Expecting the Sheikh's Baby

Maria gave the waitress a scolding look. “Mimi, Karen might not like you passing on that information.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “She has to have her purse, doesn’t she? Besides, I don’t think he’s going to pilfer her credit cards.”

“I guess you’re right,” Maria said.

Ash held out his hand to Maria and she finally relinquished the bag to him. “You may trust that I will find Ms. Rawlins and deliver it safely.”

“Good luck,” Maria said.

Ash wasn’t one to rely on luck, but he would use his powers of persuasion. He gave the two women a polite nod. “I’m certain I will be back soon.”

The lady named Mimi favored him with a smile. “I’m sure you will since Karen works here. That missy is a looker, all right.”

Without responding, Ash left the building, unable to hold back his own smile over his good fortune. He had something Karen Rawlins needed, and she had something he wanted. Quite simply he wanted her. At least this was a beginning.

On that thought, Ash strode to the silver Rolls-Royce Corniche parked at the curb, slipped into the seat and drove away, his impatience escalating as he wove through heavy downtown traffic. After what seemed an interminable amount of time, he turned off onto the side street Maria had mentioned and approached a redbrick building that appeared to be a clinic.

Ash pulled into the parking lot and when he noticed the sign that read Milam Fertility Center, he assumed he’d come to the wrong place. Then, near the entrance, he caught sight of a blue compact car that resembled the one he’d seen Karen drive away in at Baronessa’s.

He took the first available space several rows away, grabbed her purse and left the car to take his place by the hood where he could still view her vehicle. Presuming she had already entered, he decided to wait until she came out even if it took several hours. He had many questions to ask Karen, the most important being why she had chosen a clinic that catered to those intending a pregnancy. Then the sedan’s door opened and Karen stepped from the car.

Ash saw his chance and strode across the parking lot, finding her bent halfway in, halfway out of the car. He paused a moment to study the bow of her hips and the pleasing shape of her legs extending from the skirt she wore as she conducted a search for, most likely, the handbag.

“Are you looking for this?”

She barely avoided bumping her head as she spun around to face him. “What are you doing here?” Her voice held a note of shock, as did her expression.

He dangled the purse before her. “I have come to return this to you.”

She snatched it from his hand. “Thank you. I didn’t realize I’d left it.”

Obviously. “Now it is your turn to answer a question.” He sent a direct look at the nearby sign. “What are you doing here?”

She worked the bag’s strap round and round her slender fingers. “I told you I have—”

“An appointment, I know. But what business would you have at this establishment? Are you applying for employment?”

She looked almost alarmed. “Of course not.” After closing the door with a thrust of her bottom, she leaned back against it, looking quite annoyed. “You shouldn’t concern yourself with why I’m here.”

Her guardedness frustrated Ash though he had no call to interrogate her. But he had to know why she was here. “I would greatly like to understand your purpose for being at this particular place.”

“You don’t need to understand. This is my business, not yours.”

“It is my business if you are involved with someone with whom you plan to have a child, if that is your reason for being here.”

“Why is that your business?”

“Because I would cease to insist that you see me socially. I would not want to intrude on another man’s territory.”

Her gold-green eyes turned to feminine fire. “For your information, Sheikh Saalem, I am no man’s territory. In this day and time, a woman doesn’t need a man to have a baby, at least not all of a man.” By the discomfort in Karen’s expression, Ash discerned that she regretted the revelation.

He streaked a hand over his jaw, not quite certain what to make of Karen’s disclosure. “Then you plan to have a child on your own?”

She tipped up her chin in defiance. “Yes, I do. Artificial insemination.”

That did not set well with Ash. He understood the need for the procedure in some instances, but not in this case. “Do you mean insemination with some stranger’s sperm?”

A blush spread across her cheeks. “I don’t care to discuss sperm with a sheikh.”

“But you would consider having a child by a man you know nothing about?”

“Yes, and that’s my prerogative. I’m thirty-one and I’m not getting any younger. It’s the right time in my life to do this.”

