The Sheik's Virgin Lover (The Sisterhood) (17 page)

Exactly two hours later, the plane touched down. The flurry of activity that occurred when the doors to the plane opened once again was mind boggling. Emma was not just escorted to the waiting transportation, she was almost carried in the rush to get her from the plane to the vehicles. There weren’t any limousines this time, there were five identical SUVs. She knew that some dignitaries traveled in this manner so that anyone attacking the convoy wouldn’t know which to attack. The fact that Emma was now being treated to this kind of security was not comforting.

When she turned to Dharran to ask him about the procedures, he quickly shook his head, indicating that she should wait to ask him anything until later. She obeyed, simply because she wasn’t sure what was happening.

The palace emerged out of the desert just like the last time, the city’s beauty taking her breath away. The car didn’t arrive in front of the palace as it had on her prior visit, but instead was brought through the gates and drove to an underground, vaulted garage.

They drove through several check points, after each one, a metal door clanged shut behind them. After about five check points, they slowed and drove to a large parking area filled with various kinds of vehicles. There were so many of them ranging from limousines, to carriages to fast looking luxury cars she couldn’t even identify. Among them were even regular looking vehicles like a Ford and a Honda Accord. Odd, but she didn’t have time to ask about them. As soon as they stopped, Dharran stepped out of the SUV, offering her a hand to help her out, then quickly ushered her into an elevator surrounded by armed guards.

They didn’t stop until the two of them were standing in Dharran’s office. He quickly waved away his directors and secretaries as they approached indicating he could not be disturbed, then turned to face her. “I know you have many questions, so go ahead.”

She walked around, trying to sort through her thoughts. Glancing back at Dharran, she thought he looked like the epitome of a king, leaning against his desk, his jacket and tie off, the top button of his immaculately tailored shirt opened at the neck. Even the casual attire couldn’t detract from the authority emanating from him, his posture one of absolute confidence.

What she wanted to ask were questions like, “Could you ever learn to love me?” Or maybe even “Is there any emotion I engender within you besides arousal?”. But instead, she asked the simple question, evading the emotionally charged questions that could result in painfully devastating answers. “What’s going on? Why the secrecy and why the crazy transportation from the airport to here?”

With a sigh, he nodded his head and considered his words carefully. Emma realized that he was still going to sugar coat his answers so she stopped him before he could start. “Don’t give me a pretty version of it, Dharran. Give me the truth and let me know what’s going on.”

He considered her features for a long moment, then nodded once again. “My enemies will try and kill you now that you’re pregnant with the future king. You’re in danger until the child is born.”

Emma was still for so long, he was concerned she might pass out. When she finally spoke, her voice was small and weak. “Will they try and hurt her after she’s born?”

Dharran shrugged. “There’s always the possibility. You’re safer after we’re married because you’ll be my wife. The opposition is less likely to harm you if you’re my wife versus just my lover.”

“And the baby? How do we keep her safe?”

He pushed away from the desk and walked over to stand in front of her. “We take the precautions all rulers take.
He
,” he emphasized the male pronoun, “will have his own security detail at all times, as will you. They will be carefully chosen among the best and most loyal in the country.”

She considered his words, then nodded, accepting that there was nothing more that anyone could do. Even regular kids faced challenges so a security detail would circumvent some worries. “I suppose we’ll just take things one day at a time.”

She was about to walk away but he held her, his large hands on her waist. She looked back up at him, wondering what else there might be to say.

“Do you…” he started, then stopped, the silence awkward and he shook his head and let his hands drop from her waist. “The doctor is waiting, and we have a press conference this afternoon. A press release will be issued as soon as the doctor has examined you but news of the baby won’t be public knowledge until after we’re married so there’s no chance of anyone questioning the legitimacy of the baby.”

Emma swallowed, hearing all of this and absorbing it. Coming from a different world, she’d never had to worry about press releases or someone wondering if her child was genuinely the offspring of her husband. Or security guards, metal doors and palace protocol for that matter.

Dharran took her hand and led her through another doorway, this one leading to a long hallway. At the end, there was his suite of rooms, which she remembered so well, and all the passion they’d shared here so long ago. It was like another period in history, she thought with nostalgia.

He continued on, leading her to a clinic type area, but with more equipment than a normal doctor’s office. A very kind gentleman was waiting for them and bowed when Dharran entered the room. Dharran explained that Dr. Borshneff was the leading obstetrician and would be traveling here each month for the duration of her pregnancy. Once she came closer to her due date, he would move into the palace to deliver the baby.

Emma was embarrassed that such an expert would be taken out of his normal practice just for her, but she went behind the curtain and changed into the robe for the examination.

A nurse took a blood sample, ran several tests and after what seemed like a long time, he explained that they were going to listen to the baby’s heartbeat. With what seemed like a magic wand, a very rapid heartbeat came through the microphone. “Is it too fast?” she asked, immediately worried that it didn’t sound like a regular human heart beat.

The doctor smiled and shook his head. “The baby seems perfectly healthy. The heart rate is perfectly normal. Usually this early in the pregnancy, we can’t even hear a heart rate so you’re very lucky.”

She looked over her shoulder, searching for Dharran’s strong reassurance. But what she found was much more profound. Instead of his stern expression which he usually wore when anyone else was present, the stunned look on his face as he listened to his daughter’s heart rate was precious to Emma. She’d never seen such a look of absolute love and astonishment on a man’s face, especially one as strong and emotionally controlled as Dharran.

