Had she only imagined the passion in those dark eyes last night? Maya hesitated before sitting down. “Are you in a rush this morning?” she asked. “I can–”

  “No,” he interrupted, waiting until she was seated before taking his own chair. “No, we need to talk.” He sighed and stood once more, moving to the bannister of the balcony, gripping the railing as he stared out at the ocean.

  This wasn’t good, Maya thought, pulling the linen napkin nervously over her lap. She bowed her head, her fingers twisting the edges of the napkin under the table. “Okay. Let’s talk.” About last night, she thought. “Obviously, you’re going to–”

  “I didn’t use protection last night,” he interrupted.

  For a long moment, Maya merely blinked at him. She looked into his eyes, her heart sinking as she saw the regret in those dark depths.

  No protection. Um…well….

  Maya sat very still, letting his words sink into her brain. Okay, that definitely wasn’t where she’d thought this conversation was going! For a brief moment, relief surged through her. He hadn’t told her last night had been a mistake! In her mind, it had been the most glorious night of her life. But at his formal attitude this morning, she’d feared that he’d regretted their night together.

  Granted, he wasn’t telling her that he loved what they’d done last night. But…he wasn’t saying that it was a mistake! That gave her a small glimmer of hope.

  He’d forgotten to use protection. The words echoed through her mind over and over again. They didn’t make sense because she’d been expecting something entirely different.

  No protection. That meant…no condom. Um…Oh. Oh! “What?” she gasped, finally understanding. “You didn’t…!” She stopped since he’d just answered it. “I’m um…I’m,” she ran a hand through her hair, leaning her elbows on the table as the reality of the situation hit her. “I’m not on birth control,” she whispered through numb lips.

  “I suspected as much,” he replied and his tone lifted her eyes towards him.

  “I’m sorry.” Maya said the words, but…deep down inside of her, she wasn’t sorry at all! Good grief, how horrible was that? She wasn’t sorry that there was the potential of a baby! Jahlil’s baby! Her eyes actually welled up at the thought that she might be growing their child in her womb right now! The thought made her weak. And so happy, she was almost blinded by the possibility.

  Pregnant! With Jahlil’s child! With their child! A precious life that she could cherish for the rest of her life. If she couldn’t have the man, she wanted their child!

  “Um…well…” Maya gave up, not sure what to say. There were options. She could take a pill, but…no. She wasn’t going to suggest that option. She wanted this child more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life! Okay, not as much as she wanted Jahlil in her life, for the rest of her life, but…a baby!

  “We will need to marry at once,” Jahlil announced, breaking through the blissfully happy dreams currently dancing through her mind. Dreams about giving birth and adoring this baby, giving this baby all of the love she’d kept hidden from Jahlil. All the love he didn’t want!

  But once again, he’d spoken words that didn’t make sense. Marry. Marry? “We need to…what?” she asked, still blissfully making plans. Plans involving moving to a new city. One where this baby would have room to grow and run and learn without the pressures of city life and traffic and the pollutants that always came with a heavily populated area. She worked from home. Her online business meant that she could live anywhere!

  “Yes. We must marry. Quickly and quietly. If you are pregnant, then there can be no doubt about the legitimacy of this child’s right to rule after me.”

  Rule after him? “No!” she gasped, horrified at the thought of Jahlil dying! No, that simply couldn’t happen. Standing up, she walked over to the balcony. “You’re not going to die!” she whispered.

  He stared down at her, that quirky-serious smile on his handsome features. “I don’t intend to die anytime soon,” he assured her, cupping her cheek in his palm. But he must have realized what he was doing and pulled away before she could fully absorb the warmth of his touch. “But the realities of my world include constant threats, Maya. You know this. It is why I am so heavily guarded all the time. It’s why I was so worried when we couldn’t find you yesterday.” He sighed, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “My assistant will arrange a quiet, private wedding here at the resort. I’m so sorry, Maya,” he said gently. “I know that this isn’t the way you’d planned to be married, but it must happen.” He turned, looking out at the ocean. “If it turns out that you are not pregnant, then we can quietly divorce. But until we know for sure…” he let the sentence linger in the air between them.

