“Your brother?” Now he was confused.
“Yes, Cross is my brother.” She snapped her fingers at him. “Keep up, okay?”
Upon closer inspection, he did see the similarities in their features. The lips and the chin, for sure. “He was the reason she was out there in the desert. She ran away from him.”
“And would you blame her? She laid her cards out, and he rejected her. So, she got her heart broken. It happens. She got over it. Then you kidnapped—er, ‘met’ her, and now for some reason, she’s in love with you.”
“She is not in love with me.” The words were like knives cutting across his skin. “I have offered her everything, even my own heart, yet she does not return my feelings. Then last night, I saw him. With her, inside her apartment.” Even now, jealousy crept under his skin, coursing through his veins like a vigilant poison.
“Yes, so Cross came back for her. And she had it for a moment, what she thought she wanted all these months, but instead she kicked him out and chose you, you bastard! And what, the moment things get tough, you throw a temper tantrum without letting her explain? Are you a fucking toddler who found out Santa Claus wasn’t real? Put on your big boy pants, Your Highness, and deal with this like an adult.”
Her words made his head spin, like he was riding on a Ferris wheel that suddenly halted. “She’s … in love with me?”
“Yes, you moron!” She shot to her feet. “Ding, ding, ding, give the man a prize!” She marched up to him and poked her finger at him. “And another thing—” Her eyes went wide.
He waited for her to continue, but she stood there, motionless. “Yes? What other thing?”
She sucked in a breath. “My water just broke.”
“How is that relevant to Desiree—” He felt the wetness on his slippered feet. “Mother Inana!”
“Oh. My. Fucking. God!” Astrid cried. “I’m actually having this baby!”
“We should call a doctor!” He glanced over at Delacroix, who had surprisingly turned pale.
“You don’t understand,” she moaned. “I’m actually having this baby now.” An ear-splitting shriek escaped her mouth, one that made him want to run for the sand dunes and never return.
“I can get you to the hospital—”
“No hospital, please.” Her talon-like fingers dug into his arm. “I just need to lie down—”
“Are you crazy? You can’t give birth here!”
“My doctor’s too far away, and I’m not going to make it.” Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. “Delacroix!”
“I’m already on the phone,” the Cajun hollered back. His cellphone was pressed to his ear as he muttered to himself silently.
“Call my dad, he’ll know what to do,” she cried. “Where’s your bed?”
“I—” He grit his teeth and lifted her up in his arms. She didn’t protest at all as he carried her into the master bedroom and then lay her gently on top of the covers.
“Oh God, I’m not birthing this child around you,” she moaned.
“Believe me, I am as thrilled as you are at the prospect.” He pivoted to walk away from her but her fingers wrapped around his hand and pulled back. “What—oww! Dagan’s beard, woman, are you trying to break my hand?”
“Don’t leave me!” Another shriek left her mouth, and he resisted the urge to pry her talons away. “I don’t want to be alone.”
He huffed, then knelt down beside the bed. “All right. I am a prince. I can handle this.” His tone was full of confidence. “So, why don’t you take a deep breath and—”
“I am fucking breathing,” she heaved. “I do it all the fucking time. I don’t know how that’s supposed to help.”
“And I suppose profanity eases your pain?”
“Actually, it does,” she snapped. “God, if Deedee ever takes you back, I hope you suffer worse than you are now when it’s time to have your baby.”
“I can’t possibly suffer more than I am now.” The prospect of Desiree having their child and being in so much pain made him break out into a nervous sweat.
“Asshole,” she bit out, then clenched her teeth as her hand went down to her stomach. “Oh God, take my pants off, this baby’s almost here.”
Now that was the last straw. He got up and extricated her fingers from his. “I am sorry, but there are just some things I cannot—”
“Astrid! Astrid, are you okay?”
When he turned around, he saw the warlock behind him, and a second man he’d never seen before. The unknown man rushed over to Astrid and grabbed her hand. “I’m here. Okay, baby, just breathe. In and out. In and—”
“Why the fuck is everyone telling me to breathe?” Astrid screamed. “I know how to fucking breathe, just get this baby out of me!”
The man turned to the warlock. “Daric—the doctor.”
“I’m on it.” Daric shimmered away.
Karim cleared his throat. “I should probably leave.”
“You probably should,” Astrid said through gritted teeth. “This isn’t going to be pretty.”
“You’re gorgeous, baby,” the man—Astrid’s husband and mate, presumably—said as he brushed her hair out of her face.
“Did I say I wasn’t, Zachary?” she spat. “What I meant was, your face won’t be so pretty once I’m done—”
Zachary leaned down and kissed her. “I love you too, baby.”
Astrid sobbed. “Me too. I’m just scared.”
“The doctor will be here soon,” he soothed. “Hang on just a bit, okay?”
As they whispered to each other, Karim suddenly felt out of place and quietly exited the room. With a deep sigh, he closed the door gently.
“Everything okay in there, Your Highness?” Delacroix asked.
“I think it will be fine.” He heard two more voices coming from the inside of his room, and he assumed the warlock had come back with the doctor.
