by Holly Rayner
Kadeen grinned. “Of course. They can’t stay mad at me long, no matter how bad I get. I think a part of them always knew I’d be the difficult one, who rejected tradition and expectation. I’ve always gone my own way, and they’ve found a way to love me, regardless.”
“That’s good to hear,” Nicole sighed, tilting her head back against the couch.
“What can I get you, my love?” Kadeen asked.
Nicole hesitated. She wasn’t used to asking for help, but being pregnant with quintuplets, it was a habit she would have to break.
“A glass of water would be divine,” she hedged.
Kadeen bounded off the couch, planting a kiss on her forehead. “Say no more. Your wish is my command!”
He dug through the half-empty kitchen cabinets until he found a clean glass, filling it from the tap and reaching in the freezer for a couple of ice cubes before bringing it back to her.
Nicole took a sip, closing her eyes as she savored the cold, refreshing sensation before opening them and grinning at Kadeen.
“You better watch out. A girl could get used to this.”
Kadeen drew her close again, wrapping his arm around her and stroking her arms gently with his fingertips. Nicole thought that if she wasn’t so heavily pregnant, she would make love to him then and there. As it was, she settled with basking in the warmth of his comforting embrace.
“You better. I’ve got a lot of making up to do, and I‘m ready to start now. From this moment on, anything you need, I will make it my mission to get it for you. When our children are born, I will ensure they are safe, loved, and protected every day of their lives. You couldn’t get rid of me now even if you wanted to.”
“Well I guess it’s a good thing that I absolutely do not want to,” Nicole sighed, laying her head against his shoulder.
From that angle, the portrait entered her line of sight again, and Nicole was struck by a thought.
“What are you going to do with the painting, now that you’ve brought it back here? Did you really not tell the historical society about it?”
Kadeen shook his head. “No, I told them about it. I even sat down with them so they could take some photographs for their records. But I realized that the portrait didn’t really belong in a museum. I think the Sheikha belongs with you.”
Nicole looked up at him, surprised.
“What?” she gasped.
“Well, you’re the one who restored her to her former glory, and this lady here is a testament to true love. I’d be honored if you accepted her as a token of my love for you.”
Nicole’s eyes overflowed with tears. She knew exactly how important that portrait was to Kadeen. That he would offer her such a priceless treasure did nothing but confirm everything he had said since arriving at her doorstep.
She tugged him down for another kiss before releasing his lips, and grinned.
“I’d be honored.”
Chapter 19
Nicole
“Nicole, darling, we’re going to be late.”
Nicole was digging at her earlobe, staring hard at her reflection in the mirror as she tried to find the hole for her earring.
“I’m almost done, I swear. I’ve just got to get this earring in, and it’s giving me a very hard time.”
Kadeen poked his head into the bedroom, assessing the situation.
Nicole was close to bursting. Her belly was twice the size of the rest of her, and she had started to waddle around, rather than walk. After a few weeks of dating, Kadeen had suggested she move in with him, to make the transition to parenthood easier. She had readily agreed.
When Kadeen had brought her up to his penthouse apartment for the first time, Nicole had gasped.
“This is where you live?” she’d breathed.
Kadeen had glanced around, shrugging slightly as though it were no big deal. “Why, do you think it’s too small for the children?”
Nicole had shot him a sideways glance. “I think the whole top floor of a building should be just fine.”
She’d moved in the following week, with help from a moving company Kadeen had hired to keep her from overexerting herself.
Now he was walking over to her, taking the earring from her hand.
“Let me see,” he said.
“How do you know how to put in earrings?”
“I’m a man of many talents. Now stop asking questions so I can get this into your ear and we can get going.”
Nicole tilted her head obediently as Kadeen gently slid the earring through, rubbing it gently where it had turned red from her own futile efforts.
She turned around and leaned in to kiss him. Her belly bumped firmly against his middle. “I really don’t think they’ll open the gallery without you. Besides, artists are notoriously late. It’s kind of their thing.”
“That would be applicable if I were the artist. As it is, I’m only the owner, so we should aim to be on time.”
Nicole rolled her eyes, and Kadeen grasped her shoulders and guided her from their shared bedroom and into the living room, which had panoramic views of the New York City skyline.
Kadeen grabbed a light shawl and placed it around Nicole’s shoulders, wrapping her within its soft confines. As the pregnancy had progressed, Nicole had felt more and more like a Thanksgiving blimp than an actual human person.
“Are you sure you want to come, honey? Maybe you should be resting.”
Nicole shook her head, stubborn as ever. “Nope. You can’t get rid of me that easily. Of course I’m coming to support you on one of the biggest nights of your career. Besides, what kind of curator and conservator would I be if I wasn’t there to showcase the collection I helped build?”
“A very pregnant one who could go into labor at any time?”
“Yeah, right. Come on, worrywart, let’s go.”
