Sheikh's Pregnant Lover (3 page)

“I’m not sure if that statement is comforting or not.”

Madeline only shook her head as Vanessa followed her inside. One of the bodyguards helped carry her luggage into the elegant lobby, and Madeline stopped by the front desk to pick up her key, which her host had left there for her. They boarded a clear glass elevator, and Madeline pressed her nose to the cool glass as they rode up to the thirty-seventh floor, staring out at the beautiful coastline. The sun was almost completely gone, and twilight was settling on the horizon, painting the sky with shades of dusky purple mingling with the pinkish-red glow of sunset. A part of Madeline itched to dig her bikini out of her suitcase and go frolic in the waves lapping against the shore—the idea that she could even when she’d just come from the middle of a freezing winter was amazing to her—but she knew that she should probably focus on getting ready for work tomorrow.

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival on the thirty-seventh floor, and a little burst of excitement rushed through Madeline’s veins as she wheeled her suitcase out and headed toward her new, if temporary, apartment. She’d rented from Airbnb before, but never outside of the country, and she’d never leased an entire living space before. She’d Skyped with her host and gotten a video tour of the place via her tablet before she’d booked the place, but it was still going to be different seeing it in person.

“Wow,” Vanessa said as Madeline opened the door. “This is pretty cute!”

“I know, right?” Madeline took her second bag from the bodyguard, then close the door as he stationed himself out in the hallway to give them some privacy. It was basically a studio apartment—one long, rectangular room with a full but small kitchen to her left, a living room space with a flat-screen TV and a couch, and a queen-sized bed at the far end that was pressed right up against a picture window offering a fantastic view of the city. Despite the space’s size, it felt airy and spacious, with tall ceilings and white walls, and the red-orange accents in the form of the throw pillows on the couch, the rug beneath the coffee table, and the bedspread brightened up the place. There was even a wooden wardrobe in the far corner opposite the bed where she could hang up her things, and a matching dresser for her folded clothes. Directly to her right was a small bathroom that was walled from the rest of the room, but otherwise it was very much an open floor plan.

“Do you need any help unpacking?” Vanessa asked as Madeline dragged her suitcases over to the bed.

“Nah. I’ll take care of that later. You go ahead and put your feet up.” Madeline flopped back onto the bed with a groan. “This is the life.”

Vanessa chuckled as she sat down on the couch. “I’m not pregnant
yet
,” she insisted.

“Yeah, well, just you wait.” Madeline rolled onto her side and propped her head up on her hand as she stared at her best friend. “So do you and Adir still have time to rock climb amongst everything else you’re doing?”

“Every weekend. And we still go to the same place I gave him lessons at even though I don’t work there anymore.” Vanessa winked. From what Madeline understood, Adir was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and he’d met Vanessa a year and a half ago when he’d come to her place of employment. The two had been climbing together for a year before Adir finally took their relationship to the next level by getting Vanessa to agree to marry him if he beat her in a rock climbing race.

“That must be really nice,” Madeline said, a little wistfully. “Jason and I weren’t really doing things together anymore toward the end of our relationship.”

“Oh honey.” Vanessa reached over to pat Madeline’s hand. “You’ll find your soul mate sooner rather than later. Jason might have started out nice, but he was never that man. If I’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that when you meet the man who’s right for you there’s nothing you can do about it, no matter how hard you try to resist fate.”

Madeline laughed. “No kidding. I remember how hard you tried to keep Adir at arm’s length.”

“I can’t believe I resisted him so hard.” Vanessa shook her head. “Imagine if I’d continued to be so stubborn and hadn’t given in? My life would be completely different.” She smiled, placing a hand against her belly.

“You know, Adir wanted to come out to the airport to greet you, but even though he couldn’t make it he still wants to see you. What do you think about grabbing dinner tomorrow night, to celebrate your first day at your new job?”

“That sounds great.” Madeline’s heart jumped a little at the idea of having dinner with Vanessa and her hunky husband. No, she wouldn’t even think about eyeing Adir for herself, but he was hot, and the emir. The idea of dining with royalty made her tingly all over, as if she were starstruck. Hopefully she’d get over that by the time she was done with her three-week contract. She did
not
want to continuously make a fool of herself in front of Adir, or Vanessa would never let her live it down.

