The Sheik's Baby Surprise (14 page)

Moments later, her apartment door burst open and five very large, heavily armed men stormed into her apartment, weapons drawn and looking around for the danger to their ruler. 

Malik walked out, lifting his hands to calm them.  “I have a daughter,” he told them, shocking each and every one of them.  “We need to get both of them to a secure environment.”

The lead guard lifted his radio and spoke rapid commands.  From that moment on, Jina knew that her night was gone.  She’d get no rest tonight and she almost cried at that realization.  “Please,” she begged.  “Don’t do this.  I’m so tired and Lika is tired.  She’s teething and we haven’t slept very well for the past few nights.”  Jina tried very hard to pull herself together, but she was just so tired!  And Malik was so handsome, she just wanted to throw herself into his arms and sob out her fear and sadness over the loss of what could have been between them.  What could never be! 

Malik looked down at the woman holding his child and he hardened his heart.  “You and the baby will be taken care of,” he told her. 

She shook her head.  “No!  You don’t understand!  They told me…” she bit her lip, not wanting to scare him.

Malik caught her slip and his eyes narrowed on her pale features.  “What were you going to say, Jina?  Has someone threatened you?” he demanded.  That would make some of her earlier comments make sense. 

Jina’s lips compressed.  Once she’d retreated to New York, a phone call had relayed her additional threats.  She’d been told not to say anything, that it would only make it worse.  Just get out of Sarkit, the raspy voice had commanded.  If she stayed away without giving anything away, no one would get hurt.  If she told anyone, there would be more casualties. 

Malik looked down at her and knew that there was a great deal more to the story.  But she wasn’t going to say anything and he recognized the terror in her eyes.  Something had happened.  And damn it, he should have come after her sooner!  This was his fault, he berated himself. 

“Let’s go,” he told her.

She shook her head. “Please Malik.  Just leave,” she whispered desperately.

Malik moved over to her, taking her upper arms in his hands and that’s when he realized how badly she was trembling.  “We’re leaving, Jina.  I have to get you and the baby to a secure area.  My guards can’t protect us here and I’m not leaving without you and the baby.”  His eyes looked down into her blue ones, trying to convey how serious he was about this.  “If there is danger, then staying here will only increase the odds that someone can get to me or you.  Or the baby,” he added, looking again at the infant now sleeping in Jina’s arms.  “You know me.  You know that I won’t leave now.  So…”

“Fine!” she snapped.  “Let’s go!  But you have to promise me that, once you’ve heard everything, you’ll leave and forget us.”

He almost rolled his eyes.  “I am eager to hear everything,” he promised.  There was no way he was going to pretend that he didn’t know that he had a child though.  And if what he suspected was true, he would be married to this woman by the end of the day.  Glancing at his watch, he corrected himself.  He would be married to her by the end of tomorrow since there was only a half hour left in the current day. 

She followed Malik out of the apartment but stopped, grabbing her keys.  “I need…”

“You don’t need your car, Jina,” he told her firmly. 

“I need the car seat in my car.  Lika needs to be safe,” she told him, not budging on this issue.

Malik looked at her for a moment, then nodded his head to one of his guards. 

“The car seat is by the door,” she told him.  And I need the bag there too.  Both bags,” she told the guard who lifted the first one.  “Oh, and I need my briefcase,” she announced and started back to her room.  She hadn’t finished the work she’d brought home because Lika had been crying all night.  The pain in her gums had been too much for the little lady to handle.  Jina had planned on getting up early tomorrow morning to get the work done. 

“You’re no longer working,” Malik announced with an air of absolute authority.

Jina heard those words and shook her head.  “Yes I am,” she told him and slipped the briefcase stuffed with work on her shoulder.  “I have to pay the rent.”

Malik didn’t respond.  There was no way his woman was going to work any longer.  “Are you still working at the United Nations?” he asked.

“Yes.  And they have an important meeting tomorrow.  I’m on the schedule to translate.”

Malik didn’t say a word, but he gave his guard a look.  The other man nodded his head, knowing that phone calls would have to be made.  By morning, Jina would no longer be eligible to work at the United Nations.  One couldn’t be married to a ruler and still work in the United Nations.  He wasn’t sure it was a written rule, but he’d wager a great deal of money that it was a pretty strict guideline. 