Nicole slipped her arm through Kadeen’s as they rode the elevator down to the lobby and slid into the back of a sleek black town car. Nicole hadn’t known she had an affinity for luxury cars until she’d sat in one for the first time, and she’d realized that Kadeen’s was a lifestyle she could easily adapt to.
The car drove smoothly through the city streets until it reached the art gallery, which was surrounded by a group of eager collectors just waiting to get inside. The front door was blocked off by a ribbon, which Kadeen was due to cut in just a few minutes.
When the car stopped in front of the gallery, Kadeen slid out first and held out a hand for Nicole.
“Ugh, I’m so big,” she grumbled, as she stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Kadeen placed a soft kiss on her temple, whispering in her ear. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world, pregnant or otherwise, and you’re a hero for carrying five children at once.”
In spite of her growing discomfort, Nicole smiled at the compliment. Kadeen had been nothing but the doting partner since showing up on her doorstep that day, and had done everything in his power to show her that he would be true to his word. He had more than made up for the disastrous beginning of their relationship, and, as Nicole gazed up at him, then, she realized that she would never love another man as much as she loved Kadeen.
They greeted many friends and associates that they knew through their business, shaking hands and accepting compliments and congratulations on their growing family. Kadeen held onto Nicole’s hand, bringing her to the front with him, where a tall, besuited man was holding a large pair of scissors.
“Ready?” the man asked, and Kadeen nodded.
“Let’s open up shop.”
The man cleared his throat loudly to get the attention of the crowd. Conversation dulled down until it stopped, everyone’s eyes on Kadeen, Nicole, and the officiant.
“Tonight, we are proud to open up the new gallery of one of New York’s premier art dealers. Sheikh Kadeen al Zafar bin Khalaf has obtained, preserved, and restored some of the rarest, most beautiful works of art in the world. He has showered the walls of New York with stunning pieces long thought lost to the
annals of history. We celebrate his collection with the opening of this exhibit, which you will soon see to be holding some of the greatest treasures known to man.”
The crowd clapped and cheered enthusiastically. Kadeen squeezed Nicole’s hand, casting her a sideways grin and a wink.
“Without further ado, let’s hear it for the man himself! Ladies and gentlemen, Sheikh Kadeen al Zafar bin Khalaf!”
The cheers grew louder as Kadeen stepped up to the podium, waving and smiling to the crowd until they finally calmed their voices.
“I want to thank all of you for being here tonight. This gallery is the culmination of many years of procuring, conserving, and finding the right home for beautiful art. It is such a gift to be in this field, where I get to be exposed to some of the greatest minds in history, preserved in paint and canvas. I would not, however, be standing here today if it wasn’t for my beautiful partner, curator, and conservationist, Nicole Hawthorn. She is the reason that all these works of art look as good as the day they were painted. That being said, Nicole?”
He turned toward her, and Nicole could feel her cheeks burning, not to mention the sensation of dozens of strangers’ eyes on her. She kept her eyes on Kadeen, and took his hand as he held it out to her.
“I would like Nicole to cut this ribbon, officially opening the gallery. It’s only right that she be the one to do the honors on such a momentous occasion.”
“You’re selling yourself short,” Nicole chuckled.
“Never,” he replied with a grin, taking the large scissors from the officiant and handing them to her.
They were much heavier than she anticipated, though she wielded them with gusto, placing the ribbon between the blades, and swiping them shut. The crowd cheered as the two loose ends of ribbon fluttered to the floor, and Nicole and Kadeen stepped back to let them all rush inside.
Nicole’s stomach jolted, then, and she bent over, one hand on her belly. Kadeen was instantly kneeling down next to her.
“Nicole! What is it? What’s wrong?”
Nicole looked up at him as her stomach began cramping painfully. When she glanced down at the sidewalk, she noticed water on the ground, even though it wasn’t raining.
Kadeen’s gaze followed hers, and his eyes widened. “Is that…?”
“I think so,” Nicole said, answering his unasked question. “I think we better get to the hospital.”
Kadeen spoke a few quick words to the officiant before he took Nicole’s arm and carefully guided her back to the Rolls Royce.
“No,” she protested. “We can’t take a nice car like this.”
“Nicole, we can get the car cleaned. Now’s not the time to worry about that.”
Nicole crossed her arms, even as her insides roiled in pain. “I want to take a cab,” she demanded.
Kadeen’s eyes were wild as he stood on the curb, holding a hand out for a taxi. Fortunately, one arrived shortly, and Kadeen helped Nicole inside, giving the driver directions to the hospital.
“You’re as stubborn as a mule, you know that?” he huffed.
Nicole was taking deep breaths as she rested a hand on her belly. The babies had gone very quiet, as though they knew something big was about to happen. Another sharp pain erupted in her abdomen, and she gritted her teeth, closing her eyes as she focused on her breathing. Kadeen held tightly to her hand all the way to the hospital.
