Claimed by the Desert Sheikh

Chapter Nine

Maggie worked carefully to pry the door panel from the door. The fit was perfect, which made her job more difficult but would allow the end results to be spectacular.

After a day of confusion and worry and not knowing what all she was going to do with her life, it felt good to be back with the car. Here the world was clear and everything made sense. She knew what to do and how to do it.

She turned back to the body of the vehicle and ran her hands along the sides.

“You’re going to be stunning,” she murmured. “Men will want you, other cars will want to be you.”

“She’s going to get a big head,” Qadir said as he walked into the garage. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

Maggie smiled at him, trying not to notice the funny feeling in her stomach or the way her heartbeat suddenly tripled. “I think you’ll be able to handle her even if she gets conceited.”

“Perhaps.”

“I’m taking the doors apart. We’ll be able to see if there’s any interior damage. Then they can get repaired, replace any missing little parts, sand, prime and paint.”

“Are you sure you should be doing all this?” he asked.

Huh? “It’s part of my job. Not fixing the doors will make the rest of the car look funny.”

“I was referring to your pregnancy. Is it safe for you to work here now?”

Oh. That. “I’m still the same person I was yesterday,” she told him firmly. “I’ll be careful about chemicals. I wasn’t going to paint the car, anyway. I’ll want to do some of the sanding by hand, but I’ll wear a protective mask so I don’t breathe in the particles. I’ll avoid solvents. Otherwise, I should be fine. I’m just pregnant—I haven’t morphed into an alien.”

“If you are sure.”

“I am.” The last thing she needed was him having second thoughts about her doing the job. She desperately needed the money.

“Now you see why it is so much easier to hire a man,” he said.

She narrowed her eyes. “If you weren’t royal and my boss, I swear, I’d sock you for saying that.”

He grinned. “Is it true.”

“It’s not true. Men have issues. They come in drunk, aren’t responsible, pick fights.”

“A lot of generalizations.”

She smiled. “You mean like assuming a pregnancy is going to get in the way?”

“Point taken.”

She leaned against the car. “So is yours. My dad would never have admitted it, but I know he would have agreed with you. We used to argue about treating men and women equally. He kept saying they were different halves of the same whole. Yet he didn’t mind my being in a nontraditional job. I think he was even proud of it.”

“I’m sorry I could not meet him.”

“Me, too. You would have liked him.” She smiled as she remembered her father meeting various clients. He never cared about how rich they were or how important. To him, everyone was the same. “I still miss him.”

“You have a lifetime of memories to draw upon.”

“I know. That helps.”

“Would he have enjoyed knowing he would be a grandfather?”

“I hope so,” she admitted. “I know he would have been disappointed by the circumstances. I’m hardly proud of them myself. But he would have been there for me and in the end he would have been happy about the baby. He liked kids a lot. He would have been a great grandpa.”

“Did he like Jon?”

“Yes. They were close. He always thought we’d be a good match. I think that’s part of the reason we stayed together through his illness. Even when things weren’t great between us, we didn’t want to disappoint him.” And Jon hadn’t wanted to leave her alone.

She’d sensed that perhaps even before he’d been able to articulate the problem.

“Jon stood by me through the end and at the funeral. His parents also helped with so much.”

The two families had been connected. That had been part of the problem, too. She and Jon had been walking away from more than just each other.

“When will you tell him?” Qadir asked.

Maggie folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t know.”

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. She could give herself the lecture well enough for both of them.

Jon was the father of her child. He deserved to know there was a baby. He was a good man and he hadn’t done anything wrong. She owed him the truth. But …

“I don’t want to mess up his life,” she admitted slowly. “Knowing about the baby is going to change everything. He’s happy with Elaine. This is the last thing either of them need.”

He continued to study her. She sighed.

“I know, I know. I’ll tell him.”

“What do you think he’ll say?” he asked.

“I have no idea. He’s big on family. I don’t think he can just walk away.”

“Is that what you want?”

“It would be easier for all of us if he would.”

“Life is rarely easy.”

“Agreed. It’s just … a baby will connect us forever. How are we supposed to get on with our lives while we’re so closely tied together?”

“Because you are still in love with him?”

