Читать книгу The Sheikh's Collection - Оливия Гейтс - Страница 29
ОглавлениеAfter they arrived back at the airbase and boarded the blasted motorcycle again, Piper feared turning prematurely gray thanks to Adan’s daredevil driving. Fortunately that wasn’t the case, she realized when they entered the palace foyer and she sneaked a peek in the gold-framed mirror. Granted, her hair was a tangled mess, but she couldn’t wait a minute longer to see baby Sam.
Adan obviously felt the same, evidenced by his decision to forgo the elevator and take the stairs instead. She practically had to sprint to catch up with him as Abdul, who insisted on carrying her bag, trailed behind them.
Once they reached the third floor, both she and the houseman were winded, while Adan continued toward the nursery as if he possessed all the energy in the world. He actually did, something she’d learned over the past forty-eight hours in his bed. In his shower. In his kitchen and the pool.
Before Adan could open the nursery door, a striking woman with waist-length brunette hair walked out, clearly startled by the sheikh’s sudden appearance. “You took years off my life, brother-in-law.”
“My apologies, Maysa,” he replied, confirming she was the reining queen. “I’m anxious to see about my son.”
Maysa closed the door behind her before facing Adan. “I have already put him down for the night and I advise you wait until he wakes. You seem as though you could use some rest.” She topped off the comment with a smile aimed at Piper.
Taking that as her cue, she stepped forward, uncertain whether to curtsy or offer her hand. She opted to let the queen make the first move. “I’m Piper McAdams, and it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Your Highness.”
“Welcome to the family,” she said, then drew Piper into a surprising embrace. “And please call me Maysa.”
Piper experienced a fraud alert. “Actually, I’m not really—”
“Accustomed to it yet,” Adan interjected. “Given time she will take to the royal treatment as an electric eel takes to water.”
Leave it to the prince to joke at a time like this. “I’m not in the market to be treated royally, but I have enjoyed my time in the palace so far.”
“I am glad,” Maysa said. “Now, if you will both excuse me, I am starving.”
Adan checked his watch. “Isn’t dinner later than usual?”
Maysa shrugged. “No, but Rafiq is waiting for me in our quarters.”
He winked at Piper before regarding Maysa again. “Oh, you’re referring to a different kind of appetite. Do not let us keep you from our king.”
“You could not if you tried.”
Following a slight wave and a smile, Maysa strode down the hallway and disappeared around the corner, leaving Piper alone with the shifty, oversexed sheikh. And she liked him that way. A lot.
He caught her hand and tugged her against him. “Have I told you how much I enjoyed our time together?”
“At least ten times, but I’ll never grow tired of hearing it. I’m just sad it’s over.”
“It doesn’t have to be, Piper. You can stay with me in my suite.”
She could be entering dangerous emotional territory. “Maybe it should be, Adan. I’ll be leaving in a few weeks.”
“I know,” he said, sounding somewhat disappointed. “All the more reason to spend as much time together before you depart. I am an advocate of taking advantage of pleasure at every opportunity.”
How easy it would be to say yes. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Since we are to give the impression we are married, what better way than to share the same quarters?”
A false impression of holy matrimony. “We could do that without sleeping in the same bed.”
He rimmed the shell of her ear with the tip of his tongue. “I don’t recall mentioning sleep.”
And she wouldn’t get much if she agreed, for several reasons. “You have to consider Sam’s needs over ours.”
He pulled back and frowned. “Exactly as I intend to do, but he doesn’t require all our time during the night.”
“He requires quite a bit.”
Framing her face in his palms, Adan looked as if his world revolved around her decision. “Stay with me, Piper. Stay until you must leave.”
Spending time with this gorgeous Arabian prince, quality time, would be a fantasy come to life. Yet it could never be the real stuff fairy tales were made of. If she took wisdom into account, she’d say no. If she was willing to risk a broken heart, she’d say yes. And she suddenly realized this risk would be well worth undertaking now, even if it meant crying about it later.
“All right, Adan. I’ll stay.”
* * *
In the silence of his private quarters, the room illuminated by the soft glow of a single table lamp, Adan had never experienced such a strong sense of peace. He had the woman curled up next to him to thank for that. Granted, he still wanted Piper in every way imaginable—he’d proved that at his mountain retreat—yet he greatly appreciated the moments they’d spent in comfortable silence after retiring to his quarters.
That lack of conversation would soon end once he told her what he’d learned from his brother upon their arrival a few hours ago. “I have to go to the base tomorrow to oversee training exercises. It will require me to stay in the barracks overnight.”
For a moment he’d thought she’d fallen asleep, until she shifted and rested her cheek above his heart. “Gee, thanks. You invite me to reside in your room and then promptly leave me for a whole night.”
