baby sister was pregnant before being officially married.
Add to that the fact that Zuri wasn’t even willing to get a real wedding dress for tomorrow. Six months ago, when he’d decided that he was tired of being patient about setting a wedding date, everything had seemed so perfect. He had the chance to slowly show Zuri how he felt and, hopefully, encourage her feelings for him as well. Fast forward, he was still in the same position, wanting Zuri to love him, but now he’d never know. Their wedding would always be about the baby. Years from now, he would still be wondering if she married him for the baby or because she had feelings for him.
Meanwhile, he was so head over heels in love with the woman, he could barely see straight when she was around.
Rubbing the back of h
is neck, he lifted the phone and dialed the number himself, needing to get this conversation over with.
Jabril answered on the second ring. “Tell me your house didn’t burn down and that my wife and sister are okay.”
Tarin laughed softly. “Your wife and sister are perfectly fine.”
Tarin could almost feel the relief through the phone. “Good. Now tell me that you are sending them back to me tomorrow.”
“Close,” Tarin replied.
“That’s not good enough. I miss Ilara. Is she okay? Is she sleeping well? Is she getting enough to eat?” Jabril sighed and Tarin pictured the man rubbing his forehead. “She’s not eating well, is she? I should be there to make sure that she’s eating. She tends to focus on other things and forgets to eat. She needs…”
He stopped and, because Tarin was in the same frame of mind, he understood what hadn’t been said. “Your wife is pregnant, isn’t she?” he asked softly.
“Yeah,” Jabril admitted, and there was a smile in his voice. Tarin could feel Jabril’s excitement. Maybe it wasn’t because he could feel the happy vibrations through the phone. Perhaps it was because Tarin was feeling the same emotions: elation, jubilation, happiness, and nervousness over Zuri’s health and the health of their unborn child. “Yeah, she’s pregnant. About ten weeks now.”
“Congratulations, old man,” Tarin said with feeling. “That’s wonderful news. I know that you needed an heir by law.”
“Hell, I don’t give a damn about the law,” Jabril growled. “I want this baby because it’s Ilara’s child and mine. I love her. I used to scoff at others who said that they felt this way, but I love her more than life itself.”
Tarin nodded. “You know that I feel the same way about Zuri, right?”
Jabril laughed. “Yeah, but I also know that she is resisting you. So are you calling to tell me that she’s annoying the hell out of you?”
“No. And yes, I love your sister, but…” he sighed, running a hand over his hair. “We’re getting married tomorrow morning,” he announced, starting with the news that Jabril might prefer. “She finally agreed to set a date and I’m not letting her out of my sight until the deed is done.”
“Well…!” There was a stunned silence at the other end of the conversation. Tarin waited, wondering if his friend would understand why they had to marry so quickly. “That’s great! Congratulations,” but there was hesitation in his voice too.
“Thanks,” Tarin replied, still waiting.
“But you know what everyone is going to think,” he teased. “If you marry this quickly, without all of the craziness that happens around a royal wedding, the press is going to speculate that Zuri is pregnant.”
Tarin didn’t say a word, just closed his eyes and waited for his friend to connect the dots. There was a long silence and then a loud thud. Tarin had no idea what that noise was, nor did he want to speculate.
“You bastard! You had sex with my sister? Before you were married?!” Jabril snarled.
Tarin didn’t answer that question. “Can you be in Catare for the wedding? We’re leaving this afternoon and will be married tomorrow morning.”
Another long silence and Tarin could picture Jabril pacing in his office, furious and rightly so.
“You know I’m going to have to kill you for this,” he snapped. “And it’s going to be a painful death.”
Tarin wanted to laugh, but refrained. “I know, but would you mind waiting until after the wedding? I don’t think Zuri would enjoy being a single mother.”
A string of profanity followed. Tarin waited, knowing that he deserved anything and everything Jabril meted out. He’d messed up in so many ways.
When the tirade ended, Tarin said the only thing he knew for certain. “I love her.”
Silence. His friend fumed, but the three little words meant more than anything else Tarin could have said.
“You better,” he growled. “And you need to marry in your country. I’ll meet you there as a show of support but…,” he huffed a bit and Tarin could picture Jabril running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Damn it, Tarin, you’d better make her happy!”
The call ended after that and Tarin sighed with relief. The worst was over. Oh, he didn’t doubt that Jabril would say something tomorrow. But getting that news out had been the hardest. It had been a betrayal to his friend. In every sense, Tarin had been wrong.
Tomorrow, he would make it right.
Calling his assistant, he conveyed the new plan. “I need to fly home,” he told the man. “Have my plane ready for takeoff in a few hours. I don’t know how long it will take for the ladies to get ready, but I want to take off as soon as they are.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” his aide replied immediately. “I’ll ensure that everything is taken care of.”
With that, he went upstairs to convey the news.
