Unexpectedly Expecting the Sheik's Baby - Elizabeth Lennox Page 0,9

her head falling backwards because it was too hard to hold her head up and laugh at the same time. “No, you won’t. You’re the most irritatingly optimistic of all three of us. By the next time we decide to take a class, you will be fully recovered and think you can make it through the class with more energy. You’ll also convince yourself that we’ll have lithe, sexy bodies by the end of class. But in reality, Naya is the only one that will look good. Those curves don’t need exercise to look amazing.”

Cassy snorted as she took in her friend’s full breasts, tiny waist, and long, slender legs. “Yeah. You’re clearly the ugly duckling of the group.”

“Shut up and figure out how to unlock your door. You can drive me to my car.”

Cassy grunted again. “Your car is parked three spaces down from mine.”

Ella glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. “I won’t make it.”

The two found themselves holding each other up as they giggled, knowing that somehow, one of them would need to find the strength to open their car door. Cassy sighed and pushed her still sweaty hair out of her eyes. “Okay, time to go home and work now. I was stuck in a meeting all day today and now I have to get caught up on everything I couldn’t do during the day.” She felt her phone vibrate in her tote bag, indicating that she had yet another e-mail to deal with.

Ella shook her head. “You’re going to burn out if you keep doing twenty hour days, Cassy.” She pushed away from her friend’s car, forcing her feet to carry her towards her own.

Cassy waved weakly as they departed.

Fifteen minutes later, she unlocked the door to her apartment, her arms still weak and her muscles protesting, but there was nothing wrong with her body that a good pizza couldn’t fix, she thought. And a beer. Did she have any beer left? She wasn’t sure. Maybe there was some wine leftover from the other night when Ella and Naya had been over. They had been commiserating about their love lives. Well, their lack of love lives, she corrected as she pushed her key into the lock of her apartment door.

Her stomach grumbled and she wondered how long it would take for the pizza to be delivered. Probably too long. Maybe she would soak in a bubble bath and relax. Even dialing the phone seemed like too much hassle.

She tossed her keys onto the kitchen counter as she passed by, dumping her computer case and gym bag, now filled with her work clothes, on the floor.

She was just about to enter her bedroom when movement to her right caught her eye. She glanced over, just in time to see a shadowy figure stand up. Her scream as the large form approached should have alerted the police three blocks away. She wasn’t sure how her neighbors could have missed it. It also had the galvanizing effect of shooting adrenaline through her system. Since flight wasn’t a possibility, she took a fighting stance, more than ready to defend her honor and her furniture.

“Get out!” she screeched, her hands already in position.

The raspy chuckle startled her. Did rapists and burglars laugh? And did they always sound so…sexy?

“Relax, little one,” the voice murmured. A light flipped on and she blinked. “Nasir,” she whispered, stunned and terrified for a whole slew of different reasons now. Then she shook her head, closing her eyes as she frantically tried to remember how Darren had addressed him. “I mean, Your Highness!”

She looked around, feeling vulnerable in her skimpy workout clothes that were sticky with sweat. Her hair was matted to her head and she was pretty sure that her makeup had been either sweated or wiped off. She tried to tug her top down lower, wishing it was long enough to hide her stomach and Cassy vehemently prayed that she didn’t have mascara streaks on her cheeks.

Goodness, he was so sophisticated and gorgeous, but not in a traditional way. No, he could never be classified as classically handsome. Not even close. He was rugged, raw, dangerous. Terrifying. Why did that word keep popping up in reference to this man? Why couldn’t she come up with another adjective?

Because it was perfect to describe him.

“What are you doing here? And how did you get into my apartment?” She should be nervous, shouldn’t she? Well, she was nervous. The man was huge and there was something