“Cool! I’ll text you the when and where after I confirm with Adir.” Vanessa stood up, then leaned down to press a kiss to Madeline’s forehead. “I’ve got some things to take care of at the palace, so I have to head out. See you tomorrow.”

“See you.” Madeline hugged Vanessa, then showed her out. Locking the door behind her, she turned around and headed for her suitcases to start unpacking. She needed to look her best for tomorrow, after all.

Chapter Four

By the time Madeline left the research laboratory, she was exhausted but satisfied with her first day of work. She’d arrived promptly at eight in the morning, hopped up on several cups of Turkish coffee after a fairly sleepless night and full of nervous energy. Thankfully, her new boss, Aisha Kadul, had been very pleasant and understanding, and her fellow laboratory technicians had been quite friendly. She was the only foreigner in the lab, so they’d been eager to ask her questions about America. In fact, she probably spent more time talking about life in New York City than she did touring the lab and learning about the IVF project they were working on.

She supposed she should be grateful she had an easy first day, she thought to herself as she flagged down a taxicab from the curb. Tomorrow she was sure the real work would start in earnest, and hopefully she would be better rested by then.

The cab driver dropped her off at Jumeirah Towers, and she raced up to her apartment as fast as she could so she could change her clothes. Vanessa had texted her earlier in the day to tell her they were eating at Eau Zone, and a quick Google search told Madeline that it was an upscale restaurant at the Royal Mirage Hotel with an oasis theme and an elegant evening dress code. Figures that she would have to dress up on her first real night in Dubai…but at least they were going to be near the beach. Maybe she could sneak out onto the sand and dip her toes into the water if she were lucky.

As soon as she was behind closed doors, Madeline ripped off the pinstriped skirt-suit she’d chosen for her first day at the lab, then jumped in the shower. The bathroom was a tight squeeze, with just enough room for a shower stall, sink, and toilet, but she supposed that was the trade-off for having a full kitchen in a studio apartment. After a quick towel off, she pulled on some basic white lingerie, then perused her newly filled closet for something to wear. Eventually she settled on a black sequined dress with short sleeves that allowed her to bare her arms while covering her shoulders, and a skirt that fell to just below her knees. Everything she had to wear in Dubai had to cover her shoulders and her knees, so she’d left a lot of her favorite dresses behind. Maybe once she got her first paycheck she would go shopping and expand her wardrobe. After all, once she got into the swing of things she planned on spending her evenings and weekends sightseeing, and damned if she wouldn’t look good while doing it.

After a moment of deliberation, Madeline chose a black sequined choker and matching earrings, then slipped her feet into a pair of black pumps. If she did get a chance to go to the beach, she would just take them off anyway. Standing in front of the mirror hanging on the inside of her wardrobe, she spritzed her curly, jaw-length hair with leave-in conditioner and then ran her fingers through it, going for a bedhead look that she knew would draw attention to the warm highlights in her hair. Running out of time, she quickly applied her makeup, then grabbed her purse and ran out the door to catch another cab.

Thankfully her apartment was located right near Jumeirah Beach, so it wasn’t long before the cab was dropping her off in front of the Royal Mirage Hotel. Madeline gave a little sigh of pleasure as she gazed up at the magnificent domed building. It was warm and inviting, the entrance beckoning her from across a long, rectangular pool flanked by palm trees. She itched to go inside and look around, but instead she went past it and onto the boardwalk leading across the beach and to Eau Zone.

The restaurant stood in the middle of the sand like an oasis, surrounded by palm trees. It was made up by a series of shaded wooden decks that seemed to float over a glistening, translucent pool. She followed the wooden plank paths that snaked through the pool to where the check-in area was, and Madeline felt as if she were walking on water, even though she knew the pool was actually on either side of the path and that the planks beneath her feet were on firm ground. It was a wonderful illusion, like something out of a storybook or fantasy.

“Good evening, miss,” the host, a dark-skinned man dressed in a white tuxedo with the hotel’s logo stamped on the lapel, greeted her. His English was heavily accented, but otherwise well done. “How can I help you?”

“My name is Madeline Anthony. I’m meeting the emir and his wife, Vanessa, for dinner.”

“Ah, yes, of course. Right this way, miss.”

