The Sheik's Love Child (17 page)

“Good afternoon,” Kalil said and sat down next to Dani. As soon as Kalil was seated, the lunch was served. It was a delicious, light meal of fresh salmon and a tossed salad with a delicious vinaigrette dressing on it. Of all the wonderful scents that arrived, Dani was more thrilled than anything when a bowl of strawberries was placed in front of her plate. Her eyes finally snapped up to Kalil’s and he winked at her, forcing her face to turn red when she understood that he was behind the gesture.

She didn’t mind. The craving for strawberries was too intense. She dug into them and everyone laughed, also understanding that Dani’s body was under the control of hormones right now.

The talk was lively between the main players but Dani noticed that Jalla and Jasim didn’t talk to each other. In fact, Jalla was acting towards Jasim exactly the way she was acting towards Kalil.

Dani decided it was time to do something about this situation. If Jalla was in love with Kalil’s brother, surely it wouldn’t be too awful of a situation for the two to put the contract aside and marry each other. She tried not to think what that would mean for her and Kalil. There was still the idea that she was completely inadequate to become queen in his mind.

“Will everyone be ready to leave in three hours?” Kalil asked.

“Leave?” Dani asked, wondering what he was talking about.

“Yes. We leave for London tonight,” he explained.

“Why?” she asked.

With a nod, Kalil excused the rest of the group from the table. Dani watched in amazement at the power he had even over his household. “How do you do that?” she asked.

“Do what?”

“Dismiss people without saying anything.”

“I don’t know. It is just something that comes with the title, I supposed.”

Dani shrugged that away, not really caring what the issue was. “So why are we leaving for London tonight?”

“Because you have severe morning sickness,” he explained. “I thought it would be better for you to be in a hotel room by the time you go to sleep so you can sleep through the morning sickness tomorrow. The wedding is set for one o’clock in the afternoon and we’ll have lunch with your friends and family before heading back here for the ceremony the following day.”

Dani was touched by his thoughtfulness. “That sounds lovely,” she said, looking down at her hands.

“You’re still resisting this because of the future, aren’t you?” he asked, putting a hand to her cheek.

“Yes. I can’t help it. I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“I think it is a wonderful idea. Would it make you feel better if I demanded that Jalla marry my brother instead of me?”

Dani’s eyes shot up to his. “You know?”

Kalil smiled slightly. “Know that my former fiancée is in love with my brother? And that the feelings are reciprocated?”

“Well, yes…actually,” Dani replied, miffed that he was so observant. “You never gave away any clue that you noticed.”

“There are many things I notice,” he replied. “For instance, I noticed that you were very quiet all through the lunch and only ate strawberries while pretending to pick at your other food. I also noticed that you have a wonderful smile that has been missing for the past few days. Could it be that you are in love with me and afraid to allow those feelings to flourish?”

Dani shoved back her chair and stood up. “Don’t tease me, Kalil. It isn’t fair.”

She felt him move behind her. “Why do you think I’m teasing you?”

Dani snorted. “Let’s face it. You have just about anything you want and if you don’t, all you have to do is ask. And now you have one more woman falling at your feet.”

“Are you the woman falling at my feet, Danielle?”

“Yes. But I’m trying to get up and stop the pathetic display.”

“I don’t think it is pathetic.”

“Of course you don’t. You love having people fawn over you,” she sniffed, wishing she could hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. “But I won’t let you hurt me,” she said strongly. “It isn’t fair.”

“I love you as well,” he said, turning her to face him just as a tear slipped over her lower lashes. “I love you with all my heart,” he said.

“You do?” she asked.

“Of course I do. Why do you think I was out of my mind searching for you the day you tried to run away from me? Why do you think I made you move into my rooms?”

“To keep an eye on me,” she said, taking a deep breath.

He shook his head. “No. I could have had you guarded by my personal body guards. I wanted you near me. It was too much to slip away from you every night. I wanted you by my side, day and night.”

Dani looked away. “If you loved me, you’d really want to marry me. It wouldn’t be for this baby.”

“I want you completely. The baby was only justification for keeping you close. Don’t think there is any other reason.”

“But we can’t be together, Kalil. You’ve already told me that.”

“I was a fool,” he ground out. “I didn’t like the hold you had over me. You ruled my mind and my body. I’d never lost control like I had with you and I didn’t like it. I used the excuse of only marrying you for a short period of time so I could convince myself that I was my own man. It is a hard feeling to know that someone else has control of your mind and heart. Give me time. I promise I’ll be a bit less dense in the future.”

For the first time in a long time, Dani started to feel hope. “Really?” she whispered.

“Really. Now do you think you could admit how you feel for me? Since we’re getting married in the morning, I’d really like to kiss you and let you know exactly how I feel,” he said.

“Please feel free,” she laughed, the tears streaming down her face but they were tears of happiness now. She was feeling incredibly free and wonderful. “You really love me?” she asked, putting her arms around his shoulders.

“Completely enslaved by you,” he said a moment before his mouth captured hers.

“I love you too,” she said as he picked her up in his arms and carried her down the palace hallways toward their rooms.

Chapter 13

Dani stood in the center of the room, surrounded by her family, friends, co-workers, presidents and dignitaries from all over the world. She was dressed in the blue dress with her hair covered with matching blue silk and small gold disks dancing around her face, hands and wrists. Smiling up at the gorgeous man, she thought back to the day before when there were less than twenty five people witnessing her vows to this man. He’d been dressed in morning gray and she’d worn the beautiful white wedding dress. But even now, as she listened to Kalil express his words of love and vows of security and care, she felt more married now when he expressed his own vows than during the traditional vows that she’d always thought would bind her to her husband.

“I love you with all my heart,” she said in Arabic back to him. At the end of the ceremony, Kalil escorted her around the room. Within moments, her arms were filled with lovely, fragrant flowers of all shapes and sizes. And there were still more to come! It was so wonderful she could barely even breathe for fear that she might wake up from her dream.

Later that night as she lay naked in the security of Kalil’s arms, she whispered, “I love you,” again, then was greeted by the words and his strong arms closing around her. He truly was the prince of her dreams.