Ash pondered her words, her purpose. Yes, he definitely had something Karen needed. Services he no doubt would be willing to give her, with great pleasure. And she had something else he wanted as well. The ability to have a child, the means for him to settle into a permanent relationship with a woman whom he found both intelligent and alluring. He had waited many years to find that particular someone since his father had thwarted his first attempt.

“Perhaps I could assist you in the matter,” he said.

Her eyes went wide. “You mean you’re willing to make a donation for me to use?”

“I have no desire to share my affections with a plastic receptacle. I prefer making a child the way nature intended for a man and woman to procreate.”

Karen shook her head. “No way. I’m not going to allow…well, allow…that.”

Ash moved closer and brushed a lock of wavy brown hair from her shoulder. He suspected Karen enjoyed a challenge, much like him, and if he had to use that device, then so be it. “Are you afraid?”

The willful look she gave him verified his assumption. “Of course I’m not afraid. Why would I be?”

He braced a hand on the car and leaned forward. “Perhaps you fear what you might feel if you allowed me to make love to you. What we might experience together.”

He heard a slight catch in her breath, the only sign she had been affected by his words. “It wouldn’t be a good idea, that’s all.”

“It is an exceptional idea. For some time now I’ve considered having a family of my own. This would benefit us both.”

Her sigh brimmed with impatience. “I only want a baby, not a relationship.”

“A baby who would not know his father? I believe that if you search your soul, you would not want this for your child, considering what you have recently learned about your father’s kidnapping.”

Karen studied the toe of her functional black canvas shoes, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t have a choice. I want a baby more than anything.”

With a fingertip, Ash nudged her chin up until she looked at him. He saw only indecision in her eyes, not total refusal. Enough to propel him forward in his planning. “I am offering you a choice. I am willing to father your child.”

She eyed him with suspicion. “And exactly what would you expect in return?”

He had given his heart to a woman once, and only once. He had no more left to give in that respect. But he could give Karen the baby she desired and a comfortable home, a secure future. “I want to have you as my wife.”

She frowned. “That’s nuts. We don’t know each other.”

“What better way to become acquainted?”

“I don’t want to get married. I almost made that mistake not long ago.” Again she looked chagrined, as if she had revealed too much.

Ash had no call to be envious of another man who’d had Karen’s affections in the past, yet surprisingly he was. No matter. If given the chance, he would attempt to make her forget any former liaison, especially one that appeared to have caused her pain. He could personally relate to that concept.

In order to do that, he must convince her that marriage would be favorable for them both, even if it meant proposing terms that were anything but amenable. “Perhaps we should have an agreement. If you decide not to continue the marriage, you are under no obligation to uphold the arrangement. You would be free to leave after the birth of our child.”

“You mean divorce?”

The word sounded harsh in Ash’s ears. It went against everything he believed. “Yes.”

She worked her bottom lip between her teeth several times before saying, “I take it you would want to stay involved with the baby after the agreement ends.”

He would do everything in his power to make certain that there would be no need to discuss custody of their child. He would do everything humanly possible to prevent their marriage from ending. “Of course. Would you not want that?”

“I suppose that would be best.”

Ash sensed impending victory. “Then we are agreed?”

“No.” She straightened and slipped the purse’s strap over one thin shoulder. “I need to keep my appointment. Weigh all my options until I’ve reached a decision.”

Ash pushed away from the sedan and gestured toward the building’s entrance, not quite ready to concede defeat. “Go inside with my blessing, Karen. And while you are there, think of me.” He slipped his arms around her waist. “Think of us. Consider what I am offering you, a father your child will know. The means to create life through an act that will give us both pleasure.”

He pulled her closer and kissed her—a kiss meant to persuade, to tantalize, to keep him foremost in her mind. Her lips were firm against his, but with only slight coaxing, Karen finally opened to him and he took supreme advantage, slipping his tongue inside the soft, sweet heat of her mouth, but only once. A brief glimpse of how it could be between them.

With great effort, Ash stepped away from her, withdrew a business card from his pocket and pressed into her palm with an added stroke of his thumb over her wrist. “Here are the numbers where I can be reached when you make your decision. Decide wisely.”

