The next three days were absolutely delightful. Hannah had enjoyed every minute of her trip to Qatar.

She enjoyed visiting different places and learning about the rich history of the country. The trip to the Souq Waqif was particularly memorable. The centuries old market was a labyrinth of alleyways, filled with colourful spices and fabrics.

Tariq's relatives made her feel like she was part of the family. Hannah and Jida Aziza had grown so close over the last few days that one would never have suspected how unbridled their initial meeting had gone. However, Hannah understood that the older woman was just trying to protect her grandson.

In the end, Hannah could not express how happy she was that his family had accepted her. For it had been something that had kept her awake the closer their Qatar trip came. She did not know what she would have done if they had rejected her.

With sincere faces, everyone stood in the foyer as they said their goodbyes.

"I wish you guys could have stayed longer," Aziza said as she kissed their cheeks.

"Me too," Hannah replied as she hugged Aziza then Chloe.

Tariq smiled as everyone said their farewells, "Don't worry, we will come back soon and will stay for much longer."

"Have a good time in Dubai!" Chloe exclaimed as she gave one final hug to Hannah.

The couple left the mansion and walked towards the black Rolls Royce Phantom EWB. As they sat in their seats, the voice of the driver came over through the intercom.

"Should I take the long way to the airport Sir?" Jabir asked.

Hannah looked over at Tariq and wiggled her eyebrows playfully. Her blue eyes sparkled as she bit her bottom lip.

Tariq growled softly as he looked down at his watch before replying, "Yes, but don't drive too slow, I don't want us to miss our flight."

————— ▲ —————

It was around 3pm when they finally arrived at Tariq's waterfront apartment. The two-bedroom Jumeirah Beach residence featured hardwood flooring throughout. Elegant floor-to-ceiling windows allowed for plenty of natural light to fill the living areas, showcasing the breath-taking and unobstructed sea views.

Hannah grinned as she sent Mikayla a few pictures from the balcony. They had been texting for a bit, catching up on how the other was doing.

Mikayla:
"Show off!
Although I prefer the chill of the Autumn air.
The October weather is quite pleasant this year!"

Hannah:
"You're such a weirdo!
You're from the Caribbean you should love the sun."

Mikayla:
"Negative my friend, anyway, enjoy!
Can't wait to see you soon!
Love you xxx"

Hannah:
"Love you too xxx"

While sending her last message, Hannah felt Tariq's hands envelop her waist as he hugged her from behind. His lips gently kissed her cheek before resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Checking in with the big boss?" he teased.

Chuckling softly as she leaned back into his embrace, "Yea."

"How's she doing?" Tariq asked before he added, "Damien is a little worried about her, but he's been trying to keep a strong front so as not to add to her stress."

"Those two, not wanting to burden each other..." she grumbled then continued, "She's handling it alright. Obviously with each negative pregnancy test she becomes a bit more discouraged."

With a sigh, Hannah paused as her eyes took in the view of the ocean before her. If Mikayla had not forced her to take this vacation she would not have. Hannah had wanted to stay in London and be there for her as she did not want Mikayla to take the pregnancy tests alone.

Coming out of her thoughts Hannah went on to say, "I told her not to worry too much and just relax. But of course, that's easier said than done. Miks has always wanted to be a mother. And lord knows your caveman of a best friend wanted to put a baby in her ages ago."

Tariq could not help but chortle, "I guess that makes me a caveman too?" he asked as his hands gripped her waist tighter as he pushed his pelvis into her more firmly.

"Seriously? What's with you and Miks wanting me to get pregnant?" Hannah exclaimed, her voice sounding slightly exasperated.

"Sorry..." he murmured while nuzzling her neck.

"Yea well, we all know that I'm not really ready for that yet. Right now, I just want to be there for Mikayla, God knows I'd feel so bad if I got pregnant before her," she said solemnly.

"I know," Tariq said, his own voice full of concern.

