The Sheik and the Pregnant Bride Read Free Page B

what to say. She’d apologized, which he’d told her wasn’t necessary. Things had been awkward between them. They still were.
    “Life is complicated,” she murmured.
    “I agree.”
    She looked at him. “You’re not going to get any sympathy from me, Prince Qadir.”
    “You’re saying my life of wealth and privilege means I don’t deserve to complain.”
    “Something like that.”
    “You have many rules.”
    “I like rules.”
    “I like to break them.”
    Hardly a surprise, she thought as she smiled. “Of course you do.”
    He laughed. “I still do not intimidate you. What was it you called me? A guy with a checkbook and a car?”
    “Is reverence an important part of the job?”
    “Not at all. You may even call me by my first name, without using my title.”
    “I’m honored.”
    “No, you’re not, but you should be.” He took a step toward her, then touched her cheek. “Do not mourn for the man unwise enough to let such a prize go. He was born a fool and he will die a fool. Good night.”
    Qadir disappeared with a speed that left Maggie gasping. She didn’t know what to think about first. The soft brush of his fingers on her cheek or what he’d said.
    She wanted to protest that Jon wasn’t a fool. That he was actually a really bright guy, which was one of the things she’d always liked about him. Except she liked Qadir’s attitude about the whole thing. She also enjoyed thinking about herself as a prize to be won…by a man who was not a fool.

Chapter Two
    M aggie finished getting ready, then hovered by the door, not sure if she was just supposed to go down to the garage or wait to be called or what.
    “Palaces should come with instruction books,” she murmured to herself as she reached for the door handle. She might as well see if she could find her way to the garage and…
    Someone knocked on her door. She pulled it open to find a pretty blonde about her age in the wide hallway.
    “Hi,” the woman said. “You’re Maggie, right? I’m Victoria McCallan, secretary, fellow American and your guide to all things royal. Victoria, never Vicki, although honestly I can’t say why. It started when I was little. I think I was in a mood and I haven’t gotten over it.”
    Victoria smiled as she spoke. She was a few inches shorter than Maggie, even in her insanely high heels. She wore a tailored blouse tucked into a short, dark skirt. Her skin was perfect, her nails long and painted and her hair curled to her shoulders. She was the very essence of everything female. Maggie suddenly felt tall and awkward. Not to mention seriously underdressed in her jeans and T-shirt. She didn’t want to imagine what Victoria would think about the coveralls she had in her duffel.
    “You are Maggie, aren’t you?”
    “Most days.”
    Victoria laughed. “Welcome to the palace. It’s great here.”
    “Is there a map?”
    “If only. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been lost. We need internal GPS or something. They could implant us with a chip and track us.” She wrinkled her nose. “On second thought, maybe not. Are you really here to fix a car?”
    “Work on one. I’m restoring an old Rolls-Royce.” She thought about going into more detail, but figured the other woman’s eyes would glaze over.
    “On purpose?”
    “It’s not going to happen otherwise.”
    “I never got the car thing.”
    Maggie looked at Victoria’s perfect outfit. “I never got the clothes thing. I hate shopping.”
    “I shop enough for two so you’re covered. Come on. I’ll show you the way.”
    Victoria waited while Maggie grabbed her duffel.
    “Do I want to know what’s in there?” the other woman asked.
    Maggie thought about her personal tools and coveralls. “No.”
    “Good to know. The El Deharian palace was originally built in the eighth century. There are still parts of the old exterior walls visible. I can show you later, if you’d like. The main structure is broken down into four quadrants, much like the