“No. I’m not. I’m long over him.” She’d been over him before that last night together. She just hadn’t realized it yet. “But it creates tension and pressure. No matter who he marries, there will always be this child between them. She may be the first wife, but she won’t have the first child. That will be forever taken from her.”

“Does that matter?”

“I don’t know. I think, for a man, his first child is very important. There’s the whole pride thing. Telling the world he procreated. It’s different for women.”

“Having a child with someone else would still be significant for you?”

“Yes.”

“Perhaps it will be so for Jon, as well.”

“I hope so,” Maggie said. She just wished she didn’t have to deal with this at all. She got a knot in her stomach every time she thought about having to make that phone call.

“I wish he would just walk away,” she murmured.

“Will he?”

“I don’t think so.”

How ironic. A few weeks ago she would have done anything to get him back in her life. Now she had the perfect opportunity and she wasn’t interested.

“But you would like him to.”

She nodded.

He moved forward and put his arm around her. “If there is anything I can do, you must tell me.”

He was warm and strong. Talk about tempting, she thought, fighting the need to throw herself against him and beg him to handle everything. She knew he was more than capable. But this was her problem and she had to fix it herself.

“Thank you. You’ve already done so much.”

He smiled at her. “I have done very little.”

He released her. She forced herself to step away.

“There is a museum opening next week,” he said. “I would like you to come with me to the event.”

She took a second step back. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“We have a deal.”

“One you should be rethinking. Honestly, Qadir, you don’t want to go there.”

“The longer we are together, the more serious the relationship will appear.”

She pointed to her stomach. “Do we have to have the ‘baby on board’ discussion again?”

“Once you leave, people will believe the child is not mine. That will solve the problem.” He looked determined. “I want to see this through. You promised to give me at least a month. I will hold you to that, Maggie.”

She nodded slowly. Her reluctance came not only from the potential embarrassment to herself, but also from a tiny ache deep inside. She knew that Qadir was only using their relationship to fake out his father. Nothing more. Having him talk about that shouldn’t bother her.

But it did. It hurt and for the life of her, she couldn’t say why.

“And if I order you not to see her anymore?” the king demanded.

“I do not think that is a conversation you wish to have,” Qadir told his father.

“What is the point of this? Why her? Find someone else. Someone who isn’t carrying another man’s child. What will happen if things progress? Will you marry her? Am I to accept that child as a grandchild?”

“As’ad is adopting three daughters,” Qadir said. “You have no problem with them.”

“That is totally different.”

“Why?”

“It is. Everyone knew of the girls before. They are charming.”

“Perhaps Maggie’s baby will be charming, too.”

His father glared at him. “You are being deliberately difficult.”

“I am not, despite how it seems to you. Maggie is important to me. She is someone with whom I enjoy spending time. She is charming and amusing. She does not annoy me.”

“An important consideration,” the king said.

“Very. She is also not interested in the trappings of my position. My being a prince does not impress her.”

“Like Whitney.”

There were very few people who were allowed to speak that name. Unfortunately the king was one of them.

“Like Whitney,” Qadir agreed. “But with one important difference. I do not love her. I like her. I respect her. But she does not possess my heart.”

No one would again, he reminded himself. Once had been enough. He had loved Whitney beyond what he thought was possible and in the end, she had left him.

He’d been stunned by her decision and the emotional pain that had followed. He’d vowed then that no woman would ever bring him to his knees again.

“A sensible match between compatible parties makes the most sense,” his father said. “But this woman? What about the child? He or she can never be heir.”

“I am not the eldest son.”

“Perhaps not, but if Kateb walks away, you will be next in line.”

There was bitterness in his father’s voice, and perhaps sadness. “Kateb means no disrespect. He has taken a different path.”

“Into the desert. He belongs here.”

“I do not agree.” Qadir knew his brother could never be fully happy in the city. The desert sand ran in his veins. He was only truly alive when he was there.

“You seek to defy me at every turn it seems,” Mukhtar grumbled. “I am disappointed in you, my son.”

Qadir looked at his father and smiled. “You are not. You are annoyed by my refusal to do as you say, but you are secretly pleased that I will stand up to you fearlessly. It reminds you that you are an excellent father and monarch.”

