The Sheikh's Pregnant Wife - Leslie North Page 0,30
both. With a bump that size, the birth looked almost imminent, though she knew she had plenty of time left. She shook out the tension in her shoulders with a dance move that had the effect of testing out the stretch of the dress. It had plenty. The seamstresses in Raihanabad really knew their stuff. Which was a good thing, because they were the ones custom-making all the maternity clothes for royal events.
She squared her shoulders. What would Yaseen think of the outfit? Probably that it was fine. The navy-blue dress fell to the floor, its lacy overlay giving it a sense of movement and richness. The boatneck showcased her breasts, which were frankly magnificent at this point in her pregnancy. If only things were as magnificent with Yaseen.
He’d been back from Germany for a week, but it was like he was still away. They were so stiff and awkward. She made a face at herself in the mirror. And she’d been avoiding him as much as possible, just to avoid the awkwardness. It was just too painful to think about how things had been in Mennah that last night, and when they’d come back to Raihanabad. She’d loved the version of him who could play with her and tease her and be in this with her.
There could be no avoiding him tonight. She had no excuse not to attend the engagement party for one of his cousins. She considered making up some story that she was sick, but Yaseen would see through it immediately. And he’d be worried about her, but he’d still—still—hold himself at a distance. And she would hold herself at a distance. Distance, distance, distance. Miles and years of distance between the two of them.
No. She wouldn’t beg off with an invented sickness, no matter how much she wanted to lie down, pull the covers over her head, and pretend that everything was going according to plan. And now she had no excuse to keep delaying the inevitable.
Kara brushed some setting powder over her makeup and went out into the hall. Yaseen waited there, facing away, and turned at the sound of her footsteps. Her heart flip-flopped in a crazy rhythm. Why did he have to look so good in his tux? Yes, it had been made for him, but also his body had been made to fill out a suit. Her mouth watered at the suggestion of his muscles underneath. It was even worse that she knew intimately what those muscles were like unclothed. He smiled at her, dark eyes lighting up.
“Good evening,” he said, holding his hand out for her.
“Hi.” Shy. Shy again. And this was the man she was married to. “You look good.” Kara took his hand, and her body betrayed her with an electric jolt.
“You look stunning.” Yaseen’s eyes drank her in, and she wanted to swim in that darkness forever. He escorted her out to the waiting SUV, and the truth rang in Kara’s mind—she had fallen for him. She had fallen for a prince, but he hadn’t proven himself to be a white knight.
In the back of the SUV, Yaseen turned toward her. “When I said stunning, I meant that this is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen, and the most beautiful woman I have ever seen is wearing it.”
She only wished she didn’t feel like a bloated balloon. Kara opened her mouth to say it, but a strong kick from the inside made her gasp and put her hands to her belly.
Yaseen grabbed for her elbow, panic in his eyes. “What is it? Is everything all right?”
In answer, she took his hand and pressed it to her belly. The baby kicked again, directly against his palm. Even stronger than before. She’d been feeling the kicks for weeks, but not like this. Joy fizzed and popped like a root beer float injected directly into her veins. “It’s our child,” she said with a low laugh. “Wanting some attention, I suppose.”
Yaseen laughed, relief coursing through him. The baby kicked at his palm a second time, then a third. He’d always known that babies kicked, but he’d never felt it before. Wonderful. Wonderful. “If the baby is so active at this hour, they’ll be a late sleeper, just like their father.”
“You’re not a late sleeper,” Kara said with a laugh. “You get up early every day.”
“If I had my way about it, I’d be a late sleeper.” It shocked him, how intimate it felt to have his palm against