The Sheikh's Bride of Convenience (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 15)

by Cara Albany

  Qazim positioned himself and then, impatient, but also sensing her own urgency, he thrust himself inside. This time it was his turn to groan with ecstasy. His voice was shockingly loud in the confines of the bedroom.

  She felt him fill her, sensed herself tighten around him. As she did that, she felt his muscles quiver, as if the pleasure was just too intense.

  He paused, and she savored the sense of reunion, the connection.

  Then, he began to move.

  To begin with, his thrusts were easy, even careful. But with each one, she saw his features tighten with desire, his eyes filling with need.

  With him inside her again, Grace felt complete. And as he pushed up, he found her nub with his hips, the gentle pressure sending waves of pleasure into her every time.

  It was like a dance. And they'd never forgotten how to move together. Grace gripped Qazim's hips, holding onto him as he pushed ever deeper inside her.

  The ecstasy seemed to last forever. She wanted it to never stop. She gazed up at him. Their eyes were locked upon one another. She could see certainty in his eyes. He knew what this meant. What it had always meant.

  Then she sensed he was near his climax. She wanted her own climax to be shared completely and utterly with him.

  His movements became faster, more urgent. Their bodies were locked together, just as they always would be, she told herself in that last moment before he cried out.

  She felt him push into her one last time, and she held onto him even more firmly than before, not wanting to lose one moment of their joy.

  Then he arched his head back and cried out his pleasure. She felt him emptying himself into her. And, at the exact same moment another final wave swept over her. She called out his name as he lowered his head, his lips easing down onto her neck.

  Then they both allowed the ecstasy to spread its welcome through their joined bodies.

  They were one again.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  When Qazim awoke he realized Grace was gone. He felt a jolt of shock as he sat up in the bed.

  He was alone.

  Again.

  When had she left? He wondered what time it was. It was still dark outside. He could see the moonlit terrace through the closed double doors of his bedroom.

  He ran a hand across the empty space where she had lain alongside him. It was cold. She had obviously left a while ago.

  He leapt out of bed and stood, naked by the side of the bed. He paused, recalling how he'd heard the distant sound of Zarif crying. Qazim had slept through that sound. Just as he'd become accustomed to doing these past few weeks.

  Grace must have gone to Zarif when she'd heard the tiny, distant cry for attention.

  That was how it had been before.

  But, now everything was different.

  Wasn't it?

  What had happened in this bed mere hours before had changed everything. He knew that was true. He felt it in his soul.

  He thought about the way Grace had surrendered to him; the way she'd had looked at him while they'd made love time and time again.

  Yes.

  Everything was changed now, he told himself.

  He thought about what they'd said to each other as they'd lain on the bed, the remnants of ecstasy still quivering through their bodies.

  They had both declared their love to each other.

  Love.

  Emotion rose to Qazim's throat. He felt a powerful sense of victory. His heart quickened at the memory of her words.

  She'd told him she loved him.

  And those words had sent his soul into delirium.

  In turn, he had declared his love to her. And, from her reaction, he'd seen that, at last, she believed him. That, at last, she accepted the truth of what their life together really meant, now.

  Qazim heard a distant noise. A familiar sound.

  He froze, straining his hearing.

  Zarif. It was the voice of his son. And he was crying.

  Urgency seized Qazim. He dressed himself quickly in shirt and pants and shoes.

  He strode out into the hallway of his suite, intent on doing what he knew he needed to do.

  The only thing which made sense.

  He paused at the door for a moment and looked down the narrow hallway. The door to the other room at the end of the corridor was open.

  The door he'd deliberately left closed when Grace had arrived, because he hadn't wanted her to see what was inside.

  What he had created.

  Qazim walked slowly along the corridor and paused at the open door, his hand resting on the handle.

  He looked inside and smiled.

  The nursery was still as he'd left it. Still exactly as he'd ordered it.

  It was a colorful room. Walls had been brightly painted. There was a profusion of toys and soft cushions around the room. In the middle of the room, there was a large cot, perfect for Zarif to sleep in.

  When he moved in, Qazim told himself.

  And his son would move in. There was no doubt about that anymore.

  Qazim had created this room so that he and Grace and Zarif could live together in this suite, from now on.

  He knew Grace must have looked in here, briefly, before she'd gone back to take care of Zarif. He knew she must have seen what he'd created here. Now she knew what his real intentions were, what he wanted for all three of them.

  He wondered what her reaction had been like. Had she been shocked or even pleasantly surprised.

  He wanted to know. And the only way he would know would be if he went along to Grace's suite.

  Even though it was the middle of the night, he needed to know what she thought. In the process, Qazim would see how Zarif was. Quell any concerns he felt.

  He realized a knot of anxiety had settled in his stomach. There was no noise from further along the corridor, but he knew he needed to go there.

  He left the nursery room door open and went out into the corridor. It was silent.

  He started along the corridor, urgency welling up within him as she strode closer to Grace's suite.

  Finally, he reached the door. He hesitated a moment and gathered his thoughts. He could simply walk in. But he knew better than to do that. Hadn't he promised never to do that?