Karen remained as still as a pillar as Ash walked away. Hopefully good judgment would reign and she would see the logic in his offer and agree to his proposal. If not right away, then he would simply have to try harder to persuade her.

Two

The man knew no shame.

Karen couldn’t believe that Ash Saalem had kissed her in a wide-open parking lot that afternoon. She couldn’t believe that he’d offered to father her child. She couldn’t believe that she was actually considering his proposition.

After pouring a glass of Chianti, Karen strolled into the living room and slumped onto the sofa in hopes of clearing her mind. She loved the fourth-floor brownstone apartment generously provided by the Barones. Gina had decorated the place beautifully with Italian silk sofas, an antique writing table, Turkish rugs. But the elegant furnishings and accoutrements wouldn’t fair well with an active toddler.

She was getting way ahead of herself. First she had to conceive, then she could decide on the living arrangements. At present the conception should be her top priority. That and Ash’s offer, not his masterful mouth. She needed to get the kiss off her mind so she could think clearly, not a measly mission by any means. Neither was deciding the best option for having a baby.

She sipped the wine and thought about the day’s events. During her appointment at the clinic, she had been instructed on what the procedure entailed and the possible cost, emotionally and physically, if she wasn’t successfully inseminated after several attempts. She had sorted through some sample profiles of prospective donors, most too good to be true. She had watched several couples in the waiting room looking anxious and hopeful—and in love.

Maybe Ash was right. Did she really want to bring a baby into the world not knowing its heritage, considering she’d grown up not knowing the truth about hers? Could she really trust that the sperm donors were being completely honest? After all, she had recently learned that much of what she’d believed about her family lineage had been skewed by dishonesty.

Feeling emotionally drained, Karen set her wineglass on a coaster on the end table and stretched out on the sofa on her back. She’d eaten a light supper of pasta and vegetables but hadn’t tasted much of anything. Too much to think about, too little time. If she decided to go through with the insemination, she needed to make the arrangements in less than three days since that would be right before the most fertile time during her cycle. The same held true if she decided to accept the sheikh’s arrangement.

Just thinking about making love with Ash brought about a round of chills mixed with a flash-fire heat. She couldn’t deny that the idea held some appeal. She also couldn’t deny that his kiss had left its mark on her libido. Both kisses.

The doorbell buzzed, sending Karen off the sofa in a rush. She experienced a prickly surge of panic thinking Ash might have decided to pay her a visit expecting an answer she wasn’t quite ready to give. It would be just like him to show up, unannounced, and come upon her wearing a threadbare gray sweatshirt and equally ragged black leggings. She would send him on his way—as long as he kept his mouth to himself.

As she looked through the peephole and saw Maria at her threshold, Karen was relieved and maybe just a teeny bit disappointed that Ash hadn’t come by to convince her with more kisses. Absolutely ridiculous.

Karen opened the door to her cousin and smiled. “Hey, you. What brings you to the top floor this time of night?”

“Just wanted to visit,” Maria said, her shoulders slumped as if she carried the obligations of the universe.

Karen was immediately concerned, considering Maria had looked incredibly tired of late. The gelateria required long hours and hard work, especially for Maria, its manager. A lot of responsibility for a young woman, yet Maria, even at the tender age of twenty-three, handled it remarkably well. Or so Karen had believed until tonight.

“Come on in,” Karen said and gestured toward the sofa. “Take a load off. I was having a glass of wine. Join me.”

Maria dropped onto the sofa and tipped her head back. “No wine for me.”

“Maybe something else, then? I could fix us some tea.”

“No thanks.”

“Are you okay? You look exhausted.” And she sounded depressed.

She shrugged. “I took the stairs from my apartment instead of the elevator. I’m a little winded, but otherwise I’m fine.”

Maria always climbed the two flights to visit Karen on the fourth floor and she’d never even broken a minor sweat. Something was seriously wrong, and Karen aimed to get to the bottom of Maria’s distress.

Karen sat on the wing chair facing the sofa. “Okay, so what’s up?”

Maria managed a faint smile. “You go first. I want to hear about your baby-making appointment.”

“Not that much to tell, really. I had an interview, discussed financial terms, then I got a sneak preview of perspective sperm donors.”

