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Chapter 396
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MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 397
Noises from beyond the library door catapulted him back to the present: the sound of a child crying mingled with a distinctive, broad Yorkshire accent. A moment later, the door was flung open, and a woman appeared with a hysterical toddler in her arms."Sorry to disturb you." She addressed Kate, oblivious to the tension in the room. "But Hazem has banged his head on the kitchen table." You know how he runs everywhere. "Look, there’s a lump the size of an egg coming up on his forehead, but he won’t let me console him—he wants you."Quickly, Kate held out her arms and took the sobbing child from the cook, her heart clenching when he wrapped his arms around her neck and burrowed close. "Shh, it’s all right, darling." Let me look at your head. She brushed his dark curls off his brow and inspected the livid bruise before applying the ice pack Beatrice had handed her. "That’s quite a bump you’ve got there, but there’s no real harm done."Hazem’s sobs gradually subsided as she cuddled him. H
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 398
Ahsan turned away from the window and the uninspiring view of snow-covered moors and found Hazem staring up at him, his chocolate-brown eyes wide with curiosity. He knelt down slowly, so he was level with the toddler's gaze, and pain tugged at his chest.The little boy bore a marked resemblance to both his parents, and the sight of his small, lively face and impish grin made the tragedy of Farhan and Farrah’s untimely deaths seem even more poignant.The anger and bitterness that had eaten away at Ahsan for six long years released its grip on his heart and was replaced by a new emotion that was unexpectedly fierce. Love—pure and uncomplicated—flooded through him, and he reached out and stroked Hazem’s cheek with fingers that shook slightly.Farhan’s little son was an orphan, but he would never feel alone or unloved. He, Ahsan, would make sure of that. Because of his stubborn pride, he had left it too late to be reconciled with his brother, but he would love his nephew as if he were his
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 399
‘Oh—right.’ Beatrice looked faintly startled at Kate’s brisk tone, but held out her hand to Hazem and led him from the room.The cook closed the door behind her, leaving Kate alone with Ahsan, and her heart sank when she glanced at him and saw that his face had hardened, his eyes blazing with anger."You would begrudge me even five minutes with my brother’s child?" He demanded angrily."Hazem is my flesh and blood.""I didn’t know about you." Kate quickly defended herself. Farhan told me that neither he nor his first wife had any family. You must understand that your appearance here today has been a shock. She bit her lip, her thoughts whirling around her brain. "When you say that Hazem has family in Qubbah, who are they, exactly?"‘My father…’ Ahsan paused; Kate seemed genuinely shocked that Farhan had a family. For some reason, Farhan had not told her that he was a prince or that his son was heir apparent to the throne of Qubbah, but for now he saw no reason to impart that informatio
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 400
"I am offering you a chance to resume your life without the responsibilities of caring for a child who is not yours," Ahsan replied with deadly calm—in direct contrast to the fury flashing in her eyes. "You are young and extraordinarily beautiful," he observed clinically, his voice devoid of emotion. "And, since my brother’s death, single." Although he would bet his personal fortune that she would not remain so for long, he thought grimly, watching the faint tremor of her lower lip and imagining the velvet softness of her mouth beneath his. "I imagine dating with a toddler in tow could be rather... inhibiting," he sarcastically remarked."I have no intention of dating anyone," Kate choked, still reeling from his description of her as beautiful. As astounding as it seemed, the sheikh appeared to find her attractive—but from the coldness of his tone, he clearly resented his awareness of her. "I haven’t even thought about anything like that..." Hazem was her world, and there was no room
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 401
"I want you to leave," Kate said tightly, her chest heaving as she fought to drag oxygen into her lungs.She could not bring herself to look at him. It was pointless trying to defend herself—pointless to explain that she’d never had a proper boyfriend in all her twenty-two years. Ahsan clearly believed she was the Mata Hari of the Yorkshire Moors, and after the shameful way she had responded to him, she couldn’t really blame him.Shaking with reaction, she yanked open the library door and stood aside for Ahsan to pass—then gasped when he caught hold of her arm and slammed the door shut again, the blaze of anger in his eyes filling her with trepidation."I came here to collect my brother’s child, and I’m not going anywhere without him," he warned her savagely."So what are you going to do?" Kidnap him? Take him from me by force? Kate demanded shakily.Ingledean was eight miles from the nearest village, and she had always loved its remoteness, but Ahsan was strong and powerful, and she
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 402
Ahsan was silent for so long that she risked another glance at him and was startled by the hardness of his expression. "He married a woman who had not been chosen for him," he replied at last. Farhan was engaged to the daughter of an influential family in Qubbah, but before his wedding he eloped with another woman and brought great shame to his family."When you say that his fiancée had been chosen for him, do you mean that it was an arranged marriage?" Kate queried and was shocked. "Isn’t that a rather outdated tradition?""It is the tradition in Qubbah," Ahsan informed her coldly. My father had selected a number of potential brides, and Farhan chose one of them."But he didn’t love her," Kate said, her voice ringing with conviction. "He loved Farrah." He talked about her all the time, and I know that her death left him heartbroken. Why did Farhan have to elope with her? Why couldn’t he have married her and stayed in Qubbah?"Because Farrah was promised to another man," Ahsan said fl
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 403
It had stopped snowing when they left Ingledean. The evening air was crisp and cold, and Kate shivered in the cream linen skirt and jacket that she had changed into for the journey. Ahsan had warned her that it would be hot in Qubbah, and she only hoped he was right.At least she no longer looked like a "menial domestic," she thought, recalling his scathing description of her when he first learned that she was Farhan’s widow. Stung by his remarks, she had taken time with her appearance and teamed her suit with a pale blue silk blouse, swept her unruly curls into a knot on top of her head, and even added a touch of make-up—just a soft taupe shadow on her eyelids and pink gloss on her lips.She had felt supremely self-conscious when she’d walked down the stairs to where he'd been waiting in the hall with Hazem, and the flare of sexual heat in his eyes had caused her heart to jerk painfully beneath her ribs.Her doubts about taking Hazem to visit his family in Qubbah were intensifying by
MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE Chapter 404
He waited for Kate to absorb his words, noting how the color had drained from her face. She looked very young, and that air of innocence was very convincing. It was easy to see how she had fooled Farhan three years ago, when he had been a grieving widower with a baby son. "Hell, she had almost fooled him," Ahsan mused grimly. But the information his personal assistant had emailed him after running a data check revealed things about her that he was sure his brother knew nothing about. Things like a shoplifting conviction and details about a life that had spiraled out of control—until she was fostered by an elderly couple who took her to their home in the caretaker's cottage on the grounds of Ingledean House.There she had managed to catch up on her education and had trained as a nanny, but more controversy followed with her first job, looking after the children of a respected barrister and landowner at his country estate on the outskirts of York. Zaid had unearthed talk of an affair be
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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
