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Chapter 162
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MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 163
In the days after Lucette told him about her childhood, Ariston found himself going over what she’d said and connecting the dots that before had seemed no more than a scattered, random design of inexplicable behaviour.He was starting to understand why Lucette had decided to marry for the sake of their child.After a childhood like hers, he could see how the stability of a family life was something she would want to provide for her child...even if they didn’t love each other.Except that basis was one Ariston realised he could no longer assume. Did he love Lucette ? Could he love her? He certainly admired her resilience, her strength of spirit, and her devotion to their unborn child. He was still deeply attracted to her, God knew. And if he let himself...if he stopped guarding his heart the way he suspected Lucette was guarding hers...Could this businesslike marriage become something more? Did he even want that? Lucette had rejected him once. He understood why now, but it didn’
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 164
"It’s not Christmas yet," Lucette protested, even as she felt a tremulous thrill of excitement.‘It’s after midnight.’ Ariston sat cross-legged on the thick rug in front of the fire and patted the space next to him. We’ll open it together, so we can see at the same time.Lucette said, and a little bit awkwardly, because of her growing bump, sat next to him on the rug.Wordlessly, they opened the envelope, their fingers brushing as they withdrew the single slip of paper and read the single sentence in English the technician had written there.It’s a...boy!‘A boy...’ Lucette repeated, wonderingly.She felt jolted, almost unsettled. She’d been excited to find out the sex of their baby, but now that she knew, it made things more real and less real at the same time.She put both hands on her bump. ‘A son. We’re going to have a son.’ She glanced at Ariston , who looked as gobsmacked as she felt. "Are you happy?"I’m...overjoyed.’ He put one hand over hers, on top of her bump. "What abo
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 165
Afterwards, they lay tangled together on the rug, warm and sated, their breathing only just starting to slow."Thank goodness Maria didn’t come down for a glass of warm milk..." Ariston said.Lucette stiffened. ‘She wouldn't?’"She is known to on occasion. It helps her sleep.’ He kissed the top of her head. But don’t worry. No one came. Except you, that is.’She laughed softly and snuggled up against him. "And you.""Most certainly. And that, I have to say, was a long time to wait.‘There wasn’t...’ She hesitated, not wanting to spoil the mood but needing to know. ‘There wasn’t anyone else? Since...?’"No one," Ariston told her firmly. "No one but you for over two years now, Lucette ."And there was no one but you for me, Ariston . Do you believe me?’‘Yes.’He spoke with such certainty that she relaxed once more into his embrace. Just asking the question had made her tense.They lay there in a comfortable silence, as the sweat cooled on their bodies and the fire cast its shadows,
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 166
Ariston sat on the sofa across from Lucette , barely listening to everyone’s chatter. The stilted conversation he’d had with Antonios out on the steps replayed in his mind.It had been strange and unsettling to see his brother again, standing there in front of their childhood home, remembering the death of both of their parents, a decade of hostility and suspicion between them... Ariston had felt himself tense, his hands balling into instinctive fists. He’d seen from the set of Antonios’s jaw and his narrowed eyes that he felt the same.They could clear the air, they could forgive the past, they could say they were moving on, but the reality was that memories still clung. They still held power. And if he couldn’t move past things with Antonios, how could he with Lucette ?He wanted to tell her he loved her, wanted to trust that what they had was real and lasting. But the memory of her last rejection still had the power to hurt. To make him stay silent. They’d had just over a month t
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 167
The next day, Ariston and Antonios repaired to the office to discuss matters relating to Linard Enterprises, and Lindsay sought out Lucette in the soon-to-be nursery, where she was comparing fabric swatches."Hello," she said, poking her head around the door, and Lucette gave a self-conscious smile before welcoming her in."Sorry, I’m not trying to hide away." She rubbed her lower back while motioning to the swatches. I'm just trying to make a decision about fabric. It can take ages for it to come in once you place an order.’"I wouldn’t know," Lindsay answered with a laugh. But Ariston mentioned you worked in decorating before...?I was a buyer for a department store in Paris. Home furnishings.’ It occurred to her that this must seem like a rather useless job to a brilliant mathematician, but Lindsay appeared genuinely interested.Do you miss it? When Antonios and I lived here, I missed my old life a lot more than I thought I would. My old job...’Lucette was intrigued to think
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 168
At the end of January, Ariston came into the house, where she’d been browsing through a catalogue of baby toys, and asked if she’d come to the office with him.The office? Why?’I need your opinion on something.Surprised and a bit bemused, she walked with him across the estate to the long, low-lying building that overlooked the olive groves."What do you think of these?" he asked, and gestured to a box of olive-based bath supplies.Frowning a little, Lucette examined the items, noting the pleasingly thick glass bottles and the nutty smell of the olives."They feel expensive," she offered. Although they smell a bit more like cooking oil than something you’d want to put in your bath.’He nodded. I was afraid of that. I want to develop a new range of bath products to supply the Adair chain of hotels, but I don’t think these are up to scratch.’Lucette answered with a smile: "A little olive oil goes a long way, I suppose.""I could use your expertise here," Ariston said. If you’re wi
