by Sophia Lynn
Vanessa’s expression grew troubled. “Did he really? I wouldn’t think…”
“What wouldn’t you think, exactly?” Madeline frowned, wondering why Vanessa was so troubled. “It’s not like Zayid isn’t the classic example of a playboy. It’s only natural that he would seek out other women.” Her chest tightened at the very idea, and she brushed it off.
“Well, it’s just that Zayid seemed really interested in you, which is unusual for him.” Vanessa frowned. “When you say he had his hands all over another woman, what exactly does that mean? Were they making out?”
“No,” Madeline admitted. “They were just talking. But she was pressed up against him and he had his hand on her chest. They looked pretty cozy.”
Vanessa arched a brow. “Maybe, but it sounds like there’s room for reasonable doubt there.”
Madeline threw up her hands. “What, is this a trial now? I didn’t realize I needed your permission to judge Zayid.”
“You don’t,” Vanessa said, “but I’m your BFF and I’m supposed to butt in when I think you’re being obstinate.”
“And just how do you know I’m being obstinate?” Madeline folded her arms across her chest.
“Well, it sounds like from what you’re saying, Zayid’s been trying to pursue you, and you’ve been pushing him away. Seems to me like you’re looking for any excuse to keep him at arm’s length.” Her eyebrows rose again as Madeline looked away. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“I plead the fifth.” Madeline bit her lip—Vanessa’s comment stung, mostly because it was right on the mark. “I don’t think I’m wrong for being cautious.”
“Of course you’re not,” Vanessa said gently. “But there’s no need to be cautious to the point where you miss out on something that could be good for you. I did that, and I almost didn’t marry Adir. I would be missing out on so many of the good things in my life if he’d allowed me to push him away. So I just think you shouldn’t be so hasty to reject Zayid.”
“I don’t know that Zayid is thinking about marriage,” Madeline pointed out. “Or myself, for that matter.”
“Maybe not, but according to Adir, Zayid has never shown serious interest in pursuing a woman in his life. He doesn’t really have to put in any effort to get women, so he’s never bothered. The fact that he’s bothering with you right now tells me that you must be special.”
“Do you really think so?” Madeline bit her lip again as guilt pricked at her chest.
“I know so.” Vanessa squeezed her hand. “If Zayid is pursuing you, that means you’re a cut above the other women he’s met.”
“Jesus.” Madeline ran a hand through her hair as she considered that. “Now I feel really bad for pushing him away. But how do I know that he won’t lose interest or decide that I’m not so special after all, once he finally catches me?”
“That’s the thing about relationships,” Vanessa admitted ruefully as she took a bite out of one of her biscuits. “There’s no real way to know unless you try.”
***
Zayid parked his car in the lot beneath the medical research lab, gripping the steering wheel so hard he thought the leather might crack. The amount of anger and anxiety rolling through him was like nothing he’d ever felt in his life, especially regarding a woman, and that knowledge only put him even more on edge.
Getting out of the car, he slammed the door behind him and strode toward the elevator leading inside the building. He was so tired of Madeline spurning him. For Allah’s sake, he’d given her so much already, and this was how she treated him? By standing him up on their date and refusing to talk to him just because she’d seen him talking to another woman?
He couldn’t help but shake his head at the disparity of it all—that Madeline would happily roll out of his bed after a one-night stand without a thought about wanting more, but respond in a jealous manner after seeing him with another woman. Her reaction was the only reason he was coming to the lab instead of putting her out of his mind and moving on. Her jealousy meant that she was interested and wasn’t just toying with him. But damned if he was going to let her continue to yank his leash— they were going to set things straight once and for all. And if that meant he had to let her go, then so be it.
“Good evening, Your Highness,” the receptionist greeted cheerfully as he walked inside. She looked like she was packing up to leave, which sounded about right—it was nearing seven o’clock in the evening. The smile faded from her face as she caught sight of his expression. “Is everything alright?”
