Claimed For The Desert Prince's Heir / A Shocking Proposal In Sicily. Heidi Rice

feel as if it was just a result of her long-held desire that one day she wanted to be a mother. No, these complex urges were not generic or anonymous, but intrinsically linked to Raif and the intense time they had shared together, every single moment of which she kept reliving.

      Her phone buzzed and she shrieked.

       Okay, it’s official—you are actually going insane.

      But when she looked at the stopwatch she realised her two minutes weren’t up yet. Instead, a message had appeared on the phone screen from the sponsorship team at Devereaux College. She frowned as she read the message.

      Ms Salah,

      We’ve received a request that you attend a black-tie reception tonight in London at eight p.m.

      The guest of honour Mr R Khan—a billionaire businessman from your home region, I understand—is thinking of funding a scholarship programme at Devereaux. We would very much appreciate it if you would agree to attend this event so that you can discuss your current research with him. We are hopeful that a scholarship programme of this nature, if agreed, will help fund your PhD.

      A car will be made available to transport you to London.

      Regards

      Alice Evershot

      Devereaux Scholarship Team

      The request was not at all what she needed right now. But she would have to attend the event tonight and make a good impression—any chance of getting her PhD funded was not something she could afford to pass up.

      But when the alarm on her phone buzzed again, making her jump, she realised Alice Evershot’s request had managed to take her mind off Raif and that one seminal night in the desert for ten full seconds—a record for the last month.

      Drawing a breath into her lungs, she reached for the test stick, finally ready to face what the rest of her life might hold.

      The breath was released in a shattered gasp as she read the result.