Page 26 of Sheikh's Virgin Love-Slave

“Of course, take all the time you need. I’d like to do the ultrasound and all the checkups you’re behind on once you’re ready.” With that, the doctor eased back out the door.

Cindi turned to her, blue eyes brimming with concern. “What do you want to do now?”

Her hands covered her belly almost of their own accord. “Keep him or her. There’s no other way. It’s part of me and Ravi, and I loved him…” she couldn’t keep the tears from coming anymore. It was all too much. She broke down crying, her shoulders heaving and the sobs tearing from her throat. “I still love him. I can’t make myself stop, no matter how badly he hurt me.”

Cindi wrapped both arms around her and rocked Bridget. “Shh, I knew that much. I knew you’d never think of that. I just meant how are we going to tell Ravi?”

She stilled, even as tears slid down her cheeks. “I don’t know how to tell him. I’m not sure I know how. What would I even say? Would he want to know he has an illegitimate child from a fling? With an American at that. There’s no way.”

Her friend sighed. “Then you don’t have to tell him. He’s the dick who cheated on you. Whatever you decide, I’m here for you. Aunt Cindi is going to help take care of the best niece or nephew ever, even kids aren’t really my thing.”

Bridget broke out laughing despite everything. Cindi was the type of gal to have X-rated tales of college exploits and more than a passing familiarity with marijuana. No, she wasn’t exactly Mary Poppins. They would definitely have to arrange some babysitting ground rules. A lot of them with ironclad penalties for violations.

“Trust me, Cind, I know.”

The other girl pulled back and stroked Bridget’s hair. “I’ll do whatever I can for the ankle-biter though.”

“I know you will.”

“We’ll get through this. Sheikh Can’t-Keep-It-In-My-Pants missed out big time.”

She nodded and offered her friend a weak smile. Bridget knew Cindi only trashed Ravi in order to make Bridget feel better. It just never worked. She was furious at Sabella, but even that wasn’t a consequence to how mad she was with herself, for believing the fairytale when all Ravi offered her were lies.

So, she forced herself to smile even more broadly and tell another lie. “You’re right. Who needs a sheikh, anyway?”

***

“Master Ravi, my sheikh, perhaps you should actually call the girl?” Adil said.

Ravi shook his head and turned his attention back to the latest profit reports. He’d been staring at them for hours. Maybe half a day. None of it made any sense, but then again, nothing mattered—not even profits—when he couldn’t hold Bridget in his arms. When he couldn’t smell the hint of freesia and strawberry in the early morning.

“I’ve tried. I tried for over a month, and she screened me every time. I promised myself that first day, after I came to my senses that I wouldn’t force my swan—I mean, Bridget, to do anything she didn’t want, and that includes her going home. Now that she’s back in the States, I can’t just sweep in and take her back.”

“I wasn’t suggesting that you send out commandos, sire,” Adil said dryly, running a hand through his snowy white beard. “But it’s a shame for you to quit on her. You don’t have to bring her back from the States, but you should go and see her. You’re miserable.”

He clenched his jaw and shut his laptop. Obviously, he wasn’t going to get any work done tonight. Not that he’d exactly gotten any work done before then, either. “Thank you, Adil. I wasn’t aware of that.”

“You know what I mean. Ms. Callahan was well-liked by all of the staff, and we all miss her. I miss the man you are when she’s here. It’s like…” he trailed off, unsure if he should finish his sentence.

Ravi stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. “No, old friend; you decided to open start this, so finish it. If you’re going to pressure me, to tell me about what I need, then you better say all of it.”

“Then,” Adil said, “You’re more like the boy you were before your mother died. I missed that young man. He was full of hope. He cared about himself.”

“I care.”

“You care deeply about Dubai and about the Shamon holdings, but you don’t care about yourself. You either work yourself to death or take time off for hedonistic abandon, but not for commitment, not for anything real. When Ms. Callahan was here and with you, Ravi, you were the man I always hoped you’d grow to be.”

“But she doesn’t want to be here,” he countered, even though Adil’s words struck him like a knife to the heart. So it hadn’t just been in his head that he was a different person when she was around. He felt the changes, the lightness in his soul, but he also began to wonder if he was imagining it. After all, things always seemed different in hindsight. “My father took my mother in an arranged marriage. I almost fell into a similar pattern with Bridget by bringing her here at all. If she wanted to leave then and stay gone, then I have no right to go back and grab her up. I promised myself I’d be better than him.”

Adil nodded. “You are. I cared for your father, too. He was a brilliant general and a great leader, but he never was kind and generous at home like you are, my sheikh.”

“I hope not, Adil,” Ravi said, raking a hand through his hair. “I’ve spent my whole life not trying to be him, at least in relationships.” He gave a bitter laugh. “I guess that’s part of the reason that I’ve never had relationships, period. However, I won’t go yank her up.”

“Then at least try to call her one more time, or contact her friend. Surely Cynthia has a direct line to Bridget.”

He sighed. Adil and Kamala were clearly as taken with Bridget as they said and missed her presence almost as much as he did. They had a point; the mansion had been so dreary without her that he returned to his penthouse in the Burj Khalifa to pass the time.

“All right, I think I can find that contact still in her Skype files.”

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