“I’m fine.” Zayid tried for a smile as he attempted to cover his anger. “I’ve just had a trying day. Is Dr. Anthony in the lab still?”
“She is.” The receptionist reached for her phone. “Should I tell her that you’re coming?”
“No.” Zayid smiled again, hoping that it didn’t come out more as a grimace. “I’d like to surprise her, if it’s all the same to you.”
“Certainly.” The receptionist lowered the receiver, and Zayid felt her eyes on his back as he walked down the hall and headed toward the lab. No doubt she was curious, but he wasn’t about to divulge the purpose of his visit.
As he reached the laboratory, he could already see Madeline perched on a stool, staring into a microscope, so he didn’t bother knocking. He simply flung open the door and strode in. Satisfaction swept through him as she jerked up, shock registering on her gorgeous face as her mouth formed a small O.
“Zayid!” The shock quickly morphed into anger as she jumped to her feet. “What are you doing here?”
“I think you know damned well what I’m doing here.” Realizing that they were alone, Zayid kicked the door shut behind him and locked it. “You’ve been avoiding me, and I’m tired of it, Madeline. We’re going to talk about this, and we’re going to talk about it now.”
Madeline stiffened as he advanced on her. “I appreciate that you’re angry at me, but that’s no reason for you to storm into my lab—”
“Angry?” he said softly as he closed the distance between them, pushing her back up against the lip of the counter running along the back wall. He felt rather than heard her sharp intake of breath, and his pulse spiked in response. “I’m not angry, Madeline. I’m furious. I’ve been nothing but kind and patient with you, and yet you continue to treat me like a piece of garbage. I don’t understand what I’ve done to deserve such treatment.”
“That woman at the bar I saw you with—”
“Was a total stranger.” Zayid pressed the length of his body against hers, allowing Madeline to feel him. She gasped as his erection pressed into her soft flesh. “I can’t help it that women hit on me, Madeline. It’s something that’s happened all my life and I doubt it will stop. What you saw, when my hand was on her chest, was me trying to push her away. Maybe a month ago I would have pulled her into my lap and kissed her, and then taken her to one of my hotel rooms to fuck her. But I didn’t want her. I want you.” He ground himself into her.
“I’m sorry.” Madeline moaned a little, her eyes darkening with lust. “I can’t help but feel doubt. We haven’t known each other long, and my fiancé…”
“Cheated on you.” Zayid cupped Madeline’s face as her eyes flew wide with surprise. “I did a little digging,” he explained, unwilling to tell her that Vanessa was the one who’d divulged Madeline’s past. “I know about your ex-fiancé and what he did to you. But I’m not that man, Madeline. I’m the man who wants you more than anything else, and I’m tired of waiting.”
He kissed her then, and she twined her arms around his neck without hesitation, opening her mouth to him. Their tongues clashed in a fierce kiss as he shoved his hands beneath her ass and vaulted her up onto the counter. The sound of instruments clattering across the counter as they knocked them over briefly registered in Zayid’s ears, but judging by the way Madeline’s fingers dug into his ass cheeks, he figured she didn’t care.
Wanting to feel more of her, Zayid shoved his hands up beneat
h the hem of her blouse, pushing it up until it rucked beneath her collarbone. He then pulled the cups of her bra down. Madeline moaned into his mouth as his thumbs found her nipples, and he teased them mercilessly, rolling them beneath the pads of his thumbs. She squirmed in his arms, one hand fumbling with his belt buckle, and he was so caught up in the kiss he didn’t realize she’d opened up his pants and tugged down his underwear until her fingers wrapped around his cock and squeezed. Hissing, he stiffened as pleasure swept through him.
“Yes,” she mumbled against his mouth, stroking his cock with one hand while the other continued to grip his ass firmly. “I want this. I want you.”