“That must have been interesting.”

Not as interesting as Ash’s suggestion. Karen wasn’t sure she needed to burden Maria with her dilemma, but she had no one else to turn to. Maria had become a good friend to Karen, a confidante, and she always seemed so wise.

“I have another offer on the table,” Karen began. “In terms of a father for my child.”

Maria instantly perked up. “Really? That wouldn’t happen to have come from a handsome Arabian prince, would it?”

She eyed Maria suspiciously. “Did he tell you?”

“I promise he didn’t tell me anything. I only knew that he was bent on returning your purse to you.”

“So that’s how he knew where to find me.”

“I’m sorry, Karen.” Maria looked more than a tad contrite. “Actually, Mimi gave him the directions and I gave him the purse. He’s very persuasive.”

“No kidding,” Karen muttered.

“He’s also absolutely head over heels for you.”

“Good heavens, Maria. I barely know the man.” But if the sheikh had his way, that would be remedied shortly on a very intimate level.

“Exactly what did his offer entail?” Maria asked.

“He’s willing to father my child. The natural way.”

Laying a hand on her chest, Maria said, “Oh, my. That could be great fun.”

Exactly Karen’s current thought, and her quandary. “Fun, yes. Wise, I doubt it.”

“And he was serious?”

“Very serious. But he won’t do it unless we’re married. He did say that we could make it a conditional marriage and if I decide to end it, I can after the baby’s born.”

“Are you going to do it?”

Was she? The terms of the arrangement didn’t seem as absurd once she’d voiced them to Maria. “I don’t know. Part of me thinks that I would be a total fool to do it. Another part of me…well, that part—”

“Thinks you’d be a fool not to know the father considering the blank spaces in your own family. Not to mention, the sheikh probably has incredible genes and making a baby with him would be an out-of-this-world experience.”

Karen couldn’t hold back her smile. “Yes, that’s basically what that part of me is saying. The feminine part.” She turned serious again. “But he’s got that whole macho thing going. That was very apparent when he took it upon himself to come to my rescue today at the shop. I could have handled that guy myself.”

“He was only concerned for your welfare.”

“I understand that, to a point. But he’s too in control and I couldn’t tolerate living with someone who tries to keep a tight rein on me all the time.”

Maria shifted on the couch, looking unquestionably uncomfortable. “That could be a problem only if you’re not clear on what you expect from him. Who knows? It might even lead to a permanent relationship.”

“Not likely. We’re from two entirely different worlds.”

Maria murmured, “Stranger things have happened.” She pushed her dark, shoulder-length hair back with one hand. “Regardless, every child should know both its mother and father if at all possible. Family is everything.”

Karen understood that all too well having recently lost the only family she’d ever known. And she also surmised that something was terribly wrong with Maria considering the hint of sadness in her voice. Feeling totally selfish, she said, “Your turn now, cousin dear. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

A steady stream of tears rolled down Maria’s face, catching Karen off guard, inciting her concern. “Maria, what’s wrong?”

“It’s a long, painful story, Karen.”

Karen moved from the chair and seated herself beside Maria on the sofa. “I have all night. Please tell me what’s going on. I’m really worried about you.”

Maria lifted her plain white blouse and rested a hand on her abdomen. “This is what’s going on.”

Karen noticed a prominent belly bulge beneath the waistband of Maria’s black slacks. Realization suddenly dawned and it had nothing to do with her cousin putting on a few extra pounds from sneaking too much gelato. “Are you—”

“Pregnant? Yes. And no one knows. No one can know. At least no one except you.”

More confused than ever, Karen let a few moments of silence pass between them while she allowed the shock to subside. “Who is he?”

Maria sighed. “Someone I’ve been secretly seeing since January.”

“Secretly? Is he married, Maria?”

“Worse. He’s a Conti.”

Shock came calling again as Karen tried to assimilate the information. Her cousin had just told her that she was pregnant by a man who belonged to a family that had been sworn enemies of the Barones for decades. Both families—the Contis and the Barones—seemed determined to hang on to old recriminations. No wonder Maria didn’t want anyone to know.

