Page 4 of Sheikh's Pregnant Fiancée

“Have you enjoyed your travels?”

“I have. Like high school, I’m very out of my element, but I like new experiences. Europe was different, but Rihamel is a whole new world. This is the first place I’ve been where not everyone is fluent in English. It’s been easy enough to get along, and I’m picking up some Arabic here and there. I feel alien, but it’s still so…magical.”

Magical. Jarah didn’t spend much time with tourists, and he’d never heard Rihamel described quite like that. “What makes it magical?”

“There’s so much energy here. Old energy. Everywhere I go, it feels like the city is talking to me. I love that.”

“Romantic nonsense,” he said immediately.

“Maybe. Obviously preconceived notions are going to color my views, but you asked for my opinion.” She shrugged, like she wasn’t at all bothered that he’d pushed back.

Instinct had him holding his tongue. There were many things wrong with Rihamel. That old energy she sensed came with old traditions, which often held the kingdom back. He wanted to know where she saw faults, but she hadn’t been there long enough.

In four months, would she see his country differently?

He parked, and she glanced out the window. “Where are we?”

“This is Sheikh Mikal’s newest project, brainchild of his sister. Just a half a mile away are the temple ruins of the pre-Islamic goddess Dhat Khadda. His sister is a historian—”

“And she’s working on the dig on Mount Dar Nour,” Aubrey interrupted excitedly. “She asked her brother to build a museum for the temple.”

Jarah grinned. Word had already gotten out. That was good. “That’s right. The temple is only open to tours but one of the great things about the museum is that it has spectacular rooftop views. The temple is on one side and the city is on the other.”

“Is it open?”

“Not for another four months, but I’m part of the project, so I have access.”

“Oh! And you’re going to let me in? Won’t you get into trouble?”

She was just so sweet and innocent. “No need to worry. Come on.”

Jarah unlocked the doors, making certain to lock them behind him. Mikal hadn’t been happy about giving him a set of keys. He was fiercely protective of any project, not wanting family to see it until it was ready, but since Callista was always in and out, checking up on things, Jarah figured he should have access too.

Out of respect to Mikal, he’d only been here once before. Mikal would be pissed to learn that he’d brought a tourist, and he’d know, too. He always knew when someone had trespassed on his property.

But Jarah knew that the cameras weren’t up yet, and since there weren’t any artifacts in the museum, there wasn’t any need for a guard. They’d have the whole building to themselves, and it would be absolute privacy.

“Do you bring all the girls you want to impress here?” Aubrey teased as she waited for him.

“Most of the women I know would not be impressed with a half-finished museum,” Jarah said wryly.

“Well, I am.”

“Strange, I didn’t think that was possible, based on our previous interaction.”

“Hey, I’m new at the job, and you were a strange man shouting orders at me. How did you think that I would react? I won’t apologize.”

“Nor should you. If there is ever a man shouting at you through a door, definitely don’t let him in.” It was his turn to apologize, but Jarah never apologized. “Feel free to look around. You seem to be excited about the museum.”

“A guided tour of the temple is one of the first things I want to do. You’ll call it romantic nonsense, but, again, there’s that old energy. I can only imagine the stories that stone could tell.”

It was romantic nonsense, but her smile was intoxicating. She seemed to have forgotten all about her problems, and he wanted to revel in her glow.

“There are some informational posters up, but we’re still working on the displays. Callista, the sheikh’s sister, is in charge of the artifacts, but they’ll be brought in last. We’ll need to add security. It seems ironic, since right now, they’re collecting dust in the basement of the university. Whenever you’re ready, we can go up to the roof.”

Aubrey wandered around, quietly reading to herself, and Jarah spent all that time studying her. There was something so compelling about her, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It wasn’t her beauty, although she was striking, and it wasn’t that she was a foreigner. He’d spent a handful of years studying in the US, and he’d had his fair share of American women when he was younger.

No, it was something else. Something he didn’t understand but couldn’t leave alone.

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