Free Sheikh's Pregnant Lover by Sophia Lynn, Jessica Brooke Page A

Azura.”
    Madeline took the photograph and drew in a breath as she stared down at a stunning, dark-haired woman with large eyes and a demure smile. She was dressed in an abaya, and wearing very tasteful makeup that highlighted her gorgeous cheekbones, long eyelashes, and full lips that were very similar to Zayid’s.
    “She’s beautiful,” she said, handing back the photograph.
    “Thank you.” Zayid’s smile lit his eyes for a moment, but the glow faded again. “She’s married to the sheikh of Qatar, and has been for over two years now. But they are childless.”
    “Oh.” Madeline’s heart sank at the news. “That must be difficult, especially if she’s expected to produce heirs.”
    “Extremely so.” Zayid tucked the photo away. “Kadar, her husband, is a good man, but her inability to produce children has strained their marriage, and not without reason. He needs a wife to produce children for him, and my sister’s inability to conceive has been destroying her confidence. She’s tried IVF twice now with no success, neither of the embryos taking, and the injections were very difficult for her to bear. The last one ended in a miscarriage, and the heartache was so great that she begged Kadar for a reprieve, which he granted.”
    “But that won’t last forever,” Madeline murmured when Zayid paused.
    “No, it won’t. She’ll have to start trying again soon. In our culture, it is not necessarily the end of the world if she doesn’t conceive, because Kadar will just take another wife, one who is more fertile. But Azura will be devastated if that happens, because she will constantly be forced to live in the shadow of another woman’s success, one that will remind her of her failure. I don’t want that kind of future for her, and the procedure you are working on looks like it could provide an answer for her. So I’d like to support it however possible.”
    Madeline was floored. “I had no idea you had such a personal interest,” she said, lifting her hands from beneath the tablecloth to reach for Zayid’s own. She couldn’t help but give him a sympathetic squeeze, and when he squeezed her hand back her stomach fluttered. “If I had known I would have been a lot more understanding about your visit to the laboratory.”
    “Yes, but you didn’t know, and when I’d come I wasn’t really thinking about the importance of your work so much as my desire to see you again.” Zayid withdrew his hand, but he kept his gaze on her. “When I realized the importance of your project, I also realized that it could be the answer to my sister’s prayers. Perhaps you were sent to me by Allah, and His will is for me to watch over you and assist you in any way I can.”
    Madeline laughed. “Perhaps,” she said, a little uncomfortable with the idea—she wasn’t very religious. But she wasn’t about to invalidate Zayid for his beliefs, nor for the hope she’d sprung in him that she would be able to help his sister. “Well I will make sure to work even more diligently then, Zayid. I would absolutely like to help your sister, as well as all the other women out there who are struggling with conception. And if you want to help as well, I definitely don’t see any reason to stop you.”
    “Excellent.” He beamed at her, and it was like the clouds had parted from above and a shaft of sunlight had spilled onto her face, warming her from the inside out. Her heart beat a little faster, and her lips parted as she was suddenly swept up in the moment. She didn’t know what was happening, and it made her a little afraid. Why did he have this effect on her?
    “Lasagna for the lady, and tortellini for His Highness,” the waiter announced, appearing at their table and blessedly breaking up the moment. Madeline’s stomach growled as the waiter set the plate of steaming lasagna in front of her. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the food was right in front of her.
    Looking up, she saw Zayid grinning at her,