The Sheikh's Pregnant Wife - Leslie North Page 0,11
him, lips pressed together. “Show me your driving skills, Prince Yaseen.”
On the drive around the outskirts of Mennah, he took a deep breath and spoke into what seemed like a comfortable silence between them. “Mennah has been home to many of Raihan’s most famous artisans, including my great-aunt,” he told her. Out here in the rolling hills, the city looked like a haven. An oasis rising from the landscape, with shining white buildings. He stopped to let a swell of nostalgia and longing float away on the breeze. “It’s a place to celebrate all the best things about our people.”
Yaseen kept his eyes on the road. He steered capably, strong hands confident on the wheel. Kara couldn’t look away. He spoke about Mennah so carefully, but so easily, as if he’d spoken about it all his life—which he probably had. She thrilled at the prospect of seeing another side of Yaseen. This was another side of Yaseen. Love shone in his eyes and his voice as he spoke. Pride shone in his voice. “My aunt chose to live here even when it was more fashionable to live in the capital city,” he said, a smile lighting up his face. “There were times when I was younger that I didn’t understand it. Who would want to be away from all the activity? Now I understand it. I don’t get to visit nearly as often as I’d like.”
The memory of the friction between them in the meeting room prickled at the back of her mind, but Kara couldn’t help herself. “Why is it—” She took a moment to search for the right words. “Why hasn’t the royal family invested more in Mennah when it’s given so much to Raihan’s culture?”
“What makes you think we haven’t invested in Mennah?”
Kara stared at him from her seat. “Well, it took Community Connections getting involved to conceive the sports center. Are there investments here that I’ve missed?”
Yaseen’s eyes flicked to hers, a dark heat burning there that she felt down to the center of her core. Energy crackled between them. For an instant she thought he might concede the point. “Mennah has given much to Raihan, but every part of Raihan has contributed to what the country has become. Our country is successful because the government has made good investment decisions along the way.”
Exasperation warred with attraction, and she looked back out the window. No—she wouldn’t just stay silent and go along for the ride. That wasn’t why she had come to Raihan. And her time as Yaseen’s wife would be the best chance she had to make a lasting difference. She sat up straight and angled her body back toward Yaseen.
“But that’s exactly why I want to build the community center here. Why we want to build the center here. It will provide jobs and improve health and wellness for local families. It’ll give the children a boost to their self-esteem and a safe place to practice their social skills. It’ll improve everybody’s standard of living. Fifteen or twenty years down the line, you’ll see Mennah—and Raihan—reaping the benefits.”
“Fifteen to twenty years is too long to wait to make a positive return on this investment,” Yaseen said. They turned off the main road and onto one that was more like a two-track road—a set of tire tracks in the dirt and little more.
Kara gripped the handle on the door of the Jeep. This vehicle was, at least, top of the line and the suspension made the ride less bumpy. Nothing about it made Yaseen any less stubborn.
“Don’t you see? The children served by the center now will grow up to be adults who will make good on your investment. For the whole city. For the country.”
“We’re here,” said Yaseen. They’d arrived at another, larger set of ruins, and instantly the tension between them fell away. She felt like Yaseen had pocketed it for later, put it aside like a topic that wasn’t altogether important. He helped her out of the Jeep. “These ruins are what’s left of a royal outpost,” he said, and in spite of herself, Kara got swept away in the story he told. Still, no matter how engaging the history, her heart still ached with disappointment. Why wouldn’t he see? Would he ever understand?
When they arrived back at the villa a few hours later, Kara struggled to keep her eyes open. Her camera might be full of beautiful photos of the ruins, but her mind ran in circles. It was exhausting, trying