The Sheikh's Son Page 8

  “Yes I do. How is the sheikh when it comes to...you know?”

  Regretfully Piper hadn’t experienced “you know”...yet. “Nana, a girl’s gotta have her secrets, so I’ll only say I’m not at all disappointed.” Should she and Adan take that lovemaking step, she would wager she wouldn’t be disappointed in the least.

  “That’s a good thing, sugar plum. What goes on between the sheets better be good if you want to sustain a relationship. Your grandfather and I have been happily going after—”

  “I’d better go.” Before they wandered into too-much-information territory. “I’ll talk to you both real soon.”

  “Okay, but your grandfather told me to deliver a message before you hang up, the old grump.”

  Lovely. “What is it?”

  “Married or not, you still have a job to do, and he expects a full report on the survey crew’s progress within the next two days.”

  So much for spending time with father and son. For the time being, Adan would just have to go it alone.

  * * *

  “Congratulations, Dad. Your baby is the picture of health.”

  Adan turned from the crib to face Maysa Barad Mehdi—Arabian beauty, American-educated premiere physician and current queen of Bajul. “Are you absolutely certain? He seems rather small to me.”

  His sister-in-law sent him a sympathetic look, much to his chagrin. “He’s not quite five weeks old, Adan, so he’s going to be small. Fortunately Ms. Thorpe had the foresight to include copies of his medical records since his birth. He’s gaining weight at a favorable pace and I expect that to continue.” She paused and sent him a smile. “And before you know it, he will have a playmate.”

  Clearly the woman had taken leave of her senses. “I have no intention of having another child in the near future, if ever.” First, he would have to have a willing partner, and his thoughts immediately turned to Piper. With her he wouldn’t be seeking procreation, only practice. As much practice as she would allow, if she allowed any at all after being thrust into Rafiq’s harebrained scheme.

  “Let me rephrase that,” Maysa said. “Samuel will have a new cousin in a little less than eight months.”

  Adan let that sink in for a moment before he responded, “You’re pregnant?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  He gave her a fond embrace. “Congratulations to you, as well. How is Rafiq handling impending parenthood?”

  Her expression turned somber. “He is worried to death, though he tries not to show it.”

  “That’s understandable considering the accident.” The freak car accident that had claimed Rafiq’s former wife and unborn child. A horrific event that had turned his brother into a temporary tyrant. “I’m certain he will relax eventually.”

  She frowned. “Did you only recently meet Rafiq, Adan? The man does not know the first thing about relaxing. I only hope he calms somewhat before the birth. Otherwise we’ll have a fretful child.”

  He couldn’t imagine Rafiq remaining calm under such a stressful situation. “Perhaps having Samuel around will demonstrate that tending to an infant isn’t rocket science. If I can manage it, then certainly so will he.”

  She patted his cheek. “And you are doing very well from what I hear.”

  Curiosity and concern drove him to ask, “What else have you heard?”

  “If you’re wondering if I know about the presumed marriage, I do. My husband told me you could not have chosen a more suitable counterfeit wife.” She accentuated the barb with a grin.

  He found little humor in the current state of affairs. “This entire situation reeks of fraud, and I find it appalling that I’ve drawn Piper into that web of deceit. She’s a remarkable woman and deserves much better.”

  Maysa inclined her head and studied him a few moments. “You sound as if you care a great deal for her.”

  More than he would ever let on—to Piper or to himself. “I’ve only known her a few days, yet I admittedly like what I do know.”

  “It shows,” she said. “Your face lights up at the mention of her name.”

  A complete exaggeration. “Women always seem to imagine things that aren’t there,” he muttered. “Just because I am fond of her does not mean I see her as anything other than my unwitting partner in crime.” But he could see her as his lover, as he had often in his fantasies. “I certainly have no plans to make this marriage real.”

  “We’ll see,” Maysa said as she covered the now-sleeping infant with the blanket. “One never knows what will transpire once intimacy is involved.”

  “I am not sleeping with her, Maysa,” he said, a little too defensively. “And as it stands now, that is not on the to-do list.” At least not on the one he wasn’t hiding.

  Maysa flipped a lock of her waist-length hair over one shoulder. “Adan, when you do not have an agenda that includes bedding a woman, then the world has truly spun on its axis.”

  If he had his way, someday people would see him as more than a womanizer. They would see him as a good father. “As always, dear queen, you are correct, at least partially. I would be telling a tale if I said I had not considered consummating our relationship. She’s beautiful and intelligent and possesses a keen wit. She is also in many ways an innocent. For that reason I have vowed not to take advantage of her trusting nature.”

  “Perhaps you should explore the possibilities,” she said. “And I do not mean in a sexual sense. You should take this time to get to know her better. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you learn.”

  Exactly as he had promised both himself and Piper—getting to know each other better before they took the next step. That was before he’d learned he had a son. “I see several problems with that prospect. Being charged with Samuel’s care is taxing and time-consuming. Commanding the whole bloody Royal Air Force doesn’t require as much attention.”

