Page 23 of Sheikh’s New Year's Baby Surprise

“A little help Rabiya?”

With a brief nod, she lead the way across the manicured lawn filled with colorful flowers despite the time of year, up a set of cement stairs and inside her house. The place was cluttered. More cluttered than he remembered seeing it. She must be really sick, he thought as he caught sight of the pillows and blanket on the sofa. “Where to?

“The sofa is fine,” she groaned and let her head fall against his shoulder.

He frowned at her warm damp skin. “How about a shower first?”

“Dang, just put me on the couch!” Even those words lacked the heat he’d expected so he put her down, growing more worried by the second.

“Seriously Rabiya, she’s burning up. We should get her to a doctor.”

“No dangit! I said I’m fine and I am, just tired. You two go on and finish your day. Just let me be.” She waved them away weakly and turned inside the couch. Soon after she was curled up and softly snoring.

* * *

Good lord what is that awful poundin’?Charla turned to her back on the sofa which had become her bed of late, trying to figure out why the hell a bunch of miniature drummers decided to play Metallica in her head. She hadn’t drank, couldn’t drink thanks to her condition so it wasn’t a hangover. Grabbing her head and pinching her eyes shut, Charla tried to open her eyes but it seemed as though every window covering in her living room had been thrown open. Dammit all to hell that blasted poundin’ is gonna be the death of me!

Peeking one eye open to scan the room revealed that in fact the sun filtered through every single window. Blindingly so. The pounding wouldn’t stop so she sat up, head still cradled in her hands and scanned the room enjoying the reprieve from the head pounding. Wait, reprieve?

Then the knocking started again. “Oh crud,” she moaned and tried to stand only to fall back against the force of the dizziness in her head. “Stop all that dang pounding! My goodness!” Let’s try this one more time, she said and stood only swaying a little before taking slow steps towards her front door. “Who is it?”

The knocking stopped and she heard a hand run over the door. “It’s me, Kasim.”

She frowned at the door. “What do you want?”

Charla heard the weighted sigh he released before he spoke. “Rabiya is out of town meeting with a new client and she hasn’t been able to reach you for days. You haven’t been to the office and she’s worried so here I am. Will you open the door?”

She did and sent him a wary green gaze. “A few days? Kasim I just say you both yesterday. You carried me back in here like some Neanderthal…remember?”

He stepped inside, turning her at the shoulders and urging her down the foyer. With a laugh he studied her closely and shook his head. “Sorry sweetheart but that was four days ago.”

A gasp escaped at his words and she let him guide her back to the sofa, or her bed as she’d begun to think of it. “Four days, really?” He nodded and her gaze dropped from his, unable to see the worry and pity on his handsome, mistrusting face. The room around her came into focus revealing…filth. She hadn’t cleaned in ages, feeling so exhausted that her household chores had been the first casualty. This place is a mess. And then she remembered Kasim. Still in her house. Her filthy house. “I’m better now Kasim, thanks for stopping by. I’ll call Rabi and let her know I’m fine.”

He quirked a brow her way. “Are you fine?”

Charla bristled at the judgmental gaze sweeping over her home. “I am, thank you very much and I don’t need you or your judgmental gaze any longer.”

He frowned. “I’m not…I wasn’t.”

“Right. Well either way, I’m good.” The last thing she needed—or wanted, really—was for Kasim to be in her home again, judging her and finding her lacking. She already knew exactly what he thought of her, she didn’t need to see it in his eyes while she felt like crap.

“I’d like to talk to you if you don’t mind.”

“Actually I do Kasim. While I appreciate you coming to check on me, we don’t have anything to discuss.” Except for the fact that I’m having your baby and you don’t know it. That wouldn’t go over well. He’d only accuse her of orchestrating the whole thing to get a bit of his wealth. That thought cleared her head.

“Maybe not, but I owe you an apology.”

“No you don’t and I don’t want it. If you need to make yourself feel better just pretend you apologized and I accepted it.” Her emotions were becoming unstable which meant she needed to get rid of him. Now.

Kasim sighed wearily and one part of her felt bad, but the rest of her wanted him to feel worse than weary. “You’re not going to make this easy are you?”

Folding her arms across her chest, Charla stared at the pillow in her lap. “It isn’t my job to make your life easier Kasim.”

“I was wrong, alright? I made a few wrong assumptions and I said some things I regret.” Honey brown eyes looked at her with regret, longing and something else she couldn’t identify. “I really am sorry Charla.”

She sighed, unwilling to acknowledge that other feeling in her belly as warmth spread throughout at his words. But if he needed absolution she would give it to him so they could both get on with their lives. “Alright Kasim, all is forgiven.”

His gaze narrowed, arms crossed highlighting his stunning physique in an atypical jeans and t-shirt that hugged his body in all the right places. She’d touched and tasted every inch of him, knew that body as well as her own. “That’s totally insincere.”

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