The Sheikh’s Sham Engagement: The Safar Sheikhs Series Book Three Read online

  Vanessa’s and Calla’s grins sparkled. Something heavy and important throbbed between them. Something that completely erased Willow’s worry. With these two, she felt like everything was going to be okay, for the first time since finding out.

  Like they really were her sisters already.

  “Let us know how we can help you,” Calla said gently. “I can hook you up with my midwife.”

  “She was my midwife too,” Vanessa added.

  “I should probably go with the Safar midwife, then, right?” Willow cracked.

  “She’s the best. She’ll help you with any questions you might have. And for the day-to-day stuff, well…you always know where to find us,” Calla said.

  “Because we’re your sisters,” Vanessa said, which brought tears to Willow’s eyes again.

  “Oh, my God, I’m gonna cry,” she wailed.

  “Hopefully tears of happiness and not sadness because I called us sisters!” Vanessa teased.

  “Honestly, coming back to Amatbah felt like coming home. But this time, it feels more like home than ever before.” Willow drew a breath, looking between Calla and Vanessa. “And I think it’s because of you two. It really feels like the Safar family is complete now.”

  The three ladies hugged again, and Willow’s emotions stayed stable enough for the three of them to talk about pregnancy apps, the first trimester, and even pregnancy sex, which Vanessa swore by.

  “And when it comes time for maternity clothes,” Calla added, “We’ve got you covered.”

  “More than covered,” Vanessa said with a laugh. “We have you seasonally outfitted for every event and occasion.”

  “Oh my goodness, that’s right,” Willow said. “You two have the maternity fashion line!”

  “You can have your pick of the clothes,” Calla promised. “And if you don’t see something you like, I’ll make it for your personally.”

  After talking a bit more about the pregnancy and their excitement, the three ladies started a walk toward the garden, where Calla would be meeting the nanny and Fatim’s eldest two children once they got home from school. They strolled arm in arm down the palace hallways, and Willow felt as carefree and happy as ever. They came out into the stone-laid patio, the bright sun beaming down and the scent of jasmine in the air, to find all three brothers there.

  The way Nasser turned to look at her told her a lot. Most of all, she saw love there. Pure affection shining out of him as his gaze shivered over her.

  From Fatim’s and Amad’s knowing smiles, Willow could tell Nasser had told his brothers. Excitement filled all three of them.

  Emotion overcame her again, crashed over her in a thick, crushing wave that pushed her into a run toward Nasser. He caught her in his arms, and she buried her face in his chest. Tears leaked out of her eyes again as she said, “Nasser, we’ve having a baby!”

  His arms squeezed around her, and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “You’re the only woman I ever wanted that to be true with.”

  13

  A few days later, Willow could barely remember her life before the pregnancy news. Pure excitement had taken over, and on the heels of excitement came the planning.

  She’d launched a shared calendar and began inputting all the important dates, starting with the due date, as estimated at her first midwife appointment the day before, as well as her upcoming midwife appointments, sonogram appointments, reminders to work on the nursery, links to Pinterest inspiration boards, a shared note that would serve as their running brainstorming session for names, and so much more.

  It was the control hub of the pregnancy. Of her life as she now knew it.

  Willow was extremely proud. And she couldn’t wait to get Nasser on board.

  They’d made plans to lunch in the eastern sweep of the gardens, where the patio was covered with latticework and grapevines. In the corner, a wide fountain burbled, with statues of benign creatures belching water. It was her favorite spot, and the setting of rose bushes and lilies would accompany their tasty lunch perfectly.

  Nasser showed up right on time, pulling her into a hug before sitting across from her. Ice water awaited them, as well as crunchy bread and a balsamic dip. Willow mostly sipped on her water and chewed ginger tablets, since morning sickness still had her in its grip.

  “How was your morning?” Nasser asked, unfolding a napkin onto his lap. He’d been in donor meetings all morning, as well as checking out the site of a different project he’d gotten involved in.

  “Great,” Willow said. “I’ve gotten the full scope of the curriculum squared away, and I posted the first job listing this morning. One resume has already been submitted!”

  “That’s excellent.” Nasser reached across the table and stroked her wrist.

  “And I have something to share with you.” She brought out her tablet, swiping to the calendar app she’d installed precisely for their shared venture. “I want you to download this onto your phone or your tablet. It’s a calendar app, and I think it will work out really well for us to both use this, now that things are getting a little crazier.”

  Nasser just blinked as she showed off the app.

  “So you’ll see all the changes I make here, and when you tick off tasks or appointments, I can see them, too. It’s always syncing, which will be super helpful as we start to divvy up tasks for both the baby and the school.”

  Nasser nodded, but he didn’t look even half as excited as she was.

  “And honestly, I feel like this is somewhat of your influence too,” Willow went on, eager for him to see the ways in which this would benefit them both. “You always want me to go with the flow and just take things one day at a time. One task at a time. I’m stepping away from being so hung up on the big picture with this. You know? I really want to try to take it one task at a time with this program.”