The doctor pushed back and Emma re-dressed, eager to speak with Dharran.

But when she left, he was nowhere to be found. A soft spoken woman in her mid-forties stepped forward to introduce herself. “I’m Astasia and, if it pleases you, I would be honored to be your personal assistant.”

Emma took the offered hand, not exactly sure what to say. “That would be lovely,” was all she could think of at the moment. “Do you know where Dharran went?”

Astasia bowed slightly. “His Highness had some business to attend to but promised that he would meet you for dinner tonight.”

Emma sighed with disappointment. “I guess that’s good. What’s next?” she asked.

Astasia led Emma through the palace hallways. Emma recognized some of them from her previous visit but was still completely lost by the time they entered a lovely buttery yellow room with a dainty desk in the middle and overstuffed flower upholstered chairs in a small sitting area. “This is the office His Highness has allocated for you. A designer will be here tomorrow to take notes on your preferred style.”

Emma shook her head. “No, please, this is absolutely lovely,” she said, loving the room and the bright, open space. Even the comfortable chairs looked perfect. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Very good, madam,” Astasia said, making a note in her notebook. “Next, there’s the press release and interview schedule to approve,” she said and handed Emma several papers. The next several hours, Emma and Astasia went over details, interviewed various candidates for positions within the palace and reviewed potential political issues as well as press releases for her wedding, which apparently was set for two days in the future. A dress maker presented several designs, of which Emma chose one for her wedding, one for the reception and several more for dinners to be held in the future.

By the time Astasia led her back to Dharran’s suite of rooms, Emma was exhausted, her mind whirling with details and thoughts, decisions she had to make. Dharran took one look at her face and laughed softly, taking her into his arms and gently hugging her as he led her out into the courtyard where a lovely dinner was set up, the air cooling now that the sun had set below the horizon. “I take it from your dazed expression that you’re getting a crash course in becoming a princess.”

Emma sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Is that what my title will be?”

“Yes. And my wife,” he replied, squeezing her shoulders.

She smiled. “I think I like that one better.” She looked up at him. “I’m really sorry that things turned out this way.”

He picked up a crystal pitcher and poured her an amber liquid, then another for himself. Emma took a sip and smiled with pleasure.

“I would have preferred that you were going to marry me because you were in love with me and couldn’t live without me any longer, which was what I was holding out for, but I’ll take this as well.”

Emma sat very still, the condensation on her glass trickling down her fingers. She cleared her throat and started to say something, but no sound came out. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Are you saying you want me to love you?”

He sighed and nodded. “Yes. Perhaps you’ll come to love me later. Right now, we have a child and we’ll deal with that.”

Emma set the glass down and turned to face him. “Does that mean you love me?”

Dharran reached down and touched her cheek. “I’ve asked you twice to marry me. If you don’t know how I feel by now, I don’t know how else to tell you.”

Emma’s heart stopped, then started back up even harder, pounding against her ribs in an almost painful rhythm. “You haven’t asked me to marry you, Dharran. You’ve mentioned that it would be politically expedient to be married and marriage was obligatory since you were the first man I had sex with. There was never any mention of love or any kind of emotion involved in either of those demands.”

Dharran stared down at her, and shook his head. “Emma, I’ve wanted you since the day we met. If that hasn’t been clear, I don’t know what else to say to you.”

Emma shook her head and stood up, needing some space for this kind of chaotic conversation after the past forty-eight hours. “Dharran, there’s a huge difference in wanting me and loving me.”

He stood up and walked towards her. “Are you saying you know the difference?”

She took a deep breath, willing to put her foot out there even though it might get chopped off. “Yes.”

The single word answer wasn’t enough for him. Pushing his hands through his hair in frustration, he glared down at her. “What exactly, does that mean?”

She looked away, completely opening herself up to him in the terrifying hope that he might feel the same. “I’m saying that I don’t just want you, Dharran. I’ve loved you for so long it hurts to know that I’m only a political convenience for you.”

He grabbed her arms and spun her around. “I never thought of you as a political convenience,” he growled out, crushing her to his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

She pressed her cheek against his chest, loving the feel of his rapidly beating heart. “Then why all those horrible proposals?”

He laughed softly and looked up at the sky. “Because I couldn’t figure out how to keep you in my life any other way.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me you loved me?”

Looking down, he cynically said, “When you wouldn’t even wear anything I bought for you, why would I think you would want to share my life with me?”

She shoved gently against his shoulder. “Obstinate man! I didn’t want things! I wanted you! I wanted what I thought you couldn’t give me which was love and caring and sharing.”

“Why would I not be able to give that to you? I’ve been doing that since the moment I met you?”

She shook her head in exasperation. “You’ve been giving me nothing but frustration in one form or another.”

“But you love me anyway?”

She sighed and wrapped her arms around him. “Yes. I love you.”

“And you would marry me even if it weren’t for this pregnancy?”

She laughed and nodded emphatically. “I would have said yes if you’d said something like that several months ago.”

He bent down and kissed her, halting any other declarations for the moment. When she was breathless and clinging to him, he looked deeply into her eyes and said, “I love you woman. Will you marry me and share my life and bear my children with me and help me grow this country to something modern and wonderful?”

She sighed happily and leaned more deeply against him. “Well, when you put it that way….” She couldn’t smile since he covered her mouth with his. And it was a long time before she was able to have that meal. But in the end, she didn’t care one little bit!