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 169
Lucette tried to banish the disquiet that fluttered through her as she saw Ariston ’s eyebrows draw together in a faint frown. She’d been nervous about coming back to Paris, to the city where they’d met so often during their affair and the very room where Lucette had rejected him. She didn’t think she’d imagined the suddenly shuttered look on Ariston ’s face as he’d come into her apartment, and she had a terrible feeling he was remembering how he’d proposed to her here and what her answer had been.Now, however, he smiled, his face clearing, and looked around her sitting room. ‘Do you know, before I came here I would have thought you’d have some modern, sleek penthouse? All chrome and leather and modern art.’You mean like your bachelor pad in Athens? I prefer a homeier place to live.’Which is why you were a buyer of home furnishings, I suppose?She nodded, and he strolled around the apartment, noting the squashy velveteen sofa, the Impressionist prints, the porcelain ornaments and
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 170
She spent a long time getting ready that evening. First she had a long soak in the tub, and then she did her nails, hair, and make-up before donning a new maternity dress of soft black jersey.It had a daring V-neck that made the most of her pregnancy-enhanced assets and draped lovingly over her bump before swirling about her knees. She’d put her hair up for the simple pleasure of being able to take it down again in Ariston ’s presence later that night, and had slipped her feet into her favourite pair of black suede stiletto heels.And now she waited—because Ariston still wasn’t home.He’d been due back at seven to collect Lucette for their date, but as the minutes ticked by, Lucette ’s unease grew. She figured he'd be gone the one night she'd decided to tell Ariston how she felt.It almost seemed like a sign, a portent of things to come. Or rather, not to come.At seven forty-five, she texted Ariston . At eight, she took off her heels and her earrings—both had been starting to hurt
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MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 440
He moved suddenly, turned to her, and gripped her arms; she glimpsed the desperation in his eyes as he dragged her against his chest. "I will do whatever it takes to win you back, Kalila." "You are my wife, the love of my life, and I won’t let you go." His warm breath fanning the curls that framed her face, he pressed his lips to her temple, his eyes briefly closing as if in pain."I have told my father to name his brother Sulim as the interim ruler of Qubbah in the event of his dying before Hazem comes of age." Kate stared at him, shocked beyond words. "But... but why?" she finally stumbled.I thought that you were to rule until Hazem was older. "You are the King’s only son, and it is your duty." Ahsan shook his head. "My first duty is to my wife, and my father agrees." Even if he did not, I would still be here for you."Don't you understand, Kalila?" he asked urgently. "You are more important to me than Qubbah, my father, everything." You, me, and Hazem are a family, and the only thin
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 439
The still silence in the garden that followed his astounding statement was broken by the piercingly sweet song of a blackbird. Kate licked her suddenly dry lips, her heart beating so fast she was sure it would explode. "I don’t understand.""It’s quite simple." He sounded impatient and stared at her haughtily. But to her amazement, streaks of dull color highlighted his cheekbones, and his eyes veered from hers as if he were afraid to meet her gaze. "I love you, Kate."Her rebuttal was fierce and immediate. "No, you don’t.""I should have known you would want to argue about it, Kalila." A little of his tension left him, and his smile stole her breath."You don’t love me," she said again. It was probably some cruel trick, and she had more sense than to be fooled. "You married me for Hazem." You love Farrah. Malika said so.Malika said a lot of things, most of them untrue. Ahsan’s voice was suddenly harsh."But not the things she said about me," Kate said thickly. "My mother was a prosti
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 438
The blue sky was dotted with cotton wool clouds, and the warm breeze carried a scent of lavender and old-fashioned roses. There was no place on earth more beautiful than Ingledean on a spring day, Kate mused—except an oasis in the middle of the desert, where palm trees provided shade from the scorching sun and an azure pool glinted beneath a cloudless sky.She had been home for a month—although Ingledean no longer felt like home without Hazem. The image of his huge brown eyes and impish smile caused the familiar agonizing pain in her chest, and she bit down hard on her lip, tasted blood, and cursed the tears that slid unchecked down her face. She couldn’t cry forever. Somehow she was going to have to find the strength to move on, pick up the threads of her life, or maybe make a new one, far away from Ingledean and all its memories. But since she had left Qubbah, a terrible lassitude had settled on her, and she could not plan anything when the only two people she loved were far away on
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 437
