The Sheikh's Pregnant Wife - Leslie North Page 0,40

Health and Human services will focus on community support. The education department will have a similar focus. And of course, someone taught me that there are other ways of measuring profitability, like human value. It’s not always about the money.”

She wanted to leap on him and kiss him until he begged her to stop. Instead, she just...took him in. Took in the moment. She had never once expected Yaseen to come on board with her ideas this fully. Love bloomed in her chest, deep and true. It had always been there, she realized. It had just been conflicted, the kind of feeling that ran and hid whenever she looked straight at it.

“Why did you do it?” The words escaped on a whisper, and she cleared her throat. “Why, Yaseen?”

He came closer and took her hand, drawing her out from behind the desk. “Not to win you back, Kara. But because you’re right. About everything. You taught me to see the value in making things better for the people. They’re the true treasure of Raihan. Those children in Mennah and throughout the country are our most precious assets. All citizens should be considered a member of my family, and all of them should benefit from the wealth of the royal treasury.” Yaseen put his hands on the sides of her face, looking down at her as if he might never get another chance. “And you—you’re the love of my life. I couldn’t bear to let you down. And I’ll never do it again. I won’t let you down, and I won’t let our child down. Not ever.”

She breathed in the familiar scent of him and curved her hands around his wrists. Could she look into Yaseen’s eyes forever? Yes.

“I used to want a white knight as the love of my life.” Kara took a deep, shuddering breath. “I don’t anymore. Now I know there’s no such thing. Now I can see.” Her voice broke.

“See what?” The smile that played over his face was so gorgeous it stole the last of her breath. Kara fought to get it back.

“Now I see that if someone is going to be the one, I have to love him with all of his faults and foibles.” She rose up on tiptoe and kissed his lips. “As long as you keep coming back to me, Yaseen, you’ll always be my one.”

Epilogue

Kara stood in the center of their bedroom in Mennah, letting the night wash over her. It had been six months since she’d given birth to a perfect baby boy, who they’d named Jaron. His dimpled, chubby face was the joy of her life. That, and being with Yaseen.

The late night had closed in on their little villa, giving them privacy from the world. Jaron had woken in the night. Kara had gotten up to feed him, but when she went to put him back in his bassinet, Yaseen stopped her.

Now he stood on the balcony, shirtless, with the baby in his arms. He sang in a soft voice to the baby, who looked up at his father, dark eyes filled with awe. Kara’s heart echoed that awe. The two of them, bathed in moonlight, made up the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. She wanted to paint it, freeze it in time somehow—but she knew the best way to do it would be to memorize it. So she did. She memorized the way the moonlight shone on their dark hair. She memorized the way Yaseen’s muscles cast little shadows. She memorized the way Jaron curled his tiny fist against Yaseen’s chest. All of it.

Yaseen must’ve caught her watching from the corner of his eye, because he faced her with a smile. Since the final weeks of her pregnancy, Kara had seen how sensitive Yaseen could be. How deeply caring he was. How committed he was as a husband and a father. And he’d proven it when he’d had a lawyer amend their marriage contract, excising the clause outlining their eventual separation. They would never separate.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself against a powerful wave of love. She loved Yaseen so much. She loved Jaron so much. The feeling was primal, something she knew she’d never shake. It was in her blood and bones. And it grew with each day. Each night, she went to bed thinking she couldn’t love the two of them any more. And every morning, she woke up and proved herself wrong. A wonderful cycle.

Yaseen looked back down at Jaron in