It took several minutes to get the car seat tightened properly in the limousine.  But once it was in, Jina transferred Lika to the carrier and gently strapped her in without waking her up.  The fact that she slept through all of this only proved how exhausted her tiny daughter really was. 

Fifteen minutes later, the limousine was pulling into the underground parking lot of the Ritz Carlton and the guards were fanning out, looking for dangers.  Jina carried her still-sleeping daughter into the hotel, right up to the penthouse suite.  “Goodness,” she sighed, remembering the luxury that always surrounded Malik. 

“Put her in one of the rooms and then let’s talk.” 

Jina shook her head.  “Could we please talk later?” she asked, setting Lika down and rocking her gently. 

Malik nodded his head.  “You’re right.  We have other priorities.”  He turned to his guard and raised an eyebrow. 

“Five minutes,” the guard stated.

Malik nodded.  “Fine.  Do you want to change clothes?” he asked Jina.

Jina shook her head.  “No.  I’m fine.  I just need to sleep.”

“Here,” he said and handed her a glass filled with a dark liquid.

Jina glanced at the glass briefly but shook her head.  “I can’t.”

He stared at the liquid.  “You used to love brandy,” he told her accusingly. 

Jina stood up and looked at Malik.  “I can’t drink alcohol.  Not while I’m…” she couldn’t finish that sentence.  Her cheeks turned pink and her mind blanked out.

Malik didn’t understand.  “Why not?” he demanded.  “You were never a heavy drinker before.  What’s changed?”

Jina shifted on her feet.  “I just…can’t,” she told him and turned back to Lika, adjusting the blanket unnecessarily over her daughter.  She had trouble looking at Malik when discussing something so intimate. 

Malik stared at the top of her head, wondering what was going on.  He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to come to terms with everything he’d learned tonight, hoping something would make sense. 

“Jina…” he started to say only to be shushed by her.

“She’s asleep and she’s going to stay that way.  She’s so tired,” and Jina touched her daughter’s head softly. 

“You are exhausted as well.  And you’re not making sense, Jina.  Or at least, no sense that you’re willing to explain to me.”

The door opened behind her and a new man walked in. 

Jina stared at the man, confused. 

“Who is he?” she demanded, worried about any strangers.

There was quite a bit of shuffling as the guards consulted with Malik who had a short conversation with the stranger.  In the end, no one really explained anything, but Jina was too tired to understand, so she didn’t care.  As long as Lika slept, she was happy.  Well, she’d be happier if she could also sleep, but…

Malik took her hands in his and turned her to the other man.  Guards stood on either side of them and the man started speaking. 

“Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?” he asked Malik.

“I do,” he said quickly.  Jina’s mouth fell open with those words. 

Turning to Jina, the stranger said, “Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Jina looked at the man, stunned.  He was marrying them?  Impossible!  “No!” she snapped and started to pull back. 

Malik turned her to face him.  “Jina, we are to be married.  And it has to be quickly and in secret.  This man is here to marry us in the quickest way possible.  And then we’re going to get to the bottom of all the issues surrounding your abrupt departure a year ago.  So just say the correct words and we can move on.”

Jina shook her head but Malik squeezed her hands, telling her that she wasn’t getting out of this.  “I do,” she finally said but her eyes were blazing her fury at him.  A fury that was hiding her fears. 

The man continued to mutter some words but Jina didn’t hear anything after that.  The man bowed, slipped a piece of paper for both of them to sign and moments later, he walked out.  Jina stood there, stunned. 

She looked around and found Malik conferring softly with his guards.  They all looked extremely serious as they looked up to him and she shivered, thinking she’d just sentenced this man to death. 

“Please, Malik.  Tell me that we weren’t just married!” 

Malik turned and looked over at her, surprised to find her almost in tears again.

He walked over to her and took her hands.  “Will you please explain?” he asked softly. 

She knew that she was gripping his hands too tightly but her fear was overwhelming her.  “They’re going to kill you!  He told me that!”

Malik didn’t even blink an eye.  “Who is going to kill me?”

“I don’t know!” she sobbed.  “I didn’t get to see his face.  I only know what he said.”

The guards moved closer, obviously furious that someone had breached their security.  “Where did it happen?  What day?” He held up a hand to stop her. “Wait, it was the day before you left me, wasn’t it?” he guessed.

