His Royal Twins (Wedded to the Sheikh Book 4) Read online

  Ali’s stomach sank. “And you think I am in the latter party.”

  “I’m really hoping you’re not.”

  “I have morals, Alyssa.”

  “But into what spheres of your life do they extend?” she asked. “I can imagine what it’s like. I’ve paid attention to the few work stories you’ve told me. People are ruthless. Next to them, it doesn’t take much to look or feel like a good person.”

  Ali sat still, holding her hand and considering that. It was a new perspective. He had never really given thought to the relativity of morals. But the company a person kept meant a lot. If you spent your time with people who had no empathy, who always fought with their claws out, it did not take much to consider yourself better than them. If Ali were only to show a little bit of decency next to some of his associates, he would look like a saint.

  “Do you ever think about the people who’ve been ousted by your businesses?” Alyssa asked.

  “No.” Even as he spoke, the answer made Ali’s stomach squirm. Why hadn’t he given more thought to these people? Was it because he already felt sure they were fine? Or was it because he could not stand to face the truth a deeper inquiry would unearth?

  “Do you think any of them might have gone bankrupt?” Alyssa’s question was gentle.

  Ali swallowed and cleared his throat. “That is certainly a possibility.”

  “Do you think any of them have children?”

  “Of course they have children,” Ali said.

  Darkness shrouded Alyssa’s face, but he knew she was looking straight at him, silently imploring him to see it all from her point of view.

  Ali sighed and tightened his hold on her hand. “You have a gentle heart, my love. Sometimes I wish I was more like you.”

  “Don’t say that,” she whispered. “You’re a good person. Would I have married you if you weren’t?”

  “I am not as caring or empathetic as you are,” Ali pointed out. “My upbringing made me cool and pragmatic, and my role in the business world only intensified those qualities.”

  “I can see why.”

  “Yes.” He stroked her forearm. Ali wasn’t sure she completely understood, but she at least attempted to, and that meant something.

  “Sometimes…” Ali looked at the twinkling valley lights. How best to put this? “Often times,” he corrected, “it’s easier to have a rigid, black-and-white view of these matters. If I didn’t, I would not be able to serve my family’s businesses without feeling guilty.”

  “I get that. And I understand that your family’s businesses create jobs. But do they create more than they destroy?”

  Ali shook his head. “I honestly do not know. That is another aspect I cannot afford to think about.”

  “You really never think about it?”

  “I try not to. Does that make me a bad person?”

  Alyssa sighed softly. “I think it makes you another person trying their hardest to do what they think is best. Like a lot of people.”

  Ali nodded, his throat thick. Yet again, Alyssa had made him see another side of a situation—no matter how resistant he had initially been.

  “There are things I harbor some guilt over,” he admitted.

  “Really?”

  “Yes. And I do my best not to think about them,” he said.

  “You know, honey, that’s probably not healthy.”

  Ali laughed. “I know.”

  “Plus, if we don’t analyze the mistakes we’ve made in the past, we’re probably going to keep doing the same things over and over. Spinning wheels. Getting nowhere.”

  “Hm.” Ali let out a breath. “There was this one business partner. A…friend.” Unexpectedly, Ali’s chest ached. He hadn’t expected this to be difficult to speak about.

  “Go on,” Alyssa encouraged.

  “We started a business together, and when it came time for me to make a crucial decision, I went down the path that caused my partner a lot of pain.” Ali tried to ignore the discomfort in his heart, but it only increased. “I regret that.”

  “When was this?” Alyssa asked.

  “Years ago. Maybe five, or six.”

  “I see,” Alyssa said quietly. She seemed to understand that Ali didn’t wish to say anything else on the matter, and he was grateful for that.

  “There is no use dwelling in the past,” Ali said, “but you are right about doing what we can to learn from it. I hurt my friend, and perhaps I have hurt others as well…but I’d like to do my best to ensure I never do that again.”

  “That’s all I wanted to hear,” Alyssa said, her voice breaking.

  Ali squinted through the darkness. “Are you crying?”

