Prince's Triplet Babies

by Sophia Lynn

  No, he thought, drying off and entering the darkened bedroom again, he would have to be very careful indeed.

  Chapter Six

  Erin woke up to a feeling of intense wellness followed by some confusion. For a moment, she had no idea where she was. She didn't wake up on her battered mattress on the floor, and the milk crate that served as her nightstand was nowhere to be found. Then her memories came back in a rush, and she had to convince herself all over again that the past few days weren't just a dream.

  She sat up in bed, pleased that it was only late morning. That meant that her body's clock was adjusting to Hazn, and that there would be plenty of time for Askari to show her the country, as he had said he would.

  She found her discarded robe from the night before, and feeling more than a little saucy, she knotted it over what she wore to bed, which was nothing at all. Erin could hear him moving around in the living room, and she padded off to look for him.

  To her surprise, when she found him, he was pacing back and forth, talking in low and irritated tones to someone on the phone. She didn't understand the Arabic he was using, but obviously something had displeased him.

  For a moment, she had the mad desire to go to him and to loop her arms around his waist. She wanted to bury her face into the space between his shoulder blades and to see if she could make him slightly more cheerful about the morning, but she didn't quite dare.

  Instead, she leaned her shoulder against the door jamb and watched as he finished his call. To her relief, when he finally hung up, his gaze lightened, and Askari crossed the room to stand by her side.

  "Good morning, beautiful," he murmured. "Hopefully you were not bored while I was attending to business."

  "Not bored at all," she responded. "Is there something serious going on? Can I help at all?"

  He chuckled, which stung a little. She might not have been a foreign analyst, but she had a brain in her head. She certainly didn't mind listening at any rate. She let it go because she didn't feel like fighting, but it stayed in her mind.

  "It's nothing for you to worry about at all, but unfortunately, it is something that does require my attention," Askari said regretfully. "I need to be at the capitol building in just under half an hour, and I will likely be tied up all day."

  "Aww, I'm sorry to hear that," she said, hiding the real disappointment in her voice. "I suppose that means that we'll have to explore Hazn together another day."

  He nodded, brushing a gentle kiss across her forehead. She wondered if there was anything that actually made it feel dismissive or it was simply how she was feeling dismissed this morning.

  "You won't be bored today, at any rate. I took the liberty of calling in a fashion consultant."

  "A... what?"

  "I saw that you only had one very small bag when you got on the plane yesterday."

  "Well, you didn't have anything at all," she pointed out, and he grinned.

  "That's because I maintain a few different wardrobe collections wherever I keep a house, and I can always have things shipped from home or purchased for me. If you want to explore Hazn in style, a fashion consultant can get you a decent wardrobe in no time at all."

  She sighed, because as much as she generally liked her clothes, he was probably right. They weren't a good pick for going gallivanting around Hazn, and having a few more options to choose from was likely a good idea.

  "All right," Erin said, caving in. "You go attend to business, and I'll stay here and work on looking pretty for you."

  "An easy enough task, you are already beyond beautiful," he said, and she couldn't stop herself from grinning at that.

  The kiss he gave her to say goodbye quickly became more heated than either of them anticipated, and if his phone hadn't rung again, there was a chance that Askari would have been late and that the consultant that he had hired would have gotten an eyeful. However, the phone did ring, and Askari pulled himself away from her with an impatient growl.

  "I'll return as soon as I can," he promised, and she nodded with a slight smile.

  Then he was gone, and she was all alone in the gorgeous townhouse.

  Calm down, she told herself. If you were in one of the vacation houses, you would probably only see him when you were especially fertile.

  A small part of her wondered, however, whether that would have been a little easier. It would have looked more like a business arrangement then, at least. This was already beginning to blur some lines in her heart; she could feel them, but it probably wasn't important to worry about them, at least not yet.

  It's fine, she told herself again. We'll see each other tomorrow, and then things will be normal.

  Still, however, the townhouse felt remarkably empty. With a sigh, Erin went up to the bathroom to shower. Apparently, soon she was going to meet her first fashion consultant.

  ***

  For a moment, Askari sat in the car and fought with himself. From the messages on his phone, he could see that he would definitely have to make an appearance at the capitol building today. However, he also realized that he had overstated the situation to Erin a little bit.

  It didn't require his immediate presence, and chances were, he would only have to be at the capitol building until dinnertime.

  He sat in the car and thought about what it would be like to go back into the townhouse and to tell her that there was a change of plans. They could have a leisurely meal together, and then perhaps she would want to make love. Then he could go to work, and upon a hopefully timely return, he could take her to see some of the Haz nightlife that he knew so well.

  Even as a large part of him yearned for that idea, another part of him rebelled. That wasn't the behavior that one showed towards a woman one wished merely to impregnate. She already had a mysterious power over him that neither of them could explain. He refused to give her more power to wield over him.

  The more time he spent in her seductive presence, the greater that power would grow. He had known that there was something calling him to Erin, but he knew that he was man enough to stop it from overcoming him. No matter how beautiful she was. No matter how much he ached to have her in his arms even as he thought of these things.

