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Chapter 381
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MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 382
She’d closed her eyes briefly. The more time they spent together, the sooner he’d want to get rid of her. Maybe it was the best solution.‘I’ll only do it out of respect for my area, for this building. I can’t afford to be thrown out because I’m causing a disturbance.’Cassia walked over to the window of his palatial living room and looked out. They were between the Ritz Hotel and the Jardin des Tuileries. A truly spectacular address And she couldn't have given a damn.She could have been in the gritty suburbs for all she cared, as long as she was away from him. She sighed deeply. because she knew that wasn’t true.Calix watched her back from the door. It was ramrod straight, her hands stuck into the back pockets of her jeans. Her cashmere cardigan buttoned down the back, making his fingers itch to go and unbutton it, run his hands around to her front and up to cup her breasts. He could feel their warmth and weight in his hands.She was getting him hard just looking at her back!She wa
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 383
Cassia’s feet ached. She had visions of buckets of hot water and Epsom salts. She smiled and greeted the umpteenth person coming in through the heavily decorated damask-covered doors. The memorial for Pierre Baudat was a celebration of his life’s work. A-listers from all over the world were there. This was the biggest event she’d been given so far, and she’d been working night and day to get it organized. She hadn’t failed to notice how Calix’s bemusement over recent days had turned to irritation pretty quickly. No doubt, she thought bitterly, this wasn’t part of the game plan. A wife who worked."Well, tough," she told herself. and knew that she’d probably put in more hours than necessary. As far as avoidance tactics went, she was a master of the game. Extreme self-protection. Keep busy to avoid the pain of seeing Calix every day. She was sure it’d only be a matter of time now before she’d receive divorce papers, and then she could start to pick up the pieces of her broken heart. Bec
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 384
‘Cassia.’ His face darkened. "Would you prefer if I told people how we came to be married?" that you betrayed me and I took advantage of meeting you again to take a convenient wife?She shook her head miserably. An ache formed in her throat as he put two hands on her arms and pulled her close again.She hated herself for reacting, even now. Her head felt heavy as she looked up.He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. ‘We do have a real marriage, Cassia. As real as it can be in this day and age. We have great sex—’His words tore at her. "Yes, but that’s all." If we didn’t, you would have divorced me as soon as you could after the wedding, and I wish you had, believe me.Two bright spots had appeared on her cheeks, and Calix could feel her chest heaving against his.Cassia couldn’t tear her gaze away from his. The room had disappeared, they could have been anywhere. Heat coiled in her belly like a live wire, her breasts tingled and pushed against the fabric of her dress. Cali
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 385
With easy strength, he lifted her up, her legs automatically coming around his waist, and with her back resting against the door, with one smooth movement, he surged up and into her, piercing her moist silken flesh with his. She gripped his neck and stifled her gasp of pure pleasure against his heated skin and the corded muscles that spoke of his effort to control himself.Time and time again, he thrust himself into her heart, taking them both on a roller-coaster ride more intense than ever before. When he thrust upwards for the final time, Cassia’s whole body shook with the violence of her orgasm and shook still as he threw back his head and allowed himself to spill into her, his release unending. It took a long time for the room to right itself or for either of them to have the strength to extricate themselves. Calix lowered her gently back down, and Cassia’s legs couldn’t hold her up. They buckled, and she would have fallen if he hadn’t caught her and swung her into his arms. She b
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 386
When Cassia woke up, it was nearly lunchtime. She didn’t panic; she knew she and Cécile had a day off today to recover. Needless to say, the bed was empty beside her. She sank deeper. The glorious feeling of knowing she had finished a job well done made her smile. But it wasn’t long before her thoughts turned back to Calix. She groaned and rolled over, burying her head under a pillow.After a few minutes, she sat up on the edge of the bed and, finding her robe to pull on, stood up. The intense wave of dizziness that struck her made her sit down again quickly. What was that? On an instinctive reflex, her hand went to her belly. Then, just as quickly as the dizziness had hit, she felt nausea rush over her, fast and urgent. She just made it to the bathroom in time.When she had finished retching into the toilet, she stood up and washed her face. She had an awful certainty about what was wrong. And she didn’t even question that it could be something else. The past few days, the intense ti
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 387
Getting out of the four-wheel drive at the villa the next day and watching Thea come down the steps made a vivid sense of déjà vu wash over Cassia. She held onto the vehicle door to steady herself. She had felt nauseous again that morning but had managed to make it to the bathroom without Calix hearing her. She had to keep her secret. Had to. If he found out before the divorce, he’d insist she stay married to him. She knew him too well now.At least if they were already divorced, he couldn’t march her back up the aisle, and as for her uncle... She could feel the blood leave her face. She couldn’t think now about what she’d do if he threatened them again.Thea came and embraced Cassia, looking at her closely. Cassia felt a quiver of panic. Could Thea see her secret? But the moment was gone as Thea led them inside. This time there were no questions about bedrooms, and both their bags were left in his bedroom.That night, Cassia made a pact with herself as she lay in Calix’s arms. After
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 388
Cassia was struggling to breathe through the intense pain. ‘I can't… Calix… I'm unable to breathe or move.For a moment, when Cassia pushed weakly at Calix’s chest, he thought she was still fighting him. He looked down. She was pasty. The same color as the previous night at the restaurant. Panic slammed into his body, even as he tried to rationalize what could be causing the same reaction.He lifted her up into his arms and strode through the house, an unbidden and constricting fear making him feel uncoordinated. He bellowed for Thea, and when she appeared at the top of the stairs, he instructed her to call the doctor.After Cassia had thrown up, he brought her over to the bed and sat there, cradling her in his lap, until the intense, violent shaking calmed somewhat, until the storm had passed and she could breathe again. She was so limp that he felt a shard of ice slice through his chest. He was about to shout for Thea again when the doctor appeared at the door. The relief he felt wa
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 389
Cassia got up and walked up into the hall from the kitchen. Calix was coming down the stairs."I had been looking for you..."She nodded jerkily. "I think we need to talk."‘Yes.’ He was grim. ‘We do.’This is it. He’s going to tell me about the divorce, and I know I should tell him about the pregnancy now, but if I do...‘Cassia?’ He was looking at her intently.She faced him squarely and drew up reserves of strength from somewhere.‘Yes?’"Let’s sit down."He took her hand and led her over to the sofa, sitting down beside her. Putting a little distance between themOh, God, he’s going to be nice about it. This is so much worse...Cassia felt the bile rise and had to take deep breaths to will it down.‘Cassia. The doctor told me what he thinks happened last night—that it was some form of a panic attack.The abject and pitiful relief that washed over Cassia when he didn't bring up divorce right away made her want to burst out laughing.She nodded her head and focused on his face. His s
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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
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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