Walking over to the bar, he took out his personal bottle of Three Wolves Whiskey Duncan had sent over the other day and poured out two glasses, offering one to the Cajun.
“Thank you.” He took the offered glass and raised it. “To the new parents, eh?”
“I will drink to that.” He clinked his glass to the other man’s and then they both downed their drinks. “Do you think they will be long?”
“Probably not too long.” The scream from the other room, followed by a string of profanities, made them both wince. Delacroix sank down on the couch. “At least, I hope not.”
Karim joined him, taking the bottle with him and refilling both their glasses. They sat there without saying a word, sipping their whiskey and cringing in unison whenever Astrid bellowed and yelled.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a different scream pierced the air—that of a healthy baby. Both men rose from the couch as the door opened.
“It’s a girl.” Daric’s smile was as wide as the Sahara, and he approached Karim. “Your Highness, thank you for staying with my daughter while I went to fetch her husband. And for lending us your room.”
“Daughter?” Of course. He was a carbon copy of that man—Cross. Was everyone around here related?
“If there is anything I can do for you, let me know. I am in your debt.” He bowed his head. “Though perhaps I may be able to return the favor in the future.”
He doubted it, but nodded anyway. “Congratulations. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to call the front desk and arrange for them to move me to another suite.”
Karim settled into his new suite sometime later, just one floor below his old one, since his previous one was now occupied. He’d called Vahid and explained to him what happened so that the man didn’t accidentally enter the wrong suite. Also, after hearing what Astrid had to say, he instructed him to cancel their trip back to Zhobghadi.
The woman’s words stung, but she was right. He told Desiree that he was going to do what it took to make himself worthy of her, and the moment things went wrong, he ran away without allowing her to explain.
If Duncan were here, he would probably say that he was shite at this groveling and wooing thing. But how could he possibly win her back now?
I should go to her.
The Great One snorted in agreement.
Yes, that’s it. Get down on his knees, beg her to take him back. With a determined stride, he walked to the door and yanked it open. What he saw on the other side made him stop.
“Hello, is—Karim?” Desiree’s light green eyes lit up in surprise. “What are you doing here?” She swung her head around. “Where did he go?”
“Me?” He was surprised his voice even worked right now. “This is my room.”
“But Daric brought me here. He said Astrid had her baby and she needed me.” She scratched her head. “But he just disappeared.”
“The warlock brought you here?”
“He must have made a mistake.” She glanced around. “I thought we’d be at the Medical Wing of The Enclave.”
“Wait!” He reached out and took her hand before she could try to get away. If the warlock had brought her here, it must have been for a reason. “Don’t go.”
“Astrid—”
“Astrid is upstairs.”
She looked even more confused. “Upstairs? Here?”
“In my old suite. She was there when her water broke. It was too late to bring her to the hospital, so her father brought her husband and the doctor, who delivered the baby in my room.”
“So, she is here … but why did she come?”
“She, uh, came to see me this morning to ‘tear me a new one’ as she put it.”
Recognition lit up her eyes. “Oh. Sorry about that. She really shouldn’t have—”
“Yes, she should have. I deserved it.” Silence hung between them like a thick fog. Finally, he said, “Can we talk, Desiree? Please?”
“I—” Hesitation was evident on her face. “I don’t know if there’s anything to talk about.”
“I beg you. Please.”
Her expression faltered. “Fine, but I can’t stay too long.” She stepped inside his room when he motioned for her to come in. Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned to him, not saying anything. And so, he spoke first.
“I shouldn’t have accused you of those things last night.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.” Her tone was so chilly it could have frozen the desert sun.
“I didn’t know the whole story until Astrid came to me this morning.”
“No, you didn’t.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “But I was so jealous, seeing that man in your house. I assumed the worst because … because I was hurt that you didn’t return my feelings.”
“Karim …” Her voice shook as she said his name, and her arms dropped to her sides. “Y-y-you just left last night.”
“I’m sorry.”
Her lower lip trembled. “Y-y-you didn’t let make things right. I was going to fix it.”
Hope bloomed in his chest. “Fix what?”
“What was between us. B-but you walked away before I had the chance to make things right. To tell you.”
He took a step forward, crowding her personal space. “Tell me what, habibti?”
“That I love you too,” she sobbed. “And now you don’t believe—Karim, what are you doing?”
He was getting down on one knee when he paused. “Groveling, apparently.” He gave her a small smile. “They say a future king kneels for no one, but I will do so for you.”
“Stop, please.” She grabbed his forearms and pulled him up. “Don’t. You shouldn’t have to—”
“But I do. It’s part of groveling, you know.” But he allowed her to pull him up, then leaned down toward her. “I feel like I’ve waited so long for you to say those words.”
“I love you, I do,” she whispered. “I don’t think I ever stopped. Not when—” She hooked a finger inside her blouse and fished something out. Something gold and shiny. “I couldn’t bear to take it off.”
His heart nearly burst out of his chest at the sight of the necklace around her neck. “Do you remember when I gave this to you, habibti?”
She nodded. “The first night.”