  Resolute, he started his car. He would see her later that night. It would have to be enough for both of them.

  ***

  The fashion designer turned out to be an eager young woman just a few years older than Erin herself. As she had waited, Erin had been nervously picturing a grand dame who would sneer at all of her clothes, ordering them to be burnt before they could realize her vision.

  Instead, she got Meera, who was slim and fashionable in her tailored tunic and wide leggings, a vivid red headscarf covering up every bit of her hair. She introduced herself as she was coming in the door, she talked about how excited she was to get the opportunity to dress a friend of the sheikh's, and she handed Erin a tablet full of fascinating designs before darting back to help a pair of silent men unload racks upon racks of clothing.

  “Is... this something that you do often?” Erin asked when she managed to get a word in edgewise. “The... dressing of the sheikh's friends?”

  She didn't mean to put a little bit of emphasis on 'friends,' but Meera seemed to know what she meant. For a moment, the other woman fussed with the clothes a little as she bought herself time to think.

  “I've never had an assignment this prestigious before,” she admitted, “but I suppose this runs in the family. My grandmother had the pleasure of outfitting the current sheikh's grandfather's companions and also his wife.”

  Erin shook her head because this was obviously too high-society for her. Where she came from, people dated and then they got married. The idea of someone paying for their 'friends' clothes after they were married sounded like grounds for a divorce, to say the least.

  As Meera busied herself with measurements and finding the right garments on the rack, Erin reminded herself that she wasn't marrying Askari. Properly, they weren't even dating.

  No, sh
e thought to herself wryly, all you're doing is doing an incredibly intimate thing with him, and then at some point, there will be a child.

  Even in the warmth of the room, she shivered. She had thought about it. Of course she had. What it had come down to was the fact that a child, her child, would have an amazing life with Askari as the father. They would have all of the privileges and pleasures that she had never had as a child growing up. They would be well-fed and able to take advantage of a world that was big and bright.

  She touched her belly gently, thinking of what they had done the night before. It was entirely possibly that there was a child growing inside her just then, one that the two of them had made together. There was a reality to it all that had never been there before, and Erin gulped a little.

  “Miss O'Reilly?”

  Erin jerked her hand away guiltily. She had made a bargain, and nothing had changed. In fact, overall, she had learned that in addition to being rich and powerful, Askari was also capable of kindness. That was important as well.

  “Oh, um, please call me Erin,” she said. “There's no need to be so formal with me, it just makes me think that I should be more nervous than I am...”

  Meera laughed, a light-hearted sound that made Erin feel a little better. At least, it did until Erin wondered whether it was a laugh that Askari would like himself. She shook the thought off because that way lay more madness than she could deal with at the moment.

  “Oh, but you have no reason to be nervous at all,” she said. “Not when you are as lovely as you are.”

  Erin started to protest that she was quite plain, but then Meera was pulling her towards the enormous racks of clothing. Just glimpsing some of the racks, she could identify full ball gowns, evening wear, and swimsuits, everything a fine lady would need to outfit herself.

  “Here, let us start with casual clothes. It's always good to be comfortable, and then when I have you all lulled, I can start working on the evening wear and the things that are a little less comfy...”

  Erin laughed, and because there was nothing else she could do about it, she followed Meera. There was no use thinking about it, and she resolved to put it out of her mind.

  Even as the other woman held up a gorgeous black linen sundress for her to try on, Erin wondered what Askari was doing. She knew that a sheikh would be busy more often than not, but she couldn't help wishing that he was here with her.

  ***

  It was past midnight when Askari returned to the townhouse. He had been right. He could have been back sooner, but he found more work, and there were always people who wanted a moment of his time, even if that moment had to occur sometime past eleven.

  Now he was more than slightly exhausted, the sheikh still wasn't sure he had done the right thing. At some point, it occurred to him that he was hiding from a little red-haired woman from the United States, a woman with nothing more dangerous than a smile and a sweet mouth.

  But how dangerous that mouth could be, he mused as he entered the townhouse and locked the door behind him. Passing through the living room, Askari smiled to see it such a mess. He knew that Meera would not rest until she had outfitted Erin for every occasion, and that she would look amazing.

  The kitchen light had been left on, but he ignored it, instead choosing to go upstairs to the bedrooms. He did not find Erin in the master bedroom or in any of the other bedrooms either, and he frowned.

  For one brief and rather mad moment, he wondered if she had left. There was a strange paranoia at the back of his mind that told him that if he took his eyes off of her, if he didn't see her for too long, then obviously she had disappeared, returning to the United States. It was, Askari figured, an artifact of the moment in front of his hotel, where he thought she would not show up and that he would never see her again.

  Then a thought occurred and he retraced his steps. The kitchen light was on, and tucked at the table with her back close to the wall was Erin. There was a cold cup of cocoa by her side, and her head rested on her folded hands. Her breathing was light and easy, and he realized that he had walked right past her. With a slight smile, he came to stand next to her, stroking her hair and calling her name softly, trying to make sure that he did not startle her.