  Nasser’s brows were drawn into a hard line, and he nodded. The server appeared then with their meal, grilled chicken and wild rice with steamed vegetables. Nasser thanked the server and pushed the rice around with his fork.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked her.

  “A little, actually.” She smiled over at him, wishing he would acknowledge her plans for the future. “Seeing the food helped this time. I’ll see how much I can eat.”

  Nasser dug into his food, and she let a few moments go by before bringing up the calendar again.

  “So what do you think?”

  “About what?” he asked.

  “The calendar.”

  “Oh.” He cleared his throat, wiping at his mouth with the napkin. “It looks like it’s perfect for you.”

  She wilted a little. “But it’s for us.”

  He squinted in that way that signaled his dissent. She knew this look better than anything else. “Willow, I don’t really need the baby calendar.”

  “It’s not just a baby calendar,” she said, frowning down at her plate. “I’ve put in information about the school progress as well. I’ll be updating it as more resumes come in, and—”

  “Well, yes. Add me to it,” Nasser flashed a quick grin. “I’ll use it to keep tabs.”

  Willow gnawed on the inside of her cheek as she mulled over his words, eyeing her food. The rice might be the wisest place to start. She hated how disappointed she was in his reaction. He’d agreed to the calendar, but not exuberantly, and probably only because he could tell she was disappointed.

  Because the calendar was an extension of their life together. Their future. This baby inside of her.

  Sure, he’d take a look at the calendar once, maybe twice, just to keep tabs on things like he’d said.

  But she didn’t want someone poking his head in once every few months. She wanted someone right beside her in all of this.

  And that brought up the real question: did Nasser really want a future with her?

  Willow decided to let it lie for now. She wanted to enjoy lunch and get things squared away with the school, so she made the decision not to push him on it. Not until she
could let it sit a while longer and think about how she really felt.

  The rest of the day flowed quickly with more work on the school, a family dinner, and an early bedtime for Willow, since this first trimester was kicking her ass. The next morning, she and Nasser had a plan to go visit the school site together. They held hands in the backseat of the car and snuggled the whole way out there. Once the school finally came into view down the road, Willow gasped.

  “Look at it!” she cried out. “It’s a real school!”

  “The finest school in all of Amatbah,” Nasser said, grinning as the car pulled into the large cul-de-sac in front of the building.

  Stucco siding with artistically exposed areas of tiles, just as Willow had planned for. Eventually, students would design their own tiles, which would then be added to the exterior structure. A way of immortalizing all the students who helped give this new school its start. Red clay tiles on the roof were an accent on the neutral color of the school. A wide entryway beckoned students and parents alike into a reception area filled with natural light and lined with enormous billboards that would eventually showcase student achievements.

  Willow and Nasser walked hand in hand through the entire school. Even the area they’d spent the night in a couple weeks ago was now totally transformed. The computer lab sat quiet and spacious. The lunch hall just waited to be filled with excited chatter. Everything was ready, all the way down to the outlet covers. All that was missing was the furniture and the people.

  And soon enough, their first graduating class would filter in through those front doors.

  Willow unloaded her laptop—lo and behold, the wireless network was working. “This is amazing. I’m going to get started on the curriculum paperwork for the state agency.”

  “I thought I was doing that,” Nasser said as he slid his tablet out of its sleeve.

  “No,” she said, knitting her brow. “I moved that to my task list because the author of the document needs to match the signature, and I don’t want to take any risks. Did you look at the calendar? I put together a replacement curriculum document that needs approval. I actually consolidated both your and my ideas in there, so you can see it all at a glance.”

  Nasser set his jaw, swiping through his tablet. “Right. The calendar.”

  That prickling sensation spread across her shoulder blades. The one that preceded a fight. The same one that had plagued her during the final days of her relationship with Nasser the first time around.

  “You downloaded it to your tablet, right?” she asked, trying to keep her tone light. “Seriously, it’s the best way for us to stay on top of this. With all the moving parts of this project, you should keep close track.”

  Nasser swiped lazily through his tablet, and she glanced at his screen. He had Facebook open.

  “So did you download it?”

  “I will now,” he said. And continued scrolling through Facebook.

  She clenched her teeth, trying to keep herself from snapping at him. Don’t cause a stink. Don’t cause a stink. But it was hard not to when he was acting like a petulant teenager just because she wanted him to download an application.

  She waited a few moments, trying to absorb herself in her laptop and let the frustration pass. Keeping her tone even, she said, “Just because a calendar exists doesn’t mean you have to commit to anything on it.”

  Nasser glanced at her, that squint returning. “I know that. I just don’t need someone dictating my tasks.”

  Willow swallowed a knot in her throat. Here they were again—back to the meaty center of what had always been the problem between them. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same and all that. But this time, she wouldn’t freak out. She’d keep herself calm. They were adults. They could work through it. “I’m not trying to dictate. Just trying to be helpful.” And maybe the best way to be helpful was to retreat. “I’ll go work in the other room. You know what you need to do, so I’ll just let you work here by yourself.”

  “I’m not sure what I can do that hasn’t been decided already by you.”

