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The man revealed his discomfort by wringing his hands. “No, Emir. I attempted to ask her to return tomorrow, yet she would not hear of it. She is currently in the study with...uh...those who accompanied her. It would be in your best interest to speak with her.”
Leave it to Talia to bring an entourage. And if she created a scene, he would never earn Piper’s trust. Therefore he had to find a way to keep the two women separated.
With that in mind, Adan turned to Piper and gestured toward the towering staircase leading to the upper floors. “This shouldn’t take too long, Ms. McAdams. In the meantime, Abdul will show you to your quarters and I will meet you shortly in the third-floor sitting room. Abdul, put her things in the suite across from mine.”
After Abdul picked up her luggage, she didn’t make a move other than to give Adan a decidedly suspicious stare. “I have a room reserved at the inn in the village, so it’s best I keep those arrangements, Your Highness,” she said, prompting the houseman to set the bags back down.
He had to encourage her to stay at the palace, and he had limited time to do so. After signaling Abdul to gather the bags again, he regarded Piper. “The inn is small and will not allow you to have what you need in terms of your business. They currently do not have internet access or an office center. We have all that here.”
Abdul bent slightly as if prepared to return the luggage to the floor while Adan tamped down his impatience over Piper’s delay in responding. “I suppose you have a point,” she finally said. “As long as it’s not an inconvenience for your staff.”
He would be inconvenienced if he didn’t have her nearby, and in deep trouble if the old girlfriend suddenly made an appearance. “I assure you, the staff is accustomed to guests. So if you will follow Abdul—”
“It’s about time you finally showed up, you inconsiderate arse.”
Adan froze like an iceberg at the sound of the familiar voice. Trouble had definitely arrived.
He could pretend he hadn’t heard her, or he could face the unavoidable confrontation like a man. Taking the second—and least palatable—option, he turned to discover Talia Thorpe standing at the entry to the hallway wearing a chic white dress, hands propped on her narrow hips and her green eyes alight with fury.
A compliment should help to diffuse the possible verbal bloodbath. Or so he hoped. “You’re looking well, Talia.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why haven’t you returned my emails or calls? I’ve sent you at least a hundred messages over the past month alone.”
He ventured a fast glance at Piper, who appeared to be somewhat taken aback, and rightfully so. “Might I remind you, Talia, we broke off our relationship a year ago.”
Talia tossed a lock of her long platinum hair back over one shoulder. “You broke it off, and it’s been ten months. If you hadn’t ignored me, I wouldn’t have been forced to disrupt my schedule and make this beastly trip.”
When he’d told her they were done after their on-and-off six-year relationship, he’d meant it. “Perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere more private.”
She flipped a manicured hand in Piper’s direction. “Are you worried your new chicky will be exposed to all the dirty details?”
As a matter of fact... “For your information, Ms. McAdams is here on business.”
“Well, so am I,” Talia said. “Serious business.”
He wouldn’t be at all surprised if she tried to sue him over the breakup. “I find that somewhat difficult to believe, Talia, yet I am curious. What business of yours would concern me?”
She turned around and clapped her hands. “Bridget, you may come in now and bring it with you.”
Talia went through personal assistants as frequently as she went through money, so Adan wasn’t surprised when he didn’t recognize the name. He was mildly concerned over the “it” comment. But he was nothing less than astounded when the meek-looking plump brunette strolled into the room...gripping a baby carrier. Myriad concerns began rushing through his mind. Unthinkable possibilities. Unimaginable scenarios.
Yet when Talia took the carrier and turned it around, and he saw the sleeping baby with the tiny round face and the black cap of hair, he would swear his heart skipped several beats, and he began to sweat.
“Adan, meet Samuel, your new son.”
Three
Piper wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Adan Mehdi keeled over from shock. Instead, he assumed a rigid posture and a stern expression, hands fisted at his sides. “Talia, if you believe I will simply take you at your word about this, you are completely daft.”
The woman swept her manicured hand toward the infant. “Just look at him, Adan. You can’t deny he’s yours. Dark hair and golden skin. He even has your dimples. Despite all that, I do have proof in the form of a DNA test.”
“How did you get my bloody DNA?” he asked.
Talia crossed her arms beneath her breasts and lifted her chin. “It’s all over my Paris flat, Adan. And you happened to leave your toothbrush the night you tossed me to the gutter.”
The sheikh’s defenses seemed to disappear right before Piper’s eyes. “We were always careful to prevent pregnancy.”