  “Wh...what? What's... oh, Askari! You're home,” she said, blinking those enormous green eyes at him. It suddenly occurred to him that she needed emeralds in just that color, and then he shook the idea off again.

  “I am,” he said. “Why did you fall asleep down here? You know there are a few perfectly good beds upstairs waiting for you. For us.”

  She laughed a little. In a new lavender silk robe, she looked adorable, especially when she shrugged with a self-deprecating humor.

  “Well, I thought about going to bed, but you said that you would be back tonight, even if it was late.”

  He blinked at her in surprise.

  “So you decided to wait for me?”

  “Yeah,” she said, shrugging again and suddenly looking very young. It suddenly occurred to him that despite her courage, despite saving a young boy from a possible monster and daring to charge around the world, that she was shy.

  “You said it would be late, not that you wouldn't be home at all,” Erin said, slightly defensively. “And I've definitely worked late nights before. It always feels a bit lonely when I get home and everything's quiet. I was thinking that maybe you felt the same way. I thought...”

  She bit her lip, something that he found almost absurdly endearing, glancing down.

  “What is it?” he asked, being sure to keep his voice kind and soft. Askari knew that she was as tough as nails, but right now, tonight, there was something fragile about her, something soft and sweet and gentle. She was as delicate as a moth's wing, as if a single touch could wither her.

  “Well, I just thought that maybe you would appreciate it if I could make you some cocoa when you came back. Or coffee? Maybe you prefer coffee?”

  She was so shy and lovely that Askari could not prevent a broad smile from crossing his face.

  “Well, I am not sure about the coffee. I had some at the place where I worked. However, I will say that cocoa sounds good, unless you are too tired and simply wish to sleep?”

  The smile that lit her face was so bright he swore it warmed him.

  “No, not at all! I would love to make some cocoa for you.”

  He watched as she rose from the table and bustled to the stove. He wasn't sure that he had ever touched the stove here, but to his amusement, she worked it expertly, pulling some milk and a bar of chocolate out of the refrigerator.

  “I think you'll like this,” she was saying. “It's way better than making coffee from a mix. A girl from Spain who was backpacking through the United States showed me how to make it, and it's delicious...”

  He watched her lush form move back and forth, and the surge of feeling he had for her was not physical desire, though there was some of that mixed in. He didn't know what it was, exactly, but there was something warm and blooming inside, and for the moment, he simply sat and enjoyed it.

  Chapter Seven

  Faster than she thought that it could have, Erin's days hit a pattern. It was a strange thing, and sometimes it left her lonelier than she would have said, but oftentimes, there were moments of such beauty and such joy that she could hardly believe it.

  In the morning, she would wake up to Askari showering in the bathroom off of the main bedroom. She lay in bed, waking up slowly herself, stretching and feeling the delicious ache of having spent her night with a man who knew her body better than she ever had. Looking back at her past love life, now she was shocked that she had ever thought herself frigid. There was something vivid and burning in her, and a single touch from Askari, and sometimes even a smile, could bring it out in her.

  On some rare mornings, he would wake her up, his touch light and gentle, inquisitive. Sometimes, they would make love then, starting their day with the pleasure that seemed to consume them.

  Most days, she would fo
llow him to the kitchen where he would eat something fast, and then be off for a day running his businesses or officiating over his duties in the government.

  He returned late at night. Most nights he was back by ten, but it was not uncommon for him to be as late as midnight or even one or two. No matter how late he was, however, she took her post in the kitchen and waited for him. Most nights they simply shared a bit of tea, with Askari introducing her to the delicate flower blends that were so popular in Hazn. Some nights, when they both needed a treat, she would make them cocoa, the rich dark sweetness of it melting on their tongues before they would touch each other, first lightly, and then more urgently, and sooner rather than later, their drinks would be forgotten. He would sweep her up the stairs, and then they would fall on each other, as hungry as if they had not seen each other in months.

  It would have been perfect, and for many women, she suspected, it would have been. The moments when she was with Askari, she felt more safe and wonderful and cared for than she ever had. The moments when she was with Askari, she felt as if she was alive.

  It was the moments without him that had begun to trouble her. It would have been one thing, she supposed, if he had actually been working. She knew that he was a busy man who had many duties to attend to. However, judging from some of the television news broadcasts and gossip magazines that she saw, this was not the case.

  He made the time to go to expositions, to visit various hot spots through the city and to attend many cultural events, and after a while, she began to resent them slightly. She had read up on the courtesans that he compared her to, and one and all, they were women with their own lives. They had social appearances to make, they lived as they liked, and though some of them had given birth to the heirs of sheikhs, many lived on their own, creating lives of art and beauty and raising their own children.

  She tried to take it as philosophically as she could. Erin was very aware of the weight of the three million dollars that she had been given. She was here to perform a service, and at the bottom of it, she was a brood mare, though one that was well-dressed, well-cared for, and generally treated with excellent courtesy.