The teasing quality to her voice gave Adan some semblance of relief. “If I had to choose between sleeping in the barracks with twenty snoring men and sleeping with you, I would choose you every time. Unless you begin snoring—then I could possibly reconsider.”
She lightly elbowed him in the rib cage. “If I did happen to snore, which I don’t, you’d have no right to criticize me. I thought a freight train had come through the bedroom last night.”
“Are you bloody serious?”
“I’m kidding, Adan,” she said as she traced a path along his arm with a fingertip. “Your snore actually sounds more like a purr.”
That did not please him in the least. “I prefer a freight train to a common house cat.”
“Don’t worry, Prince Mehdi. Snore or no snore, you’re still as macho and sexy as ever.”
He pressed a kiss against the corner of her smiling, sensual mouth. “You are now forgiven for the affront to my manhood.”
She yawned and briefly stretched her arms over her head. “Have you ever been in live combat before?”
The query took him aback. “Yes, I have.”
“Was it dangerous?”
He smiled at the zeal in her voice. “Does that prospect appeal to your daring side?”
“I’m not sure I actually have much of a daring side. I asked because we’re presumed to be husband and wife, so I believe it might be prudent for me to learn all I can about you, in case someone asks.”
That sounded logical, but not all his military experiences had been favorable. “I’ve been involved in a skirmish or two while protecting our no-fly zone.”
“Bad skirmishes?”
This was the part he didn’t speak of often, yet again he felt the need to bare his soul to her. “One turned out to be extremely bad.”
“What happened?”
“I killed a man.”
He feared the revelation had rendered her speechless, until she said, “I’m assuming it was justified.”
“That is a correct assumption. If I hadn’t shot down his plane, he would have dropped a bomb over the village.”
“How horrible. Was he a citizen of Bajul?”
“No. He was a known insurgent from another country. Because the files are classified, I am not at liberty to say which country.”
She lifted her head and kissed his neck before settling back against him. “You don’t have to say anything else if you don’t want to.”
Oh, but he did, though he wasn’t certain why. “It happened four years ago,” he continued. “That morning I received intelligence about the threat, and I decided I would enter the fray. Later I found out my father was livid, but only because if I perished, he would be without a commander.”
“He told you that?” Her tone indicated her disbelief.
“Rafiq informed me, but it doesn’t really matter now. I assisted in thwarting an attack that could have led to war for the first time in Bajul’s history, and that is what matters. But I never realized...”
“Realized what, Adan?”
He doubted she would let up unless he provided all the details. “I never knew how affected I would be by sending a man to his death.”
“I can imagine how hard on you that must have been.”
“Oddly, I had no real reaction to the incident until the following day while briefing our governing council. Midway through the report, I felt as if I couldn’t draw a breath. I excused myself and walked outside to regain some composure. That night I had horrible dreams, and they continued for several months.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said sincerely. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re a very brave and honorable man. Sam is very lucky to have you as his father.”
He’d longed to hear her acknowledge his honor, but he didn’t deserve that praise in this situation. “There is no honor in taking another life. And now that I have a son, I will stress that very thing to him.”
“That attitude is exactly what makes you honorable,” she said. “You were bothered by an evil man’s demise to the point of having nightmares. That means you have compassion and a conscience.”
If that were the case, he wouldn’t have asked her to remain in his quarters for the duration of their time together. Yet he’d not considered anything other than his own needs. And he did need her—in ways he could not have predicted. Still, he couldn’t get too close to her or build her expectations beyond what he could provide aside from being her lover. He wasn’t suited for a permanent relationship, as his family had told him time and again. “We should try to sleep now. I suspect Samuel will be summoning me in less than two hours.”
She fitted her body closer to his side. “I’ll be glad to take care of Sam tonight while you get your rest.”
“Again, that’s not necessary.”
“Maybe not, but I really want to do it, not only for you, but for me. We barely caught a glimpse of him tonight. Besides, I’ll only have him a little longer, while you’ll have him the rest of your life.”
Piper’s words filled Adan with unexpected regret. Regret that, in a matter of weeks, he would be forced to say goodbye to an incredible woman. In the meantime, he would make the most of their remaining hours together and grant her whatever her heart desired, not only as the provisional mother to his son, but as his temporary lover.
He rolled to face Piper, leaving nothing between them but bare flesh. “Since you have presented such a convincing argument, we will see to Samuel together. Before this, could I convince you to spend the next few hours in some interesting ways?”
She laughed softly. “I thought we were going to sleep.”
Bent on persuasion, he skimmed his palm along her curves and paused at the bend of her waist. “We could do that if you’d like.”
She draped her arm over his hip. “Sleeping is definitely overrated, so I’m willing to go wherever you lead me.”
And she was leading him to a place he’d never been before—close to crashing and burning with no safe place to land. Tonight, he wouldn’t analyze the unfamiliar feelings. Tonight, she was all his, and he would treat her as if she always would be.