  Her heart raced as she packed up her things. “Well, this is my project. Shouldn’t I be this involved?”

  “You know what I’m getting at.”

  And she did. Oh, she knew too well. This was about to become the same argument that had plagued them throughout their relationship. Except now, she needed to come at it in a new way. If she were going to have any hope of truly solving things.

  “Okay, well, I’ll be in the other room.” Willow sent a big smile his way and headed over to an empty classroom where a utility desk was stored. She would come back to this conversation, but only once frustrations cooled.

  To slow her own hammering heart, Willow distracted herself with the internet before she got started working. As most internet holes turned out for her, she ended up searching for dream vacations, new ideas and dreams for her ESCAPE folder.

  Up until now, she’d always searched for vacations for one. But now? It might be fun to search for vacations for a little family of three.

  She got sucked into the travel hole, even reading up on the infant travel policies for three different airlines. She bookmarked a few pertinent links, such as advice about how to prevent infants from being bothered by the pressurization of cabins, before finally pivoting back to the real task at hand: the curriculum paperwork.

  But even as she worked, images of her faraway travel dreams lurked in the back of her mind. Santorini with Nasser on her arm, and a baby in his. A chilly Icelandic jaunt, the baby’s face comically framed by a fur-trimmed parka. Maybe even a romantic getaway weekend to Paris for just her and Nasser once the baby was old enough.

  Because one thing was certain: she wanted this family to work. And now that she was carrying his baby and back in his arms on the regular, it would be harder than ever to accept this love they shared as anything other than a success story.

  14

  Multiple hours and meetings later, Nasser returned to the palace feeling just as disjointed as he’d felt that morning at the school.

  Something brewed beneath the surface with him and Willow, and he didn’t know where to even begin figuring it out.

  The not knowing made him hesitant to return to the palace that evening. Even though he’d missed the family dinner due to a donor outing in Al Ghuman, he assumed Willow would be up and waiting for him, ready to talk, the second he stepped through the bedroom door.

  But once he got there, he didn’t find an agitated Willow, tapping her foot with a whole list of proposed conversational items. Instead, he found her just getting undressed for the day. She grinned over her shoulder at him as he shut the door.

  “There you are,” she purred.

  “Here I am.” He set his briefcase down. She was naked except for a pair of sexy black panties and a bra. She pushed down her panties, just below her hips, and watched him. Waiting.

  “Wow. It looks like your curriculum planning has really turned you on,” he joked, strutting her way. She giggled, looking at him with hooded eyes.

  “Incredibly,” she said, hooking her wrists behind his neck once he slid his hands over her waist, resting right above her panty line. “I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

  That was music to his ears. Thoughts that weren’t sex immediately evacuated his head. He had no room for them anymore. Not when his libido was being stoked by this beautiful woman in his arms.

  “Why didn’t you just accost me in the construction tents like last time?” Nasser teased, pushing his hand beneath the bunched-up fabric of her panties. She sucked in a sharp breath when his fingers pushed into the slippery folds of her pussy.

  “This pregnant lady needs a bed these days,” she whispered as he brushed his lips against hers. She tasted like cherry lip gloss. “You can’t just have me over the back of any old work bench anymore.”

  Nasser grunted through a kiss, ripping her panties lower. He moved his fingers back and forth over the tight nub of her clit until she wilte
d, digging her finger nails into the sides of his arms. He grinned as her brows drew together, and then he slipped two fingers inside her.

  Her pussy drew tight around him, pure juiciness and velvet, and the sensation made him groan. He slid his fingers in and out of her, in and out, until she cried out and fell back against the wall.

  “I can’t even stand up anymore,” she moaned once he pulled her into his arms.

  “Time for this pregnant lady to move to the bed,” he said, laughing as he guided her backwards. She flopped onto the mattress, smiling up at him as he tore off his kaftan and shimmied out of his briefs. He tugged her bra straps down one by one and then gently removed the garment, tossing it aside as he gobbled up Willow’s familiar sexiness.

  Because even though she was familiar, she ignited him. The known curves of her body. That little noise she made when she was about to come. All of those things turned him on even more. Willow had always been the only one he could imagine a long-term future with. He didn’t know why—just knew that it was true.

  His cock twitched under Willow’s gaze. She watched him with pure fire. Willow reached for him, and he surged forward, allowing his hips to meet her reach. Her cool little hand fisted him, eyes ablaze as she worked his cock. He grunted and bucked as she propped herself up on her elbow and urged him down further, all the way down so she could get her lips around it. Her pretty pink mouth made his cock disappear, her intense green gaze steady on his as her tongue danced over the surface of his dick. He jolted when she traced the sensitive seam of his cockhead.

  His abs tightened as his body began the downhill race to climax. With her mouth wrapped around him, with her looking at him so intensely, the heat zipping through his veins threatened to push him over the edge.

  But no. He wanted to enjoy this a bit longer. He pulled back, his chest heaving as he struggled for mental control. She grabbed for his hips, but he shook his head.

  “Hang on,” he whispered.

  “That good, huh?” she teased.