  But then he heard Zarif's voice, and his mind was made up for him in an instant.

  Qazim pushed the door open and took one step into the room. He halted and gazed across the expanse of the suite's main room.

  Grace was standing in the middle of the room. She was dressed in a plain, loose fitting white nightdress. She held Zarif in her arms, his little head resting against her shoulder. Qazim could see that Zarif's eyes were closed. He looked so peaceful there like that, he told himself.

  Qazim searched for any sight of Anya and saw none. Grace was alone with Zarif.

  Grace turned to Qazim and her eyes widened as she looked at him standing by the open door. "Qazim!" she exclaimed.

  He stood still, unwilling to take a further step into the room.

  "Grace. Is Zarif okay?" Qazim asked urgently, peering at Zarif.

  Grace smiled and moved Zarif gently from side to side. "He was just hungry," she explained. "He gets kinda noisy when that happens."

  Qazim felt relieved that there had been nothing serious happening with his son.

  Grace squinted at Qazim. He saw her considering her next words. She smiled warmly, but didn't say anything. He felt the tension rise inside himself. He still held onto the edge of the door. He felt like there was a threshold he dare not cross. Not until he'd obtained Grace's consent.

  Grace gazed at Zarif, still lost in thought. She smiled at their son. Grace's expression was one of complete love and devotion. Qazim felt his heart warm at the sight of Grace's obvious happiness.

  Then she turned to Qazim. "I saw the room," she said evenly. Her voice was quiet and steady, almost matter-of-fact. There was no hint of disapproval in her voice.

  Qazim paused, wondering if she was going to add anything to
that statement. "I noticed," he replied.

  For a few long moments, Grace's features were blank, completely unexpressive. Then she looked at Qazim.

  She smiled. "I think it's beautiful," she declared in a soft voice. "Just perfect for Zarif."

  Qazim still hadn't moved from the door, but the sound of her words made him want to stride across the room to her. He held himself back, despite feeling the rising need to be by her side. To be by the side of his wife and son.

  "Why don't you close the door?" she said to him, lifting a brow.

  Qazim breathed out, feeling the tension lessen. He closed the door softly and walked slowly toward Grace.

  As he advanced toward her, Grace watched Qazim. There was a curiosity in her gaze. But she didn't look in any way concerned or worried. The reserve of these past months had completely disappeared. Perhaps what they'd shared back there in his bedroom had changed everything, he told himself.

  But, even as he thought that, he knew it wasn't true. Things between Grace and him had changed a long time before tonight. He'd felt it so many times in recent weeks, especially since Zarif's birth. The distance between Grace and Qazim had been disappearing gradually, day by day.

  Little by little, with one gesture after another, things had been improving. Their relationship had been growing steadily day by day. Today, down in the garden, Qazim has sensed something different between him and Grace. Something he'd been hoping for since they'd married.

  It was something elemental. Primal.

  A connection, forged by their union, made real by their beautiful son.

  Qazim halted by Grace's side. He extended a hand and teased at Zarif's sleeping form, carefully and tenderly. Zarif didn't stir, his breathing remaining steady. He looked so incredibly peaceful, Qazim told himself. And now, up close, he could hardly believe how handsome his son was.

  Zarif would grow up to be a true Qazhar sheikh. His heir, and one which Qazim knew he would always be proud.

  Grace watched Qazim closely. He gazed down at her. He saw the way she was looking at him, and knew, instinctively that she was happy he was by her side.

  At last.

  There was only one thing for him to say to her, now. He'd said it to her before, but now, somehow it seemed different.

  Real and true and undeniable.

  "I love you, Grace," Qazim murmured.

  Grace's features colored slightly. He saw her eyes brighten with emotion.

  She lifted a brow, but didn't say anything immediately in response.

  Qazim moved closer. Now he was almost touching Grace, but he held back for fear of waking Zarif. There was a long silence in the room. It seemed to stretch forever.

  He felt the cool air from the overhead fans brushing against his face. He felt the urgent pounding of his heart as he waited for Grace to say something to him.

  Anything.

  Grace lifted her chin and smiled up at Qazim. "I love you, Qazim," she said softly.

  Qazim felt his heart warm suddenly and emotion swept through him like a tidal wave. It was a torrent of relief and hope.

  He lifted his brows and dipped his head closer. "You do?"

  Grace nodded. "I know I've made some silly choices. I almost walked out on you." She sighed disbelievingly and shook her head. She frowned. "I can hardly believe I wanted to do that."

  Qazim shook his head. "That's all in the past, now." He touched Zarif's head gently. "This is our future, Grace." He looked deep into her eyes. "And you and I. That's all that matters, from now on," he murmured. "Us."

  Grace smiled at Qazim. "Qazim?"

  "Yes?"

  "How did I take so long to find you?" she asked. "To find out what was true."

  Qazim sighed quietly and shook his head, smiling at Grace. "All that matters, Grace, is that we found each other. We succeeded."

