Page 71 of Warming the Sheikh's Bed & Love in the Fast Lane

Cassandra stared up at Layth and tried to make sense of what he was saying. But his words were simply swimming in the cavities of her mind. “You said this to your mother?” She blinked furiously. “It’s for the baby,” she murmured, making sense of the strange outburst. “So that she would accept your heir more easily.”

His smile was without humour. “Believe me, my mother will accept my heir no matter what.” He lifted a hand to Cassie’s cheek. “I did not know about the baby when I spoke to her, Cassie. I knew only that you’d disappeared in a mood and manner most distressed and that my life would never resume properly until I found you again.”

Cassie’s groan was stifled in her throat. “But the article …”

“Was actually, in some ways, your fault.”

“What?” She crossed her arms over her chest, her mood still fragile. “How do you figure?”

“Arja saw you yesterday, did she not?”

Cassie nodded, remembering with pain the visage of the very beautiful woman. ?

?She came out of the elevator at the same time I returned.”

“Yes. And she saw for herself the woman who was rumoured to have captured my heart.”

Cassie blushed to the roots of her hair. “A silly rumour,” she murmured distractedly.

“Not, as it happens. You have caught my heart. How could I think of marrying another woman when there is you in my life?”

Cassie shook her head, refusing to believe what he was saying. “This is just because I’m pregnant. You want me to fall in line with your wishes because I have your heir growing inside of me.”

“No.” His eyes glittered. “I am not the kind of man who would rely on lies and deceptions to secure his own flesh and blood. This is not about our child. That issue must be discussed, but has no bearing on my wish to marry you.”

Cassie was numb. “You want to marry me.”

“Yes.”

“And if I don’t want to marry you?”

Layth felt as though he’d been winded. He quickly caught his footing again, but it was difficult to compose himself in the face of the possibility she might decline him. The idea had not, until that moment, occurred to Layth.

“But you do want to marry me,” he responded with a shrug.

Cassie squeezed her eyes shut, her soul falling apart at the seams. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because you love me, as I love you.”

“I don’t believe in love,” she muttered.

Layth pulled her to his chest, his face pale beneath his dark complexion. “Then believe in this. Believe in me. Trust that what you feel is genuine; that what we have shared is real.”

Cassie pushed away from him. She needed to concentrate, and his proximity always made that difficult. “How can I, Layth?” Before he could answer, she continued, “You’ve spent this whole time making love to me, yet still interviewing brides. How can I honestly believe that you wanted me for anything other than sex?”

Layth watched her face dance with terrible, dark emotions. She was right to doubt him. He was the last in a line of men who had let her down. Starting with her father who had died, to the man who had abused her, to all the men who’d done as he had and enjoyed her physical attributes without caring about who she was beneath the perfect figure and model face.

“When I saw you talking to that man in the bar, I knew I loved you.”

“What man? Renee?”

“Colin.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t thought of him since she’d waved off his cab. “That was ages ago.”

“It killed me to see you with someone else.”

“Isn’t that a little like the pot calling the kettle black?” Her voice snagged in her throat. “I’ve been going to work, knowing that you would be spending your days with beautiful, interesting suitable women, each of them vying for a chance to be your bride. How do you think that made me feel, Layth?”

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