His Royal Twins (Wedded to the Sheikh Book 4)
Holly Rayner
His Royal Twins
Holly Rayner
Contents
His Royal Twins
1. Alyssa
2. Alyssa
3. Ali
4. Alyssa
5. Alyssa
6. Alyssa
7. Ali
8. Alyssa
9. Alyssa
10. Alyssa
11. Alyssa
12. Ali
13. Alyssa
14. Alyssa
15. Alyssa
16. Alyssa
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His Royal Twins
Copyright 2018 by Holly Rayner
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.
All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.
Chapter 1
Alyssa
“You really must read to the babies,” Noura said. “Are you reading to them?”
“Uh…” From where she sat on the couch, Alyssa looked up at her mother-in-law. “Not out loud?”
Noura threw her hands up. “Oh, my. That won’t do at all.”
“I didn’t read to Rashid while he was in the womb,” Alyssa pointed out. “And he’s doing just fine.”
Hearing his name, the thirteen-month-old looked over his shoulder at his mom. He sat on the floor surrounded by his new wooden zoo set, courtesy of his grandparents.
“Dat,” Rashid said, and banged a wooden giraffe against the floor, grinning.
Alyssa smiled and reached down to smooth her palm over his head. “Dat” was one of her baby son’s favorite things to say, and it could be applied to any and everything. Have a question? Dat? Angry at someone or something? Dat!
His most interesting attempts at language, though, involved mashing up English and Arabic words. When he did that, it was extremely difficult to understand what he was saying—but also the cutest thing in the world.
“I’m ordering you some books,” Noura said, pulling her phone out. She squinted at the screen. “These text messages are so difficult to send. Who can read the letters when they are so small?”
“We have books,” Alyssa pointed out. “Rashid’s.”
“He needs new books, as well. Ones for the learning stage he is about to enter.”
Alyssa nodded. Why argue against a gift?
By “ordering” books, Noura meant that she would have her assistant pick some up. Not that Alyssa had anything against that, either. After spending the last few months living in Baqar, Alyssa had come to appreciate having help around more and more.
At first, it had felt weird to have people waiting on her hand and foot. But then, she had become more pregnant. And even more pregnant. At this point, pulling into the eight-and-a-half-month mark with not one, but two babies in her belly, Alyssa felt she could hardly do a thing for herself. Forget about tying her shoes or getting into the top or bottom cupboards in the kitchen. Those days were long gone.
“Oh, never mind.” Noura waved her hand and put her phone into her purse. “I’ll do it later. Right now, I must spend time with my grandson.” Settling onto the carpet on her knees, she smiled wide at Rashid. “How is my sweet little one?”
“Dat,” Rashid said, handing her a zebra.
“Yes,” Noura said, “I will hold this for you.”
One of the babies kicked, and their sibling followed suit—right into Alyssa’s ribs.
“Yikes,” she gasped, pressing her hands to her belly.
Noura frowned, her perfectly arched, dark eyebrows pushing together. “Shall I call the doctor?”
“No,” Alyssa said quickly. “It was just a kick. Anyway, I have an appointment this afternoon.”
Noura nodded firmly. “And will Ali be accompanying you?”
“He will,” Alyssa said.
“Good.” Noura nodded again and looked around the living room, as if on the hunt for something else that needed her attention.
“Everything is good, Noura,” Alyssa assured her. “We’re doing great.”
Noura sighed slightly. “To be pregnant in this heat. With twins.”
“At least I have air conditioning. Not everyone is that lucky.”
“That is true,” Noura agreed.
Rashid grabbed hold of her arm so he could stand, and all of Noura’s attention went to him.
“Look at you,” she cooed. “Walking everywhere you go.”
Alyssa’s gaze turned to the back windows. Beyond the glass, a verdant garden sat in the late morning sun. The house that Alyssa, Ali, and Rashid had been living in the last few months was nothing short of amazing. In the past, she might have gone so far as to call it a palace, but that would have been before she’d been in an actual palace. Noura and Fakhir lived in a palace. Alyssa and Ali lived in a mansion.
Still pretty amazing. And weird, sometimes.
When they had decided to migrate from New York to Baqar for at least the summer, Ali’s parents had begged for them to move into the palace. Though Ali’s cousin was the ruler of Baqar, many members of the royal family occupied the palace. The place was a never-ending labyrinth of rooms and halls, and it could have fit twice the number of people who already occupied it, but Alyssa didn’t want to live there. Call her difficult—which she was sure some of Ali’s relatives did behind her back—but she wanted some semblance of normalcy. She wanted a home of her own, where she could kick back at the end of the day with a low amount of disturbances.
Luckily, Ali had bought them this beautiful home, situated at the top of a hill. It overlooked the most beautiful part of the city-state, though you’d be hard-pressed to find an acre of Baqar that wasn’t breathtaking.
“And Kinsley will watch Rashid?” Noura asked. “While you go to the appointment?”
