Sheikh's Pregnant Lover by Sophia Lynn, Jessica Brooke Page A

would like to spend some more time with you.”
    “I’d like that.” Madeline wasn’t going to say no—she didn’t want Zayid’s last memory of her to be of her nearly throwing up on him. And besides, she owed him. “Where did you have in mind?”
    “The bar at my hotel offers an excellent selection.”
    “Oh yeah. I’d forgotten that you run a hotel chain.” Madeline’s interest perked. “What was the name again, The Crest?”
    “That’s correct.” She could envision his smile as he spoke. “So, six o’clock?”
    “Sounds good to me.”
    ***
    By the time Madeline got off work, she was buzzing with nerves and excitement about the idea of meeting Zayid for drinks. It was a little silly, she knew, but she couldn’t quite help herself, especially since she was being invited to his hotel. She’d been thinking of him as a playboy and royal for so long that she’d almost forgotten that he was a businessman, as well. It would be interesting for her to see this side of him.
    She stepped out to the curb and waved down a cab. There was certainly no lack of excitement where Zayid was concerned. Last night, while he was kissing her, she thought she’d been about to combust from the heat coursing through her body, and she knew that if her stomach hadn’t turned on her that she would have slept with him. Maybe it was better for both of them that their night had been cut short.
    When the cab driver pulled up in front of the hotel, Madeline almost swallowed her tongue. The hotel was humongous, easily forty stories tall, and looked like a huge, shimmering wave, with its crested shape and chrome and glass exterior. When Zayid had said he’d owned a chain of hotels, she’d figured he’d meant some cookie-cutter, four-star deals…not something as extravagant as the majestic building that towered over her. She could see exactly where it had gotten its name from, and also why it was so popular, being right by the waterfront.
    The cab drove her past the beach, where she could see tourists and locals alike floating lazily in the water, and down a drive past sprawling green lawns and waving palm fronds. On either side of her, in the distance, she could see there were two pools set up right out front, with cabanas and sunbathing chairs nearby for guests to enjoy themselves. The cab dropped her off right in front of the entrance, where four sets of revolving doors stood waiting. Nervous, she shouldered her purse and stepped through the doorway, craning her neck so she could take in the space of the huge lobby. Soaring walls washed in gold light met overhead in an arched ceiling, and everything from the sculptures to the carpeting was colorful and trendy. The place buzzed with the sound of conversation, and beneath that was the tinkling sound of a waterfall cascading over the wall to her left.
    Madeline forced herself to stop staring, and approached the front desk, a tall, circular station made of some kind of warm, sand-colored stone.
    “Good evening,” the front desk attendant greeted her warmly. She was dressed very smartly in a white blouse with a dark blue vest, a golden pin shaped like the hotel building fastened to her crisp collar. “Are you checking in?”
    “No. I’m here to meet a friend at the bar.” She decided it was best not to mention that Zayid was the friend—she didn’t want to draw too much attention to herself. “Can you tell me where it is?’
    “Of course. The Uptown Bar is located on the twenty-fourth floor. Take the elevator up and follow the signs. You won’t be able to miss it.”
    “Thank you.”
    Madeline did as the attendant directed. Sure enough, she was right—the signs outside the door led her right to it. The bar was simple and elegant all at once—deep red walls and matching red wooden floorboards, square leather chairs grouped around matching tables, and a semicircular glass wall that stretched all around the room, allowing the occupants a gorgeous view of the coastline