The Sheikh's Collection. Оливия Гейтс

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.”

      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.”

      “Are you sure you’ve accepted it?”

      It was as if she could see straight to his soul. “I have no choice. My father never spoke of her. But then, he rarely spoke to me. Perhaps I reminded him too much of her.”

      “At least you actually knew your real father.”

      “Not necessarily.” The words spilled out of his stupid mouth before he’d had time to reel them back in.

      She shifted slightly toward him and laid a palm on his arm. “Are you saying the king wasn’t your biological father?”

      He saw no reason to conceal his concerns now that he’d taken her into his confidence. “I only know I do not resemble him or my brothers. My hair is lighter and so are my eyes.”

      “That’s not definitive proof, Adan,” she said. “Maybe you look like your mother.”

      “I’ve seen a few photographs, and I see nothing of me in her. She had almost jet-black hair and extremely dark eyes, like Rafiq.”

      “If that’s the case, then why would you think someone else fathered you?”

      “Because my mother was reportedly very unhappy, and I suspect she could have turned to another man for comfort. Rafiq’s former wife, Rima, did that very thing due to her own discontent with the marriage.”

      “Are you certain you’re not speculating because of Rafiq’s situation?”

      He had valid reasons for his suspicions, namely his father’s two-decade affair with the governess. Yet he had no intention of skewing Piper’s opinion of Elena by revealing the truth yet. “My parents’ marriage was arranged, as tradition ordained it. Marriage contracts are basically business arrangements, and in theory advantageous for both families. Unfortunately, when human emotions enter into the mix, the intent behind the agreement becomes muddled.”

      She frowned. “You mean emotions as in love?”

      “Yes. The motivating force behind many of the world’s ills.”

      “And the cure for many more.”

      She didn’t sound pleased with his assessment. She had sounded somewhat wistful. “Spoken like a true romantic.”

      “Spoken like a diehard cynic,” she said. “But your cynical days could soon be over now that you have a baby. There is no greater love than that which exists between parent and child, provided the parent is open to that love.”

      That sounded somewhat like an indictment to his character. “I have already established that bond with my son. But I have never welcomed romantic love for lack of a good example.” And for fear of the inability to live up to unreasonable expectations.

      She inclined her head and studied him. “Love isn’t something you always have to work at, Your Highness. Sometimes it happens when you least expect it.”

      Piper sounded as if she spoke of her own experiences. “Have you ever been in love?” he asked.

      “Not to this point.” She glanced away briefly before bringing her attention back to him. “Do arranged marriages still exist in the royal family?”

      Happily for him, the answer was no. “That requirement changed after Rafiq inherited the crown. Otherwise he would not have been able to marry a divorced woman. All the better. It was an illogical and worthless tradition, in my opinion.”

      She offered him a sunny smile that seemed somehow forced. “Well, I guess we really bucked tradition by arranging to have a fake marriage.”

      At the moment he’d like to have a fake honeymoon, yet he still had reservations. Piper had accommodated the king’s wishes by joining in the ruse, and she’d selflessly helped care for his son. He never wanted her to believe he would take advantage of the situation. “Quite frankly, all this talk of family dysfunction is making me weary.” He stood and offered his hand. “Would you care to go for a swim?”

      “Yes, I most definitely would,” she said as she allowed him to help her up. “But are you sure you’re up to it? You look tired, and I suspect that has to do with Sam.”

      “He was awake quite a bit last night and I had the devil of a time getting him back to sleep after the two o’clock feeding. Yet I grew accustomed to little sleep while training for my military duties.”

      “Why didn’t you wake me? I would have taken a shift.”

      “Because my child is my responsibility, not yours.” He immediately regretted the somewhat callous remark and set out to make amends. “I definitely appreciate all that you’ve done, but I do not want to take advantage of your generosity.”

      She attempted a smile that failed to reach her blue eyes. “I really don’t mind, Adan. What are fake mothers for?”

      He could always count on her to use humor to cover her hurt. Hurt that he had caused. “We’ll worry about Samuel’s care when we return in two days.”

      Her mouth momentarily dropped open. “Two days? I thought you said this was an afternoon outing.”

      He endeavored to appear guileless. “Did I?”

      She doomed him to hell with a look. “You did.”

      “My apologies. As it turns out, we have been instructed by the king to remain absent from the palace for two days to avoid the media frenzy. I do think it’s best we return tomorrow before sundown. I do not want to be away from Samuel two nights.”

      “But my grandfather ordered me to see that the engineers finalize the—”

      “Bid, and that has been handled by Rafiq. He has accepted, and the contract will be couriered to your grandfather