“Yeah,” Alyssa said. “She should be back soon.”
“You must get another nanny, you know. For when the babies come.”
Alyssa bit her lip. Since meeting Ali, she’d had her fair share of disagreements with his mother. They’d also seen eye to eye plenty of times, though, especially over the past few months, and she wondered what Noura would think of what she was about to say.
“I think I’m good with one,” Alyssa said.
Noura looked at her and blinked, her expression inscrutable. There was no way of telling what went on behind those dark eyes.
“If I hire another nanny,” Alyssa said, “what will I do? I’m staying home to be with Rashid and the babies. Ali works all day long. I want to be with my children. You know, feed them. Change their diapers. One nanny is fine.”
Noura nodded. “I understand.”
Alyssa gawked. “You do?”
“Certainly.” Noura cocked her head. “I was too busy when Ali was young. If I could change anything in my life, I would go back and spend more time with him. It goes by so quickly, Alyssa. Life changes in the blink of an eye.”
“Wow, Noura, that’s…” Alyssa searched for the right words. “Really tender.”
“That being said, do think about the nights, though. Feeding three babies at different hours.”
Alyssa blew out a breath. “Yeah, that’s gonna be hard.”
“How about we find someone for the nights?” Noura asked softly. “She can work sunset
to sunrise. Then, it can be you during the day, with Kinsley when you need her, of course.”
Alyssa thought about that. “That sounds like a really good idea. Thank you.”
Noura nodded pertly, but Alyssa could see the happiness below. Busybody that she was, nothing pleased Noura more than getting a job done right. Once Alyssa had learned to embrace this aspect of her mother-in-law’s personality, things had started going a lot smoother between them.
Noura kissed Rashid on the head and picked up her purse. “Say hello to Ali for me. I never see him anymore.”
“He’s busy,” Alyssa agreed.
“He needs to take a break.” Noura’s face pinched in disapproval. “I am glad he decided to come here for the season, but the babies are almost here.”
“He’ll take a break,” Alyssa said, then bit her tongue. Ali actually hadn’t mentioned anything about taking time off once the babies arrived.
He would though, right? It was only normal, and they were fortunate enough that he could take time away from work. Alyssa’s due date was in a couple weeks. So…why hadn’t he brought up plans for after the birth?
Alyssa swallowed hard. She didn’t need to think about this right now.
On her way out the door, Noura paused by the couch and, unexpectedly, bent down and kissed Alyssa on the cheek.
A wave of emotion rushed through Alyssa. Noura wasn’t usually so affectionate, and having her parents and few friends on the other side of the world had made Alyssa much lonelier than she’d expected it to.
“I know what it is like,” Noura said, straightening up.
“What?” Alyssa asked.
“Having a husband who has little time to give to his family.”
The words were a punch to the gut. Alyssa sucked in a harsh breath and blinked. “We’re fine, Noura. Ali gives us plenty of time.”
Noura nodded, and Alyssa could tell she didn’t believe the statement.
“I will visit tomorrow,” Noura said. “Take care.”
Alyssa remained on the couch and listened to the click of Noura’s heels as she walked away. The front door opened and closed. The house became empty and—as was often the case—too large for Alyssa’s taste.
Rashid banged a wooden zookeeper against the floor.
“Careful, sweetie,” Alyssa said.
“Dat.” He knocked the zookeeper against the edge of the couch.
Alyssa sighed. At the moment, she was too tired to do anything else. She ached all over and wanted nothing more than to lay down and take a nap.
Why had Noura said that thing about husbands who had “little time” to give to their families? Ali’s dad was busy with his role as a royal and businessman, sure, but there was a big difference between the two of them.
While Alyssa’s father-in-law loved taking trips and having long days wining and dining dignitaries, Ali was different. His favorite place in the whole world to be was home with his family. Those exact words had come from his mouth many times.
Ali loved the part he took in running his family’s businesses, but that didn’t mean he left no time for home life. At least twice a week, he made time to have dinner at home with Alyssa and Rashid.
And, okay, things weren’t like they’d been back in New York, where the three of them had not only dinner but breakfast together almost every day…but that was just life, now. Things were crammed. Ali was busy.
And all of that would change, eventually.
“Mama,” Rashid whined.
“What is it, honey?” Alyssa reached for him, and he nearly jumped into her arms. Laughing, she brought him onto the couch next to her. “Kinsley will be back from her scooter ride soon,” she said. “Then we can all play in the backyard.”
When Alyssa had asked her New York nanny to come with them to Baqar, she’d been sure Kinsley would decline. As it turned out, the girl had been thrilled at the chance to spend part of the year in another country.
The switch had worked out well for her, too. A few weeks after arriving in Baqar, Kinsley had met a cute boy with dimples and a scooter. Now, when she wasn’t on duty watching Rashid, chances were she was out with her new beau.
Alyssa bit her lip and ran her palm over Rashid’s thick black curls. What she wouldn’t give to have Lucy with her. Or to have Ali magically come home early.