* * *
What an incredible night.
A week ago, Piper would never have believed she could find a lover as unselfish as Adan. She also couldn’t believe her inhibitions had all but disappeared when they made love.
As she supported her cheek with her palm and studied him in the dim light streaming through a break in the heavy gold curtains, she wanted him desperately—even if she was a bit miffed he’d failed to wake her to help care for Sam. Apparently she’d been so relaxed in the postcoitus afterglow, she hadn’t heard the baby’s cries through the bedside monitor. Some mother she would make.
When Adan stirred, she turned her complete focus on him as he lay sleeping on his back, one arm resting above his head on the navy satin-covered pillow, the other draped loosely across his abdomen. She loved the dark shading of whiskers surrounding his gorgeous mouth, envied the way his long dark lashes fanned beneath his eyes and admired the intricate details of his hand as he slid his palm from his sternum down to beneath the sheet and back up again. The reflexive gesture was so masculine, so sexy, she fought the urge to rip back the covers and climb on board the pleasure express.
Then he opened his eyes and blinked twice before he presented a smile as slow as the sun rising above the mountains. “Good morning, princess.”
Didn’t she wish. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Always with you in my bed. How did you sleep?”
“Too soundly. I didn’t even hear Sam last night, and evidently you either didn’t wake me to help, or couldn’t.”
He frowned. “I didn’t hear him, either.”
Simultaneous panic set in, sending them both from the bed and grabbing robes as they hurried out of the bedroom. They practically sprinted toward the nursery and tore through the door, only to find an empty crib.
Piper’s hand immediately went to her mouth to cover the gasp. “Someone took him.”
“That is impossible,” Adan said, a hint of fear calling out from his gold-brown eyes. “The palace is a virtual fortress. If someone kidnapped him, it would have to be an inside job. And if that is the case, I will kill them with my bare hands.”
“No need for that, cara.”
They both spun around to discover Elena sitting in the rocker in the far corner of the lengthy room, the baby cradled in her arms, her expression tinged with disapproval.
Weak with relief, Piper hung back and immediately launched into explanation overdrive. “We never heard him last night. We were both very tired and—”
“The bloody monitor must not be working,” Adan added. “Is he all right?”
Elena continued to calmly rock Sam in a steady rhythm. “He is quite fine. And judging from the weight of his diaper when I changed him, I would guess he simply slept all night.”
Adan narrowed his eyes and glared at her. “You should have said something the moment we walked into the room.”
“You should learn to be more observant of your surroundings when it comes to your son, Adan,” she replied. “A hard lesson learned, but one that needed to be taught. When he is toddling, you must know where he is at all times.”
Piper, in theory, didn’t disagree with the governess’s assertions, but she did question her tactics. “We were both expecting to find him in the crib, and needless to say we were shocked when we didn’t.”
Adan clasped his hands behind his neck and began to pace. “I’ve been in treacherous military situations less harrowing than this.”
Elena pushed out of the chair and approached him. “Settle down, Adan, and hold your baby.”
He looked as though he might be afraid to touch him. “I have to prepare for my duties today, but I will return to check on him before I depart for the base.”
And with that, he rushed away, leaving Piper alone with the former nanny.
“Well, I suppose I should put this little one to bed for a nap,” Elena said, breaking the awkward silence.
Piper approached her and held out her arms. “May I?”
“Of course.”
After Elena handed her Sam, Piper kissed his cheek before carefully lowering him to the crib. She continued to study Sam’s sweet face slack with sleep, his tiny lips forming a rosebud. He’d grown so much in only a matter of days, and in only a few weeks, she would say goodbye to him—and his father—for good. “He’s such a beautiful little boy.”
The woman came to her side and rested her slender hands on the top of the railing. “Yes, he is, as his father was at that age.”
She saw the chance to learn more about Adan from one of the biggest influences in his life and took it. “Was Adan a good baby?”
“Yes. He was very little trouble, until he turned two, and then he became quite the terror. He climbed everything available to him, and I didn’t dare turn my back for more than a second or he would have dismantled something. I would try to scold him over his bad behavior, and then he would give me that charming smile, and all was forgiven.”
Piper could absolutely relate to that. “He was lucky to have you after losing his mother.”
Some unnamed emotion passed over Elena’s careworn face. “I was fortunate to have the opportunity to raise him. All the brothers, for that matter.”
Time to broach the subject of the paternal presence. “Was the king involved in his upbringing?”
Elena turned and crossed the room to reclaim the rocker, looking as if all the energy had left her. “He did the best that he could under the circumstance. Losing his wife proved to be devastating to him, yet he had no choice but to postpone his grief in order to serve his country.”
Piper took the light blue club chair next to Elena. “Adan has intimated the king was a strict disciplinarian.”
