bed and hurried over to hug Farah. “If I thought that were true, I’d fly to Raz and tell him.”
“Then get dressed and go to the clinic. Dr Tamam will verify one way or the other. If you’re not pregnant, then Rashad will want to know why you’re ill because he watches every move you make. Honestly, Lauren, he’s so in love with you it’s sickening … in the most wonderful way of course.”
“I feel the same way about him.” She bit into a roll and followed it with several swallows of sweet tea.
Farah smiled. “The whole palace knew the day after you arrived here the first time.”
A blush crept up Lauren’s neck and cheeks. “I’m sure they do.” She finished off her roll. “Before I get dressed and take your advice, tell me what you wanted to talk to me about.”
“Well, Abdul and I have made a decision. Since Father and Mother told us Rashad wasn’t their blood child, it has convinced us to adopt a baby. At first I was afraid to do it because I didn’t think I could be a good mother. But when I see Rashad and Mother together, I know she loves him as if she’d given birth to him.”
“Oh, Farah—” Lauren reached out and hugged her again, much harder this time. “That’s the most wonderful news I ever heard. Now, come to the clinic with me and we’ll see what the wise doctor has to say about me.”
While Rashad was inspecting the smelter, he saw three helicopters from his father’s fleet headed for Raz. Something had to be wrong, He whipped out his phone and called Nazir to find out what was going on.
“Nothing I’ve been informed about, Your Highness.”
With his heart starting to thud, Rashad rang off and left the smelter for the area where the helicopters were about to land. Soon the doors opened and more guards poured out followed by a golden-haired woman. Lauren!
She jumped down and ran toward him.
He caught her in his arms and swung her around. Her fragrance, the feel of her body intoxicated him. “What are you doing here? You’ve never flown to Raz to see me before.”
Her head fell back so she could look into his eyes. The light green of hers between those dark lashes dazzled him. “Forgive me for intruding, but something important has happened and I couldn’t wait to tell you. I’ll go inside your office until you can take a break.”
“We’ll go together. I decided not to eat lunch so I could get home faster to you this afternoon.”
With their arms wrapped around each other’s waists, they entered the building and hurried toward his office suite. Once inside, he closed the door and locked it.
“It’s so hot! You need some water first.” She would have gone over to his mini fridge to get him a bottle, but he pulled her back.
“First I need this!“ His dark head descended and his mouth covered hers, devouring her with shocking hunger, as if they’d never kissed before. “I missed you this morning,” he confessed on a ragged breath.
She knew what he meant. “I wanted you more than anything, too, but I didn’t feel well. I’ve just been consulting with Dr. Tamam, actually. It’s why I’m here.”
In the next instant he took a shuddering breath and his hands tightened around her upper arms. She saw that white ring encircle his seductive mouth; she had come to recognize it as fear. “I’ve been too happy,” his voice throbbed. “Tell me what’s wrong with you.” She actually saw tears in his eyes.
Lauren stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips, but they refused to cooperate until she gave him his answer. “I’m two months pregnant. We’re either going to have a little Saud or a little Fadwa. Your birth parents made the most gorgeous son who ever lived. With you as the father of our child, we’ll have to keep him or her scarfed for protection.”
An explosion of joy lit up the deep recesses of Rafi’s eyes. He picked Lauren up and carried her through to his apartment. Over the last four months he’d taken her to his bed more times than he wanted anyone to know about, but he’d never put her down so gently before. She was a miracle to him. He slid his hand over her stomach to feel her.
Her heart shone out of her eyes. “Rafi, it’ll be a few months before we feel the little one kicking, but our baby’s in there. The doctor has given me some medicine to help with my morning sickness. I hope that tomorrow morning I’ll be able to wake you up first.
“I love mornings with you, Rafi. But then, I love every second of the day and night with you. I told Dr. Tamam I have a sickness because of you. Do you know what he said?”
“What?” he whispered, tracing her delectable mouth with his finger.
“That you were the luckiest of men to have a wife with such a sickness. He said he would pray that I’d go to my grave with it.” She kissed his finger. “I told him not to bother. He’d do better to pray that I don’t wear you out with my love. That’s the reason I haven’t come to Raz before now. I haven’t wanted to distract you from your work.”
He rolled her over carefully on top of him. “I dare you to try.”
“You mean now?”
“Now,” he growled into her neck.
Lauren’s breath caught. “Don’t you have to go back to work?”
“No. I’ve got all the work I can handle right here.”
“Hours and hours?” she asked, already out of breath.
“Maybe days.”
“Darling.”
Heart of a Desert Warrior
Lucy Monroe
The Sheikh’s Last Gamble
Trish Morey
The Sheikh’s Jewel
Melissa James
Lucy Monroe
LUCY MONROE started reading at the age of four. After going through the children's books at home, her mother caught her reading adult novels pilfered from the higher shelves on the bookcase … Alas, it was nine years before she got her hands on a Mills & Boon® romance her older sister had brought home. She loves to create the strong alpha males and independent women who people Mills & Boon® books. When she's not immersed in a romance novel (whether reading or writing it), she enjoys travel with her family, having tea with the neighbours, gardening and visits from her numerous nieces and nephews. Lucy loves to hear from her readers: e-mail [email protected], or visit www.LucyMonroe.com.