“Baby,” Rashid said, putting his hand on Alyssa’s belly.
“Two babies,” Alyssa said.
Rashid giggled and repeated “baby,” but this time, in Arabic.
Alyssa smiled. “You’ll always be my first baby, though. You know that?” She tickled Rashid’s side until he laughed and tried to wiggle away.
On the coffee table, Alyssa’s phone rang. Glancing over, she saw an incoming video call from Lucy.
Grinning, Alyssa picked up the phone. “I was just thinking about you.”
“Funny. I was just thinking about you,” Lucy replied. She was sat in her office in New York, a potted plant behind her. She’d cut her hair since Alyssa had last seen her in person, and it hung in long layers around her shoulders. Her bangs were still there, though, as thick and blond as ever.
“I know you were thinking about me,” Alyssa laughed. “You called.”
“How’s my baby boo?” Lucy asked, her voice’s pitch rising.
Rashid made a grab for the phone, and Alyssa deftly yanked it from his reach.
“He’s really into banging things,” Alyssa said with an eye roll.
“Let me see your belly, double baby mama,” Lucy said.
Alyssa held the phone out so her best friend could take her huge bump in.
“Holy guacamole,” Lucy said. “Those babies can’t possibly get any bigger.”
“I dunno. There’s at least two weeks left. Maybe four.”
“How are you doing?”
“I’m…fine,” Alyssa said.
Lucy leaned back in her office chair. “Still the worst liar I know.”
Alyssa swallowed. “It’s a little rough right now, but I’m managing.”
Lucy frowned. “Alyssa, is everything okay?”
Shaking her head, Alyssa made herself smile. “Yes.”
Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “Really?”
“Well…” Alyssa looked back at Rashid. He’d pulled himself up at the window ledge and stood there bouncing up and down, looking into the back yard.
“Is Rashid okay?” Lucy’s voice rose. “The babies?”
“They’re all fine,” Alyssa said quickly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“But you’re not fine,” Lucy said.
“I’m not sure.” Alyssa looked down. She couldn’t even meet Lucy’s eyes on a tiny screen.
“What’s going on?”
“This is going to sound stupid,” Alyssa said, “but Ali has been really busy, and I’m a little worried that he… you know. That he’s putting his work first.”
“Again,” Lucy added.
Alyssa grimaced. This wasn’t the first time they’d dealt with the issue.
“Have you talked to him about it yet?” Lucy asked.
“Um…”
“Alyssa.” Lucy had put on her scolding tone in just one word.
“I know, I know.” Alyssa huffed and ran her hand down her face. “I have a bad habit of avoiding confrontation.”
“Unless you’re pushed to the brink,” Lucy pointed out. “Then, you explode.”
“Wow, Lu, thank you for kindly pointing that out.”
“Lots of people are that way. And, FYI, I’m going to let your attitude slide on account of you being so pregnant.”
Alyssa made a face. “I’m sorry. I’m being a real…” She glanced in Rashid’s direction. “You know.”
“Oh, trust me, I know. We all get that way. And I’m not trying to rag on you. If you haven’t talked to Ali, yet, though—”
“Yeah. I will.” Alyssa nodded. “I will. How is everything over there?”
“Same old, same old.” Lucy shrugged, but a tiny smile grac
ed the corner of her mouth.
“What?” Alyssa asked.
Lucy smiled wider. She looked over her phone, as if checking for people, then dropped her voice.
“Okay, you remember how the partners were talking about merging with Thompson and D’Amico?”
“Yeah.” Alyssa nodded. The days of her work as a paralegal alongside Lucy seemed forever ago, like they were from another lifetime. She still knew about the happenings in her old office, though, thanks to a constant stream of updates from her friend.
“There was a big meeting yesterday with the two firms,” Lucy said, “and the younger D’Amico was here, and…” Her eyes rolled back and she bit her bottom lip. “You wouldn’t believe it.”
“That cute, huh?” Alyssa giggled.
“I know I said I’d never stalk a guy online, but I’ll need to send you a picture. When you see him, you’ll get it.”
“Send away.” Alyssa grinned. “It’s been way too long since you crushed on someone. Did you guys talk?”
“I held the elevator for him. He said ‘thanks.’ I said ‘you’re welcome.’”
“That’s all?” Alyssa asked.
Lucy shrugged. “I kind of froze.”
“That’s not like you at all.”
“I know.” Lucy shook her head, wide-eyed. “What’s happening to me?”
“This guy must be really cute.” Alyssa laughed again. “Hold on.”
Rashid joined her at the couch, and Alyssa helped him settle onto the cushions.
“I miss you guys,” Lucy said, suddenly sounding sad.
Alyssa tried not to frown. “I miss you, too.”
“How is it there?”
“Beautiful,” Alyssa said right away. She paused. “And a little lonely.”
Lucy nodded. “I’m going to come visit real soon, okay? I just have to figure out which week I can get away.”
