The Sheik's Pregnant Lover Page 0,43
tell me.”
She couldn’t even think about that right now. She was still trying to recover from the idea that she was pregnant. And then it hit her. “This baby is your heir?” She waited that painful, horrible moment until he confirmed that he didn’t have any other children. When he nodded slowly, she let the breath out that she’d been holding. “Then you’re not married.”
“I will be.”
At those words, Sidra wasn’t sure if the most prevalent emotion she was feeling was furious jealousy or painful sadness. Neither really mattered since her stomach rebelled against both emotions storming through her system.
“Who is she?” Sidra asked as she leaned her head against the back board of the bed.
Rashid laughed and shook his head. “Sidra, you and I have to get married.”
She opened her eyes and glared at him. “I will not be a second wife!”
Rashid’s amusement couldn’t be contained this time. He threw back his head and laughed, his hands just barely able to keep her still while he struggled to overcome his amusement so he could talk to her. She was trying to push his hands away and get off the bed, furious with him for laughing at her and for making her jealous. She hated both parts and wanted nothing to do with this horrible man!
“Let me go,” she growled, fighting him with everything she had in her. But he was too strong and countered all of her moves, pinning her down to the bed.
When he finally had her subdued and had controlled his laughter, he looked down at her and said, “You will be my only wife, Sidra. I apologize if I made you think otherwise. I thought it was obvious that you and I would be getting married but I can see how my words might have confused you.”
She relaxed somewhat, but her glare was still in place. “We can’t get married,” she countered.
He wasn’t even upset by her words, knowing that she was protesting out of habit now. She’d shown him too much for him to actually believe her protests. “We must,” he said firmly so she had no doubt about his intentions. “But tell me why you think it’s not a good idea.”
She sighed and tried to control the increasing desire that was pooling in her stomach, and spreading outward as he held her hands over her head and his eyes roved over her features, moving downwards and she knew that he was feeling the same thing. She struggled to maintain focus, to remember what they were discussing. “We don’t know each other. We’ve spent about eight hours in each other’s company while in England. We don’t know what the other likes or dislikes and its bound to be a problem later on.”
He shook his head. “We will be married in two days in a private ceremony. The announcement has already been made to the press, your boss has been informed,” he ignored her gasp of outrage at that comment and continued on, “and we’ll just have to learn about each other after the wedding.”
She couldn’t believe his gall! The horror that her career was over now that Debra knew she was pregnant. This couldn’t be happening. Surely there might have been a way for her to continue with her career even while she was pregnant. “Why did you tell my boss? I could have…” she struggled once again to think clearly. “Many women continue working right up until their due date. You didn’t have to do this to me! Debra was very clear that this project had to go smoothly or she’d make sure I wouldn’t be able to work in the industry again. At least not for a reputable design firm!”
She wasn’t fully understanding the reality of her new life. He wanted to be kind, to let her go on thinking that she might have a career, but that wouldn’t be fair since she couldn’t work outside the palace. Not as his wife. “You would not have been allowed, Sidra.”
She couldn’t believe what he was saying. “You mean I can’t have a career simply because I’m pregnant with your child?”
“You may still redecorate the palace in any fashion you’d like. But no, you cannot have a career.”
She looked up at him, her fury increasing as the full impact of what he was saying came through.
She was just about to berate him for the hypocrisy of the whole situation when a disturbance outside of the room caused both of them to turn their heads. Rashid