Michelle smiled. “Except what to name the grandchildren.” She put a hand over her belly.
Adilan’s eye widened. “What—you are? You’re expecting.”
She shook her head. “I missed a period. I haven’t done any tests or seen a doctor, or—”
He swept her up into a spin, laughing. “Children! Father will be delighted. We must marry soon—he would not like the children not to have a name.”
She shook her head. “They’ll have a name and love and that’s that. Married or not, this baby will be loved.”
Putting her down on her feet, he took her face in his hands. “The first time I saw you, I knew my life would never be the same. We were meant to be together. You are my heart and my breath. Hayet albi enta. You are the life of my heart.”
“As you are mine,” she told him.
He kissed her and said, “I want you to stay here in Al-Sarid with me. I want to see your stomach growing round with our child. I want to see the gray appear in your hair as we grow old together.”
She smiled and put a hand over his. “Just as long as we take trips to visit mom. I’m sure she’ll make a trip here to see the sanctuary—I’m hoping it’ll help her. But if she’s not doing well, I want to be able to spend time with her. And I want our kids to know both worlds. They’ll grow up knowing what we had to learn about how to juggle two cultures.”
Adilan kissed her again. “I love you. uhibboki. And of course we will travel. Our children will be children of the world—not just of one country.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Michelle smiled. “Now, how about carrying me off to a beautiful oasis in the desert? Oh, wait, I guess we’re already here. So what are the accommodations like? You haven’t shown me the bedrooms yet.”
He grinned. “You are a seductress. A houri crea
ted to torment men and drive them mad—or at least drive them to great deeds. A jiniri with your blue eyes and pale skin sent to make men wish to be more than what they are and to bring fantasies to life for any man lucky enough to catch you in his arms.” Pulling her close, he whispered in her ear. “Do you wish to make use of the bed or is it a swim you prefer?”
She stepped out of his arms. Pulling her dress over her head, she dropped it on the ground. Naked now, she took his hand. “You helped me keep my promise to my mother, and you kept yours to your father. But I want you to know you’re the perfect man for me. I never thought I’d find that—and I really didn’t expect to find the happiness I have here. So come and make love to me, Adilan. Take me to paradise in your arms. Because that’s the only place I ever want to be.”
Grinning, Adilan stripped off his shoes, trousers and shirt. He took her in his arms, pressing her body close to his. “My little American—you never have to ask me twice for that.”
THE END of
The Sheikh’s Stubborn Lover