  Maya’s heart wasn’t sure if it should soar with happiness at the suggested marriage or twist in pain at the idea of a divorce. Turning, she mimicked his stance, looking out at the ocean. But like him, she didn’t see the beauty in front of her. Instead, her mind was working, trying to figure out what she needed to do. How could she make this man love her, even a little? If she were pregnant, would he love her a little? Could he learn to love her?

  What if she wasn’t pregnant? What if last night hadn’t created a new life inside of her?

  Closing her eyes, she prayed that a miracle had happened.

  Jahlil turned, looking down at Maya. She’d been so quiet this morning. If she’d shown him even a small bit of joy over what had transpired last night, he might have kissed her. Hell, he might have tried to convince her to go right back into the bedroom and do all it all over again! Even now, looking at her in the cute shorts and stretchy top, he wanted to rip her clothes off and make love to her right here, under the blazing sun.

  Last night had been too dark. He wanted to see what he’d been feeling and tasting! He wanted…hell, he wanted Maya!

  And yet, she looked devastated at the thought of marrying him. How could so many other women desire him, and yet, the one woman he wanted more than anything in this world, didn’t want him at all!

  But…she’d wanted him last night. Had she been faking her passion? No, that was a ridiculous question. There was no way to fake that kind of a sexual response.

  So…if she hadn’t been faking it, what would she do if he kissed her right now?

  Taking her hands, he turned her so that they were facing each other. “Is the thought of being married to me so horrifying, Maya?” he asked gently, heart in his throat.

  “No!” she gasped, looking up at him. He felt her fingers curl around his hands, almost as if she needed to feel him just as much as he needed to touch her. “Not at all!”

  “Was last night a trial for you?”

  Maya laughed. “A trial?” Then her face softened. “Jahlil, last night was…” she paused. “It was beautiful. I’ve never felt anything like that before.” Her lashes lowered and she sighed slightly. “I’m probably not supposed to say things like this, but last night was…unbelievably wonderful!” she finally finished, then peeked up at him through her lashes.

  Jahlil looked into her eyes, trying to determine if she was just telling him what he wanted to hear. But there was genuine sincerity in her gaze. He kissed her before the thought finished forming. It was just a brief brush of his lips against hers. But because he was still holding her hands, he felt her shiver. Deciding that was good, especially since she inched closer, pulling her hands out of his light grasp and placing her hands on his chest, he did it again. And again! Deepening the kiss each time until he couldn’t stand it any longer. He pulled her into his arms, pressing her softness against his body, trying to control the lust that was overwhelming his good sense.

  A not-so-subtle cough interrupted their moment. As Jahlil straightened up, he was ready to fire whoever had interrupted this interlude.

  Unfortunately, duty was an always-present monster. Slowly, he released Maya and turned, finding Ormond in the doorway. “Yes?” he snapped, more harshly than he’d meant to speak.

  Ormond cringed slightly. “My apologies for interrupting, Your Highness. Your next meeting is in five minutes.”

  Jahlil sighed, but he nodded. “I’ll be there. Give me a moment.”

  Ormond nodded, bowing as he left the terrace.

  Jahlil turned to Maya. Putting a hand to her cheek, he looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry about this plan. But it has to be this way. Can you be ready tonight?” he asked.

  “Absolutely,” she told him. “Don’t worry about me, Jahlil. I’m fine.” She gave him a tentative smile and a slight shrug. “Go to your meetings.”

  He wanted to stay here and talk to her, to figure out what was going through her mind. But these meetings were beyond important. He couldn’t be late. So, instead of kissing her like he wanted, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, then stepped back. “If you wouldn’t mind, could you stay here in the resort where my guards can protect you?”

  “Absolutely,” she replied immediately, smiling in response. “I won’t disappear again.”

