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“They would and they do. They don’t want to lose you.”
Her pulse pounded in her ears. “Wait. What? You’ve spoken to them about me?”
He nodded, his eyes darkening at her shrill, accusing voice. But he didn’t look apologetic. Not one bit.
“I did. They have no idea I’m a sheikh, only that you’re my wife.”
“You had no right,” she gritted. Yet something inside her was softening, wanting to give into him and his idea.
“Just as I had no right to send you away when you needed me most.”
“But you did, didn’t you?”
And now it was all too little, too late.
“I did,” he conceded. “But in all honesty, I came back that same day to apologize for telling you to leave, and to beg you to stay. Then I overheard you tell the doctor you didn’t care about anything else but catching a plane, and all my best of intentions went up in smoke. I thought you wanted to go back to England and to the man you loved.”
“The man I’d invented to rub you the wrong way?”
He sighed heavily. “Yes, that one.”
She dropped her arms to the sides, much of the fight going out of her. “I only did that knowing you had your harem waiting for you somewhere inside the palace.”
“Harem?” He snorted. “Seriously? I had them leave the moment I decided you would be my wife.”
Her heart gave a little squeeze. “You did?” she whispered. “So there are no other women?”
“No. Why would I want them when you’re all I’ve wanted from the first day I saw you?”
“I-I don’t know what to say.”
“Say that you love me.” He pulled a box out of his pocket and clicked open its lid, revealing her wedding ring. It was only then she realized he was still wearing his. Then kneeling on the dirty, wet pavement, he said, “I love you, Arabelle. I have from the very first day I laid eyes on you. Take your ring back. Takemeback.Please.”
Whatever doubts and insecurities she had melted away in that moment, disappearing down the street gutters along with the rain. “Yes!” she shouted. She ran to him and he straightened quickly and snapped shut the ring box as she jumped into his arms, his mouth immediately stealing away her breath as he kissed her and she kissed him right back.
Only when she tore her lips free from his did she gaze into his eyes and say, “I love you, too. I denied it for the longest time, but I’m never going to deny it again. We really do belong together.” She winked. “And I haven’t forgotten that you owe me sex up against the wall.”
Epilogue
Arabelle stared at herself in the mirror, admiring the bump of her tummy behind her elegant red evening gown. No birthday present could possibly match becoming a mother. For someone who’d never really thought about children, she wanted a whole posse of them now.
As much as she loved her work she’d gladly scale back her editing to part-time while she raised her baby with Mahindar. He’d been right. Motherhood was surely the most important job in the world, and she wanted to raise her children as best as she could.
She grinned. She was almost certain the promise she’d reminded him about taking her against the wall was when they had conceived. That he’d not used the alleyway walls and had instead waited until he’d taken her back to her tiny apartment was a credit to him.
“You’re beautiful,habibi.”
She turned to her husband, who wore an Armani suit in honor of her birthday. Not that she minded either way. He was gorgeous in both his western attire and his formal robes. It was just a bonus that he wanted to please her.
He strode toward her and placed a protective hand over her stomach as he leaned forward for a long, luxurious kiss. When he pulled back he murmured, “The guests are waiting. But there is just one thing I want to show you first.”
She blinked, her curiosity aroused. “Sounds mysterious.”
He chuckled and led her out of their bedroom suite and down the stairs. It wasn’t until he drew her into the shadowy ballroom and across its black and white checkered floor that she even recalled they had such an expansive room.
“What are we doing here?” she asked in a whisper that nevertheless echoed in the vast space.
“I thought we could have a private dance,” he murmured.