Talia tapped her chin. “I do recall that one night last year in Milan—”
“That was one blasted night, Talia,” he replied, his tone fraught with anger.
“Once was quite enough.” The woman handed the carrier off to a bewildered Bridget. “Anyway, I have a photo shoot in a remote location in Tasmania, which will give you an opportunity to get to know your kid. We’ll discuss the custody particulars when I get back next month.”
Adan narrowed his eyes in a menacing glare. “We will discuss this immediately.”
Talia checked her watch. “My flight leaves in less than an hour.”
“You will not take one step out this door until we talk,” Adan demanded. “Into the study. Now.”
After the sheikh and his former girlfriend exited, Piper looked around to find Abdul had disappeared, leaving her in a quandary over what to do next. She occupied her time by surveying the beige stone walls, the ornate gold statues and the unending staircase leading to the top of the massive structure. A baby’s cry would definitely echo loudly throughout the building.
With that in mind, Piper sought out Bridget, who’d taken a seat on the gold brocade cushioned bench set against the wall, the carrier at her feet. She smiled at the woman, who managed a slight, albeit shaky return of the gesture. But when the baby began to fuss, the presumed au pair looked completely alarmed.
Not good. Piper launched into action, crossed to the carrier, unfolded the yellow blanket, picked up the crying infant and held him against her shoulder. After he quieted, she regarded the wide-eyed Bridget. “You aren’t a nanny, are you?”
“No, I am not,” she finally responded, her tone hinting at a slight British accent and a lot of disdain. “I’m Talia’s personal assistant. The last nanny quit yesterday when she learned she’d have to make the trip here. Traveling with Talia isn’t pleasant under normal circumstances, let alone with a child in tow.”
Piper claimed the vacant spot on the bench, laid the swaddled baby in the crook of her arm and studied his cherub face. “You’re beautiful, little man, although you don’t look like a Samuel. Sam fits you better.”
“Don’t let Talia hear you call him that,” Bridget warned. “She fired the first nanny over that very thing.”
That didn’t exactly surprise Piper after what she’d witnessed upon meeting the model. “Then she’s very protective of him, huh?”
Bridget frowned. “Not really. She hasn’t held him more than a handful of times since his birth.”
Piper couldn’t contain her contempt, a product of her own experience. “Good mothers hold and care for their babies. They certainly don’t foist their children off on someone else.”
Bridget reached over and touched the infant’s arm. “You’re right, but unfortunately Talia isn’t maternal. She’s consumed by her modeling career and staying in shape. All I’ve heard since his birth is how hard she’s had to work to regain her figure. I truly believe that’s why she waited four weeks to bring the baby here.”
Vanity, thy name is Talia. She was beginning to like her less and less. “At least now he’ll have the opportunity to bond with his father.”
“I am not prepared to raise a child, Talia.”
So much for bonding, Piper thought at the sound of the sheikh’s irritated tone.
The self-centered supermodel breezed into the room with one impatient prince following close on her heels. “At least you didn’t have to suffer through thirteen hours of horrible labor last month. And just imagine pushing a soccer ball out your todger. Besides, you have a whole staff to assist you while I had to hire several useless nannies over the past month. Good help is hard to find.”
“Perhaps that’s because you have no idea how to treat the help,” Adan muttered as he strode into the vestibule.
Talia turned and set an oversize light blue bag next to the carrier, affording Piper only a cursory glance. “Bridget gave him a bottle three hours ago, so no doubt he’ll be hungry again very soon. There’s enough nappies, bottles and cans of formula in here to get you by until tomorrow, plus a few outfits. After that, you’re on your own. Let’s go, Bridget.”
Without giving the baby even a passing glance, much less a kiss goodbye, Talia headed for the door with poor Bridget cowering behind her. Piper practically bit a hole in her tongue against the urge to deliver a seething diatribe aimed at the woman’s disregard for her child. Instead, she shifted Sam back to her shoulder and remained silent as Adan followed the two women to the entry and accompanied them out the door.
When the baby began to whimper again, Piper assumed he was probably in need of another bottle. Fortunately, feeding an infant wasn’t an issue, even if it had been a while since her teenage babysitting days—the one job her grandparents had allowed her to accept, but only in a limited capacity, and exclusively for those parents who’d run in their social circle.