  “No,” she choked out.

  Ali swept his thumb across her cheek and found moisture there. “It’s all right, my love.”

  “It’s just…” She sniffed. “I didn’t know you felt guilty about that. You never told me about your friend.”

  “I never told anyone. I do my best to not think about it.”

  “That sounds like you,” she said after a snort.

  “Come here.” Ali gently drew Alyssa from her chair and over to his lap.

  “I’ll crush you,” she protested.

  “You think I’m that weak?”

  “No,” Alyssa giggled. “I think I’m that gigantic.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that. Come here.”

  Alyssa perched on his legs, though she only put part of her weight on him. “Are you dead yet?” she asked.

  Ali wrapped his arms around her. “Stop.”

  Alyssa lowered her head, and her hair fell down to create a screen around their faces. “Thank you for sharing that story with me.”

  Ali pressed his forehead to hers, and Alyssa’s stomach growled loudly.

  Ali smirked. “I thought we weren’t keeping secrets from each other.”

  “Huh?”

  “You acted as if you were not hungry,” Ali pointed out.

  “I don’t remember saying that.”

  “Mm-hmm.” He tucked her hair behind her ears. “Alyssa?”

  “Yes?” she breathed.

  Ali kissed the tip of her nose. “Let’s go have dinner.”

  Chapter 8

  Alyssa

  Warmth kissed Alyssa’s cheek, and she turned her face deeper into her pillow. Eyes still closed, she stretched her legs out. The babies wiggled in her belly as if they were eager to get on with the day.

  “Another minute,” Alyssa murmured.

  “What is that, darling?” Ali’s voice asked.

  Alyssa kept her eyes closed. “Sleeping,” she whispered.

  A gentle touch grazed the top of her head, and Ali kissed her cheek. Alyssa smiled and listened to the sound of his footsteps heading for the bathroom. The shower came on, and she sighed deeply and relaxed against the body pillow she had propped her belly up on.

  The day after the conversation on the second-floor balcony, Ali had put all work away and spent the day with Alyssa and Rashid. They’d gone to the nearby mini amusement park and ridden the carousel and train before having ice cream and feeding ducks at the pond there. The day had been so perfect, it had brought tears to Alyssa’s eyes. She hadn’t known just how badly she’d needed something like that.

  Cozy in her little den of blankets and pillows, Alyssa listened to the familiar sounds of the house in the morning. Ali brushing his teeth, then walking from the bathroom to his closet. Kinsley’s footsteps in the hall. Rashid calling to her.

  Alyssa missed New York, and then again, she didn’t. When she and Ali had decided to move to Baqar, they’d figured it would be a temporary thing. But what if it wasn’t?

  Sometimes, the country seemed so strange and lonely, and sometimes, Alyssa felt right at home in it. It all had to do, she thought, with her inner state and how she was feeling about her life.

  The bed creaked, and Alyssa opened an eye. Ali sat at the end of the bed and watched her as he buttoned his shirt.

  “How are you feeli
ng this morning?” he asked.

  “Mm. Pretty good. The park tired me out.”

  Ali’s forehead creased in concern.

  “Not too much,” Alyssa hurried to say. “I didn’t push myself too hard. Don’t worry.”

  He smoothed his hand down her hip. “Good. Remember, you have a doctor’s appointment this morning.”

  Alyssa’s ears perked up, and suddenly, she was wide awake. “I have a what, now?”

  “Don’t you remember? Dr. Latifi said she would make a house call.”

  “Oh, yeah. That’s right.”

  Alyssa wiped the last traces of sleep from her face. She had nearly forgotten that the OB-GYN’s office had called after they’d returned from the appointment the other day. Dr. Latifi wanted to follow up with quick check-ups once every few days preceding the cesarean.

  “What time is that?” Alyssa asked.

  “Eight.” Ali finished buttoning his sleeves. “Which is in about an hour.”

  “Got it.” Alyssa pressed her palms against the mattress and pushed herself to sitting. “Yikes. Is it possible that I gained weight overnight?”