  Maysa began returning supplies to her black doctor’s bag resting on the dressing table where she’d performed the examination on his son. “Then perhaps you will be happy to know my husband has instructed me to tell you to take your bride away for two days for a respite.”

  Adan firmly believed his brother had taken leave of his senses. “Why would he suggest that?”

  She snapped the bag closed and turned toward him. “He’s trying to buy more time, Adan. The media have already been hounding him for an interview with you, and it will only become worse once the palace releases an official statement later today. Rafiq feels that if he tells them you’re away for a brief holiday, they’ll let up for the time being. And considering Samuel’s age, this would be the appropriate time for you to resume your husbandly duty.”

  He could not resume a duty he had yet to undertake. However, the prospect of spending more time with his presumed wife was greatly appealing, yet he could not ignore the obvious issues. “I cannot abandon Samuel.”

  “I am sure Elena would wholeheartedly step in while you’re gone.”

  “Actually, she wouldn’t,” he said. “She’s made it quite clear that she is handing all the responsibility to me.”

  “Then I will watch him until you return. And you are more than welcome to take your new wife to the resort.”

  He had his own secluded resort equipped with a pool where they could spend some quality time. Then again, swimming with Piper would involve very little clothing. Not a good scenario for a man who for months had engaged in sexual deprivation in order to build character. At the moment, he had enough character to rival philanthropists worldwide. “I certainly appreciate your offer, but I would not want to burden you with my responsibility.”

  “It’s not a burden at all,” Maysa said as she leaned over and touched the top of Samuel’s head. “I consider it an opportunity to practice parenthood. Now, hurry along while you still have the better part of the day.”

  A plan beg
an to formulate in Adan’s brain. A good plan involving his favorite mode of transportation. Now all he had to do was convince Piper to come along for the ride of her life.

  * * *

  After the harrowing trip to the airbase, Piper would be out of her mind if she agreed to go on this little flying excursion in the miniplane built for two. “You don’t really believe I’m going to climb into that sardine can, do you?”

  Adan flipped his aviators up to rest atop his head and tried to grin his way out of trouble, which wasn’t going to work on Piper. Much. “This happens to be a very solid aircraft,” he said.

  Solid, maybe. Too tiny. Definitely. “First, you make me wear a massive helmet, throw me onto the back of a motorcycle and travel at excessive speeds on skinny little back roads to get here—”

  “That was designed to evade the press, and if my memory serves me correctly, you came along willingly.”

  Darn it, she had. “That’s not the point. Now you want me to get into a plane equivalent to a golf cart with wings.”

  He moved in front of said wing and patted the white plane’s belly as if it were a favored pet. “Do not let the propeller scare you away. This is a Royal Air Force training craft meticulously maintained by our best mechanics. And of course, you are in good hands with me as your personal pilot.”

  A personal pilot with great hands, and she sure would like to know how they would feel all over her body. Maybe today she might actually find out. Maybe squeezing into this plane would be well worth it. “Just show me to my seat.”

  He grinned and opened the miniature door. “Hand over your bag and I will assist you.”

  Piper relinquished the tote to Adan, as well as her coveted control. “Here you are, and be careful with it because it contains some breakable items.”

  His smile melted into a scowl. “This bag must weigh ten pounds. Did you pack all your worldly belongings?”

  She playfully slapped at his biceps, well aware he had one heck of a muscle. “No, I did not. I just packed a swimsuit and a change of clothes, per your request. I also brought along a few toiletries and sunscreen and towels. And a small sketch pad and pencils, in case I want to immortalize our day together on paper.”

  His smile returned full force. “It is quite possible you will not have time to sketch.”

  That sounded very promising. “And why would that be, Your Highness?”

  He leaned over and brushed a kiss across her cheek. “Well, my pretend princess, I have several activities planned to occupy our time.”

  She could think of only one activity at the moment that interested her. “Can you give me a hint?”

  “No. I want you to be surprised.” He executed a slight bow. “Now climb into my chariot, fair lady, and we will begin our adventure.”

  She managed a not-half-bad curtsy. “As you wish, good sir.”

  Luckily the step up into the two-seater plane wasn’t all that steep, but the small space seemed somewhat claustrophobic once Adan took his place beside her.

  After strapping himself in, he handed her a headset. “Put this on and we’ll be able to hear each other over the engine noise.”

  Noisy engine—not good. “Are you sure this is safe?” she asked before she covered her ears.

  “Positive. And don’t look so worried. We’ll barely be off the ground before it’s time to land again.”

  “A planned landing, I hope,” she muttered as she adjusted the bulky headphones.

  From that point forward, Piper watched Adan in action as he guided the pitiful excuse for a plane to the airstrip adjacent to the fleet of high-powered jets. As he did a final check, the Arabic exchange between Adan and the air traffic controller sounded like gibberish to her. But once he began to taxi down the runway, she didn’t care if the pilot was speaking pig Latin. She held her breath, fisted her hands in her lap, gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tightly.