Jina nodded her head, clasping her hands behind her back. 

“And you left me without telling me what was going on?”  It was a question, but she didn’t really think she needed to answer it.

“I wasn’t…”

“Stop, Jina,” he told her, his voice more gentle now.  “I understand.”

She shook her head. “No.  You don’t understand anything.  But I’m too tired right now to help you understand.”  She glanced at her watch and sighed.  “I have about three hours before I have to be up and get ready for work.  I’m going to find a place to fall asleep and then I’ll get out of your life again tomorrow.”

She should probably head back to her apartment tonight but everything was just too confusing.  She didn’t want to deal with this right now.  She just needed a bed and…nope, she didn’t even need a pillow.  A bed would suffice.  Even flat surface would work. 

She opened the first door she came to and found an empty bed.  Carrying Lika into the room, she set her on the floor, then curled up next to her daughter, worried that Lika would wake up in the middle of the night and not know where she was.  She pulled the covers and the pillows down to the floor, curled up and was instantly asleep.

Malik finished discussing security with his guards then made several phone calls to his chief of staff, giving him instructions.  By the time he hung up the phone, dawn was almost breaking over the horizon and he was exhausted, but Malik knew that he wouldn’t be able to sleep.

He opened the door to the room where he knew his family was sleeping and was shocked to find Jina on the floor curled up around the baby carrier. There was no need for her to sleep there.  He moved his still-sleeping daughter out of the way, then lifted Jina up and placed her onto the bed.  Covering her up, he looked at her for several long moments.  She was still beautiful despite the fatigue that had caused her complexion to turn into the color of bland oatmeal instead of the peaches and cream he remembered from the last time they’d been together. 

Damn, he thought.  She’d been trying to protect him all this time!  What a little lioness, he thought.  All of the anger and resentment he’d been feeling since the day she’d left him dissolved with this new information.  She shouldn’t have left him, he thought.  She should have come to him and explained what she’d heard. 

It was probably a prank, he thought.  No one who entered the palace would dare to threaten him.  It was treason and punishable by death.  But his beautiful Jina wouldn’t know how thoroughly the palace staff was investigated before they were allowed to enter the palace.  Only Jina had gotten close to him before she’d been thoroughly investigated by his guards.  Only she’d broken through to his heart. 

And now she was back and he wasn’t going to ever let her go.  Never again.

The tiny human being squawked as if she were about to wake up.  He glanced over at Jina, then down at the baby.  His daughter! 

Just thinking those words sent a thrill through his body.  He had a daughter! 

Malik lifted the carrier and brought the little baby into the living room.  Setting the carrier on the table, he simply stared at the tiny baby, amazement running through him.  He inventoried all of her features, trying to see himself in her face.  But with her eyes closed, he wasn’t sure.  Her skin was darker than Jina’s but…

And then those tiny eyes opened up and he was staring at his own dark eyes.  Something in his gut twisted and he was spellbound.

His daughter wasn’t one to wait around though.  When she wasn’t immediately lifted up, she opened her tiny mouth and let out a scream louder than he thought possible coming from a human that size. 

His guards came running into the room, weapons drawn as they looked around for the threat.  When their eyes all focused on the tiny human being, they quickly put their weapons away. 

His head of security, Aaron, came closer at the sound.  Malik and Aaron looked down at the baby then to each other.  “What should I do?” Malik asked, which was an odd question since Malik always knew what to do.  But those situations had to do with oil prices, stock prices, property values and politics.  The concept of how to care for a baby was beyond both of their experience.

“Wake up your wife,” Aaron stated firmly, as if that were the only option.

The baby screamed harder, getting her arms and legs into the effort as they wiggled in the air.  Malik could just wake up Jina, but he didn’t want to do that.  She was exhausted and had been caring for their child for the past six months.  Longer if he counted her pregnancy. 

“Maybe pick her up?” Aaron suggested.

Malik looked back down at the baby.  “Probably the right thing to do,” he replied. But still he stared, wary of picking up such a tiny human being.  He was a large man with large hands.  He was worried that he might hurt the infant.  But in the end, the little girl’s face was turning red with her rage at not being picked up, so he relented, determined not to hurt his daughter with his big hands. 

