Crowned For The Sheikh's Baby: Crowned for the Sheikh's Baby
‘He needed a partner to take to a fancy party.’
‘And he chose you?’
Hannah drew her shoulders back and spoke to Tamsyn with uncharacteristic coolness. ‘Yes, he did. I was working for him.’
‘As a chambermaid?’
‘As a chambermaid,’ Hannah agreed tightly. ‘I was assigned to work solely for him. Sometimes we used to chat about stuff. We got on quite...well.’
Tamsyn gave a raucous laugh. ‘I’ll say. So you went off to a party with him and...?’
‘I’m not going to spell it out for you, Tamsyn—it’s pretty obvious what happened.’
Tamsyn looked momentarily surprised—as if this new and rather bolshie sister, who usually trod so carefully, was taking a little getting used to. She nodded. ‘So what are you planning to do?’
Hannah hesitated before answering because this was the bit she still wasn’t quite clear about. Because the moment she told him, she would lose control over the situation. Instinct told her that. Kulal wasn’t just a powerful man—he was also a desert king and weren’t royals notoriously possessive about their heirs? The truth was that she didn’t know how he would respond because she didn’t really know him. He might try to take control of her and the baby. He might deny all responsibility and send her packing. In many ways, it would be easier all round if she just crept away and brought up the baby on her own without bothering to tell him.
A long sigh escaped from her lips. It would be easier, yes—but deep down she knew she couldn’t go through with it. Because Hannah had grown up never knowing or meeting her father, and she knew all about the huge emotional hole that could leave at the centre of a child’s existence. There were risks involved in letting him know—of course there were—but these were risks she had to take.
‘I’m going to tell him, of course,’ she said. ‘As soon as you’ve gone, I’m going to telephone him.’
The only problem being that she didn’t actually have a number for him, because he hadn’t given her one. Well, why would he, when he’d never been intending to see her again? There had been one final, lingering kiss and Hannah, completely exhausted after their energetic night, had fallen into a deep sleep. And when she’d woken up, he was gone. The penthouse suite along the corridor had been cleared of all evidence that Kulal had stayed there. The bodyguards had disappeared and so had the Sheikh’s luggage. Even the fancy dress and priceless necklace were gone, presumably on their way back to the stylist. It might have all been a dream, were it not for the pleasurable aching of her body. And yet she had still been suffering from some kind of delusion, hadn’t she? There had still been a stupid part of her which had wondered if he might have left her a note or something.
But whisking her way around his suite—supposedly giving it the most thorough cleaning of its life—had failed to produce any kind of sentiment that Kulal Al Diya would ever give her another thought. Hannah had felt flat—there was no denying it. It had been the most spectacular introduction to sex and now she was going to have to resign herself to her usual frigid life. Yet it had been more than that. In his arms, she had felt like a woman who was capable of anything. He had been tender with her. And passionate. In fact, he had been everything a woman dreamt a man could be.
Maybe it was easy to be that way when you knew you were never going to see someone again. When you knew that you weren’t even going to have to speak to them in the morning. She told herself she should be grateful he’d just crept away in the early hours, because the reality of waking up in that cramped staff bedroom would have been embarrassing. Would she have boiled the electric kettle which was jammed onto one of the shelves and offered to make him a mug of herb tea? Then watched as he put on his clothes and tried to make his escape as quickly as possible?
She’d tried to feel indignant that he’d beat such a hasty retreat, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to be angry with him. Had she somehow been aware—on a deep, subliminal level—that the cells of his child were already multiplying rapidly inside her? Was that why she found it so difficult to stop thinking about him, with a heart that beat a little too fast and a soft yearning which made her feel uncomfortable?
But Hannah knew that feelings passed. All of them. And that eventually the intensity of what was happening to you faded with time. She’d told herself to be grateful that nobody at the Granchester had found out and her job was safe. She’d got away with it, scot-free. Or so she’d thought. She had worked for two more weeks at the Sardinian hotel before returning to London, just in time to discover that her period was late and to try to deny to herself why that might be. Until denial was no longer an option...
