Claimed by the Desert Sheikh: The Sheikh and the Pregnant Bride / Desert King, Pregnant Mistress / Desert Prince, Expectant Mother. Susan Stephens
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setting would require a lot of conversation. She had wondered how it would be possible to keep her fake relationship with Qadir seeming real.
But she found herself enjoying the evening very much. The other couple was easy to talk to. Kayleen especially bubbled about the wedding. They hadn’t asked any awkward questions and seemed to totally accept her. Life being what it was, that made her feel a little guilty.
“Let’s ignore them,” Maggie said. “Tell me about your three girls. That’s a lot to take on when you’re just getting married.”
“I know,” Kayleen said, sounding totally thrilled. “But the girls are the reason As’ad and I are together. He adopted them— it’s a long, complicated story. Anyway, I was their nanny and we sort of, well …”
“Fell in love,” Maggie said, seeing the truth in her eyes.
“Yes. It was wonderful. He’s wonderful.”
Maggie watched Kayleen look at her fiancé. There was so much love between them. So much caring. She felt a flicker of envy deep inside. A strong desire to have the same for herself.
She tried to remember if she’d ever felt that kind of connection before. Had it existed with Jon? She realized she wasn’t sure. That their love had evolved slowly. How much of it had been proximity? Had they fallen in love because they’d both been together all the time?
She didn’t have an answer, but as she considered the question she realized she wasn’t sad. That thinking about Jon didn’t depress her anymore.
She probed more deliberately. Didn’t she miss him? Didn’t she want them to get back together?
The answer came quickly. No. She still liked him and admired him, but the longing was gone. Even the simple need to talk to him burned much more quietly.
She still felt regret for that last night together. She wasn’t sure how long it would take for the shame to ease. But except for that, she felt ready to put Jon behind her. She found herself genuinely happy that he’d found someone else and longed to do the same herself.
Involuntarily she found herself looking at Qadir. Was he the one?
That made her smile. Yes, the man was amazing and apparently had a direct and sexual line to her nervous system, but that didn’t mean they would have any kind of serious relationship. Ever. The prince and the car mechanic? Not likely.
“Qadir is very nice,” Kayleen said, her voice soft.
Maggie smiled. “He is. Not nearly as imperious as I would have imagined a prince to be.”
“I think he’s more low-key than the other brothers. Now Kateb is superintense. Have you met him?”
“No.”
“He lives in the desert. He just got back. I talked to him for a few minutes earlier today. Wow. Talk about dark and dangerous. I kept wanting to hide behind As’ad.”
“Why?”
“I can’t really explain it. There’s something about him that isn’t completely … tamed. Hmm, that’s the wrong word, but its the best one I can come up with.”
An untamed prince?
“The king is already asking about grandchildren,” As’ad said to Qadir.
Kayleen squeezed his hand. “But that’s the fun part.”
As’ad smiled at her. “You are too understanding. The king goes too far. We are not yet married.”
“You could just tell him we’re planning on having children fairly quickly. That would make him feel better.”
“I will not give him the satisfaction.”
Kayleen looked at Maggie. “See what I mean? Totally stubborn. How am I supposed to fight against that?”
“You are not,” As’ad told her. He looked at his brother. “You know, if your relationship gets serious, he will do the same to you. The man is never satisfied.”
Qadir reached for her hand. “Don’t get scared. I’ll protect you from the king.”
“I’m not worried,” Maggie told him. There was no way she and Qadir would ever be having the children discussion. She was here for a limited period of time. Sort of like the traveling theater. Not that she wouldn’t want children one day.
She and Jon had always assumed they would get married and have kids. They’d argued about the number. He wanted three. She kept pointing out that practically, an even number was better. Then he joked about eight and they would laugh.
Instinctively she braced herself for the pain from the memories, but there wasn’t any. She had truly moved on.
“It’s kind of funny to have to worry about not getting pregnant early,” Kayleen said. “Obviously one doesn’t want to be a pregnant bride under any circumstances, but when the groom is a prince, it’s a huge deal.”
“It would only take one mistake,” Qadir said cheerfully. “No pressure, brother.”
As’ad growled some reply but Maggie wasn’t listening. She found herself oddly frozen in time, as if she’d left her body and could see the party happening below her but wasn’t a part of it anymore.
“No, no, no,” she told herself silently. It wasn’t that. It couldn’t be. It had only been the one time. Off the pill, her period was never regular, so she wasn’t technically late.
Fear clutched her, leaving her chilled to the bone.
One time with Jon. That single night.
As they had only ever been with each other, their only worry for protection had been pregnancy. She’d gone on the pill early in their relationship and all had been well. But after the breakup, she hadn’t bothered, knowing she wasn’t interested in being with anyone, at least not for a long time.
Which meant that she hadn’t been taking birth control that last night she and Jon were together—and he hadn’t used a condom.
“Maggie?” Qadir asked. “Are you all right?”
She nodded and tried to smile, even as she fought waves of panic. She couldn’t be pregnant. Not now. Not with Jon’s baby. That would be a massive disaster—one she wouldn’t know how to fix.
After getting directions to the nearest couple of drugstores from Victoria, Maggie headed out first thing the next morning. She hadn’t slept all night, even after telling herself that her period was late because of the stress she’d been through. One encounter did not a baby make. Or did it?
As her friend had promised, there were several shops on the street, with a drugstore at each end. Maggie went into the first one and prayed that El Deharia was a enough of a forward-thinking country that there would be pregnancy kits right there on the shelf.
She found the aisle with all the female products and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the boxes that she had only previously seen on television. At least she wasn’t going to have to ask the pharmacist.
She was about to grab one when she heard some odd whispering. She turned and saw a couple of teenage girls behind her. They were in school uniforms and carrying books.
“You’re her, aren’t you?” one of them said. “The girl dating Qadir. He’s delicious. I like him the best. What’s he really like?”
Maggie wondered if she was standing there with her mouth hanging open from shock. These girls had recognized her from those stupid tabloid pictures? Was it possible?
“Oh, hi,” she said, feeling like an idiot. “He’s really nice. Friendly.”
“How did you meet?”
“I work at the palace.”
The other girl sighed. “I wish I could get a job there. My mom says I’m