by Maggie Cox
He lifted a kindly eyebrow at Darcy’s semi-dressed state, in her nightgown and peignoir, as if he were a fond father who sought to remind her of the correct etiquette...
‘I can arrange for a cup of tea and some crumpets to be made for you and have them taken out to the terrace, if you’d like?’
Disappointed at having her wishes diverted, the newest member of the royal family suddenly realised how inappropriate her clothing was. Reaching for the tie belt of her peignoir, Darcy pulled it tight and protectively folded her arms across her chest. Then she blew out an impatient breath and a long buttery ringlet drifted down onto her brow. She shoved it away.
‘I know you mean well, Rashid, but food and drink is the last thing I can think about right now. If you knew how desperate I was to see my husband you would surely grant me a few short minutes with him... I promise I won’t keep him much longer than that.’
Darcy detected the exact moment when the man’s expression softened helplessly.
‘You could persuade a rose to grow in the most barren part of the desert with a look like that, Your Highness,’ he commented. ‘Very well—I will see what I can do’
‘Thank you. You’re a treasure.’
* * *
Impatiently heading towards the closed doors of the stateroom, leaving behind his curious board members at the grand polished table, Zafir sensed his heartbeat accelerate uncomfortably. Rashid had told him that Her Highness needed to see him urgently, and that he presumed it must be important because she wasn’t dressed yet.
Frowning, he immediately thought something must be wrong.
When he flung the doors wide and saw Darcy, pacing up and down, looking utterly adorable and sexy in a nightdress and peignoir that were almost sheer and that clung to her curves like the personification of temptation itself his heart raced even harder.
What was the woman trying to do to him? Surely she knew by now that two weeks without intimacy...hell, even one night—tested him to the very limits of his endurance? The only reason he hadn’t immediately pulled her into his arms and made love to her last night, on his arrival back home, was that she’d looked so peaceful sleeping.
More importantly, she needed all the rest she could get right now, due to her condition. Zafir didn’t want her to endanger the new baby...
When he spoke, his tone was more admonishing than he’d intended it to be. ‘Darcy. What do you mean by parading in front of my retainers like that and putting them in an impossibly compromising position?’
‘What are you talking about?’
Moving in closer and catching her firmly by the arms, he swept his simmering black eyes over her figure in a mixture of anger and frustration. ‘Have you no sense of propriety, appearing like that in front of my men? Why didn’t you think to dress properly first?’
‘Why didn’t I think to...to dress properly first?’ she echoed.
Her teeth momentarily clamped down on her plump lower lip. In fact she looked as if she might even cry...
‘I didn’t think because I was in a hurry to see you. I didn’t think about much else beyond that. Now I wish I’d been more—more sensible. God forbid if I’ve offended you.’
Wrenching one arm free from his grip, she looked as if she intended to get as far away from him as possible.
As if a rock had been dropped on his head from a great height Zafir flinched, then hauled her urgently into his arms.
‘I merely wanted to bring it to your attention that you open yourself to all kinds of unhelpful speculation, appearing like that,’ he breathed.
Somehow he found the smile that he’d wanted to greet her with.
‘You’re far too beautiful for any man to be confronted with first thing in the morning...and the last thing I want is for my servants to be lusting after you.’
The frown between Darcy’s brows immediately disappeared, and he urged her even closer to his chest. Her scent was intoxicating...more intoxicating than honeysuckle-drenched air after a rainstorm. Zafir was already having trouble retaining his equilibrium.
‘I want to kiss you. I want to kiss you properly and thoroughly. But I dare not do so right now. My board members will be alarmed if I don’t return soon. Have you any idea just how much I’ve missed you?’ He ran his hands gently down over her belly. ‘You and the beautiful bump that will tell the world you’re having my child.’
‘Second child, don’t you mean?’
‘I’ve been wondering if this time it will be a girl...’
His remark clearly delighted her, and his wife dimpled. ‘That’s what I wanted to tell you. The doctor who’ll be looking after me at the hospital rang to ask if I wanted to know the baby’s sex.’
Zafir couldn’t deny that he’d been delighted when his wife had agreed to have the baby born in Zachariah. It was the icing on the cake after all they’d been through.
He couldn’t resist stealing a kiss from the side of her delectable mouth. Any more than that and he would be well and truly lost—certainly not fit to make any decisions at the board meeting.
‘And what did you tell him?’
‘I told him that it had to be a joint decision made with my husband.’
‘I would not protest if you wanted to know.’
‘I know that.’
Now it was her turn to steal a kiss. And as soon as her lips touched his Zafir groaned. His whole body irresistibly became more alive under her attentions.
‘But would you like to find out...if it’s a boy or a girl, I mean?’
Pausing to lift a swathe of coal-black hair from behind his nape, he smiled. ‘My only preference is for the child to be healthy and for you to have a pregnancy that is as stress-free as possible.’
‘Then I think it’s probably best if we don’t find out. We’ll just have a lovely surprise when the baby is born.’
‘I agree. Now, I want you to turn right around and return to our rooms. And if you decide to go back to bed and wait for my meeting to finish then I assure you that it will be finished sooner rather than later, my sweet.’
Another kiss was eagerly stolen. And, considering the circumstances, this time it lasted a little longer than perhaps was altogether wise...
* * * * *
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT
Raul Di Savo desires more than Lydia Hayward’s body—his seduction will stop his rival buying her! Raul’s expert touch awakens Lydia to irresistible pleasure, but his game of revenge forces Lydia to leave…until an unexpected consequence binds them forever!
Read on for a sneak preview of
THE INNOCENT’S SECRET BABY
Somehow Lydia was back against the wall with Raul’s hands either side of her head.
She put her hands up to his chest and felt him solid beneath her palms and she just felt him there a moment and then looked up to his eyes.
His mouth moved in close and as it did she stared right into his eyes.
She could feel heat hover between their mouths in a slow tease before they first met.
Then they met.
And all that had been missing was suddenly there.
Yet, the gentle pressure his mouth exerted, though blissful, caused a mire of sensations until the gentleness of his kiss was no longer enough.
A slight inhale, a hitch in her breath and her lips parted, just a little, and he slipped his tongue in.
The moan she made went straight to his groin.
At first taste she was his and he knew it for her hands moved to the back of his head and he kissed her as hard back as her fingers demanded.
More so even.
His tongue was wicked and her fingers tightened in his thick hair and she could feel the wall cold and hard against her shoulders.
It was the middle of Rome just after six and even down a side street there was no real hiding from the crowds.
Lydia didn’t care.
He slid one arm around her waist to move her body away from the wall and closer into his, so that her head could fall backwards.
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br /> If there was a bed, she would be on it.
If there was a room they would close the door.
Yet there wasn’t and so he halted them, but only their lips.
Their bodies were heated and close and he looked her right in the eye. His mouth was wet from hers and his hair a little messed from her fingers.
Don’t miss
THE INNOCENT’S SECRET BABY,
By Carol Marinelli
Available March 2017
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Copyright ©2017 Mills & Boon
ISBN: 978-1-474-05210-8
THE SHEIKH’S SECRET SON
© 2017 Maggie Cox
Published in Great Britain 2017
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
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