“He could be,” she said. “He wanted his sons to be strong, independent men, despite their wealth and their station. Some might say he was too strict at times.”
“Would you say that?”
“Perhaps, but it was not my place to interfere.”
“I would think you had every right to state your opinion in light of your relationship.”
Elena stiffened and appeared quite stunned by the statement. “Has Adan spoken to you about myself and the king?”
Piper smelled a scandal brewing. “Not at all. I only meant that since you were in charge of the children, you should have had some say in how they were treated.”
Elena relaxed somewhat, settled back against the rocker and set it in motion. “The king was stern, but fair.”
“I’m not sure how fair it was for Adan when he shipped him off to boarding school at such a young age.” And she’d probably just overstepped her bounds by at least a mile.
“He did so to protect him.”
The defensiveness in her tone did not deter Piper. “Protect him from what?”
Elena tightened her grip on the chair’s arms. “I have already said too much.”
Not by a long shot, as far as she was concerned. “Look, I don’t know what you know, and frankly I don’t have to know it. But Adan deserves the truth.”
“It would be too painful for him, and would serve no purpose at this point in time.”
She wasn’t getting through to the woman, which meant she would have to play the guilt card. “Have you ever asked Adan if he would prefer to be kept in the dark? I personally think he wouldn’t.”
“And you, Ms. McAdams, have not known him all that long.”
Touché. “True, but we have spoken at length about his father. Even though he’s reluctant to admit it, Adan has a lot of emotional scars, thanks to the king’s careless disregard for his youngest son’s needs.”
She saw the first real hint of anger in Elena’s topaz eyes. “Aahil...the king loved Adan. He gave him the very best of everything money could buy, and the opportunity to do what he loved the most. Fly jets.”
A perfect lead-in to confront the crux of the matter, yet asking hard questions could be to her detriment. But if Adan could finally put his concerns to rest, it would be worth the risk. “I personally believe he failed to give Adan the one thing he needed most, and that would be a father who paid more attention to him, instead of shipping him far from his home. For that reason, Adan honestly believes the king isn’t his biological father.”
Elena glanced away, a very telling sign she could be skirting facts. “That is a wrongful assumption.”
Piper wasn’t ready to give up just yet. “Are you being absolutely honest with me, Elena? And before you speak, keep in mind Adan deserves to know so he could put that part of his past to rest.”
“I swear on my papa’s grave that the king was very much Adan’s biological father.”
Even though Elena sounded resolute, Piper couldn’t quite help but believe the woman still had something to hide. “Then you need to tell him that, Elena. And you’ll have to work hard to convince him, because he’s certain something isn’t right when it comes to his heritage.”
Elena gave her a surprisingly meaningful look. “Do you care for Adan, Ms. McAdams?”
It was her turn to be shocked. “It’s Piper, and yes, as one would care for a very good friend.” Now she was the one hiding the truth.
“Then I suggest you not worry about things that do not concern you for Adan’s sake.”
Piper’s frustration began to build. “But in some ways they do concern me. I want to see Adan happy and at peace. He can’t do that when he knows full well people are protecting secrets from the past. And no offense, but I believe you’re bent on protecting the king and his secrets.”
“Are you not protecting Adan and Samuel by masquerading as his wife?”
She had her there. “That’s true, but this pretense isn’t causing either one of them pain.”
“Give it time, Piper,” Elena said in a gentler tone. “I can see in Adan’s eyes that he cares for you, as well. Perhaps much more than he realizes at this point. But when the fantasy ends and you leave him, reality will be a bitter pill for both of you to swallow. Adan is not the kind of man to commit to one woman, or so he believes.”
If Adan did care for her, but he could never be more than her lover, that would possibly shatter her heart completely. But she could still foolishly hope that the man she was dangerously close to loving might change his mind. All the more reason to give him the gift of knowledge, whether he came around or not. “Elena, if you ever cared for Adan at all, I’m imploring you to please consider telling him what you know. Isn’t it time to put an end to the mystery and his misery?”
Elena sighed and stared off into space for a few moments before regarding Piper again. “This truth you are seeking will forever change him. He might never accept the mistakes the people in his life have made, even if those mistakes resulted in his very existence.”
Finally they were getting somewhere. “Then it’s true the queen had an extramarital affair that resulted in Adan’s birth.”
“No, that is not the case, but you are on the correct path.”
Reality suddenly dawned on Piper. “The king had an indiscretion?”
She shook her head. “He had the desire to give the queen what she could not have. A third child. That decision required involving another woman.”
“He used a surrogate?” Piper asked, unable to keep the shock from her voice.
“Yes. In a manner of speaking.”
“And you know the mother,” she said in a simple statement of fact.
Elena knitted her hands together and glanced away. “Very well.”
She doubted she would get an answer, but she still had to ask. “Who is she, Elena?”
The woman turned a weary gaze to her and sighed. “I am.”