It took him several minutes to figure out how to open straps of the baby carrier off of her tiny shoulders but when the clasp was finally released, the little girl tried to lift her body out. She was too small yet to do that so Malik lifted her into his arms.

The crying instantly stopped as father and daughter stared at each other for the first time.  The little girl had the most atrocious frown on her face as she tried to figure out if the person holding her was good or bad.  She still hadn’t made up her mind yet, but looking around, she realized that her mother wasn’t in sight. 

Her lower lip quivered slightly and Aaron rushed over to the bag.  “Maybe she needs food?” he suggested.

There were several bottles of baby food in the bag along with diapers and a change of clothes.  “Or a diaper change?”

Malik felt the baby’s bottom and, sure enough, it felt heavy.  “Okay, so change her,” he said, starting to hand the girl over to the guard.

The girl looked over at the other man and opened her mouth to cry again. “No no!” Malik soothed, bringing her back to him.  Instantly, his daughter went back to simply frowning, glaring at the other man as if he were the enemy. 

Malik looked over at Aaron who was enormously relieved to not have diaper duty.  “Okay, so now what?” he asked.

Another guard walked in and saw what was going on.  “There’s probably a changing thing in the bag,” he explained. 

Malik looked at the other guard curiously.  “What’s a changing thing?” he asked.

The man’s hands dove into the bag and came up with a plastic covered pad.  “My wife lays our son down on this when she changes his diaper.”

Malik took the pad and laid it on the coffee table.  “Now what?” he asked.

The other man shrugged his massive shoulders. “No clue.  I get out of there fast.”

Malik sighed.  “You’re not helping,” he said to the other man.

Aaron smothered his amusement.  The three men examined the baby’s clothes.  “I think those snaps at the bottom come open.”

Malik laid the little girl down on the table and tried to unsnap the bottom of her cotton outfit.  But her tiny legs kept getting in the way.  “Stay still!” he commanded to his daughter. 

The little girl wiggled even more, trying to catch his hands.  Finally, Malik took the cotton outfit and just pulled.  The bottom miraculously came apart to reveal a very wet diaper.  Three men pulled back, horrified at the idea of changing the diaper. 

“Now what?” Malik asked, keeping a hand on his wiggling daughter’s tummy so she didn’t fall off of the coffee table. 

Aaron handed Malik the clean diaper and the three men stared at it.  “How does it open up?”

Aaron took it back, fiddling with it but he eventually figured it out and handed it back to Malik.  “Okay, so how do I get the other one off?”

Once more, the men stared at the tiny human.  Finally, Aaron handed Malik a lethal looking knife.  Malik looked up at the man with an Are-You-Kidding look.  The man sheepishly put the knife away.  “Scissors then,” he said and instantly moved away to search in the kitchen for a pair of scissors.  He came back moments later with a pair and Malik carefully cut the wet diaper away from his daughter and pushed it away from all of them. 

She was obviously loving this because she smiled and wiggled her arms and legs faster, looking at the three men curiously.  It still took Malik several tries to get the dry diaper underneath her tiny bottom and between her legs.  But then the next problem surfaced.  “Okay, now how to I keep it closed?” he asked, looking back up at the two guards that had grown to four.  All of whom shrugged their shoulders. 

“Tape!” one of them snapped and he raced away in search of tape. 

A few minutes later, he came back with an enormous roll of silver duct tape.  “Really?” Malik asked, looking suspiciously at the roll of industrial strength tape in his hands. 

Aaron shrugged as well.  “Do you have a better idea?”

Malik tilted his head in acknowledgement.  “Good point.”  And he pulled a long strip of duct tape, ripping it off with his teeth.  With one hand, he held his daughter and with the other, he laid the tape over the diaper, sealing it shut.  “That worked,” he said with a great deal of satisfaction.  “Now how do I close this thing?” he asked, referring to the clothing. 

All of a sudden, he was alone with just Aaron, the two men looking around and both wondering where the other guards had vanished.  “Cowards,” Aaron grunted. 

Malik bent lower, looking at the material.  “I think I just close the snaps again.”

It took fifteen minutes, but Malik eventually got both of his daughter’s legs back in the material and the snaps closed up.  When he was done, he lifted the tiny girl up into the air, a feeling of success coming over him.  “There!” he said, proud that he’d changed his first diaper.  He’d taken care of his daughter! 

