Free Sheikh’s Fiancée by Sophia Lynn, Jessica Brooke Page A

at, and her cheeks warmed again as she remembered what she and Karim had done on the rooftop.
    As they continued up the winding road, the view of the ocean was replaced by rows of villas perched on large plots of land with palm fronds and pools. Alice’s eyes widened as they pulled up next to a particularly grand one located near the top of the cliff. It was a sprawling, two-story structure with square roofs and Arabian arches. Palm fronds framed the tiled entrance, and the tile disappeared around the three-car garage jutting out from the side, telling her there was more to be seen from the rear.
    “Oh my God,” she whispered as it finally dawned on her. “Karim, is this the estate your mother’s family willed to you?”
    “It is.” Karim squeezed his hand, quiet joy in his deep voice. “Do you like it?”
    “It looks fantastic!” She squeezed his hand back, then practically yanked him from the limo when the driver opened the door to let her out. “Oh my God, you have to give me a tour. Have you seen this place already?”
    “I have.” Amusement colored his voice as he followed behind her. “I’ve been working on making the house inhabitable these past couple of weeks so that we could have our wedding night here.”
    “House.” Alice snorted as she stared up at the huge structure. “This is a mansion.”
    Karim settled his hands on her shoulders, then dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Whatever it is, this is our home now.”
    Alice stood stock still, absorbing that as Karim moved around her to unlock the entrance and disable the security system. Holy cow. This was their home now. She knew that the estate came with Karim, that in fact she was marrying Karim because of the estate, but she hadn’t thought about the fact that this meant they were actually going to live here.
    But of course they were, she chided herself as she stepped into the house after him. He’d told her that one of the reasons he’d wanted the estate was so that he could have something for himself, so that he could start his own family and life that was independent of the palace and his brother.
    “Well?” he asked as he closed the door behind her. “What do you think?”
    Alice let her eyes wander across the huge open space of the entrance lobby. The floor beneath her feet was cool white quartz, and the ceilings above had clearly been raised, giving the space an airy feel. Beyond she could clearly see both living room, dining room and kitchen – there were subtle room divisions that leant structure to the space, but it was basically an open floor plan.
    “It’s beautiful,” she murmured, wandering past the entrance and into the living room. The white quartz tile here was covered by a thick, rich red carpet, and the heavy cedar furniture was upholstered in the same color, but interrupted with stripes of bright colors to add variety. To her left, about thirty feet away, rose a black marble bar that marked off the kitchen from the living room space, and lining the entire wall in front of her was a series of windows that offered an expansive view of the gardens, which she could see included a long rectangular pool and a kind of gazebo. Best of all, she could still see the ocean from where she stood.
    “You can see the Indian Ocean from almost anywhere in this house,” Karim said, looping his arms around her waist and pulling her back against him. Alice inhaled his dark, spicy scent as she leaned into him, savoring the feeling of his strong arms as they cradled her. “It’s one of my favorite things about this place.”
    “I have a feeling the pool is going to be one of my favorite things,” Alice said, eyeing the rectangular water feature. She loved swimming. “I could make that part of my morning routine.”
    “There’s also a hot tub out there, which can be particularly lovely on winter evenings.” Karim dropped a kiss on her head, then pulled back and tugged at her hand. “Come, let me show you the rest of the