The Sheikh's Pregnant Wife - Leslie North Page 0,9
stress. It helps kids improve many different skills, and it boosts their self-esteem. The center is built with the entire family in mind—moms who need to gather with other moms, dads who want to teach their children sports, and even young children, who might not be ready for organized sports. That’s why we included a nursery, several play spaces, and a lounge. That’s why we didn’t stop at the indoor gym.”
Yaseen’s mind warred with him. He had never wanted to watch her more in his life. Kara’s maternity dress was meant to be a simple sheath for work, and here his body came, acting as if it was a sultry dress for the club. Detail photos of the building’s blueprint flashed up on the screen, providing a backdrop for her, her, her.
“This complex will also encourage sports tourism, foster stronger community ties, and improve the quality of life for the people of Mennah. And it will do that right away.”
“You haven’t mentioned profitability.” He could not afford to earn his family’s attention only for them to see that he was willing to stake part of their fortune on the woman he’d had a fling with, even if she was now his wife and the mother of his child. Yaseen had a reputation for making good business decisions. He wasn’t going to start taking on losing propositions now, no matter how much he wanted Kara. “That’s been completely left out of this presentation.”
She acted as if he hadn’t spoken. “During construction, the residents in Mennah will benefit from the construction jobs. We’ll have dozens of people working in the initial phases, with plans to add more as construction progresses.”
“And the profitability when it comes to the center itself?” He leaned back in his chair, heart beating fast. Tension snapped between them. Kara’s blue eyes pierced his, and she pursed her lips. Across the table, Cid shifted in his seat.
“This is a multi-use complex.” Her voice was soft, deadly. “It includes areas for track and field, soccer—sorry, football—and cricket.” Yaseen could not take his eyes from her lips. Kara wore a bright red lipstick. He couldn’t help it. “We’ll be able to host tournaments of the three most popular sports in Raihan.”
“And do you have a plan for how much admission we should charge in order to break even, say, in the first year?” He couldn’t quite place the impatience that rolled under his skin. Was he irritated with her because of her focus on community benefit to the exclusion of everything else? Or was he impatient with being in public, with being separated from her bare skin by so many articles of clothing?
“Seating capacity is ten thousand.” Kara stabbed a thumb down on the remote. “But of course we haven’t only focused on sports. There are multipurpose rooms that can serve as conference rooms and a community center, which means that Mennah will be able to play host to virtually any kind of event. Groups from across Raihan can—”
“You’re not hearing my question,” he cut in. “How long will it take—”
“You’re not seeing my vision.” Tit for tat, interruption for interruption. Yaseen’s heart thundered in his chest, angry, defensive, resigned. All traces of relief he’d had from the wedding scattered. Is this what their marriage of convenience would be? Arguing until the bitter end? “This is a different type of investment, Yaseen,” Kara insisted, her tone softening. She bit her lip, white teeth on red, and for the first time, he thought he saw her confidence slip a little.
Yaseen got to his feet. A quick glance at Cid told him that the man would rather be anywhere else on the planet than in this meeting. Cid stared resolutely down at the portfolio in front of him, pretending to scribble out a note. “For me, there is only one type of worthwhile investment—one that has a substantial financial payoff for my family and the royal treasury.”
Kara straightened up, eyes flaring. “If only the royal family were the only people in Raihan. We need to build wealth and stability on the ground in the communities first. That’s the only way you’ll see long-term wealth for your own family. The two go hand in hand.” Maybe he’d been mistaken about her losing her confidence. Her voice rang with it, and from the corner of his eye he could see Cid nodding along with Kara’s points. Kara locked her fingers together. “Think of the people of Raihan as an essential part of the royal family’s