Piper laid Sam vertically in her lap, rummaged through the bag, withdrew a bottle and uncapped it. He took the nipple without hesitation and suckled with great enthusiasm, complete with soft, yummy noises that brought about her smile. After he drained the formula in record time, she set the empty bottle beside her, returned him to her shoulder and rubbed his back to successfully burp him. Then she cradled him in the crook of her arm and stroked his cotton-soft cheek. For a time he stared at her with an unfocused gaze before planting his right thumb in his rosebud mouth.
As his eyes drifted closed, Piper experienced sheer empathy for this precious little boy. She couldn’t fathom how anyone would reject such a gift. Couldn’t imagine how any mother worth her salt would simply drop off her child with a man who hadn’t even known he had a son. Then again, why should she be surprised? Her very own mother had abandoned her and Sunny with their grandparents shortly after their birth. As far as she was concerned, women like Talia Thorpe and Millicent McAdams should not be allowed to procreate.
Despite her poor maternal example, Piper had always dreamed of having children of her own. So far she hadn’t found a suitable candidate to father her future offspring, and she certainly wasn’t going to settle for anything less than a loving relationship with a man who had the same wants and desires. A gentle, caring man. Grounded. Settled...
“I am officially moving to Antarctica.”
After the declaration, Adan strode past Piper and disappeared into the nearby corridor adjacent to the towering staircase. Again. Granted, she enjoyed holding baby Sam, but she hadn’t signed on to be the royal nursemaid. And apparently the sheikh hadn’t signed up for fatherhood, either.
A few moments passed before Adan returned with a petite, attractive older woman wearing an impeccable navy tailored blazer and skirt, her salt-and-pepper hair styled in a neat bob. Yet when she caught sight of Piper and the baby, her pleasant demeanor melted into obvious confusion. “May I help you, miss?”
“This is Piper McAdams,” Adan said. “She has accompanied the survey crew, and while she’s here, she will be my guest. Piper, this is Elena Battelli, my former governess who now governs the entire household.”
Piper came to her feet and smiled. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“And I, you.” Elena leaned over and studied the baby. “What a lovely child you have. Boy or girl?”
“He’s Talia’s child,” Adan interjected before Piper had a chance to respond.
Elena’s initial shock melted into an acid look. “Is that dreadful woman here?”
“She has departed for now,” Adan said. “And she left this infant in my charge before she left the premises.”
Now the governess appeared completely appalled. “She expects you to care for her child?”
The sheikh looked somewhat contrite before he regained his commanding demeanor. “He is mine, Elena.”
Piper really wanted to take the baby and bail before the verbal fireworks began. “If you two would like some privacy—”
“You have no reason to leave,” Adan said. “You have already witnessed the worst of the situation.”
Elena’s features turned as stern as a practiced headmistress. “How long have you known about this child, cara? And how can you be certain that woman is being truthful?”
Adan streaked a palm over his neck. “I didn’t know until today, and she provided the test results that prove I am his father. Now, before you begin the lecture, I have a few things I need you to do.”
The woman straightened her shoulders and stared at him. “This is your bed, Adan Mehdi, and you will lie in it. So if you expect me to raise your son—”
“I do not expect that at all,” Adan replied. “In fact, I intend to take complete control over his care until his mother returns.”
Provided the missing model did come back, Piper’s major concern. But at the moment, she had a more pressing issue that needed to be addressed. “Do you think you might like to hold your son first, Your Highness?”
Uncertainty called out from Adan’s brown eyes as he slowly approached her. “I suppose that would be the most logical next step.”
Piper turned the baby around and placed him in his father’s arms. “I promise he’s not going to break,” she added when she noted his slight look of concern.
While the sheikh held his son for the first time, the former governess stood next to him, one hand resting on Adan’s shoulder. “He looks exactly like you did at his age, cara,” she said in a reverent tone. “Such a bella baby. Does he have a name?”
“Sam,” Piper chimed in without thought. “Actually, Samuel, but I think he looks more like a Sam. Or maybe Sammy.” When she noticed Adan’s disapproving glance, she amended that decision. “Sammy definitely doesn’t work. Of course, what you call him is solely up to you.”
“He will eventually be renamed in accordance with tradition,” Adan said, sounding very authoritative and princely. “Right now I must see to his comfort, including finding him a suitable crib.”
“The nursery is still in order,” Elena said. “And since your brother and Madison are currently residing at their home in the States, you may use it. We still have several bottles in the pantry, and a few items in the cupboard in the nursery, but I’m afraid we have no diapers or formula since the twins have moved past that stage. But the cribs are still there and fully equipped with blankets and such.”
