“If not, I’ll fulfill that role,” I conclude, ending the conversation.
Chapter 33
I can’t sleep. I’ve tried staying in my room and relaxing after a bath. I’m anxious because I don’t know how I have to act from now on.
He brought me to his house. Why? He’s afraid that I’ll escape again, especially now that he knows there’s a child on the way.
I leave my suite and wander around the house, trying to guess which of the rooms Kamal is in, because I don’t want to be alone.
Like his other residences, the London one is monstrous. I try every door, only to realize after going through all of the ones in the hallway that he is in the room next to mine.
When I open the door, the whole room is dark, but I can see the outline of his body in the dim light.
I near the bed, and for a moment I stand still, observing the man who will soon become my husband and the father of my child.
He sleeps naked; in the nights we’ve spent together, I’ve learned that it’s a habit of his.
I sit down carefully on the bed and study his face. Even in his sleep, Kamal is frighteningly powerful. Not only because of his size but because there’s something about him that inspires respect.
And love.
Yes. Although I fight my feelings, I grow more charmed by him each day.
I missed him in the weeks he was away, and now I’m brave enough to admit that this isn’t just a physical attraction.
It’s the warmth of his big body holding me. His deep voice that, when angry, sounds like thunder but never rises in volume.
The hunger with which his lips devour me and the feeling of him pulsing inside of me.
His domineering personality and even the dirty words he whispers when he’s about to lose himself in pleasure.
I move my hand to his face, closing my eyes when I feel the roughness of his stubble against my palm. My heart nearly stops when he holds my hand to give it a kiss.
“Can’t sleep, Madeline?”
How is it possible that my heart leaps just at the sound of his voice?
Because you love him, fool. You’re hopelessly in love with your Sheikh.
The conviction of what I feel gives me courage. Instead of answering him, I get up.
I’m wearing nothing but a robe, so I open it and let it fall to my feet. “I’m so scared. When we’re undressed, I don’t feel there is any difference between us. There’s no world beyond the two of us.”
He pulls me onto the bed, making me lie beside him. “There’s no difference that can’t be overcome.”
“And what if I can’t be a good mother or a good wife?”
In a quick move, he positions himself above me, fitting himself between my thighs. “We’ll take it one day at a time. I know you’re nervous, and that’s normal, but don’t plan everything at once. Tomorrow I’ll take you to see my world.”
Our faces are so close I can feel the warmth of his breath.
I wrap my legs around his waist, enticing him to take me. “Your country, you mean. But what about you? Will you let me get to know you for real?”
“You already know me better than any other woman.”
“It’s not enough.”
He thrusts inside me slowly. “You’ll be my wife, Madeline,” he says, moving his hips at a leisurely pace. “We’ll have time to get to know each other better.”