“His name is Steven,” Maria continued. “He’s beautiful and caring and I’m totally in love with him.”

“He sounds wonderful, Maria. Other than the family thing, what’s the problem?”

“The family thing is the problem. With so much going on of late—the gelato sabotage that happened right before you came, the warehouse fire—everything’s in an uproar because some of the family think the Contis are behind it. They would never accept our relationship. It would only tear us and the families farther apart if they found out about us.”

“Maybe your relationship and this baby will help settle the rift.”

“I can’t imagine that happening, at least not now. In fact, I’m not even up to dealing with it. I want to get away for a while, somewhere out of town. Think things through. And that’s what I intend to do, right away, since I’m already starting to show.”

“How far along are you?” Karen asked.

“Four months.”

Another surprise to Karen. But come to think of it, Maria had started wearing her blouse over her slacks, something Karen hadn’t given much thought until now. “If I can do something, just name it.”

“I’ll need you to handle the shop in my absence.”

“Of course.” Karen would do anything for Maria considering what Maria had done for her—made her feel welcome and wanted, as if she were a sister, not a long-lost cousin. “Does Steven know about your plans to leave?”

“He doesn’t even know about the baby.”

Stunned, Karen asked, “Why not?”

“It wouldn’t be fair to lay this on him now. Not until I decide what I’m going to do.”

“You’re not considering giving up the baby, are you?”

Maria looked mortified. “No! I love this baby and even if it doesn’t work out between Steven and me, I’ll at least have a part of him with me always.”

“Do you really have so little hope that you and Steven can make this work?”

“I want to hope, Karen. Really, I do, but I’m afraid the relationship is doomed. We have too many obstacles to overcome.”

Karen’s heart went out to Maria. Hopefully a little time away would clear her mind. “Where do you plan to go?”

“That’s why I’m here. Do you still own your old house in Montana?”

“I’ve recently sold it to a friend of the family.”

“Then I guess that’s out.”

Karen thought a moment and considered another option. The perfect place for a sabbatical. “I have two dear friends in Silver Valley, the Calderones. They have a wonderful ranch and I’m sure they would love to have you as a guest for as long as you’d like.”

Maria’s expression brightened. “Do you really think so?”

“I’m almost positive but I’ll give them a call in the morning and run it past them.”

Maria grasped Karen’s hand. “You’re a lifesaver, Karen. I’m so happy to have you in the family.”

“I’m happy to be in the family.” And Karen was. Only a few months before she had felt totally alone. Now she had her understanding cousin to lean on as well as other new friends. She also had…Ash? The sneaky sheikh once again had wriggled his way into her psyche.

Coming to her feet, Maria stretched with her hands on the small of her back. “Lately every muscle in my body protests if I stand or sit too long.”

Karen rose. “You need to try and get some rest.”

“I haven’t been able to sleep well.”

Karen doubted she would sleep all that well tonight either with so much weighing on her mind. “Take a hot bath and relax. Works for me. I’ll let you know what the Calderones say, but you can probably consider it a done deal.”

Maria gave Karen a quick, heartfelt hug. “Thanks for making the arrangements. I owe you one.”

“Just come back soon. I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too. But you have to promise me that no matter what, you can’t tell Steven anything. Or the family. I don’t want anyone to know why I’ve left.”

“Won’t everyone be worried about you?”

“I’ll leave the family a note explaining I need some time away. Steven, too. And now that that’s settled, what are you going to do about Ash’s offer?”

“I have no idea. I have a lot to consider.”

Maria walked to the door then faced Karen. “No matter what you decide, you know I’ll support you. But I do hope you give the proposal some serious consideration. It would be so wonderful for your baby to have a relationship with its father.”

Karen’s heart ached for Maria who hadn’t been able to openly share her joy with the father of her child or her family. Recalling the missing links to her own family chain, Karen could no longer deny the importance of having both parents actively involved. She also couldn’t deny that Sheikh Ashraf Saalem would probably be a prime candidate for producing top-notch offspring. And she definitely couldn’t deny that he would be the prime candidate for providing the utmost in pleasure, either. Annoyingly, that thought excited her.