"But I'm not worried, I know that Mikayla will get pregnant soon, I can just feel it!" Hannah smiled slightly.

"Aunty Hannah, that poor baby doesn't know what it's in for," he joked.

Turning around to face Tariq, Hannah's smile widened, "Hey Uncle Tariq! I'll have you know that I will be an excellent god-parent."

"Oh, I have no doubt. I know that you'll be great. It's that mouth and influence of yours I'm a little worried about," he continued to tease her.

"What can I say, if it's a girl, she'll be a badass and if it's a boy he'll be a barbarian," Hannah grinned her arms wrapping around his neck.

"A barbarian huh? Weren't you just complaining about Damien and myself being cavemen?" his hands continued their hold on her waist.

"Cavemen are stupid, barbarians are warriors," she stated.

Tariq laughed softly, "Fair enough, I just know that you'll be an amazing parent when the time comes. I could not have asked for a better mother to my children."

Hannah remained speechless for a moment, her eyes locking with Tariq's. His words humbled her and she could not help but blush under his gaze.

"I'll do my best," she whispered.

"They'll be fine, especially with Mikayla and Damien as god-parents," he replied.

"It would be pretty cool if all our children could grow up together. We always used to talk about such when we were teens," she could barely contain the excitement in her voice.

"You do realise that if Mikayla gets pregnant soon then you'll need to do the same to keep that dream alive, right? I mean, maybe that's why she's been hinting that she wants you to have a baby as well," his eyes twinkled.

Hannah's smile dropped slightly, the realisation of such having not dawned on her before, "Oh fuck!"

Tariq's head leaned back as he laughed loudly, "The look on your face is priceless!"

"Shit! This isn't funny," she said with a slight pout.

"Just a little," he murmured as he captured her lips in a searing kiss.

Later that night, Hannah and Tariq went to a lovely restaurant situated at the end of the pier at the Al Qasr Hotel. They had a great dinner with captivating views across the Arabian Gulf.

"So wait, if your family owns a villa on the Palm Jumeirah, how come we didn't stay there?" Hannah asked as she sipped on some wine.

"Well, the current apartment that we're in is mine. It's the place I bought after I decided on living here. I wanted you to stay in my home, sleep in my bed, not one of the family's residences," he replied.

Feeling her heart warm, she nodded, "Do you miss living here?"

"Sometimes, but London is where you live, so wherever you are, is where I'll be," Tariq said as his eyes remained on her while he sipped on his drink.

"Ever the romantic huh? Now I feel bad," she sighed.

Moving his left hand across the table to rest on top of hers, "Please don't, I have no regrets."

"What about your job here?" she asked.

Chuckling slightly, "Trust me, my father is more than happy that I'm at the firm in London. Remember, I'm a sought-after senior Geologist Hannah, I direct and provide consultancy services in all geoscience-related works. I don't need to be tied down to one place to do that."

"Fair enough," she said.

"Of course," he stated as he continued, "the offshore company I worked for here required me to supervise at time, but before working here I always travelled a lot. I'm happy to settle down wherever you want to," Tariq said, the tone in his voice letting her know that he was serious.

Hannah looked at him as she bit the inside of her cheek before she confessed, "In truth, I'd relocate for you too, but Mikayla and Damien would need to move too."

Laughing softly, he said, "Of course! I'd never tear you apart from your best friend. Besides I'm an oil tycoon remember? I can just stay home and be a laze about?"

Scoffing she retorted, "Yea, no! My baby daddy will not be a bum."

"Baby daddy huh?" he asked, his pupils dilated as he signalled for the waiter.

Giggling softly, Hannah's face flamed as Tariq all but dragged her out of the restaurant.

————— ▲ —————

The following day, Tariq planned a morning safari in the Dubai Desert. Hannah was excited as she sat next to him in the 4x4 Land Cruiser that came to pick them up at 8am

During the forty-five-minute drive, they chatted with the driver. As Hannah learnt about all the activities that were to come, her excitement grew, the closer they got to their destination.