Hannah clicked onto the Zahristan website but, naturally, there was no handy link to the King’s email account. She found the number of the Embassy in London and tried ringing, in the hope of being able to convey a subtle message through one of the diplomats. But the phone system was automated and her dilemma didn’t fall into the category of someone visiting the country who was chasing up their visa. She supposed she could mail Kulal a letter and emblazon it with ‘private and confidential’—but there was no guaranteeing he would receive it unopened. The embassy might think it was from a crackpot and even if they didn’t, it meant that the Sheikh would discover he was going to be a father after his staff had found out. Hannah knew very little about royal protocol, but even she could recognise that would be a big mistake. A very big mistake.
She needed to tell him in person—but how?
There was a solution—to use the money she’d been squirrelling away since she’d first started work. The little sums of money which had grown, bit by bit, into a halfway decent sum which would one day become a deposit on a home of her own.
Could she break into it to buy herself an airline ticket to Zahristan?
Her heart began to pound. There was no other option—because how else was she going to get to see Kulal? But that money was sacrosanct and symbolic. She’d promised herself she would never touch it and now fear washed over her as she realised that once again she wasn’t playing safe. Because this wasn’t risk-averse Hannah. This was more of the same Hannah who had leapt into bed with the desert King, when deep down she’d known she shouldn’t. Her hand went down to cradle her belly because she knew she had little choice. She’d protected Tamsyn when they had been growing up—just as she would protect her baby now. She didn’t know how Kulal would respond, but that wasn’t her problem. She needed to give their child the best possible chance—and everything else was outside her control.
And surely he would have the decency to refund her air fare?
Which was how she ended up in a plane, crossing the Murjaan Sea and heading towards the Sheikh’s homeland.
She was fortunate that Zahristan had opened its borders a decade ago, after winning the war with neighbouring Quzabar, and fortunate that she had enough annual leave to book herself a last-minute break. She couldn’t decide if it was good fortune or fate that her visa-acquiring trip to the Zahristan Embassy had introduced her to a helpful woman called Elissa. Elissa had informed her that visitors were allowed access to the Sheikh’s palace every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, and His Royal Highness was actively encouraging trips from foreign visitors. At this, Hannah’s heart had leapt—because surely she could engineer some kind of meeting if she gained access to Kulal’s home.
After consulting a weather map, she discovered that the temperature of her destination was roasting and so she used some more of her precious savings to buy some suitable clothes. Inexpensive clothes in natural fabrics in light colours which wouldn’t absorb the heat. Clothes which would disguise her tender breasts which were the only outward sign of her pregnancy. But most important of all—new clothes which meant she wouldn’t turn up at a fancy palace looking like a tramp.
The flight was long and her limbs felt cramped, because she hadn’t wanted to squander any of her precious money upgrading her seat. She tried distracting herself by reading what was supposed to be the definitive history of Zahristan, but the clunky paragraphs didn’t manage to hold her attention for long. For a long time, the book lay open on the same page as she wondered what would happen when she finally gained access to Kulal. Would she be thrown in some dark jail—forced to wait for the British consulate to come and bail her out and put her on the next flight to England, with a fierce lecture on compromising international diplomacy ringing in her ears?
But even if the worst happened and she didn’t get within a hundred yards of him, at least she would have tried.
Hannah stared out of the plane window—at the seemingly endless expanse of desert. As the aircraft began to descend, she could see the welcome green of palm trees and in the distance a gleam of water, surrounded by tents. And now they were approaching a city—with turrets and gleaming spires, just like in a fairy tale. There were flashes of blue and lots of gold. This must be Ashkhazar, which she’d just read about. A rich city with a troubled history. Hadn’t Kulal mentioned it briefly when she had run her fingertip over the raised scar which ran from nipple to groin and was the only blemish which marred his perfect body? But he hadn’t wanted to talk about what had caused it. The truth was he hadn’t wanted to talk about anything much, except how much he liked her breasts. Well, he was going to have to talk about his baby, whether he liked it or not.