“The first night we made love, yes.” He caressed the necklace where it lay on her collarbone. “It belonged to my mother.” She gasped, but remained silent, though she looked up at him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “It was the only thing I had left of her. I crept into her room that night she … she … and I took it.”
“Karim …”
He brushed away the tear that fell down her cheek. “I couldn’t bear it. I wasn’t enough for her to stay. I’m never enough. And now I’ve proven it again, by not trusting you.”
“Shh … Karim. You’re enough. More than enough for me.” She got on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his throat. “And you have to believe I’m strong. Strong enough for you.”
“Yes, that was my mistake. You are strong, my Desiree. Stronger than I or anyone can see.” He dug his fingers into her hair and pulled her head back to capture her mouth in a kiss. He felt like he’d been parched for days—no, years—and she was his only salvation. He would have continued to kiss her, but they were both out of breath.
“Karim, please. I need you.”
And so, he swept her up into his arms and carried her back to his room. He lay her down on the bed and stepped back so he could take his tunic and pants off. She too, made quick work of her skirt and blouse, but he stopped her when she reached for her bra.
“Allow me.” He unhooked the front of her bra, freeing her breasts. The white gold chain lying between them made his instincts stir, and he moved over her and took her sweet mouth once more. “I’m sorry, I can’t wait. It’s been too long. This might be quick,” he said against her lips.
“We can do slow later.” She moaned and lifted her hips when he reached for her panties and took them off. “I need you now, inside me.”
He pressed a finger to her entrance. Gods, she was already soaked. The air was bursting with her scent and arousal mixed together. His cock was already hard and it twitched with pain. He wanted to wait and savor her.
Her hips pushed up against him. “Now, Karim. Please.”
“A queen doesn’t beg,” he rasped. He pressed the tip of his cock against her core. “My habibti. My beloved. My queen.” Mother of my children.
Her hands raked down his arms as he pushed inside her. It was still a tight fit, despite her arousal, so he had to move in inch by excruciating inch at a time. Finally, when he was fully inside her, she let out a breath and relaxed.
He made love to her slowly, but it was too much. Her heat grasped around him, her scent, and the way she moaned and gasped was too exciting. He moved quicker, picking up the tempo as her movements and sounds encouraged him. When she cried out and tightened around him, her beautiful face twisting as she reached her peak, he couldn’t hold on.
She continued to wring out every ounce of pleasure from him, and he let out a roar as he emptied himself inside her. He thought she moaned his name, or screamed I love you, but the white noise from his orgasm made his ears ring. His spent body collapsed on top of hers, and he held her close, as if she was going to disappear any moment and he would wake up from this wonderful dream.
When feeling returned to his body, he rolled over and withdrew from her, then wrapped himself around her. Unable to help himself, he moved a hand down to her stomach. It had been driving him crazy, the last few days, thinking about what Julianna and Duncan had told him. Were they really True Mates?
Mine. Ours. Mate.
The Great One seemed to think so, but never in the thousand-year history of their people had they ever recorded such a phenomena. What if it wasn�
��t the case and she had some other man waiting for her? What if it was that other man, Cross? He shook his head. No, he had to believe they were meant to be together.
She sighed against him and turned to face him. “What are you thinking of?”
“That you are beautiful.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I’m glad you showed up at my door.”
“I can’t believe Daric made a mistake and brought me here instead of upstairs,” she said. “He said Astrid was asking for me.”
“Hmmm.”
She raised a brow at him. “Hmmm? What do you mean, hmmm?”
“Well … I wonder if the warlock—Daric, brought you here on purpose?” The man’s words came back to him. About being able to return the favor. Did the warlock deliberately bring her to his door?
“Huh.” Her brows furrowed. “It’s not like him to make such a miscalculation. I wonder …”
“You wonder what?”
“Well, I’ve heard some things … no one has confirmed or denied it, but I’ve overheard that Daric can see the future.”
“The future?” That wasn’t what he had been thinking of. Was such a thing even possible?
“He doesn’t speak about it. No one does. It makes sense. Plus, how he knew where to find me in Zhobghadi and—” A ringing sound made her jolt and sit up. “Sorry, that’s my phone.”
He groaned. “Must you answer it?” He rather liked having her complete attention, just like when they were back in the palace.
“It might be Astrid. I mean, for real this time.” She scrambled off the bed.
Leaning back on the headboard, he watched her naked body with delight as she stalked to the corner where she had chucked her purse. When she bent down to retrieve it, his cock twitched at the sight of her rounded bottom, and he stifled a groan.
“I still can’t believe Astrid gave birth in your suite.” She fished her phone out of her purse and answered it. “Hello?” She frowned. “Hey, Bastian … no, um … I was busy. Right …” She chewed at her lip. “Yes, I’m with him. I’m guessing Dad knows since he’s the one who sent Jacob and Delacroix … is that so? Tonight?” Her mouth formed into an O, then she quickly glanced at Karim. “I’ll ask him. I can’t guarantee … yes, I’ll do my best. All right, bye.” With a deep sigh, she put the phone down.
Daughter of the Dragon Page 22