  “Thank you,” he said, relief surging through him. “Until tonight then.”

  “Good luck,” she called after him.

  He kept walking, fighting the urge to look back over his shoulder as he went.

  Chapter 11

  Maya sipped the hot, fragrant coffee, going through everything that had just happened. She was marrying Jahlil. Because there was a potential baby. Because of last night’s incredible passion!

  Married! She was to marry Jahlil! Her deepest secret longings were about to become a reality!

  When she stared into the dark liquid, she thought about the potential for a child. What would she do with a sweet, adorable baby? Love them, obviously. Teach them how to be a responsible, compassionate, generous person, she thought.

  Dirty diapers. Sleepless nights. The fears and anxieties about caring for a child…yes, she knew about those issues. Maya had enough friends who had already gone through childbirth to know that pregnancy wasn’t always the blissful, wonderful forty weeks that the baby food commercials portrayed. It could sometimes be a living nightmare. But she also knew from her friends that those nightmarish moments were compensated for by bursts of pure joy and happiness.

  Something occurred to her as she looked down at her cup. Coffee. Coffee? She couldn’t drink coffee! If she was pregnant, then she couldn’t have caffeine.

  Carefully setting the delicate cup down into the saucer, she looked around. Instantly, a servant appeared. “How can I help you, ma’am?” he asked, bowing ever so slightly.

  “Could I have a cup of herbal tea?” she asked.

  The man bowed in reply. “Of course. I’ll get it for you right away. Is there anything else you’d like for breakfast?”

  Maya thought about that for a moment. Usually, she didn’t eat breakfast. She just woke up, went for a run, showered and worked from the home office she’d set up. But, if she was pregnant, then her baby would need better nutrition. She couldn’t skip meals like she had in the past.

  “How about a bowl of fresh fruit?” she asked.

  “Absolutely, ma’am. Anything else?”

  Maya couldn’t think about what else a growing baby might need. She’d have to read up about it. “No, that’s all for now. Thank you very much.”

  The man bowed again, then left the terrace. Maya had seen the subservience of the staff at the palace in Celina towards Jahlil and found it annoying. But she hadn’t ever been subjected to this kind of deference. Now she knew that it was a pain in the butt!

  Ormond stepped onto the terrace. “Ma’am, I apologize for interrupting your breakfast, but His Highness asked that I procure a special dress for you.” He tapped on his tablet, then looked at her. “Would you mind telling me your size?”

  Maya was a bit startled. She hadn’t gotten as far as the logistics of marrying a man by the end of the day. But obviously, Jahlil had. He’d gone so far as to tell his personal assistant to get the event organized. Good grief!

  She frowned thoughtfully up at Ormond. “A dress!” she repeated, sitting up straighter as she thought about it. “I guess I’m a size eight or ten?”

  The man bowed, and typed something into his tablet. “Excellent. And do you have a preference on dinner tonight?”

  Preference on dinner. Interesting thought. “I guess some sort of chicken and a variety of vegetables,” she told him, once again thinking about her baby.

  “I’ll make that happen,” he replied, backing away, still tapping on that tablet. She had no idea what that guy was typing, but she suspected that it was a whole lot more than just her dress size and meal preference.

  Taking a deep breath, she contemplated her existence today compared to yesterday. Everything looked different now, simply because last night had changed…everything! She might be pregnant. She was getting married to the man she’d been madly in love with for five years. She was on a beautiful tropical island instead of back in snowy Boston. What more could a woman want?

  Maybe the assurance that the man she was marrying loved her back. And the knowledge that she wouldn’t be forced into a divorce if she wasn’t pregnant.

  Chapter 12

  Maya sighed as she flipped through the pages of her book. She’d already read this one. Why had she brought it again?

  Her gaze lifted, drifting to the large, elegant cabana set up on the far side of the pool. Three men sat around a small table, serious and concerned about whatever it was they were discussing.