She didn’t have to say it twice. Tearing his mouth from hers, he pulled back enough so that he could yank her panties down from beneath her skirt, and then he surged forward. They both moaned as his cock slid smoothly inside of her, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he savored the way her tight pussy felt as it clenched him. With hunger riding him hard, he began to thrust, hard and fast, fastening his mouth to hers so he could taste her while he fucked her. He wanted to be inside her in every way, to wrap himself in her sweet scent and taste as her decadent curves pressed up against him. Her fingernails bit into his cheeks now that his bare skin was available to her, urging him on, and her moans vibrated through him as he swallowed the sounds of pleasure she made. He wished he could let her moan freely, but he didn’t want to draw attention to the lab—even though most of the staff were gone by now, there were still security guards roaming around, and he didn’t want to have to hurt one of them if they walked in and saw Madeline in her half-naked glory.
When he felt that she was close, her breathing labored and her body straining, he reached between them and stroked her clit. Instantly her hips bucked faster against his, her stomach muscles bunching, and then her pussy clenched tight around his cock as she came. Zayid groaned as she triggered his own release, emptying his seed into her, and he clutched her tightly against him as he trembled with the force of his pleasure.
When it was all over, he braced himself against the counter and laid his head against her chest, fighting to get his breath back. Her fingers tangled in his hair, and he smiled as she began to stroke the top of his head.
“I think…” She hesitated briefly. “I think I’d like to give this a shot with you. Not just the sex thing, but you know…a relationship.”
Zayid grinned as he lifted his head to look into Madeline’s eyes. “Are you sure about that? It would require an actual time commitment from you, you know.”
Madeline rolled her eyes, but the smile playing across her lips stayed. “I’m aware of that. I’ll answer your calls and texts, and you’ll promise not to let other women crawl all over you. Deal?”
“That sounds good to me.” Zayid helped her down from the counter so she could straighten up her clothes, but his hands lingered around her curvy waist. “As long as you’re willing to crawl all over me instead.”
“We’ll see about that. But first you have to get me home.”
She didn’t have to say it twice.
Chapter Eleven
One week later
“Madeline! Oh my God, you have to help me.”
Madeline looked up from her desk, startled as Vanessa burst into her office. She’d been in the middle of typing up a report, but she pushed the keyboard aside as Vanessa plopped into one of her chairs, concern for her friend trumping the need to document her current progress.
“What’s going on?” she asked, noticing the fear and excitement in Vanessa’s eyes.
“I don’t want to say this too loud, but…” Vanessa looked around the small space, as if to check for someone lurking in the shadows. “I think I’m pregnant.”
“Woah!” Madeline completely abandoned her computer. “Already? How do you know?”
“I’m late.” Vanessa’s smile widened. “By about five days. And I’ve been getting nauseous at random times of the day.” She pressed a hand to her belly. “Not looking forward to that part, but I’m super excited about the rest.”
“Well that’s great!” Madeline pressed a hand to her own belly. She’d been suffering from nausea, too, these past two weeks, and while she’d figured it was just something about the climate or the food, she couldn’t discard the worry that sprang into her mind at Vanessa’s announcement. “Have you seen your doctor yet?”
“No.” Vanessa waved a hand impatiently. “He’ll just order a blood test and it’ll take forever to get the results back. I want you to do one on me right now so I know for sure. I can’t stand waiting.”
Madeline’s lips twitched despite the worry brewing in her stomach. “Alright, miss huffy. Let’s go and draw some blood.”
Madeline took her out into the lab, where she sat Vanessa down on a chair, wrapped a band around her arm, and drew the blood using one of the phlebotomy syringes they kept on hand. Vanessa practically hummed with anxiety as Madeline ran the test through her machine, and Madeline had to take deep breaths to hide her own fears.
A little while later, the results were confirmed. “You’re pregnant.”
“Oh my God!” Vanessa squealed, jumping up and throwing her arms around Madeline. Madeline did the best she could to return the hug. “You are the best, Maddy! I’m going home right now to tell Adir. He’s going to be thrilled!”
