He glanced over as she laughed at something Nadeena had done. He had always loved her laugh. Deep and throaty and redolent of all the pent-up passion of her personality. She had laughed a lot when they had been together. Laughed and teased him as no one else ever had. And she had done it right away, something he’d found as sexy as hell. As sexy as he found her now in faded denims and a simple cotton T-shirt. As sexy as he found her—
Breathing? a mocking voice in his head suggested.
No, Nadir silently snarled back.
And why was he even thinking like this? Brooding over things he couldn’t change wouldn’t make this whole situation any easier. It didn’t matter that he had never met a woman who affected him as strongly—or as quickly—as Imogen. It didn’t matter that she made him angry or frustrated or horny or hell—guilty. What mattered was that they get married and make the best of the situation.
What mattered was that he was a father.
A father.
Hell. The thought rocked him. But he knew it was true. He had known the minute the kid had looked up at him with his twin sister’s soulful eyes staring back at him. His eyes. And Imogen had given her an Arabic name as if she’d been racked with guilt over knowing she was never going to tell him about his child. Anger rolled through his blood, thick and renewed, and he recalled how she’d called him a bully. Did she just expect him to give up on his daughter without a fight? Whether she liked it or not, he had a hundred options up his sleeve. And he didn’t give a damn how Imogen felt about that because he wanted his daughter.
He had wanted Nadeena—truly wanted her—from the moment he had looked at her with her chubby hands fisted on Imogen’s soft breast and her wide eyes staring up at him as if she was trying to learn everything about him, as if she was looking directly into his soul. He swallowed heavily. He’d taken one look at her and he’d been...he’d been smitten.
It had been the same the first time he had looked at Imogen and felt that his life would never be the same again.
Hell. What was he thinking?
His life hadn’t changed when he’d first laid eyes on Imogen. They had only been having an affair.
No, his life had changed when she had become pregnant with his baby. And now hers was about to change and he had no doubt that she would acquiesce when she got down from her high horse and realised how much he could provide for her. He nearly laughed. As if she hadn’t already thought of that.
But that was okay. He could live with her wanting him for his money. It would be a small price to pay to know that his daughter was safe and well.
He signalled the hostess waiting to serve them. This was going to be okay.
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Coffee, please and...’ he glanced at Imogen ‘...food for Miss Reid—Benson. I haven’t noticed her eating anything yet.’
‘Miss Benson said she’s not hungry, sir.’
Nadir checked out the thin outline of her once curvy body. ‘Give her something anyway. Have the chef cook up Aubergine Provençal.’
‘I’m sorry, sir. What was that?’
Yeah, what was that? He scowled. ‘An omelette, then. Something. Anything. Just as long as it’s vegetarian.’
‘Of course, sir.’