Chapter 11
Zuri stood next to Tarin, her sedate white suit a beacon of hope amidst the angry participants of this ceremony. They’d flown to Catare yesterday afternoon, landing late at night. She’d been woken this morning with the news that a team of stylists was here to help her get ready. So for the previous four hours, she’d been manicured, pedicured, shampooed and styled, her body massaged and her hair pinned up on top of her head. The stylist had suggested flowers for her hair, but Zuri shook her head. “No. This wedding isn’t that formal,” she replied. Which is why she stood here with her hair pulled back into a severe bun, a row of diamonds sparkling as the only nod to romance.
This wasn’t about love, she told herself. This was about an heir. This was about responsibility and obligations.
Blinking, she lifted her chin. She’d made her bed, now she had to live with it. This was her life. If she’d been more responsible and disciplined, she would have gotten on birth control after that first kiss. But in her arrogance, she’d believed she could ignore the attraction she felt towards Tarin.
“Your Highness?” an odd looking man interrupted as she touched up her lipstick.
Turning, she blinked at the man holding a large, wooden box. “Can I help you?” she asked politely.
“A gift from your husband to be,” he announced, then opened the box with a formal swish. Inside, nestled in rich, thick velvet, was the most stunning diamond necklace she’d ever seen! It wasn’t gaudy, but there were so many diamonds, they almost blinded her.
“Oh my!” she gasped, almost afraid to touch something so beautiful.
Ilara clapped. “Zuri! That’s gorgeous! You have to wear this!” and she picked up the diamond necklace, draping it around Zuri’s neck. Zuri had planned to wear a simple strand of pearls with her white silk suit. But the diamond necklace…it was perfect. The suit was formal enough and the diamonds added just the right note for the occasion.
Slowly, Zuri touched the necklace, fighting back the tears.
“Don’t you dare cry!” Ilara admonished with a laugh and a gentle hand to Zuri’s shoulder. “You will mess up your makeup. You look beautiful, by the way.”
Zuri pulled her eyes away from the stunning necklace, surveying her appearance in the full length mirror. Despite her rejection of a wedding dress, Zuri had called her favorite designer yesterday and asked her to send over a white suit and matching heels. The designer hadn’t let her down and it fit her perfectly, tapering at the waist, hugging her hips, but with an elaborate neckline that gave off a romantic touch. It was perfect for a rushed wedding.
“It is time,” she announced. At that moment, Jabril stepped into the room, looking grim and handsome. “Relax,” she told him as she turned to face him. “I’m not the first pregnant bride to be married in a rushed wedding.”
“Zuri…” he began, but then pressed his lips together and she saw his jaw clenching tightly.
“Take me to get married, big brother.”
Without another word, Jabril led her down the hallway of the Catare palace, which was just as huge and beautiful as the one she’d grown up in, but different in many ways. A
s she walked down the hallway, she lifted her eyes up to the ceiling, noticing the elaborate murals that someone had painted on each section of the hallway. They were beautiful, depicting various scenes from Catare’s history and were more amazing than the paintings in the Sistine Chapel.
The doors to a small chapel opened and…there he was. Tarin looked extraordinarily handsome in his military uniform. His rough features looked a bit grim until she stepped closer. The music played but Zuri didn’t recognize the song. She didn’t hear the words as Jabril and the officiant spoke. Zuri had eyes only for Tarin.
This was it, she thought. His eyes never left hers. Jabril placed her hand in Tarin’s, and she trembled as his fingers closed over hers. Words were spoken. She must have said her wedding vows and he spoke, but she didn’t hear them clearly, too entranced by the determined look in Tarin’s eyes.
As the cold, platinum band settled around her finger, she felt a shiver of…excitement. Fear. And a love so powerful, it caused her knees to tremble. If only….but no. Tarin would care for her. He would treat her with respect and they would form a life together. She loved him so completely, so deeply. And that would have to be enough.
Looking up at Tarin, she wanted to laugh at the black eye her brother had given him moments after they’d landed in Catare. Tarin hadn’t even fought back. In fact, Zuri suspected that Tarin had anticipated the punch. Needed it even.
It was just a shame that their wedding pictures would have her in a severe white suit and him with a black eye.
“I now proclaim you husband and wife,” the officiant announced with a solemn tilt to his head.
Zuri had no idea if the man had figured out why they were rushing to be married. But she suspected that he was very aware of the few reasons one would marry in a rush such as this.
Tarin tugging her hands pulled her out of her embarrassed retrospection and she faced him, gazing up into his dark eyes. He was so sweet and wonderful. Why couldn’t he care just a little for her? Zuri accepted that she was madly in love with him. For her, Tarin had been it. He’d been the man by which she’d compared all others over the years. Yes, it hadn’t helped that she’d been betrothed to him for so long and her stubborn nature was also a problem. That betrothal had generated a sort of ownership in him.
The Sheik's Arrangement Page 11