  Jahlil was one of them. She hadn’t meant to interrupt his concentration, but she knew that he looked over at her occasionally. The black, two piece bathing suit she was wearing wasn’t particularly revealing. It was actually pretty conservative, compared to some of the other bathing suits she’d seen women wearing. But still, every time she caught Jahlil looking at her, she felt…naked. Was he undressing her with his eyes?

  Wishful thinking, she decided. Jahlil was one of the most focused men she’d ever met. He’d never mentally undress a woman while he was working. And besides, she was too far away. He probably didn’t even recognize her from this distance.

  Another woman, a lovely brunette, walked over to the cabana. She looked irritated about something, but Maya had no idea what and she was too far away to overhear the conversation. But one of the men from the cabana stood up and kissed her. It was a searing kiss, even from this distance. But the man stepped away from her, moving back to his chair inside the cabana.

  The woman looked around, then wandered in a seemingly aimless manner around the pool. She looked angry, and Maya wondered why.

  It appeared as if she might just leave the pool area. It was very crowded. In fact, the only empty chaise lounge was the one next to Maya. And that chair was being guarded by the big, scary men behind her. As soon as the woman’s eyes lit upon the empty chaise, Maya gave her a welcoming smile, gesturing towards the chair.

  The woman looked intensely relieved as she walked over to the chair and sat down. Well, she flopped into the chair, obviously flustered.

  “Your husband is very sweet,” Maya commented.

  The lovely woman turned her head. “I’m sorry?”

  Maya nodded towards the three men in the cabana. “Sheik el Moussa,” she clarified, recognizing the other two leaders because of the research she’d done after acknowledging her feelings for Jahlil. “Of those three, he’s probably the kindest,” she continued.

  The woman looked stunned. “You know him?”

  Maya shrugged, flipping the page in her book. “I recognize all three of them.” She looked at the men again, thinking of the conversation with Jahlil this morning. “One of them is my fiancé,” she admitted. That word sent a thrill of pleasure throughout her whole body. “I’m Maya Tisdale,” she said to the pretty woman. “And you are?”

  “Brielle Capson,” the other woman replied, looking over at the men.

  “Your son is adorable,” Maya replied, thinking of the little boy she’d seen in the dining room last night. He looked exactly like his dad. Even from a distance, she could see the resemblance.

  “Thank you,” Brielle smiled, her shoulders relaxing as she thought about her son. “Which one is your fiancé?”

  “He’s the one sitting next to your husband.” She sighed, looking down at her book. “I’m not even sure that he knows that I’m here.”

  Brielle blinked, her golden eyes reminding Maya of a lion. “I’m sure he’s–”

  Maya shook her head. “Our relationship is…complicated,” she said.

  After that, they talked of other things and the time passed wonderfully. Fruity drinks were delivered, as were a variety of snacks. Maya wondered if Jahlil had ordered them because he discovered that she’d only eaten fruit for breakfast, but she didn’t mind. She was hungry and the ever present possibility of a baby kept her focused on nutrition.

  About mid-afternoon, Maya waved goodbye to the other woman, thinking she was a very nice person. She’d love to get to know Brielle a bit better, but they’d probably never see each other again after today. Still, it had been nice to talk with someone. Being with Jahlil tended to be a bit…isolating. She’d never considered it before, but with his security detail so close by, she didn’t feel as if she could converse with just anyone.

  After washing off the sunscreen, Maya changed and stepped out of her bedroom, only to find Ormond standing there in the great room, waiting for her. “Oh!” she gasped, startled by his presence.

  “My apologies Ms. Tisdale,” he said, bowing slightly. “His Highness asked that I arrange for some wedding dresses for you to choose from.” He waved towards a rack that had been rolled into the room. “I called several designers here on the island and was able to procure ten of them for your review.” He stepped back. “Choose whichever you prefer and I’ll arrange to have the others returned.”

  Maya was impressed by his efficiency. And even more astounded by the selection of dresses. There were full ball gowns, which would flare out into a massive skirt, as well as silky, slinky gowns that would skim over her figure.