  During liftoff, her stomach dipped as if she were riding a roller coaster. She felt every bump and sway as they gained altitude, and even when the plane seemed to level off, she still refused to look.

  “You are missing some incredible scenery.”

  Feeling somewhat foolish, Piper forced herself to peer out the window at the terrain now cast in the midmorning sun. She noticed only a few man-made structures dotting the landscape, but the approaching mountains looked as if she could reach out and touch them, and that did nothing for her anxiety.

  As if sensing her stress, Adan reached over the controls and took her hand. “This is the best view of my country,” he said. “And when I am flying, I feel completely at peace.”

  She wished she could say the same for herself. “I’ve got a swarm of butterflies in my belly.”

  “I had no idea you’re such a nervous flier.”

  “Not usually,” she said. “I’ve never been in an aircraft quite this small before.”

  “Try to think of this as being as close to heaven as you can possibly be.”

  “I’d prefer not to get too much closer.”

  He grinned and squeezed her hand. “I will have you earthbound in a matter of minutes. If you look straight ahead, you’ll see where we are going to land.”

  She tried to focus on the horizon, and not the descent toward the ground. Or the fact Adan was guiding them toward what appeared to be no more than a glorified dirt road—and a rather large mountain not far away. Her stomach dipped along with the plane as they approached the makeshift runway, but this time she kept her eyes open. She still remained as tense as a tightrope when the wheels touched down and they bounced a time or two before coming to a stop.

  Piper let out the breath she’d been holding and looked around to find a thick copse of odd-looking trees surrounding them, but no signs of human life. “Where are we?”

  Adan removed his headset, then hers, and smiled. “I am about to show you my most favorite place on the planet, and an experience you will not soon forget.”

  Six

  “Wow.”

  Piper’s wide-eyed reaction to the mountain retreat greatly pleased Adan. He’d brought only one other woman there, and she’d complained incessantly about the lack of facilities. But then Talia wasn’t fond of sacrificing creature comforts for nature’s bounty.

  “It’s basically a simple structure,” he explained as he led her farther into the lone living area. “It’s comprised of native wood and powered by solar energy. The water comes from the nearby lake to the house through a filtering system.”

  She walked to the sofa and ran her fingertips along the back of the black leather cushion. “It’s very comfortable and cozy.”

  Her code for small, he surmised. “It has all one would require in this setting. One loft bedroom and a bath upstairs, another bedroom and bath downstairs, and my study.”

  She turned and smiled. “No kitchen?”

  He pointed to his left. “Behind the stone wall, and it’s the most impressive part of the house. However, I rarely utilize the stove, but I do make good use of the refrigerator and microwave.”

  “No housekeeper available?”

  “No, but I do have a caretaker. He and his wife look after the place when I’m away.”

  She dropped down onto the beige club chair and curled her legs beneath her. “What possessed you to build a place out in the middle of nowhere?”

  “You will soon see.” After setting her bag on the bamboo floor, Adan crossed the room and pushed aside the drapes, revealing the mountainous terrain.

  “Wow again,” Piper said as she came to his side. “A view and your own private pool. I’m impressed.”

  He slid double doors open, bringing the outdoors inside. “This greatly expands the living space. And you’ll appreciate the scenery far better from the veranda.”

  She smiled. “Then lead the way.”<
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  When Piper followed him onto the deck containing an outdoor kitchen and several tables with matching chairs, Adan paused at the top of the steps leading to the infinity pool. “This glorified bathtub took two years to build.”

  “It’s absolutely incredible.”

  So was this woman beside him. He sat on the first step and signaled her to join him. Once she complied, he attempted not to notice the way her white shorts rode up her thighs, or the cleavage showing from the rounded neck in her sleeveless coral top that formed to her breasts very nicely. “This has always been my sanctuary of sorts. A good place to escape.”

  She took her attention from the water and turned it on him. “Exactly what are you escaping, Adan?”

  He’d asked himself that question many times, and the answers were always the same. “I suppose the drudgery of being a royal. Perhaps the responsibility of overseeing an entire military operation. At one time, my father.”

  The final comment brought about her frown. “Was he that hard on you?”

  He sighed. “No. He wasn’t particularly concerned with what I did. I once believed he’d never quite recovered from losing my mother.” That was before he’d learned his father’s secrets.

  “You mentioned your mother when we were in Chicago,” she began, “but you didn’t say what happened to her. Of course, if it makes you uncomfortable to talk about it, I understand.”

  Oddly, he wanted to tell her about his mother, what little he knew of Cala Mehdi. He wanted to tell her many things he’d never spoken of to anyone. And eventually he would tell her their visit would be extended beyond the afternoon. “Her death was a mystery of sorts. She was found at the bottom of the mountain near the lake. Most believed she’d taken a fall. Some still wonder if she’d taken her own life due to depression following my birth. I’ve accepted the fact I’ll never know the truth.”