normally do it for that purpose.” The woman bowed her head.
“But it could provide confirmation?”
She nodded. “There are risks.”
“What risks?” Julia asked.
“In a small percentage of the cases, the procedure can cause miscarriage. But if you absolutely have to—”
“No,” he said at the same time as Julia, and hated the surprised look she gave him. Did it really stun her that much that he wouldn’t put the baby’s life at risk? “The procedure is not that necessary.”
She would just have to stay around until the baby was born and they could do a no-risk DNA test. He would have to find a way to get her to agree. Despite his threats, he couldn’t really hold her that long against her will, not in the current political climate. The country was trying hard to build strong diplomatic relations with the West, to prove that the place was safe for tourists and the culture prosperous and civilized. A rogue sheik kidnapping an American woman would definitely create damaging publicity.
She had come for money, he was pretty sure about that. All he needed was to figure out the price of her cooperation. They would discuss it over dinner tonight. He wasn’t buying her burning need to leave, anyhow. Could be she was just being coy.
The prospect of her prolonged stay and the continued annoyance it was sure to bring should have bothered him but, oddly, it didn’t. “So the child is healthy?”
“All looks as it should.”
Dr. Jinan walked in and greeted them warmly, looked at the screen over the technician’s head. “Everything is in order?”
“Perfect.”
“Since you did have a fall, I’d recommend another day of rest. No work, no exercise, no sexual relations,” Dr. Jinan was saying to Julia. “But if you continue to feel fine, you can resume all normal activity the day after tomorrow. If you have any problems, please don’t hesitate to call.” She gave Julia an encouraging smile.
Karim felt his shoulders relax, then tense again when his cell phone beeped. His chief of security. He turned off the ringer. He’d call the man back later. He didn’t want to miss anything.
Never in a million years would he have expected to find himself in a place like this. He was resigned not to marry and have children of his own. He’d tried back in his early twenties. But he’d seen the look in the girls’ eyes at the introductory meetings. The fathers were all willing. But he scared the women. And he didn’t want to take a wife who would be repulsed by the sight of him, would cringe every time she looked at him for the rest of their lives.
Julia Gardner was scared of him, which didn’t keep her from standing up to him, but she never once cringed.
“Can you tell if it’s a boy or a girl?” The question was barely audible, her voice filled with wonder. Her face was radiant. A deep joy shone through her skin, joy that could not be faked.
He could not remember when he’d felt such unrestrained, undiminished happiness, if ever. She was about glowing with it, her beauty intensified until he could barely look away from her. Maybe a veil for her, too, wouldn’t be a bad idea while she was in this country, although he didn’t plan on letting her wander around without him being close behind.
“Not yet.” The radiologist smiled. “Maybe in another month or so.”
“Oh.”
The child moved, looked like it was waving. Cute little bugger. Karim couldn’t help a smile, but schooled his features back into place before Julia could notice.
If she realized that he was softening, who knew what outrageous demands she could make. If the child was Aziz’s, Karim would take care of it, no question. If it wasn’t… He looked at the woman who was still staring at the screen, teary-eyed. Something flipped over in his chest at the sight.
She was in a desperate situation. Had to be, to go into a far-flung scheme like this and try to pass her child off on a man who wasn’t the father. He glanced at the screen again. If the DNA test came back proving Aziz had nothing to do with this, he could still see that she was able to raise the baby. Hell, he could afford it.
“Would you like some pictures?” the radiologist asked.
“I’m not sure.” She glanced down. “I can’t really pay for this.”
“We’ll take the pictures,” Karim said.
“We can also make a copy of the video—”
“Send it to my palace.”
She wouldn’t look at him as the radiologist wiped off her flat belly, which he’d been trying to avoid taking notice of. Sure didn’t look like new life was growing there. Maybe she wasn’t eating enough. Something he would have to pay extra attention to.
She didn’t talk to him until they were out of the examination room and going down the stairs. “Thank you. I don’t have to thank you, because you kidnapped me and bullied me into this whole visit, but it was a moment, and…otherwise I would have been alone. Which probably would have been a step up from going with a kidnapper. But if I consider that you’ll be my baby’s uncle—”
“You’re welcome.” Did she always babble on when she was emotional?
She gave him a dirty look. “One more thing.”
He drew up an eyebrow. Here we go. She was about to make her first demand.
“Please don’t humiliate me in front of people like that again.” Her words were issued softly.
Damned if he knew why he was feeling like a heartless bastard all of a sudden. His jaw muscles pulled tight. “Sorry.” He didn’t know which one of them was more surprised when the word was out.
“Wow, that sounded like it hurt. Was it your first time?” She grinned.
He glared back.
“You could just let me go,” she said when they were in the car, the air conditioner going.
“Too cold?” he asked as he pulled into traffic.
“Are you kidding? I have a furnace inside. I could be standing on the snowfields of Siberia and be hot. Pregnant bodies produce lots of energy.”
He hadn’t considered that. “I can’t let you go.” He turned down the boulevard.
“You’re a sheik. You can do anything you want.”
She had an answer for everything, didn’t she? Fine.
“I don’t want to let you go,” he said.
“Don’t you ever watch international TV? Your views on life and responsibility are pretty archaic. You don’t have to take care of me. I don’t belong to you.” As she said the last sentence, she enunciated each world deliberately.
“I don’t have time for TV.” He didn’t bother addressing her wild notion of her not belonging to him. “I want you to write me