The host escorted her to a table located on one of the tables situated right in the center of the pool. Madeline spotted Vanessa and Adir right away, and a jolt of surprise went through her when she noticed that there was a third guest present, a man sitting next to Adir who looked strikingly similar to the emir. They shared the same aquiline noses, wide foreheads and square jaws, and as they both stood, she saw that they had the same tall, broad-shouldered build, though the second man was a few inches shorter than Adir.

“
Salaam alaykum
,” Adir greeted her, his sea-green eyes sparkling as he came around the table to embrace her. “It is good to see you again.”

“And you as well.” Madeline smiled back, her nerves easing back as Adir gave her a quick, but heartfelt hug. The gesture made him instantly more approachable. “I hear you’re going to be expanding the Bahzzi family soon.”

“Indeed.” Adir’s eyes softened as he looked toward Vanessa. “We’re very excited.”

“We really are.” Vanessa embraced her as well, looking radiant in a powder-blue abaya shot through with silver thread. “You’ve met Zayid, haven’t you?” she asked, pulling back to indicate the stranger.

“I…” On second thought, something about him did seem familiar, she thought as her eyes roamed over him. He had thick black hair that curled just below his jawline and eyes the color of quicksilver. The dark blue suit he wore was tailored to his tall, lean figure, showcasing his broad shoulders and hinting at powerful leg muscles. She had a feeling that the last time she’d seen him, he’d been in more traditional Muslim attire. “You were at the wedding celebration, weren’t you?”

“I was.” Zayid bowed, then extended a hand to her, a smile tugging at his lips. “Zayid Tuma, at your service.”

Madeline accepted his hand, and a little shiver of warmth rushed through her as, instead of shaking her hand, he pressed his lips to her skin. They were warm and full and slightly wicked, and she couldn’t help wondering how it would feel if he trailed his kiss farther up along her arm, across her collarbone…

Woah there. This is a friendly dinner, remember?

“I’m Madeline Anthony,” she said, smiling back. “Although I think you already know that.”

“I couldn’t possibly forget.” Zayid winked as he retreated back behind the table. “Even if I hadn’t met you at the wedding, Vanessa hasn’t been able to stop talking about you since you announced that you were coming.”

“You’re Adir’s cousin, correct?” Madeline asked as she took her seat next to Vanessa. She couldn’t help but notice that the candles and pink rose petals strewn across the table made this dinner feel incredibly romantic…almost like a double date.

“Yes, although I’m not nearly as noble as Adir is.” Zayid gave his cousin a cheeky grin. “My cousin here is a firstborn son, whereas I was third born in my own family, so I doubt I’ll ever have the responsibility of ruling. Which I don’t mind, as it enables me to travel frequently.”

“He was born into the royal family of Abu Dhabi,” Adir said by way of explanation. “His mother is my aunt, which is where the blood relation comes from. Though with the amount of time he spends lounging around in my palace, you’d think he was a member of Dubai’s royal family,” he added dryly.

Zayid chuckled. “You make it sound as if I’m here all the time, which I’m not. I simply prefer your palace to my parents’, is all.”

Madeline snorted. “My, it sounds like you have a hard life,” she teased, shaking her head.

“Forgive me.” Zayid’s eyes twinkled as they turned back toward Madeline. “How rude of me to talk about myself when we’re here to celebrate your first day living in Dubai. Why don’t you tell us how your first day went?”

“Oh I had a great first day,” Madeline said enthusiastically. She told them about her first day at the lab, and about her new boss and coworkers, and everyone took turns asking her questions about the space, the equipment, how she was adjusting to the time zone, and all the usual travel stuff. The evening progressed pleasantly enough, and with the exception of the occasional interruption of the waiter to take their orders and bring their food, conversation flowed smoothly, for which Madeline was glad. The tea helped invigorate her, and she was surprised to find herself interested as Adir talked about the day-to-day operations of running the city.

Zayid, she discovered, was a bit of a businessman in his own right. He owned a chain of hotels spread throughout Europe and Asia that he managed, but according to him the CEO he paid had things very well in hand most of the time, so Zayid had plenty of free time that he used to travel. The way his lips curved and his eyes sparkled mischievously at her told Madeline that travel wasn’t the only thing he indulged in. He was surely a playboy, and with the way he was flirting with her, teasing her occasionally and brushing his knees up against hers beneath the table, she knew he had his sights set on her.