One Night Of Consequences Collection. Annie West

nodded.

      ‘Try a beach ball.’ She laughed and picked up a bottle of water from the table and took a gulp. ‘A very large and very hard beach ball.’ Her eyes misted over. ‘And then it was over and she was on my chest and honestly I...’ Her throat clogged as she remembered that she had looked around the stark, empty hospital room and wished that Nadir was there. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her and her eyes caught his. ‘The midwife said that during the birth I called your name.’

      In the process of laying Nadeena on a shaded rug, he stilled and looked at her. Imogen instantly felt self-conscious revealing so much and would have taken another quick gulp of water but Nadir was there and pulling her in against his chest. ‘I’m so sorry I let you down.’ He drew back and stared into her eyes. Rubbed his thumb gently over the drop of water that clung to her lower lip. ‘I’m so sorry you had to go through that alone.’

      ‘I wasn’t completely alone.’ She sniffed back a rush of tears. ‘Minh visited and took care of us afterwards.’

      ‘Great.’ The word came out on a snarl. ‘Remind me to thank him next time I see him.’

      Wondering what was up with him, she frowned. ‘He’s com—’

      Nadir placed a finger over her lips. ‘I don’t want to talk about him.’ His voice was low and fierce. ‘You won’t ever need him or any other man again, do you understand, Imogen?’ He was as intense as he had been when he’d told her he was taking her to Bakaan and wouldn’t accept any arguments and Imogen was riveted. ‘And if we have more children you will never have to go through that without me again. I promise.’

      More children? She hadn’t given any thought to more children but they hadn’t used contraception the whole time they had been in Bakaan. Silly, but she hadn’t even thought of it. Her hand went to her belly and she tried to make sense of the jumbled emotions that assailed her. Happiness, disbelief, anxiety...

      ‘What is it, habibi? Don’t you want more children?’

      Yes, oh, yes. She loved being a mother. ‘Yes. Do you?’

      His smile was the sweetest thing Imogen had ever seen. ‘Many.’

      A giddy thrill rushed through her. The only thing that would make this moment more special was if he said that he loved her.

      She let out a shaky breath. Oh, what she would give to hear those sweet words come out of his mouth.

      ‘I never thought you wanted children,’ she said softly.

      He gave a short laugh. ‘I didn’t. I guess things change. People change.’

      Imogen thought about her father and wondered if he had changed. If he was nicer to his new family. Had it just been her and her mother he couldn’t love?

      ‘What is it, habibi?’

      Imogen bit the inside of her lip. She smiled up at him and shook her head. ‘Nothing.’ Why ruin the moment by thinking about the past? Nadir cared about her, she could see that much in his eyes, and he wanted her. Physically, their relationship was as good as she could wish for. As good as she remembered. She rested her head against his shoulder and tried not to give in to the gremlins inside her head that said this bubble of happiness couldn’t last.

      ‘Come—I have organised a surprise.’

      ‘What is it?’

      ‘Sand-boarding.’

      Having expected him to say something like spa, or oasis, or beach, Imogen was completely flummoxed when he named something she’d never heard of before and which sounded like something builders did to houses when they repaired them. ‘What is it?’

      ‘You’ll love it, habibi. Trust me. It’s just like waterskiing.’

      * * *

      ‘I trusted you,’ she groaned as she stretched her over-worked hamstrings. ‘And sand-boarding is nothing like waterskiing.’

      Nadir lounged in the doorway to her bedroom and grinned. ‘It isn’t?’

      Imogen glared at him. Sand-boarding had been just part of the surprise he had organised. He’d also taken them to an oasis and taken delicious advantage of their time alone together every time Nadeena went down for a nap. They had existed in a blissful bubble and then she’d ruined it by trying to sand-board down a dune as big as a mountain. ‘You know it isn’t. It’s completely insane to throw yourself down a one hundred foot sand dune in the middle of the blazing sun.’

      ‘Ah, but that was your mistake, habibi—throwing yourself down. The trick is to actually stay on the board.’

      Imogen rubbed her sore bottom she’d used to skate down when the steep incline had petrified her. ‘Thanks for the tip.’

      ‘But I was very impressed that you even tried it. I don’t know another woman who would.’

      Imogen rolled her eyes because she’d slid most of the way down on her bottom. ‘Pride,’ she said ruefully. ‘They say it always comes before a fall and I fell so often my butt is still stinging.

      Nadir straightened away from the door and came towards her. ‘I can kiss it better if you’d like?’ He leaned in and kissed her and Imogen wrapped her arms around his neck. Finally when he drew back he left his arms around her waist and she gazed up at him. ‘I’ve had a wonderful couple of days. Thank you.’

      ‘My pleasure. I hope you enjoyed the oasis. It’s one of my favourite spots.’

      ‘It was extraordinary and I don’t know why it isn’t already on everyone’s top ten tourist destinations. Really, Nadir, your ideas for turning it into an eco-resort are second to none.’

      ‘You are second to none, habibi. Now, please tell me you have changed your mind about us spending the night before our wedding alone.’

      Imogen pulled back and made a face. ‘I haven’t. You know it’s a tradition for the bride and groom to spend the evening apart and I want to start our marriage off on the right foot.’ And usually the bride spent it with her friends but Caro and Minh hadn’t been able to fly in until tomorrow so it was just going to be her and Nadeena once Nadir left. ‘But what about Zachim? I know you’re really worried about him now and if you want to postpone the wedding we can.’

      ‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘The council have turned it into a big deal so it’s important that our wedding goes ahead. I’ll find Zach.’

      ‘And if you don’t?’

      ‘I will.’

      He was always so confident. So sure.

      ‘Tell me, are you happy, habibi?’

      Imogen hesitated. Would she jinx herself by saying yes? Because she was happy. Happier than she had been in a long time. Deciding that was a silly superstition anyway, she nodded. ‘Yes, I am.’

      He kissed the tip of her nose and went to the cot to kiss his daughter, who lay sprawled asleep on her back, and Imogen wrapped her arms around herself and wondered if she had a right to feel so contented.

      ‘Goodnight.’

      Nadir gave her a searing kiss that nearly had her changing her mind about tradition but then he pulled away, briefly rested his forehead against hers and left.

      Imogen closed the door behind him and leant against it, which was when she realised that she was still wearing his keffiyah.

      Pulling it from her head, she clutched it to her chest as she remembered him winding it around her head to keep the sun from burning her. She sighed. Already she felt lonely without him and she told herself it was dangerous to want him so much. Dangerous to rely on him so much. But, try as she might, she couldn’t remove the grin from her face.

      Her phone beeped a text message and she smiled when she saw it was from Minh, telling