His Irresistible Darling - Sarah Randall Page 0,96

Absolutely petrified.

“Jumal,” she said gently, turning to him and taking his face in her hands to plant a quick, chaste kiss on his lips before she pulled back and whispered, “You’re forgiven.” She dropped her hands and shrugged. “I love you. I’ve loved you for the last nine years but if there was ever any doubt, you clinched it with the Smarties. Oh and yes, I’ll marry you—” she paused and held up her index finger “—if you’re a good student. Not wishing to put a downer on our day, but what about your parents, your father? What are they going to say? It doesn’t bother me. I want you regardless, but will you be okay with them being unhappy with me as your future wife?” Her concern for him humbled him.

“I’ve already spoken to my parents. My mother already loves you—right from the moment she saw you in your sundress covered in oil and grease. She said you reminded her of herself when she was a young woman. She insisted that I bring you back to Dubain shortly to see her—” He paused.

“And your father?” she asked nervously. “I’m guessing he didn’t share your mother’s opinion.” He could tell that she was anxious about his response and he was pleased that he wouldn’t have to lie.

“I finally took your wise advice and spoke to him. Told him I was no longer towing the family line and whilst I will respect him as my father, I needed him to respect me and my decisions.” Jumal dropped his head and shook it at the memory of their unique conversation. They had both shouted and the row had got heated at times, but fundamentally they both agreed that the future of Dubain was a priority and for that to happen Jumal needed to be happy in his personal life as much as his work life. He needed balance, and more importantly, he needed a break. He needed the time alone with Pippa, if she’d have him, but even if she had dismissed him without a backward glance, Jumal had already made a decision that things needed to change in his life. If they didn’t, the resentment he felt towards his father would continue to grow and affect not only his future but also Dubain’s. To his utter shock, his father had conceded and agreed that he had pushed Jumal to act out his own plans and desires for his country’s future, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to see them to fruition simply because of his age.

“He actually went further than I had ever expected and offered to take back the position of sheik temporarily and give any assistance that Malik might need in running the company whilst I was away.”

“Wow, a complete one-eighty then. You don’t think he’ll mind if I call him Tay, do you?” she joked, the most beautiful smile lighting up her face. “The bracelet suits you by the way,” she commented, nodding at his wrist and lowering her finger to trace it. Opposites. His brain flickered back to the night the contrast in their skin colour had thrown that word out at him and he’d worried that it was a metaphor for their whole relationship. Now? They were opposites. Perfectly matched opposites.

“So, you ready for lesson one?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

He nodded back like a dopey idiot. She never failed to surprise him—she loved him! Had loved him for years! He swallowed deeply. And she’d just agreed to marry him—eventually—but he would have to bide his time and be patient. He could do patient. For Pippa, he would do anything.

She quickly jumped up. “Great. Lesson one,” she continued, stripping off her clothes, “Letting go of your inhibitions.”

Jumal watched dumbfounded as items of clothing began to fall to the pier at his side—sunglasses, barely legal shorts, strappy T-shirt, and oh yes, he gulped, there went the knickers. Ah the black and purple ones—his favourites. Bra? He thought looking up at her nakedness, swallowing. Oh, so no bra. He licked his lips and shielded his eyes from the low afternoon sun and slowly ran his eyes up her gloriously naked body. Heat flooded his groin. She was a vision. No, he corrected, a goddess—standing above him, the sun acting like a halo surrounding her body.

“Outdoor sex?” he enquired hopefully, smirking up at her, still shielding his eyes with one hand whilst reaching with the other to run a finger up her bare, smooth leg. “Think