Page 4 of Her Irresistible Sheik
“Yeah,” he murmured.“I do want more grandkids.”
He turned back toward her, eyes soft but serious.“But more than that, I want you to be happy.”
Nahla opened her mouth to object, but he lifted a hand, stopping her.
“I know women can be happy and single,” he said.“That’s not what I’m saying.”He reached for her free hand, his fingers warm and solid, grounding her.“But I’ve seen the sadness in your eyes, Nahla.Especially this past year.You’re not yourself.And you won’t tell me why.”
His voice gentled, coaxing rather than probing.Still, she didn’t answer.Her mouth pressed into a line.Her blue eyes went flat, shuttered against the memories she refused to speak aloud.
Khal sighed, not pushing further.He gave her a tired smile.“So… no interest in Nial, huh?”
Nahla wrinkled her nose.“Not even amoleculeof interest.”
“Well,” he said, shifting in his seat with a fatherly groan, “I’m not giving up.”
She laughed lightly.“You never do.”
As the SUV slowed in front of the animal shelter, Nahla leaned over and pressed a kiss to her father’s cheek.“Don’t worry, Dad.If you managed to find someone as incredible as Mom, then I’ve got decent odds.”
The door opened, and the sharp scent of warm pavement, car exhaust, and distant baguettes drifted in.Her bodyguards stepped out first, scanning the area behind mirrored sunglasses, then flanked her as she exited.
She paused, turning back.“Besides,” she added with a smirk, “Zayn’s your best bet for more grandkids.The way he looks at Azlyn?Phuleaze.They’ll be making baby number two before Griff finishes potty training.”
Her father chuckled and waved her off.
Inside the shelter, the air was warm and smelled faintly of bleach, fur, and doggie treats.Nahla stepped up to the counter, still holding the puppy.
“He wandered into the street,” she explained to the shelter volunteer, her voice low and fond.“No collar.Starving.Sweet as can be.”She carefully handed the pup over, brushing his ears one last time as he gave a soft whine and nuzzled her wrist.
“It’s okay, little guy,” she whispered, giving him a final kiss on the head.“You’re going to find your forever home.Someone’s going to fall in love with you.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet.Every bill she had—maybe fifty euros, maybe a bit more—she placed gently on the counter.
“Please use this for food.Or blankets.Or whatever keeps them safe,” she said, her voice tighter now.
And then she turned.
She didn’t look back.
If she looked back, she’d do something foolish.Like scoop him up and shove him into her handbag and whisper,I’ll figure it out later.
So she straightened her spine, lifted her chin, and walked out into the Paris sunshine.
Chapter 2
Lilly’s breath hitched.
She stared at the grainy photo on her monitor, pupils dilating as every nerve in her body lit up like a live wire.It was him.
The bastard in the background of the photo—half-shadowed—was unmistakably the same man who had shattered her world.She’d spent the last three years chasing whispers, hacking into encrypted databases, bribing low-level servers for scraps of intel.And now here he was.In broad daylight.Careless.Caught.
Her pulse hammered.
Lilly leaned closer to the screen, studying every visible inch of his face—the angle of his jaw, the barely-there scar beneath his left eye, the stooped-but-wary posture that had always unsettled her.There weren’t many photos to compare—maybe two, one from a surveillance camera in Prague, another from a shaky hand-held clip in Nairobi—but her gut clenched with certainty.
It washim.
Her fists clenched on the edge of her keyboard, chipped black nail polish scraping against the worn aluminum.Rage flared like acid in her veins.The same man who had murdered her husband—quiet, clever Thomas, who made her laugh and brewed her coffee just the way she liked—was alive and walking around like he didn’t carry death in his pockets.