  Qazim leaned his head closer to Grace and kissed her on her upraised lips. It was a gentle, soft kiss, one that meant everything was new, everything was filled with hope.

  Their lips parted and he gazed into her beautiful eyes. He knew he had to say what was in his heart. The words came easily now. "I promise to devote my life to you, Grace. I will dedicate every moment of my life to making you happy."

  Grace lifted a brow. "Really?" she said, with just a hint of playful teasing.

  But, Qazim was deadly serious now. He glanced at Zarif. "Together we will be the happiest family in all of Qazhar."

  Grace smiled. "I think there might be some competition for that title," she joked.

  But he could see by the emotion in her eyes that his words had struck home. Her humor was just her usual way of pretending his words weren't affecting her. But he could see that they had affected her.

  Deeply.

  As if sensing she needed to reciprocate, Grace lifted her chin and smiled up at Qazim. There was a sudden happiness in her gaze. And, it warmed his heart when he heard her next few words.

  "You remember those wedding vows?" she asked.

  It seemed like a long time ago, but the vows were burned into his memory.

  "Yes. I'll never forget them," he said.

  Her gaze softened. "I told you that I would be a devoted wife and that I would honor and cherish you forever, didn't it?"

  He nodded. "You did."

  She moved her face closer to his. "I meant every word I said, Qazim," she murmured. Her eyes narrowed. "Every word was the truth. From now on, all we will know will be happiness and honor and love," she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.

  He'd never felt such emotion as that which swept through him when he heard her words.

  Qazim smiled at Grace. "My beloved." Qazim paused and then said: "Habibti."

  Grace's eyes glistened with emotion as he made that declaration, one that was centuries old. Theirs was a bond which would never be broken. One they'd fought hard to forge. But now, every barrier had been broken down.

  Once again their lips met in a tender kiss. This time, Zarif stirred and opened his eyes, almost as if he'd sensed the joy within which he was enveloped. Zarif gazed up at his mother and father. He smiled.

  Grace and Qazim smiled right back at Zarif.

  Qazim wrapped his arms around Grace and Zarif. It felt so good to hold them close.

  Now they were a family, he told himself.

  And they would be, for all time.

  THE END

  Also Available.

  OTHER BOOKS IN THE QAZHAR SHEIKHS SERIES OF NOVELS

  Book 1 in The Qazhar Sheikhs series. Three brothers and their search for love

  THE SHEIKH'S FORBIDDEN BRIDE

  A Second Chance For The Sheikh To Claim His Lost Love

  Feisty and determined, Chloe Stirling had once loved and lost Sheikh Zayed Al Kharif. But that is all in the past now.

  Or, is it?

  Chloe's work brings her to Zayed's kingdom where she must find a way to resist a former lover who will not be denied.

  Zayed is an untamed Sheikh determined not to waste this chance to possess the only woman he has ever loved. Forced to abandon her once before, he's not about to make the same mistake again. He will use everything he can to win her back, even if Chloe is determined to deny him a second chance.

  Can Zayed seize his second chance at love, and overcome the barriers to finding a happy ever after with a woman who is now so close to becoming the love of his life?

  Book 2 in The Qazhar Sheikhs series

  THE SHEIKH'S PRETEND BRIDE

  Enemies in public. Lovers in private.

  Feisty Ella Brant never thought that the sheikh she had come to expose and publicly shame would become more than an enemy. He would become her lover.

  Sheikh Raz Al Kharif has been happy for every woman to believe that he's a man who can't be tamed. Life has been too good to allow any woman to bring him to his knees and marry.

  But, Ella isn't just any woman. She's not just another pretend future wife.

  The spirited American woman has made it her mission to teach Raz a
very important lesson. Can she do it while keeping the sheikh at bay?

  Can Raz break down the barriers between himself and the amazing woman who is driving him to distraction? And, can he stop her from turning his world upside down?

  Book 3 in The Qazhar Sheikhs series.

  The Sheikh's Rebellious Bride

  REUNION WITH THE SHEIKH FOR A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE.

  Independent business woman, Zoe Smith never thought she'd have to ask her former lover Sheikh Tariq Al Kharif to honor the promise he'd made to her years before. But, when her world is turned upside down she has no choice but to demand that the Sheikh keep his word.

  Even if it means entering into a marriage of convenience.

  Sheikh Tariq can still remember the passion he once felt for the feisty American. Now she's back in his kingdom and she has a dangerous proposal. When he rejects it, the woman who never took no for an answer gives him little choice but to accept a temporary arranged marriage.

  One year of marriage. No intimacy allowed.

  Now that they're back together, sharing a palace and a bed, can they both resist their reawakened attraction? Can the sheikh overcome the resistance of his rebellious bride?

  Book 4 in the Qazhar Sheikhs series

  The Sheikhs Reunion Bride

  UNREQUITED LOVE FOR A POWERFUL, UNTAMED SHEIKH.

  Smart and professional, Mia Watson never believed she'd be reunited with the handsome sheikh who once mercilessly played with her emotions during a summer she would never forget.