AllFreeNovel
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She took a bite of the hamburger with its cheese and salad, sighing appreciation even as she cut off a wedge of meat pie, her hands a little shaky. “Is that your way of apologizing?”
He poured them each a juice from out of an icy-cold jug then sat down in a seat opposite her, his dark eyes glittering. “I never knew I even wanted to be a dad until your pregnancy kit stared me in the face. I’m only sorry I questioned your morals and soured yet another possible celebration.”
Her heart did a nervous little flip. She cleared her throat. “I’m not pregnant, so it’s a moot point.”
He took a sip of his drink. “I disagree. I was being an insecure asshole and I should have known better.” He leaned forward, one of his hands covering hers. “I’ve disappointed you. I won’t let that happen again.”
She believed him. He was sincere and unguarded, his heart on his sleeve.
He held her gaze. “Are you upset you’re not pregnant?”
Her pulse quickened. “Upset? No. Of course not.”
“Really?”
“I once considered having an operation so that I would never conceive and never have to worry that any baby of mine would go through what I did.”
“That’s…extreme,” he said gently, his clasp tightening a little over hers.
“The doctors seemed to think so, too. They said I was too young to make such a radical decision and said I might reconsider having children in the future.”
“Are you glad they talked you out of it?”
She bit into her pie. It was flavor sensation. Peppery, juicy beef wrapped in flaky, golden pastry. She closed her eyes, but she couldn’t hide from his question. “Honestly…for the briefest moment this morning I imagined a life back home in Australia for myself and our child. A normal, carefree life with parks and beaches.”
He visibly stiffened. “You planned a life without me in it.”
“I also imagined you trying to take our baby away from me.”
He shook his head. “Do you really think I’d do that to you, Holly? I’m not the bad guy here.”
“And I am?”
“No, your dad is. He might be dead, but the memories of him are still fresh, and dictating your life—your future—even now.” He leaned forward. “I’m not your dad, Holly. I’m nothing like him.”
She nodded slowly, tension uncoiling inside her. “You’re right. You protect those you care about, you don’t hurt them.”
He leaned back in his seat, his hand leaving hers. “I would never hurt you, not deliberately.”
She missed his touch already, craved it. But it didn’t mean she’d let him off the hook. “Not even when you were going to leave me behind in the desert?”
“I would never have left you behind, though admittedly I did enjoy teaching you a lesson. I simply took my men out of your earshot to speak to them.” His smile was a little dry. “I didn’t want them to tell you I was a sheikh. Right from the start I just wanted you to treat me like a normal man.”
“I did and I do. You’ll always be my desert rat.”
His grin lit up his eyes. “Just how I like it.”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to remember not to call you a liar in public.”
He nodded. “Better to keep such accusations behind closed doors. My people would want blood to hear such disrespect.”
She exhaled slowly. “So you were worried about me, not your pride?”
“If something happened to you, little flame, it would destroy me.”
“You mean that, don’t you?”
“With every molecule I have.”
