Page 42 of Sheikh's Pregnant Fiancée

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Gently tugging her to her feet, he guided her inside. Jarah had already been there for an hour, so he knew the stone walls inside the building were sturdy. He hopped up to sit on one low wall, and then pulled her into his lap as he leaned against a stone column. The wooden beams and glass windows were long gone, but with the ivy still around the stone, it was a thing of beauty. Her grandfather must have been quite the architect. With the stone base still structurally sound, it wouldn’t be that difficult to restore it.

Before, he might never have appreciated it. Stepping away changed his perspective. Having her changed it. It was a relief to hear her say that she loved him, but it wasn’t enough, and they both knew it.

When he put a hand on her belly, she stiffened. “Mothers are supposed to be fiercely protective of the babies, instantly bonding with them. Half the time, if I’m not throwing up or needing to pee, I forget that I’m pregnant. I don’t think I’m going to be good at this.”

She said it so quietly, so full of shame, and he understood the burden that she’d been carrying with her. Whenever he talked about their son, or talked to their son, she pulled away.

“I’ve spent this whole time thinking that you thought I would be a bad father,” he chuckled. “I had no idea that you were doubting yourself.”

“You’re going to be a great father!”

“Not if I can’t find the time for him. When I was a child, I barely saw my father. It’s only been since I returned from college that we’ve bonded. I see the regret in his eyes when he talks about the parts of my childhood he missed. I don’t want to be like that.”

“I wouldn’t let you be like that,” Aubrey murmured. “You know that.”

“Perhaps I do.” He kissed the top of her head. “I also know that you have all these hormones running through you, and it’s going to affect how you feel and what you fear. I think you should talk to someone about it so they can tell you that it’s okay. Your connection with our child is your own.”

Looking up, she raised an eyebrow. “And if they tell me it’s not normal?”

“Then they’ll help you. I’ll help you,” he said simply.

He held her in the silence, wishing he could tell her that they were going to be all right. Living here in the US would be an adjustment for him.

“You can’t.”

“Hmm?” Grasping her hands, he interlaced their fingers. “I can’t what?”

“Stay here.”

His fingers stilled. Was she finally going to tell him that it was never going to work? “How do you know what I’m thinking?”

“I don’t. But I know that you don’t belong here. Rihamel is your home. The people are your people. You can’t stay here.”

His hands flexed, and he closed his eyes. “There will always be another leader. You are my family.”

Aubrey pulled away and hopped down from his lap. Brushing her hair out of her face, she turned. “You belong there.”

“And you belong here. You are more important than any place to me. I’m going to make this work, Aubrey. Give me a chance, please.”

“I don’t belong here, though.” A soft smile spread over her face. “Not anymore. My grandmother was right all along. I thought this was my home, my sanctuary, but it was really keeping me from discovering myself. In Rihamel, with you, I could feel the potential of us. The potential of what I could do for Rihamel. Even when we were fighting, even when I felt like everything I was doing was wrong, I knew I could just be better.”

“But you needed to leave. You weren’t happy.”

“I needed to think.” She sucked in her lower lip and looked up at him. “Jarah, Sheikh Yosef…he…he thought he could blackmail me into his bed. He told me that Rihamel would blame me if tensions arose between the kingdoms, and I believed him. Not enough to sleep with him, but enough that it made me wonder if I was the right woman to be with you.”

A snarl caught in his throat, but he held it down while she told him exactly what happened. Guilt rose inside him. How had he not seen her distress that night?

When it was over, he waited for the fury to subside. He wanted to howl into the wind, but that was not what she needed right now.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he tightened his arms around her and held her. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to listen to you. You will never have to face Yosef again, and we will make certain our little corner of the world knows exactly what kind of man he is.”

“If this causes problems…”

“Not this, Aubrey. Not you. He did this. He caused the problems, and you’ll see that Rihamel will stand behind you. My family will stand behind you, and I will definitely stand behind you.”

“Then I’m not afraid,” she whispered. “Not afraid to be your wife and not afraid to go home, where we both belong.”

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