Upon reaching the Red Dunes, they rode towards a high sandbank at which they stopped to take some pictures and stretch their legs. The view before them was magnificent as the swell of the desert dunes stretched for miles, as far as the eyes could see.

Getting back into the vehicle Hannah's exhilarated squeals could be heard while the Land Cruiser rode up and down the red dunes causing their adrenaline to flow. They did this for about thirty minutes before they stopped to take more pictures.

"Oh my gosh that was so much fun!" Hannah exclaimed as they climbed back into the vehicle.

"We're headed back to their main location where we will get to ride a camel and use the quad bikes," Tariq replied with a smile.

The 4x4 drove for a few minutes before they reached their destination. Hannah and Tariq were led to a tent that was nicely decorated. They were told to sit and relax for a while as they munched on some refreshments that consisted of Arabic coffee, dates, as well some other traditional sweets.

The traditional camp was filled with many tents, with large colourful rugs decorating the floors. There were low-ride tables with cushions as seats. A few locals were walking around, both men and women. However, it was obvious that Hannah and Tariq were the only visitors.

"Where's everyone else?" she asked while looking around the encampment

With a small grin he responded, "I rented the place for the entire day, as I wasn't sure how long you wanted to stay out here."

Shaking her head, Hannah said, "Don't like sharing, do you?"

"Never," Tariq pulled her in for a deep kiss.

Sighing softly, she melted into his embrace, a smile on her lips as he fed her a Luqaimat. As she bit into the sweet treat, it reminded her of when they were formally introduced at Mikayla and Damien's penthouse and she nearly choked when she saw him.

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" she said softly.

Nodding, he replied, "And what a beautiful journey it has been so far."

After a while, they slowly stood up and walked around the camp, looking at the other tents and chatting with some of the local people. Hannah learnt that they offered range of activities; from dune bashing, sandboarding, camel riding, henna painting, shisha pipe smoking and even an Arabic makeover amongst other things.

When it was time to ride the camels, Hannah was a bit apprehensive at first, but she was glad that she did not back out. It turned out to be one of the best experiences that she ever had.

For lunch, they returned to the tent and had a meal called Thereed. It was similar to a Moroccan tagine, as the stews consisted of succulent meat with a selection of slow-roasted vegetables.

"What's this flatbread called?" Hannah enquired.

"Rigag." Tariq replied before asking, "Do you like it?"

"I do, everything about this dish is simply divine, I am glad that you talked me into coming here with you," she said.

Smiling he commented, "Thank you for allowing me to share this with you."

They continued to enjoy their lunch, chatting with some of the locals, asking them what it was like to live in the desert. In the end, Hannah and Tariq ended up spending the entire day there and decided to stay and have dinner. They also insisted that the entire encampment joined them.

Everyone ended up sitting together for dinner, where Hannah was allowed to learn more about their customs. The ate surrounding a large firepit and traditional belly dancers provided entertainment while they all enjoyed an old-style barbeque.

Later that night, back at the apartment, Tariq and Hannah laid together, their naked limbs tangled. Their love making had been especially intense tonight. What started out as playful touches in the shower, ended up with them passionately wrapped around each other in the sheets soon after.

After catching his breath, he whispered against her lips, "I love you so much."

"And I you," she whispered back.

Over the next two days, Tariq took Hannah to various other places. He was so happy to share his favourite spots with her.

It had been a special and memorable trip for the both of them. Tariq was happy that he could get to share his love of Dubai with Hannah. The fact that she seemed to love the city as much as he did made his heart swell even more.

Today would be their last day in Dubai before they returned to London. In his opinion, he had saved the best view for last.

He had booked a VIP experience at the top of the Burj Khalifa. It was around 4:45pm when they arrived at the building and were escorted past all the queues to a special lift that took them to the 148th floor where there we only a handful of other people with them.