Aaron stood behind his ruler and grunted in appreciation.  “Now you have to feed her,” he said and stepped back.  “I’ll go out and get supplies,” he explained, backing away quickly so that his boss wouldn’t ask any more questions.  That was the extent of his knowledge of babies and he was sticking to it! 

Malik glared at the man’s retreating back but he was determined to figure this out. 

Jina woke up and stretched, feeling better than she had in a long time.  She snuggled down into the soft, warm bed and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment of pleasure. 

But then she realized what was wrong!  Lika!  She was missing! 

Jumping out of the bed, she almost slipped on the wood floor in her cotton socks.  Where was her daughter?  She’d fallen asleep on the floor and Lika had been right next to her!  She was sure of it!  And then the memories from the night before flooded back to her and she gasped.  “Malik!” 

She almost screamed his name, wanting to get to him and tell him that someone had taken Lika!  She raced out of the room, searching frantically for Malik.  She’d warned him that this would happen!  She’d told him to just leave!  To go back to his country and everyone would be safe! 

She came to a skidding halt when she walked into the enormous living room and found Malik on the floor, her tiny daughter sitting on a blanket surrounded by new toys.  And Lika was laughing!  Her little baby girl was laughing! 

She just stared for a long time, watching Malik play with their daughter.  Oh goodness, she thought she’d never see this!  The threat to Malik’s life had convinced her that Lika would never know her father but here he was!  And she seemed to have accepted him completely. 

Jina watched as Lika stuffed one of the plastic rings into her mouth.  Or tried to.  The ring was too big but she rubbed her gums on the toy, making them feel a little better. 

“She’s okay,” Jina whispered, relief surging through her.

Her words caused both father and daughter to turn and look at her.  Malik’s sexy eyes went up and down her figure and she looked down, realizing that she was still wearing those hideous sweats and tee-shirt along with the boring white sox. 

“Good morning,” she said self-consciously, pushing her hair back behind her ear and wishing she’d remembered to bring a change of clothes with her last night. 

Malik lifted Lika up into his arms and stood up, coming over to her.  “Good afternoon,” he corrected. 

Jina glanced out the window, surprised to see that the sun was higher in the sky than she’d anticipated.  “What time is it?” she asked. 

“Two o’clock,” he replied and adjusted Lika on his hip. 

Jina gasped, her hands going to her forehead. “Oh no!  I didn’t call in sick to work!  I didn’t tell them that I wouldn’t be in today! I’m going to be fired!  It was an important day!” 

Malik looked at her shirt.  “Are you okay?” he asked, noticing the wet spots appearing on her shirt. 

Jina glanced down and wished that the earth would just swallow her up.  “Oh no!” she sobbed, covering her breasts with her arms.  “I haven’t fed Lika yet,” and she reached for her daughter.  “Please,” she said and blinked back the tears.  “I need to feed her.”

Malik released his daughter into Jina’s arms and watched with fascination as she walked back out of the room.  “Where are you going?”

“I need to feed Lika,” was all she said.

Jina found a chair in the corner of the room she’d slept in and pulled her daughter closer.  Lika knew instantly what was going on and eagerly found her lunch.  Jina closed her eyes, feeling the release of her milk as her daughter nursed. And the whole time, Jina tried to figure out what was going on. 

Okay, it is afternoon, she told herself.  And she’d missed work.  She could fix this, she thought.  She could just call in to her supervisor and tell them what was going on.  But this had been an important day.  She wasn’t sure her supervisor would accept any excuse.

Lika nursed from one breast and then Jina shifted her over to the other.  Thankfully, Lika was hungry and it took less than a half hour before her belly was full and Jina’s breasts felt much better. 

“I didn’t know you were breast-feeding,” Malik said from the doorway.

Jina jerked and twisted around, staring at him in horror.  “How long have you been standing there?” she asked.

Malik pushed away from the doorframe, walking towards her.  “Long enough.  It was beautiful,” he told her.  “You’re a very good mother.”

She pulled her tee-shirt down, painfully self-conscious of the ugly nursing bra she had to wear.  “Thank you,” was all she could say in reply.  Jina felt too self-conscious sitting here in the bedroom with Malik looking down at her.  She stood up and walked out of the bedroom, needing space and a place that didn’t have a bed.