The Sheikh's Collection. Оливия Гейтс

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