One corner of the other man’s mouth twitched. “Perhaps. But that does not mean I approve of your relationship with Maggie.

You will get distracted by her, then decide she will not do. By then it will be too late. You will be interested. So when you send her away, you will not be interested in another woman for months.” “I do not see that happening,” Qadir said, lying cheerfully. With luck, his plan was going to work perfectly.

Maggie sat in the gardens, her eyes closed, her body absorbing the heat of the sun. It was still early spring, so the temperature wasn’t too hot. Compared to what the weather would be like back in Aspen, with snow and slush everywhere, this was paradise.

Unfortunately her reluctance to go inside had nothing to do with the pleasant surroundings and everything to do with what would happen when she got back to her room.

Before she could persuade herself not to put off calling Jon for another minute, a tall man in traditional clothing swept into the garden. He moved purposefully, taking long strides, his robes swirling behind him. While he was handsome, there was a deep scar on one cheek and an air of power about him. He was not the sort of man Maggie would want to argue with.

When he saw her, he came to a stop.

“An unexpected flower in my father’s garden,” he said.

That made Maggie laugh. “I’m not feeling especially flowery today, but thank you.”

“Who are you?”

“Maggie Collins.”

“Ah, yes. The woman who restores cars.”

While they were guessing identities, she said, “And you would be Kateb, the mysterious brother who lives in the desert.”

Kateb bowed low, then straightened. “Does my brother still speak of me with awe?”

She laughed. “Not so I’d noticed.”

“Then you must listen harder.”

He sat on the stone bench across from hers. Although they were outside and, in theory, not lacking in space, he seemed to fill up an excess of area.

“You are enjoying your time in El Deharia?” he asked.

“Yes. The country is beautiful. I haven’t seen that much of it, but I hope to soon.”

“Perhaps Qadir will show you his favorite places.”

Maggie eyed the other man. Did he know about her deal with Qadir?

“Perhaps,” she murmured.

“Do you often come out to the garden?” he asked.

“No. I’m avoiding something I know I have to do. Not my most mature decision of the day.”

“But you will do what has to be done?”

She sighed, then nodded. “Yes, I’ll do the right thing.”

Kateb stared at her. “Do you always?”

“It’s usually a goal. Is it the same for you?” she asked, knowing she probably shouldn’t but wanting to ruffle Kateb’s steely composure.

“When it suits me.”

“How convenient.”

“It is. I am Prince Kateb of El Deharia. I do as I please.”

She laughed. “My father would say you’re the kind of man whose mouth is writing checks the rest of him can’t cash, but in your case, I’m going to guess you’re telling the truth.”

“Your father sounds like a sensible man.”

“He was.” She stood. “It was nice to meet you, Prince Kateb of El Deharia. If you’ll excuse me, I have a phone call to make.”

“The one you’ve been avoiding?”

She nodded.

He rose and bowed again. “I have enjoyed our conversation, Maggie Collins. My brother is more fortunate than he realizes.”

Maggie watched the clock, then at the appointed time, she picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. She and Jon had e-mailed back and forth to set up the call. She’d told him speaking with him was important but hadn’t said why.

“Maggie,” he said when he answered. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“I’ve been worried.”

“I said everything was okay.”

“I know, but I couldn’t think of why you’d need to talk to me unless something was wrong. Is everything all right there? Do you need anything?”

She needed to be able to turn back time and undo that single night, she thought sadly. Or did she? Although she was terrified about being pregnant and had no idea what the next seven and a half months would bring, she couldn’t bring herself to regret the baby.

“I’m doing great,” she told him. “Work on the car is going well. I’m enjoying the country. It’s different but wonderful. Plus I’m living in a palace. How often does that happen?”

“Are you sure? I could probably get some time off and come get you.”

She frowned. “Jon, I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not convinced.”

Wait a minute. How long had he seen her as incapable? She sure didn’t like that.

“You should be. I’m a big girl. All grown-up. Let’s change the subject. How’s Elaine?”

There was a moment of silence. She wasn’t sure if he didn’t want to let go of how she might need him or if he was uncomfortable talking about Elaine.