“Congratulations!” Madeline called as Vanessa rushed out the door. But as soon as her friend was gone, she grabbed a clean syringe and prepared to take another blood sample.
***
Zayid walked into the lab at six o’clock, armed with a bouquet of flowers and a set of concert tickets to seduce Madeline away from her desk. They didn’t have a date tonight, but he missed her, and things had been going so well between them that he was confident she would accept.
Ever since she’d decided to try out a relationship with him last week, things between them had been ridiculously smooth. They’d gone camel riding over the weekend and had camped out beneath the stars. They’d gone shopping and he’d showered her with all kinds of clothes and trinkets. They’d frolicked in the waves at the beach (and had some amazing sex behind a rocky outcropping where nobody had seen them), and had spent nearly every night in bed together. He’d thought that by now he might have gotten tired of spending all this time with her…but instead, every time they were apart he longed for her presence, and he found himself thinking about her at all hours of the day.
Allah help him, but he had a feeling he was in love.
The lab was empty, so Zayid strolled into Madeline’s office, figuring she would be in there wrapping up her work for the day. She wasn’t, but her purse was, so he settled into her office chair to wait, figuring she was probably somewhere else in the building and that she’d be back.
As he waited, his gaze casually flicked to her computer screen, which was still on. Her web browser was open, and the headline on the article scrolling across the screen read: ABORTION—IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU? Frowning, he sat up straight and leaned closer to read more. Why on earth would Madeline be reading about abortion? Did it have something to do with the IVF procedure she was working on?
He quickly discovered that it was not. After reading through the article, he opened up her browser history and found articles regarding pregnancy, abortion and adoption, as well as some ads for biochemist jobs in the United States. His blood boiled as his mind put two and two together. How could she do this to him?
“Zayid!” Madeline exclaimed as she walked in. Surprise and wariness warred on her beautiful face as she stared at him from just inside the doorway where she was frozen in place.
Zayid rose from the chair, his hands clenched into fists. “Just when did you plan on telling me that you were pregnant?”
Madeline’s face paled, but to her credit, she lifted her chin instead of backing down. “I only just found out a few hours ago.”
“And within those few hours you’d already decided not to keep the baby?” Zayid dem
anded, crossing the room to stand toe to toe with her. “I can’t believe you would do such a thing without even consulting me!”
“I hadn’t decided anything!” Madeline shouted, throwing up her hands. “I was just looking into options! I had no idea whether or not you would want a child, and I certainly wasn’t planning on having any kids at this moment in time, so I wanted to weigh all the options! Is that such a crime?”
“No.” Zayid gritted his teeth as he ran his hands through his hair. “But I’m insulted that you would even think about giving up my baby for adoption. He or she would be a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, and you don’t do that with royal children.”
“Oh.” Madeline’s face flushed guiltily. “I guess I hadn’t thought of that.”
“It doesn’t seem like you thought of anything beyond your own feelings.”
Madeline scowled. “That’s not fair, Zayid. I just found out, and I’m still processing everything. I would have eventually come to the conclusion that I needed to discuss it with you.” Her eyes flickered away, to the flowers sitting on her desk, and her expression softened. “Are those for me?”
“They are.” Zayid cupped her cheek. “I wanted to surprise you, to take you out tonight. I guess I just didn’t expect to be the one surprised.”
Madeline sighed a little, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I guess that makes two of us, then.” Her eyes searched his. “If we’re going to have this baby together, I have to know that you love me, Zayid, and that this isn’t just a phase.”
“I do love you.” He kissed her. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved any woman. I want to have a family with you, Madeline—you and no one else.”
Tears sprang into her eyes, and she smiled. “I love you, too. And for the record, based on how well you’ve taken care of me these past two weeks, I think you’d be a great father.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” He kissed her again, then reached behind him and handed her the flowers. “Now let’s go have dinner and talk about the amazing future we’re going to have together.”