And then her stomach gave a flip as the airport watchtower grew closer and she closed her eyes as the huge aircraft began to swoop towards the runway.
CHAPTER FIVE
FROM BEHIND THE tinted windows of his heavily bullet-proofed car, Kulal watched the plane land and he felt a wave of anger as the passengers began to disembark.
He saw her immediately—instantly recognisable, and not just because she was the only woman travelling solo.
Did she really think she could sneak into his homeland without him getting wind of it?
Her head was uncovered, but at least her shoulders were not bare. She was wearing a pale dress which hung almost to her ankles. It was a modest dress, even by Zahristan standards, but it failed to disguise the generous curve of her breasts or the womanly swell of her buttocks, and Kulal’s jaw tightened. It would be easier all round if he simply had her brought to his car for the short drive to the city but that might amount to something resembling an official welcome and he would not countenance that. He watched as another black limousine edged onto the tarmac and one of his most trusted aides got out of the car.
Kulal spoke rapidly to his driver. ‘Wait until Najib gets her into the limousine,’ he bit out. ‘And then tail them.’
‘Yes, sire.’
He didn’t say another word during the journey which followed, his eyes fixed resolutely on the car in front of them as they drove at speed through the wide roads which led into the city. When the first limousine drew to a halt, he could see the look of consternation on Hannah’s face as she gazed up at the impressive gilded façade of the famous building and for a moment, he wondered if she might refuse to go inside and then what would they do? But Najib was a master at getting people to carry out his master’s wishes and within minutes, she was walking up the marble steps, while yet another aide carried her single suitcase.
He waited for several minutes before discreetly entering the building, two of his bodyguards tailing him like shadows. But as the elevator ascended, Kulal found his thoughts drifting back to another similar ride—when he had been obsessed by the rise and fall of Hannah’s magnificent breasts, covered in the delicate silk of the dress he had ordered for her to wear to the party. Had he been completely insane? Carried away by what he’d convinced himself was nothing but an altruistic action to give the little chambermaid a well-deserved treat, without bothering to examine the real motive of desire which was bubbling beneath the surface of his intentions? Probably. His mouth hardened into a grim mockery of a smile. Didn’t they say that men were architects of their own destruction?
The elevator doors opened and as he strode along the corridor he saw Najib standing sentry outside a door, his face inscrutable.
‘What did she say?’ questioned Kulal as he grew close, and Najib gave a brief bow before shrugging.
‘She was a little militant at first, sire—but then she seemed to grow resigned to her fate and offered no resistance.’
‘Good. Let us hope that state of affairs continues. Stand back, Najib.’
‘Should I not accompany you inside, sire?’
Briefly, Kulal’s lips curved. ‘You think the little Englishwoman will attack me?’
‘I thought I saw fire in her eyes, sire.’
Kulal’s lips hardened. ‘The fire will soon be doused, Najib. Make no mistake about that.’
He pushed open the door and saw Hannah. She was standing by the window, as if she had been staring out onto the magnificent mixture of ancient and new to be found in the city streets outside. At the sound of the door closing, she whirled round and his first thought was that Najib had been right. That was definitely fire he could see in her eyes—something he had not witnessed in all the time she had serviced his penthouse suite. The blaze of aquamarine as she glared at him almost dazzled him and she must have been shaking her head because gleaming strands of mahogany hair had broken free from the confinement of their elastic band and were tumbling in glorious disarray around her shoulders. For a few distracting seconds, he felt the instant flare of lust before instinctively subduing it. Because wasn’t it lust which had got him into this predicament?
‘Would you mind telling me what is going on?’ she demanded, her voice rising. ‘Why I was bundled off the plane and into a waiting car as if I was some sort of criminal? And why I’ve been brought here—to this fancy hotel—when I have a room reservation at the Souk Vista Hostel?’
Kulal had been anticipating many reactions, but such a feisty question from a woman of her stature only confirmed his suspicions about the reason for her journey. His eyes narrowed, for although he had encountered determination from ex-lovers many times in the past—nobody had ever been quite as audacious as Hannah Wilson. Well, she would soon discover that coming here had been a big mistake. A very big mistake.
