Free Sold To The Sheikh: His Indecent Proposal (An Interracial Sheikh Romance Novel) by Holly Rayner Page A

or anything—I don’t even
remember them, or know…” why they gave me
up before I even had a chance to know them, her mind finished—though she didn’t say it out loud. “But I
mean, my bio mom had to have conceived me naturally, right? If she
was fertile…”
     
    “Sweetheart, if your birth
mother was able to conceive, you’ll be able to
conceive.”
     
    Mia laughed again, shaking
her head. “I don’t know that, and neither do you.”
     
    “It’s your first cycle,
baby girl. Give it a good chance, a good few times, before you
start worrying.”
     
    “But Rami is paying me so
much money for this. If I can’t even get pregnant…” Mia’s eyes
stung with tears. “I’ll feel like a failure, like I wasted his
time.”
     
     
    “And what does Rami
say?”
     
    Mia took a deep breath and
sighed. “He says that if it doesn’t work out, no harm done,” Mia
replied. “That he would just consider it an investment that didn’t
pan out.” She frowned, picking at imaginary lint on her jeans. “But
that doesn’t make me feel any differently. If I can’t have kids
this way…maybe I can’t ever have kids.” Mia’s mom gave her a quick
hug.
     
    “Well, if that happens,
like your Dad and me, you’ll adopt. And you’ll make some little
girl or boy’s life as special as you can, and give them love.” Mia
nodded, resting her head on her mother’s skinny
shoulder.
     
    “You’re right,” she
replied. “It won’t stop me from feeling like I basically robbed
Rami, but at least…if I can’t get pregnant…at least it’s another
option.”
     
    * * *

 
     
    Four weeks later, Mia
found herself in Dr. Farber’s office again, with Rami at her side.
“Welcome back,” the doctor said as they sat down. “How are you
feeling, Mia?” Mia smiled weakly.
     
    “Like I’ve been scoured by
a Brill-o pad,” she said. Dr. Farber nodded
sympathetically.
     
    “Yes, implantation can
feel like that,” the doctor agreed. “Are you feeling tired, achy,
nauseated?” Mia shrugged.
     
    “Not any more than usual.”
She felt her eyes stinging with tears and looked up at the ceiling,
taking a quick, deep breath. The hormones she’d been taking in
order to produce the eggs for the procedure were taking their toll
on her; Mia had had to stop watching a movie just the day before
because she couldn’t stop crying.
     
    “Well, your blood tests
have come back within normal range, which you’ll be pleased to
hear, I’m sure,” Dr. Farber’s voice was reassuring, and Mia tried
to suppress the nervous feeling bubbling up inside of her. Rami
reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a quick
squeeze.
     
    “What about the eggs?” Mia
asked finally, steeling herself for bad news.
     
    “They’re doing
wonderfully,” the doctor said. “Exactly what we wanted to see. And
the fertilization is looking positive. We’ll know for sure that
it’s set in another twenty-four to forty-eight hours, but right now
it’s looking very promising.” Mia sighed with relief.
     
    “So then they can be
implanted?” Rami’s voice sounded almost as anxious as
Mia’s.
     
    “Absolutely. You’re going
to have some more discomfort, I’m afraid, but as long as nothing
interferes with the fertilization, the embryos can be implanted in
the next three days or so. We’ll only implant a few of them—the
rest can be frozen for another attempt.”
     
    “I really hope we don’t
need another attempt,” Mia said wearily. She glanced at Rami. “I’m
actually starting to think I should’ve held out for more money from
you.”
     
    Rami grinned. “I’m
perfectly willing to pay you more,” he told her. “Just name your
price.” Mia gritted her teeth, trying to suppress a flare of anger
that she knew was totally disproportionate.
     
    “I don’t mean it,” she
said finally. “I’d just…really love to get on with being pregnant.
I don’t think it could be any more uncomfortable than what I’ve
already