  “Do you mean, is it possible the babies grew?” Ali chuckled. “Yes. Isn’t this the period where they put on weight at an astonishing speed?”

  “Right.”

  Alyssa put her hands on her bulging belly. She was definitely bigger than she had been when she went to sleep. Call her crazy, but she’d grown in the course of nine hours.

  “What’s on the agenda today for you?” Alyssa asked.

  “Meetings,” Ali said. “And then more meetings. Riveting stuff.”

  She grinned. “You know, I’m starting to think you just sit around in boardrooms all day long, shooting the breeze and smoking rare cigars.”

  “Believe it or not, you hit the nail on the head,” Ali laughed. “Those are the acts that often lead up to deals and breakthroughs. Although, you forgot to point out that sometimes those meetings occur on yachts.”

  “Oh, yes. I forgot.” Alyssa put a pillow between herself and the headboard and leaned back into it.

  Ali checked his watch. “And what will you do after the checkup?”

  Alyssa ruffled her hair. She’d tied it into a braid before bed to prevent it from tangling, but the ponytail holder had come out and promptly gone missing.

  “I dunno,” she said. “Everything I had planned for this week, I don’t think I can do, now. I wanted to go downtown and look at cribs in person.”

  “I know.” Ali touched her knee. “But look at them online today, and I’ll order whichever ones you want this evening. The store said they would deliver right away.”

  Alyssa put her hand over his. “I want you to help me pick them out.”

  Ali smiled, and Alyssa’s chest warmed. It was the same smile she’d fallen in love with in the middle of a busy New York sidewalk so long ago. No matter what happened, no matter what kind of difficulties they went through, one thing never changed: her husband could make her melt with just one look.

  “What are you grinning about?” Ali asked.

  “I was thinking about when we met.”

  “Oh yeah? I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

  Alyssa stroked his jaw. “You’re cute. That’s all.”

  “Ah.” Ali smiled wider. “Good to hear you still think so.”

  He leaned in for a kiss, and his tantalizing scent washed over Alyssa. She wanted to grab his collar and pull him back into bed with her, but it was probably past the time he needed to leave.

  “When are you home?” she asked, looping her arms over his shoulders.

  He rubbed the back of her neck. “Around six.”

  “Wow, what a…” Alyssa fell silent, not wanting to ruffle any feathers, especially after the good day they’d had yesterday.

  “Surprisingly normal hour?” Ali asked. “It’s all right. You can say it.”

  Alyssa pressed her fingers to her lips, but it did little to suppress her laughter. “Sorry.”

  Ali gave her another quick kiss. “See you tonight.”

  “See you then.”

  “Remember,” he said over his shoulder as he walked out the door, “take it easy.”

  “I will.”

  Ali closed the door behind himself, and Alyssa yawned. She needed to get up and see what Kinsley and Rashid were doing. Kinsley would need some time off that afternoon. Maybe Alyssa could find some kind of art project for her and Rashid to get into. Truth be told, at the moment, Alyssa didn’t want to do much more than go back to sleep. This third trimester thing was tough going.

  The knob on the closed door started jiggling with someone’s inexperienced attempt at turning it. Smiling to herself, Alyssa pulled the blanket over her head, completely hiding herself from view. Just in time, too. The door creaked open.

  “Mama?” Rashid said.

  Alyssa stayed silent and didn’t move a muscle.

  “Mama. Ma. Ma!” A thump followed by pattering told Alyssa Rashid had dropped to his knees and started crawling.

  “I don’t know, Rashid,” came Kinsley’s voice from the doorway. “It looks like she’s not in here.”

  “Ma?” Rashid asked. “Where Ma?”

  “Hm.” Kinsley pretended to think about it. “Try the bed. Can you get up there?”

  The mattress moved as Rashid attempted to haul himself onto the bed, and Alyssa’s shoulders shook with silent laughter.

  “Ma!” he called. “Where Ma?”

  “Boo!” Alyssa threw off the blanket, revealing herself. At the sight of her, Rashid’s eyes went round as dinner plates.

  “Ma!” he gasped.

