The Sheik's Pregnant Lover Page 0,46
he disappeared again, and we heard that you were staying in his private quarters, we put two and two together and figured out that you were the one he’d been looking for.”
“But…” Sidra wasn’t sure she wanted to know how they were aware of her pregnancy. Especially since she only found out about it a few moments before they walked in.
“How did we know that you were pregnant?” Zarah asked, almost as if she were reading Sidra’s mind.
Sidra blushed and bit her lip. “That’s the question that’s most prevalent on my mind, yes.”
Isla perked up, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement and intelligence. “Because we spoke to Doctor Hamid this morning. He was carrying a vial of blood and hurrying on. He didn’t look nervous, was even excited. So we figured it out from that reaction.”
Sidra sighed and put her fork down. “I guess there isn’t much that can be a secret around here, is there?”
Isla laughed and shook her head. “Not really. But you’ll get used to it. And it has both pros and cons to that invasiveness.”
Sidra laughed and looked up at the women’s smiling faces. “What are some pros to everyone knowing things before I do?”
Zarah and Isla both looked stunned. “You mean you didn’t know that you were pregnant?”
“Not until Rashid told me right before everyone came in.”
“You mean…” Isla and Zarah both turned to look at each other, then grinned delightedly. “Oh, this is wonderful news! I can’t wait to tell everyone else!”
A dark shadow drifted into the dining room and three sets of eyes turned towards the doorway. “You’ll tell no one, Isla. Or I’ll marry you off to Hussan El Hamin” Rashid said as he walked purposefully into the room. He ignored the horrified look on Isla’s face and the anger that entered her lovely eyes.
He looked around the table until he spotted Sidra, then his shoulders seemed to relax slightly. It was almost as if he were trying to find her once again and it made Sidra feel a small bit better about the morning. Except for the fainting part, that is.
“Everyone out,” he commanded and Sidra was stunned when both women simply put down their forks and started walking out, regardless of whether they were finished with their meals or not. Sidra quickly followed suit and laid her fork down, hurriedly wiping her mouth with her linen napkin before she followed Zarah.
“Not you,” he snapped and grabbed her arm as she passed by him. “You and I are going to talk and we’re not going to be disturbed this time,” he commanded. He was speaking to Sidra, but he was watching the others. The two body guards who were standing by the door heard the order and turned to follow the women out the door, closing it behind them. Sidra assumed they would stand sentry outside the dining room doorway until Rashid was finished.
Sidra stood in the middle of the room, looking down at the floor nervously. She wanted to ask him about all the things his sisters had told her, but wasn’t confident enough to question him. She didn’t know him well enough to gauge his mood either. His sisters had mentioned something about him needing coffee and, of all the questions that came to mind, that was the one at the top of her list. Instead she said, “I’m not missing the irony here that I’m terrified of asking you anything and yet we’re apparently going to be married and having a baby together.” Her hands were clasped in front of her and she looked at him, then down at the floor, unable to hold his gaze after all that had transpired over the past several hours.
Rashid smiled, impressed with her courage under the circumstances. “It does seem to be a controversy we should overcome.” He walked closer to her, eliminating the distance between them at least physically. He stopped when he was less than an inch from her, looking down onto the top of her head. “What do you want to ask me?”
She thought of all the questions that raced through her mind. Could he ever come to love her? Did he plan on marrying her and going off with another woman when the mood struck him? Was there any scenario where he might be faithful to her? “Why did you leave that day?” was what actually came out, her courage deserting her at the last moment. “Your sisters mentioned something about a tribal leader named Johan and