“She’s fine.”

“You’re still going out?”

“Yes.”

“Come on, Jon. Details. Are things getting serious?”

“Sort of.” He drew in a breath. “They are. She’s funny. She wants a cat. She’s wanted one for a long time, but her roommate was allergic. The roommate got married a couple of weeks ago, so Elaine has the apartment to herself, but she still hasn’t gotten a cat. I finally asked her why and she said she wanted to make sure it was okay with me. I told her it was her cat.”

Men weren’t always as bright as they could be, Maggie thought humorously. “She wants to make sure you like cats, too.”

“Yeah, I got that later. It was kind of cool, you know, that my opinion mattered that much.”

“Is she getting the cat?”

“We’re going to pick one out over the weekend.”

“I’m glad.”

Maggie said the words, then braced herself for a twinge. She and Jon had never gotten to the pet-sharing stage. But all she felt was pleasure for him.

“Sounds like things are getting serious,” she said. “That’s good. I hope you two are really happy together.”

“Maggie, I …”

“Jon, don’t worry about me. I’m fine. We’re over. We were over a long time before we ended things. I wish we could have seen that. I know we stayed together because of my dad and while I’m sure he appreciated the gesture, we weren’t doing ourselves any favors.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m not hurt. We had a great few years and I’ll always be grateful but we’re growing in different directions.” She knew he liked taking care of people and hoped Elaine enjoyed being taken care of by him.

Unfortunately things were not going to get easier for any of them.

“I want to talk to you about that last time we were together,” she said, hating that she had to bring it up.

“Maggie, don’t. We’re both to blame.”

“Me a little more than you.”

“I didn’t have to come over.”

“I made a pass at you,” she said, wishing it wasn’t true. “I seduced you.”

“I let myself be seduced. I guess we both wanted that one last time. My only regret is if it hurt you. Otherwise I’m glad we were together.”

Maybe he had been, but all that was about to change.

“You’re beating yourself up over nothing,” he continued. “Maggie, you have to let it go.”

“I wish I could,” she said softly. “But it’s not that simple.” She drew in a breath. “I’m pregnant, Jon. After we stopped seeing each other, I went off the pill. I wasn’t expecting anything to happen, so why bother? I just never thought about it.”

She paused to give him a chance to speak but there was only silence on the other end of the phone. She knew him well enough to imagine the shocked look on his face.

She decided to say the little speech she’d prepared while he was trying to figure out what the hell had just gone wrong with his life.

“I know this is totally unexpected,” she said. “Neither of us ever imagined this happening. But it did. I also know that you’re a total good guy and you’ll feel responsible. Jon, you’re not. I’m the one to blame and I’m the one who is going to deal with this.”

Now came the hard part. “I don’t want anything from you. I mean that. You have a life, a great woman and a future. Having a baby with me will only mess that up. I told you about the baby because you have the right to know, but that’s the only reason. I have no expectations. What I’m really hoping is that you’ll walk away and live your life. You don’t have to be involved. We can find a lawyer to write up some papers. You sign away all your rights and I promise to never come after you for money. Considering what has happened between us, it’s really the best decision.”

She paused again and there was still silence. She couldn’t figure out what that meant.

“I know you need time to think about all this. You’ve been blindsided by something really huge. Fortunately we have time.” She sighed. “I’m so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“I know that,” he said at last, his voice low and thick with emotion. “Dammit, Maggie, are you sure?”

She winced. “I took three different pregnancy tests. They all came out positive. I’m sure.”

“I’m not blaming you,” he said. “Either of us could have walked away. I meant what I said before. I wanted that last time with you.”

“Just not the consequences.”

“I didn’t say that.”

He didn’t have to. In his position, she would be angry and confused. What to do? Where to go? What about Elaine?

“You need to think about what I said,” she told him. “About just walking away. I know it won’t be your first instinct, but it’s the right thing to do. I’m perfectly capable of raising a child on my own.”

“You need to come home.”

Uh-oh. Was he going to get all parental on her? “I’m fine. I’m perfectly healthy. If you’re worried about the baby, I can find a doctor here.”

“You need to come home,” he repeated. “Not for the doctor, but so we can get married.”

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