He gave the driver a generous tip before opening the door and escorting Nicole into the hospital. They were met by a nurse, who, seeing the situation, instantly grabbed a wheelchair and had Nicole take a seat. They rode the elevator to the maternity ward, where Nicole was transferred to a bed in a spacious, private room. The doctor arrived a few moments later.
“Nicole! We didn’t expect to see you here so soon.”
“Apparently large crowds can induce labor. I’ll have to put that into a parenting book at some point so others can be aware.”
It was a weak attempt at a joke, but the doctor gave a hearty laugh.
“Well, I’m sure it would help someone, in any case. As we discussed before, since you’re having quintuplets there is no way we’re going to have you deliver naturally. Let’s get you prepped for a C-section. Kadeen, we’ll get you some scrubs, too.”
Time seemed to fast-forward after that. Nicole was given an epidural while Kadeen got changed into dark blue scrubs. When the medicine took, she was wheeled into the operating room with Kadeen by her side, holding her hand. The procedure took place quickly, with the nurses announcing the gender of each baby as they were born.
“Boy, girl, girl, girl, boy!”
As each of her children entered the world, Nicole heard a gusty cry. All five of the babies were healthy and strong.
After Nicole was stitched up, she was moved to a recovery room while the nurses cleaned and prepared the babies. Kadeen stayed with the children at Nicole’s request, and she waited impatiently for them to be brought to her.
Soon, Kadeen opened the door, followed by two nurses with five individual portable cribs.
Nicole beamed. “Let me see my babies!” she said.
Kadeen returned her grin. “They’re beautiful, just like their mother.”
He wheeled over the five children and placed one, then another, in their mother’s arms. When Nicole’s arms grew full with three, Kadeen took on the other two and sat gently on the hospital bed, so Nicole could get a look at them all at once.
She stared into five beautiful, perfect faces, and together she and Kadeen counted fifty fingers and toes, completely in awe of how much they could love five new little people all at once. After giving the couple some time to snuggle their newborn babies, a nurse returned.
“You might want to get some sleep tonight, while we keep the babies in the nursery. With five newborns, this might be your last chance at sleep for a very long time!”
Nicole debated letting her children go, but in the end she decided that one last night of rest before the craziness began wouldn’t be such a bad idea. They kissed each of their children before replacing them delicately in their makeshift cribs, and Kadeen and Nicole watched as they were wheeled from the room, all five of them sleeping quietly.
Nicole’s eyes burned into the door once it closed. “Do you think we should ask them to come back? I miss them already.”
Kadeen scooted closer to her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “They’re going to be just fine. Besides, you need to take a night to do some healing. You just went though some major surgery.”
Nicole sighed, placing a delicate hand over her now slightly deflated belly. It felt so strange to have them removed from her after being one unit for so long. She thought about asking the nurse to bring them back, but felt a sudden wave of exhaustion wash over her.
She rested her head on Kadeen’s shoulder as he stroked her hair. “Kadeen, we’re parents now,” she said softly, her voice filled with wonder.
“Yes, my darling,” he whispered, resting his head on top of hers.
“I never thought it would be like this. For so long I thought I would have to go through this alone.”
Kadeen frowned. “It’s all my fault. You should never have felt that way. I should have realized the truth sooner, and spared us so much anguish.”
Nicole squeezed his hand. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just grateful that you’re here, that we’re here together, and that the rest of our lives can start now.”
“I am, too,” he mumbled, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.
Before long, Kadeen and Nicole were both breathing deeply, blissfully unconscious. The night passed uneventfully, and Nicole blinked awake as the dawn light began to filter through the windows. She glanced over at Kadeen’s sleeping face and smiled.
Nicole pressed the button to summon a nurse, then quietly requested that their babies be brought in. The nurse smiled, and, moments later, their children arrived, still fast asleep, just like their father. The nurse wheeled them over to Nicole’s side, and, one by o
ne, she picked all of them up and spoke to them lovingly. When Kadeen woke up, Nicole had a baby ready to place in his arms.
“How will we know who’s who?” she asked, glancing from one child to another.
Kadeen laughed. “Well, at least there’s two boys and three girls, so that’s some form of distinction.”
“Yeah. We’ll figure it out. We always do,” Nicole said, staring lovingly into her children’s five sweet faces.
Kadeen placed a gentle kiss on Nicole’s head. “We most certainly do,” he agreed.
The End
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The Sheikh’s Sextuplet Baby Surprise
Time for a tease!
Up next I’ve included the first few chapters of The Sheikh’s Sextuplet Baby Surprise, the next in my series, More Than He Bargained For
Happy reading!
Copyright 2017 by Holly Rayner
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.
All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.
2nd Edition.
Chapter One
“And that’s how to attract your ideal customer to your brand. If there are any questions, we’ll take them now. Thank you.”
The conference hall erupted in applause, and Rachelle turned to her assistant, Phoebe.