‘I assume you wanted to see me,’ he said coolly. ‘So I thought I would curtail any unnecessary time-wasting by bringing you straight here.’
‘When your aide said...’ For a moment her confidence appeared to waver. ‘When he said he was taking me to the palace...’
Kulal’s lips curved into a smile he fully intended to be cruel because now he was dealing with something he’d encountered ever since he first became aware that his blood was blue, and he was in possession of connections most people could only dream of. Was that what Hannah ultimately wanted? he wondered cynically. A share of his unimaginable riches and access to his privileged life? In which case, perhaps it was necessary to teach her a small lesson—just to set the matter straight before she let her imagination run away with itself. ‘And you thought they meant they were bringing you to my palace?’ he queried, his gaze deliberately lingering on the golden logo of a crown which was embroidered onto one of the napkins which adorned a gleaming table. ‘Rather than the Royal Palace Hotel?’
The dull flush of her cheeks told Kulal his guess had been accurate and, mockingly, he raised his eyebrows. ‘I hope you aren’t too disappointed, Hannah. Did you think our one night together would entitle you to enjoy some of the perks of having a royal lover? And that I would be taking you on a sightseeing tour of the fabled gardens of my palace, or dipping into the Al Diya jewellery collection to present you with a precious bauble?’
‘Of course not,’ she said stiffly.
‘I thought you would feel more at home in a hotel,’ he added carelessly. ‘And of course, it carries the extra benefit of not compromising me in any way.’
It was the most patronising thing she’d ever heard and Hannah had to suck in a deep breath to stop herself from shaking, telling herself that nothing would be achieved by giving into the rage which was smouldering inside her, like a fire which refused to die. Because showing your feelings made you vulnerable—and she had the scars to prove it. Letting emotion get the better of you was a bad idea. Remaining cool and calm was the first law of survival—she knew that. But although she’d spent most of her life following that creed, she wasn’t finding it so easy right now. Were her fluctuating hormones once again to blame—making her react in a way which was alien to her? Or did none of the usual rules apply now that she had an unborn child to protect?
Because things were different now and she needed to recognise that. When she’d been looking after Tamsyn, she’d been nothing but a child herself and her options had been limited. But she was an adult now. She might not have Kulal’s material wealth or power, but she was resourceful as only someone in a dilemma could be and would not be treated like some docile little prisoner.
So stick to the facts.
‘You don’t even know why I’m here,’ she said.
‘Of course I do.’
She blinked at him and gulped. ‘You do?’
‘Oh, Hannah.’ He gave a short laugh before his hawk-like features hardened into a cynical expression. ‘You wouldn’t need to be a genius to work it out. You’ve decided that you’re in love with me, haven’t you?’
For one stomach-churning second, Hannah actually thought she might be sick. But it wasn’t just the Sheikh’s swaggering arrogance which she found so nauseating—it was the way he had said the word love. As if it were some unspeakable type of illness. As if it were something beneath his contempt... Clenching and unclenching her fingers, she looked up at him, trying to keep her voice steady. ‘What makes you say that?’
‘You have been pining for me, I guess,’ he said softly, before shrugging his broad shoulders. ‘That in itself is not unusual—but the fact that I took your virginity has probably given our night together more significance than it warrants. Am I right, Hannah?’
Hannah flinched, wondering how she could ever have fallen into the arms of someone so unspeakably arrogant.
You know how, whispered the voice of her conscience. Because he’s so irresistible—even now, when he’s looking down his haughty nose at you.
Because despite the insulting reception he’d given her, she was far from immune to the attraction which had got her into all this trouble in the first place.
In Sardinia, she had only ever seen Kulal dressed in western clothes. Faded jeans and T-shirts, impeccably cut business suits or, on that fateful night, a dark dinner suit, just like those worn by all the other men at the party. But today, he was looking emphatically sheikh-like in a robe of white silk which flowed down over his muscular body. A matching headdress, held in place by a circlet of knotted gold, emphasised the stark outlines of his hawk-like features. He looked exotic and powerful. He looked like a stranger. He was a stranger, she reminded herself bitterly. A stranger whose child was now living beneath her breast.