"Couldn't buy out seclusion this time?" Hannah joked as they stepped off the elevator.

"It's only six other couples, at least two of them were planning to propose. I'm not a complete snob, I couldn't ruin their plans," Tariq replied with a smile then added, "besides, with so much empty space it's still private enough."

"You're so sweet," she said as they walked towards the deck, "Shit! This is high!" she exclaimed,

"Well yes, it is the tallest building in the world after all," he said as he held her right hand and stood by her side.

They were dressed elegantly for an early dinner; he could not keep his eyes off of her. The black evening dress that she wore fit her perfectly, matching his own black suit.

Hannah's dress was a slender crepe gown that was topped with a graceful, off-the-shoulder neckline. The dress had material softly gathered at the hip that was made into a ruffle that cascaded down the skirt for a fluttery finish.

Her eyes were firmly fixed on the panoramic views over Dubai from the observation deck. The fantastic 360-degree view over the Arabian Gulf left her speechless. Tariq had planned it so that they would be able to watch the sunset, and it was a spectacular sight that Hannah would never forget.

During their stay, they were served light refreshments. Three different set of squeals were heard as three men got down to propose at different times.

"That's so sweet," Hannah commented with a small smile after the third proposal.

Tightening his grip on her hand, "If I thought you would say yes, I would have asked you too."

Looking away from the couple to face him, her eyes locking with his, "I know I told your grandmother that I wanted to marry you once I finished sort through my emotional baggage. But truth be told, being engaged doesn't mean we have to get married right away."

Tariq's eyes widened slightly as he took in her meaning, "So wait, you mean to tell me if I proposed to you now, you would say yes?"

Biting the inside of her cheek, Hannah felt her breath hitch at his question, "A week ago I would have told you we should wait. But after seeing you defend me to your grandmother and meeting the rest of your family. Not to mention getting Jida Aziza's blessing and spending time with you in Dubai, I don't feel as scared anymore."

"Hannah..." his voice trailed off.

"I know, too bad you don't have a ring, right?" she joked.

"Who says I don't?" he smirked.

"Wait you had a ring made already?" she asked.

Nodding, he brought her right hand to his lips, "I started designing it in my head the minute you walked into Mikayla and Damien's kitchen the next morning, sporting my giant hickey on your neck."

A choked laugh escaped past her lips as her eyes began to water, "You didn't!"

"I did, took me a few days to finalise the image, then I went about getting it made," he replied.

"Sneaky bastard," she commented before adding, "But surely you don't have it here with you? I would have noticed a ring box."

Hannah had always been a very observant person. She was sure that Tariq was not carrying around an engagement ring with him. In his pockets he only ever carried his keys, a money clip and a small flat black case that he kept his credit cards in.

With a soft chuckled he said, "I have always had it on me since I got it when we returned from Tobago."

At this point Hannah was speechless. She watched him let go of her hand and reach into his jacket pocket. Tariq pulled out the minute sleek black case, a smile on his face as he held it.

"There's no way a ring can fit in there! That's a storage case for credit cards, I've seen them selling in stores," she remarked.

"Indeed, there are credit card packings that look like these. But I had this aluminium case made for something more special in mind," he said as he opened the lid.

Inside the small aluminium case was a radiant cut engagement ring. The pink centre stone was flanked by one white stone on each side. The cheers of the surrounding onlookers could be heard as everyone in the room looked at them.

"You made me a platypus ring?" Hannah whispered, the tears in her eyes spilling over.

Chuckling softly, Tariq got onto his knee, "Padparadscha... And yes it's the same stone that your necklace is made from."

Hannah's hand instinctively went to the pink sapphire and white diamond necklace that Tariq had given her back in Tobago. Her breathing becoming slightly shallow as the attention of everyone else faded, her focus solely on the man before her.

"So..." Tariq started, his voice full of love as he continued, "I have a ring and I am on bended knee, all that's left is to ask you one simple four worded question."