Adan appeared somewhat perplexed. “The nursery is down the hall from my quarters. I will not be able to hear him if he needs me during the night.”
The governess took the baby without permission, and without protest, from the fledgling father, a sure sign of her close bond with the youngest Mehdi son. “There is something known as a baby monitor, cara. You will be able to see and hear him at any time when you are in your suite.”
“Have the monitor set up in my room,” he said. “I will see to the supplies tomorrow. You mentioned Zain is in Los Angeles, but you have not said anything about Rafiq.”
Rafiq Mehdi, the reigning king of Bajul, and reportedly a hard case, according to her grandfather. Piper would buy tickets to see his reaction to the current scandal. Then again, maybe not. She’d had enough drama for one day.
Elena continued to stare at the baby with the reverence of a grandmother. “Rafiq has been with his wife at the resort for the past week. They will not be returning for two more days.”
Adan shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on an ornately carved coat tree in the vestibule before returning to them. “Make certain Rafiq knows nothing about this until I have the opportunity to speak with him.”
When she recognized a serious problem with that request, Piper decided to add her two cents. “Can you trust the household staff to keep this quiet?”
“The staff knows to exercise complete confidentially,” Elena said.
“Or suffer the consequences,” Adan added gruffly before turning to the governess. “Please have Abdul deliver the monitor and our bags to our rooms, and watch him while I show Ms. McAdams to her quarters.”
Elena kissed the baby’s forehead. “I have no reason to watch Abdul, cara. I trust he’ll do as he’s told.”
After Adan muttered something in Arabic that didn’t sound exactly pleasant, Piper stifled a laugh and considered an offer. “I have no problem watching the baby while you settle in, Your Highness.”
“That will not be necessary, Ms. McAdams,” Elena said as she handed the baby back to Adan. “If you are bent on being a good father to your son, then you should begin immediately.”
Adan looked slightly panicked. “But—”
“No buts, Adan Mehdi.” The governess snatched the empty bottle from the bench before addressing Piper again. “Ms. McAdams, it was certainly a pleasure to meet you, even under such unusual circumstances. I shall go instruct Abdul while the royal pilot becomes accustomed to paternity. Please let me know if you need any assistance with the boy.”
Piper returned her smile. “Luckily I babysat quite a few times in my youth, so we’ll be fine.”
“Actually, I was referring to my former charge, the prince.”
The two women shared a laugh before Elena walked away, leaving Piper alone with Adan and his son.
“She treats me as if I still wear knickers,” he said, frustration evident in his tone.
Piper moved to his side and peeked at the still sleeping infant. “Evidently the two of you are very close, and I honestly believe she has your best interests at heart.”
He released a rough sigh. “I suppose she does, at that. Now, if you’re ready, I shall escort you to your room before I settle the baby into the nursery.”
Piper almost insisted on returning to the inn, yet when she saw a trace of doubt in Adan’s eyes, the touch of awkwardness as he held his child, the sympathy bug bit her. “Why don’t we put him in the carrier while we climb the stairs?”
“No need,” he said. “If you’ll be so kind as to gather his things, I’ll show you to the private elevator.”
Piper couldn’t help but smile over Adan’s decision not to relinquish his son. Maybe she’d underestimated his ability to move into his new role after all.
* * *
He had untold riches at his disposal. He could fly jets at warp speed, navigate treacherous mountain slopes on skis and answer a woman’s most secret fantasies with little effort. Yet he had no idea what to do with an infant.
As he studied the child in his arms, Adan’s own paternal experience fueled his drive to succeed in this endeavor. He’d often wondered if the man who’d claimed him—and in many ways discarded him—had actually been his biological father. That question had always haunted him and always would. He vowed to give his son everything he would ever need, including his undivided attention.
His son. He’d never believed he would be in this position at this point in his life. Yet he was, and he had no one else to blame for his carelessness. No one to truly count on but himself.
“Is this where we get off, Your Highness?”
Until Piper had spoken, he hadn’t noticed the car had come to a stop. “It is.” After he moved through the open doors, he faced her in the corridor. “I respectfully request you call me Adan when we’re in private.”
She shifted the tote’s strap to her shoulder. “All right, as long as you don’t mind me referring to your son as Sam.”
Clearly the woman was a born negotiator. “If that pleases you, I agree. I, however, will call him Samuel until he is renamed.”
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