  Kinsley and Alyssa started laughing, and Rashid giggled. Alyssa wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. He smelled of baby shampoo and strawberries—a hint of which was still on his cheek.

  “You had some berries?” Alyssa asked, wiping away the food.

  “Red berries,” Rashid said proudly.

  “Aw, my little baby is talking.” Alyssa nuzzled his head.

  “I know,” Kinsley said. “It’s crazy. Like, how is he learning all of these words so fast?”

  “He’s an early talker,” Alyssa said. “Smart. I guess he takes after his dad.”

  Rashid made a grunting noise and wiggled out of Alyssa’s arms. Once on the floor, he made a move for the bathroom, but Kinsley scooped him up.

  “We’ll get out of your hair,” she said.

  “I don’t mind,” Alyssa responded. “I was getting up, anyway.” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “I didn’t mean to sleep so long.”

  “You’re growing two people. I’m pretty sure you get to sleep for however long you choose,” Kinsley replied.

  Alyssa pushed herself the rest of the way out of bed.

  “Let me get myself together and figure out some kind of project for him today; then, you can have the afternoon to yourself. I assume you have things to do.”

  Kinsley ducked her head, but Alyssa still saw the blush.

  “I can figure it out,” Kinsley said.

  Mm-hmm. Scooter boy.

  “Come on, Rashid,” Kinsley said, turning with the tot secured in her arms. “Want to go to the playground?”

  Rashid made an excited squeal, and they left the bedroom. The playground Kinsley spoke of was right down the street and one of the nicest play areas Alyssa had ever seen. Not only was all of the equipment brand new, but the ground was made out of super squishy material and there was a food stand that sold more than hot dogs and chips. Alyssa loved taking Rashid there.

  That morning, though, she’d let him enjoy the playground with his nanny. Alyssa had a feeling she was going to have a slow morning waking up. After taking a shower and perusing the web for some arts and crafts ideas, she would take Rashid for the afternoon.

  And then Ali would be home at six. Maybe, if she had the energy, Alyssa would cook them all dinner—something that all four of them would like. The chef wasn’t due to drop off more meals until the next day
, and if she didn’t make something, they would have to order in.

  Humming to herself, Alyssa took a shower and pulled on a summer maternity dress. Just as she finished up brushing her teeth, the phone rang.

  Taking her cell off the charger, Alyssa smiled to see it was Lucy calling.

  “Hey,” Alyssa answered.

  “Hi. I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

  “No. I’ve been up for a bit.”

  “I’m getting ready for bed,” Lucy said.

  Alyssa laughed and sat on the end of her bed. “It’s weird to think of you all the way over there, living on an opposite schedule.”

  “It’s definitely weird to think of you all the way over there,” Lucy answered. “Living as a royal.”

  “Not a royal,” Alyssa said quickly.

  “Sure, not a royal,” Lucy said in a voice that made it clear she still didn’t buy it. “So, how are you doing?”

  “I’m…well, a lot has happened. Did you see I called you Saturday?”

  “Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Um…shoot, Alyssa. Is everything okay? I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

  Alyssa’s heart warmed, and she realized she actually had been annoyed with Lucy for not calling her back sooner—especially considering she was so close to giving birth. But realizing that also made it easier to let go.

  “Everything is good,” Alyssa said. “I’m scheduled for a C-section on Friday, though.”

  There was a silent beat. “Wow,” Lucy breathed. “Why? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. One of the babies is breech, and my doctor doesn’t think they’re gonna turn, so we went ahead and scheduled it.”

  “How are you feeling about that?”

  “Nervous,” Alyssa said. “But not too much,” she added quickly, not wanting Lucy to worry about her.

  “Yeah, that’s understandable. But everything will be okay. The healthcare system is awesome over there.” Lucy laughed. “Like everything else in Baqar, judging from your pictures.”

  “Right.” Alyssa nodded. “And my doctor is amazing. She’s actually coming for a house visit in a little bit.”

  “Ooh, nice. It’s almost like you’re getting the—dare I say it—royal treatment.”