‘I hate to disillusion you,’ she said, concentrating on trying to match his own emotionless tone. ‘But I am definitely not pining for you.’
‘No? So why come here?’ he drawled. ‘Why bother flying out here in secret?’
But it hadn’t been a secret, had it? His words reminded Hannah that this whole set-up seemed premeditated and that a car had been waiting for her when the plane had touched down. She lifted her chin, the pulsing of a nerve above her jaw the only outward sign of her growing anxiety—because if Kulal knew she was here, then who else did? How would such an action appear to the outside world—and, more importantly, to her employers? A lowly chambermaid flying out to confront a desert king! She reflected on her many years of service at the Granchester and a ripple of fear whispered down her spine at the thought of being sacked for such unprofessional behaviour. ‘How...how did you know I’d be on that flight?’ she questioned croakily.
‘Are you really that naïve?’ He spat out the question impatiently. ‘My security people run automatic checks over all the flight lists and flag up anyone of particular interest and naturally you fell into that category. A woman who needs an urgent visa to visit my country—didn’t you consider that might have alerted the suspicions of the authorities?’ He gave an impatient sigh. ‘Especially since you were asking so many questions about access to the royal palace—and a further check threw up the fact that you work for the Granchester Group and I’d recently been staying in one of their hotels.’
Hannah stared down at her fingernails she’d spent the past few weeks forcing herself not to chew, and suddenly she knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. She had to tell him. But it was with an instinctively sinking heart that she met the ebony coldness of his eyes. ‘I’m pregnant, Kulal,’ she said quietly.
There was a pin-drop silence as he looked at her, the expression on his hawk-like features inscrutable as he shook his head.
‘You can’t be. I used protection.’ His voice was cold. ‘I always do.’
Had he added that last bit just to hurt her? To remind her that she was nothing special? Just another women who had succumbed to all that arrogant alpha appeal...? Hannah chewed her bottom lip. Probably. But she wasn’t here to protect her own feelings—she was here to do the best for her baby and reacting with anger to his inflammatory comments would serve no useful purpose. ‘I’m afraid I can,’ she contradicted. ‘I’m carrying your baby, Kulal,’ she added for extra emphasis and saw his body tense.
Kulal felt the sudden rush of blood to his head as adrenalin flooded through his system and disbelief warred with the evidence right in front of his eyes—because she was here, wasn’t she? A place where she had no right to be. He observed her stillness and the unnatural calmness of her expression—as if he was waiting for her to relax and tell him she’d made the whole thing up—but he knew he was waiting in vain. Of course she was pregnant—why else would she have flown out here in a dramatic way he suspected was completely out of character? His heart began to pound loudly in his chest and he recognised the sensation instantly because he used to feel that way when he was about to go into battle. But war had never filled him with the uncertainty which now assailed him and which instantly put him on the offensive.
‘So have you come here to bargain with me, Hannah?’ he demanded. ‘To see how much money you can get out of me?’
Hannah flinched. If she had been in London—if her baby’s father had been a normal man—she would have risen from the chair, no matter how shaky her legs, and walked out of the room, telling him she would speak to him when he was prepared to be reasonable. Because surely a display of emotion would be justified in those circumstances.
But she wasn’t in London and Kulal was not a normal man, no matter how much she wished he were. She was stuck in a fancy hotel room in his country, miles away from home and everything she knew. The air felt icy from the over-efficient pump of the air-conditioning and outside the huge windows she could see the golden gleam of a beautiful dome. It couldn’t have been more unlike the view from her own humble little bedsit, but she mustn’t let the undeniable glamour of the location stop her from dealing with practicalities.
‘No, I haven’t come here to bargain with you,’ she said quietly. ‘Nor to be spoken to as if I were someone motivated by nothing other than greed.’