Page 63 of Her Irresistible Sheik
“No,” Mikail said after a long pause.“I think I’d rather shake their hands.”
And with that, he stepped forward, keeping one arm firmly around Nahla’s waist as he extended the other to the two royal schemers.
A warm laugh sounded from the hallway behind them, and Mikail looked up to see Sheik Khal and Queen Tasha watching with amusement.
Realizing his breach in protocol, Mikail quickly straightened and guided Nahla toward her parents as they stepped into the room.She tried to shoot one last glare at her cousin and brother, but the moment she saw her mother and father, all the tension in her melted away.
She launched herself into their arms.“I’m so glad you’re here,” she beamed, hugging her mother tightly, then turning to her father with equal enthusiasm.
“I can’t wait for you to meet therealMikail,” she added brightly, glancing over her shoulder at him.Then, with a teasing grin, she leaned closer to her father and whispered, “He acts grumpy, just like you.But deep down, he’s really just a big teddy bear.”
A low growl rumbled behind her, and Nahla laughed, turning to face her man.With a smile, she handled the formal introductions, listing titles and names like a pro.When she got to the smallest guest, she bent down to look into Griffin’s eyes, who looked up at Mikail and grinned, dimples flashing like tiny weapons of mass cuteness.
Mikail stared, momentarily undone by the child’s charm.“Those damn dimples,” he muttered, then offered the toddler a solemn fist bump—planting it gently against Griffin’s sock-covered foot.The gesture earned another grin, this one even more devastating.Mikail sighed and turned to greet Zayn’s lovely wife, Azlyn, with a polite nod and a rare, genuine smile.
The evening flowed surprisingly smoothly.No arguments.No royal disasters.By the time dessert had been cleared, the wedding plans were agreed upon and finalized.Every major decision—location, date, guest list—was easily made, and a few subtle glances between Nahla and Mikail that promised the best part of the evening was still to come.
Several hours later, Nahla slipped out of her suite, walking barefoot down the quiet hallway.Her shift from one bedroom to another wasn’t exactly covert—her ever-watchful bodyguards trailed behind her like polite shadows.The sentries posted outside Mikail’s private suite nodded respectfully and opened the door without a word.
Nahla gave them a cheeky wave as she closed the door behind her.
She began undressing as she moved through the darkened space, shedding layers of formality with each step.She didn’t need light; she knew this room like she knew her own heartbeat.
The bedroom was pitch black, but the moment she slipped beneath the cool sheets, a familiar voice greeted her.
“About time,” Mikail grumbled, his arms already reaching for her.
She nestled into his warmth with a contented sigh, her body relaxing instantly.
“This is where I’m supposed to be,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him—pouring into it all the desire she’d kept buried in front of her family.
Epilogue
“What’s wrong?”Mikail asked, gently pulling Nahla into his arms.She shifted slightly to accommodate her belly, but he adjusted easily, resting a hand against the roundness of her stomach.He smiled as their son kicked against his palm.
“Nothing,” she replied, but her voice carried a weight he couldn’t ignore.
“Tell me,” he urged in that gruff, grumbly voice she loved.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder.“I feel enormous,” she whispered.“We can’t have sex because it’s too uncomfortable.My ankles are swollen.I can’t eat anything because there’s no space left inside me.I feel disgusting, and I’m terrified you’re going to look at me and see someone who’s fat and ugly.”Her voice cracked, tears sliding down her cheeks by the time she finished.
Mikail blinked, stunned.She thought he didn’t want her?He’d been watching her for months, falling even more in love with the way her body carried their child, with every new curve and change.Yes, he missed the sex—but that wasn’t the point.The doctor had been clear: no strenuous activity.He’d respected the limit, but it hadn’t stopped his desire, or his admiration.
He didn’t try to reason with her.He knew this wasn’t a moment for logic.This was a moment for reassurance.
“You take my breath away every time you walk into a room,” he said, brushing a hand gently through her hair.
She started to protest, but he touched her lips, halting her words.
“I don’t see swollen ankles.I wouldn’t know if they were.What I see is a woman glowing with the life growing inside her.I see full, beautiful breasts, skin that draws my hands every time you pass by, and eyes that pull me in no matter what mood you’re in.”He kissed her fingertips.“You’re carrying our child.I want to touch you all the time.And if you doubt me, just shift those hips a little and you’ll feel the truth for yourself.”
There was no mistaking his arousal pressing against her.
“I want you.So much it hurts.”
She looked up into his eyes, searching—and what she saw eased something inside her.Her shoulders relaxed.
“Thank you,” she whispered, shifting to kiss him.
