Prince Nadir's Secret Heir(76)

                ‘That’s nice of you but in hindsight I should have hung around to have at least talked to you.’

                ‘But I wasn’t there, habibi, and I didn’t tell you when I’d be coming back.’

                She sighed. ‘I know, but...’

                He moved closer to her and slipped the arm not holding their daughter around her waist. ‘It’s I who owe you an apology, Imogen. I was the one who failed you in your time of need.’

                ‘No...’ She shook her head and he leaned in and kissed her. Nadeena clapped her hands and Imogen’s smile turned watery.

                ‘Yes.’ His voice was rough with emotion. ‘I should not have walked out on you. It was cowardly.’

                ‘You were in shock.’

                ‘So must you have been.’

                Imogen bit her lip and studied him. ‘You don’t think I did it deliberately, do you? You don’t think I tried to trap you?’

                He shook his head. ‘At first I thought all types of things like that. But I don’t any more. I know you would never do something like that.’

                Imogen smiled, wondering how it was that she felt better when she’d wanted to make him feel that way.

                ‘What was her birth like?’

                His gruff question surprised her and it took her mind back to what might just be the best and toughest day of her life. ‘It was hard,’ she admitted. ‘I was in labour for twenty-four hours and...well, you’ve probably heard women talk about pushing out a watermelon?’

                Nadir nodded.

                ‘Try a beach ball.’ She laughed and picked up a bottle of water from the table and took a gulp. ‘A very large and very hard beach ball.’ Her eyes misted over. ‘And then it was over and she was on my chest and honestly I...’ Her throat clogged as she remembered that she had looked around the stark, empty hospital room and wished that Nadir was there. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her and her eyes caught his. ‘The midwife said that during the birth I called your name.’

                In the process of laying Nadeena on a shaded rug, he stilled and looked at her. Imogen instantly felt self-conscious revealing so much and would have taken another quick gulp of water but Nadir was there and pulling her in against his chest. ‘I’m so sorry I let you down.’ He drew back and stared into her eyes. Rubbed his thumb gently over the drop of water that clung to her lower lip. ‘I’m so sorry you had to go through that alone.’

                ‘I wasn’t completely alone.’ She sniffed back a rush of tears. ‘Minh visited and took care of us afterwards.’

                ‘Great.’ The word came out on a snarl. ‘Remind me to thank him next time I see him.’

                Wondering what was up with him, she frowned. ‘He’s com—’

                Nadir placed a finger over her lips. ‘I don’t want to talk about him.’ His voice was low and fierce. ‘You won’t ever need him or any other man again, do you understand, Imogen?’ He was as intense as he had been when he’d told her he was taking her to Bakaan and wouldn’t accept any arguments and Imogen was riveted. ‘And if we have more children you will never have to go through that without me again. I promise.’

                More children? She hadn’t given any thought to more children but they hadn’t used contraception the whole time they had been in Bakaan. Silly, but she hadn’t even thought of it. Her hand went to her belly and she tried to make sense of the jumbled emotions that assailed her. Happiness, disbelief, anxiety...