In less than an hour, she was expected to attend the lavish dinner organized in honor of King Kabir’s recovery and his return as supreme ruler of Qubbah. And somehow she was going to have to do so without revealing that she was breaking up inside, which Kate acknowledged despairingly as she stared in the mirror at her paper-white face and red-rimmed eyes.When she first returned to the palace after her explosive confrontation with Malika, she locked herself in her dressing room and recalled, in stunned disbelief, everything the young Arab woman had told her. Could it be true? Had Ahsan always intended to divorce her once he’d gained custody of Hazem and marry his beautiful advisor?She did not know how long she’d sat there, but eventually her maid had knocked on the door and reminded her that it was time to prepare for the banquet. She should have made the excuse that she was ill—no one who saw her pallor would fail to believe her. But the steely backbone of pride that had seen her th
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 436
Despite the warmth of the early-evening sunshine, Kate shivered. "You’re talking nonsense," she said firmly, striving to sound confident despite the sudden lurch of her heart. She was perfectly aware of why Ahsan had married her, but he had given no hint that he wanted a divorce. Ahsan told me he was never engaged to you. She lifted her chin and glared at Malika, trying to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach."He wasn’t," Malika agreed, looking surprised. "I was engaged to Farhan; Ahsan was engaged to Farrah."The world seemed to tilt alarmingly for a few seconds, and Kate actually gripped the edge of the wall for support. Ahsan and Farrah! It couldn’t possibly be true, could it? "Jamila told me that Ahsan was in love with his fiancée," she said faintly. "She doesn’t know why the marriage didn’t take place."Malika gave a careless shrug. ‘Jamila knows. Everyone at the palace knows that Ahsan adored Farrah and that she eloped with his brother on the eve of their wedding.
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 435
He was suddenly aware that the children had finished their dance and everyone was waiting for his response. Kate had turned her head to him, frowning at his inattention, and he quickly clapped his hands in applause. Once the dancers had filed out of the marquee, his personal assistant Zaid appeared at his side and informed him that a group of local potters had brought their best work for his gracious inspection. Stifling a sigh, he led the royal party out into the blazing sunshine.The garden party continued all afternoon, and Ahsan was not in the best of moods when he strode back to the palace. He suddenly realized that he was too far ahead and slowed his pace, waiting for Kate to catch up with him. He frowned when he noted how pale she looked beneath her wide-brimmed hat. She made no attempt to speed up, and the dejected droop of her shoulders fueled his impatience."I appreciate that an afternoon spent admiring traditional crafts and customs is not likely to top your list of exciti
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 434
Her feet briefly touched the floor, and he spun her around, tugged her zip down her spine, and removed her dress before she had time to catch her breath. Her bra went the same way before he lifted her again and threw her onto the bed as if she were a rag doll, his eyes glittering with a mixture of anger and sexual hunger that made Kate’s stomach dip."At night, I’m happy to give you all the attention you could possibly want," he growled, his shoes, trousers, and shirt hitting the floor with barely controlled savagery until he stood in his silk boxers. "This is the only bed you’ll ever sleep in." The boxers joined the rest of his clothes, revealing his powerful, unashamedly aroused body in all its glory. "But I wouldn’t bank on sleeping for many hours yet."Kate stared up at him, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she struggled to control the wild excitement that was pounding through her veins. She was conscious that she was wearing nothing but a pair of tiny lace pants and the pric
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 433
Clearly embarrassed, Aaliyah determinedly changed the subject to Hazem and how fast he was growing. But although Kate smiled and made token conversation, her mind was whirling. If Malika’s family had expected her to marry Ahsan, was she the woman he had been engaged to years ago—the woman Jamila had said he had loved? But, if so, why had they not married? It didn’t make sense, and she brooded miserably as she stared at Ahsan. He was smiling at Malika and clearly enjoying her company. Perhaps they had argued and broken off their engagement. Was he now regretting his lost chance to marry a beautiful, clever Arab girl who would have made him the perfect wife?From that moment on, the party became a blur of faces and stilted conversation with people she had never met before. She was sure they viewed her as an oddity, with her pale skin and vivid hair—and her glaring lack of sophistication. But until his father had recovered, Ahsan was king, and one of her wifely duties outside of the bedr
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 432
As Ahsan had predicted, his team of advisors was waiting for him when they arrived back at the palace. Even on the journey across the desert, he’d had his mobile phone clamped to his ear, and Kate had sat silently beside him, lost in her thoughts. The honeymoon was over, and he had made it abundantly clear that he now saw her role as his wife as a walk-on part—or perhaps a lie-down part, she thought bitterly. But what had she expected? She had married him for Hazem, and he had married her for sex, and they had each gotten what they wanted.At least she had Hazem, she told herself later that evening, when she tucked the toddler into bed. She had missed him desperately, and his evident delight that she was back was a comforting balm to her raw emotions. She was Ahsan’s wife, a member of the Royal Family of Qubbah, and no one could ever take him away from her now.But as she prepared for the state banquet, her insecurities returned, and she felt sick with nerves. She had been horrified w
