The Sheikh’s Troublesome Bride

The Jawhara Men Series

Book 2

By Leslie North

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This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names,
characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and situations either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used
factiously.

Dedications

I dedicate this book to you, my loyal readers. Thank you for all the lovely e-mails, reviews, and support. Without you, this wouldn't be

possible.

I’d also like to say a special thank you to Leslie’s Lovelies who have had a huge role in making this book – you’re the best! THANK

YOU for all your support.

Chapter 1

Shira entered the terminal and quickly looked around for her co-workers and bosses. As the

assistant marketing director for The Addams Group, she had been instrumental in helping the firm to

land its most lucrative marketing campaign ever – Jewel Oil.

The company was owned and operated by the Sheikh of Jawahara and his brother, Prince Khalil

Mehmed El-Jawhara. Being the younger son, Khalil was not in direct line for the throne, that honor

belonged to the eldest son, Kamal.

Shira spied Rick and Damon standing in front of the security area and waved as she hurried in

that direction.

“Glad you could make it,” said Rick, giving her a large welcoming smile.

“I’m so excited. Is everyone else here?”

“Well, about that – it’s just going to be you this time around.”

Shira shook her head, “But I thought the entire team was coming along.” She was confused that

plans had changed so quickly. And go to Jawhara by herself? No way! She’d never even been to

Canada or Mexico, yet alone a country thousands of miles and several oceans away!

“It’s actually a good thing,” replied Damon, “It seems that word about our deal with Jawhara has

spread and late last night I received calls from to other Arab nations who would like us to work on

bids for their marketing campaigns as well.” Damon was grinning from ear to ear as he finished

speaking.

“Really?! That’s great!” Shira exclaimed. This is what her bosses had been hoping for.

International exposure and a client base around the world.

“Really!” answered Rick. “Anyway, there are delegations flying in from those countries over the

next several days and the team is frantically pulling together those presentations.”

Shira’s heart dropped as she quietly asked, “Does that mean you’d like me to stay as well?” She

had been looking for to seeing Kale again. She swallowed down her disappointment, not wanting her

bosses to see how much she was really hoping they still intended to send her.

“That sacrifice will not be necessary,” came a familiar voice from just behind her.

Whirling around, Shira found herself looking up into the laughing brown eyes of Kale. “What are

you doing here?” she asked, just before she found herself swept up in his muscular arms.

Hugging her close felt amazing, but remembering where they were, he quickly set her back down

on her feet. “I am here to personally escort you to Jawhara.”

“But you said you needed to help your brother…” Shira tapered her speech off. She had spoken

to Kale almost daily since his premature departure several weeks ago. They had talked about almost

everything and she had grown attached to the man of character standing in front of her.

“Kam has everything well under control at this time. Besides, we are less than twenty-four hours

away from Jawhara.” Turning to address her bosses, he shook their hands, “Gentlemen, thank you for

everything. I will assist Miss Malone in getting her office set up and see that she has everything we

discussed.”

Shira watched, confusion clouding her brain, as she listened to Kale and her bosses discuss her

future. It didn’t sound like she was only going for a short visit! Looking at both Rick and Damon, she

didn’t miss the glances they both threw her way as Kale finished discussing their travel plans.

“Kale, what..?”

“Come, Shira. The pilot is anxious to begin our flight, as am I.”

“But my luggage…”

“Has already been taken care of. Ahmed was waiting for it and has already delivered it to the jet.

Say goodbye.”

Shira turned to her bosses, not liking the knowing grins upon their faces, and dutifully replied,

“Goodbye.”

“Have fun, Shira. Take a few days to get acclimated and then give us a call. Rick and I have some

ideas of what kinds of information and footage would work best in the ads.” Damon gave her a brief

hug but quickly removed his arms at the low growl coming from Kale.

Shira looked at him over her shoulder, startled by the fierce look upon his face. When Rick

pulled her to him for a brief hug, she watched, amazed, as Kale’s eyes narrowed and his fists

clenched.

Before she could question him, he pulled her from Rick’s arms, wrapping one arm around her

waist and anchoring her to his side. “Gentlemen.”

Khalil did not like seeing another man’s hands upon Shira. He found he was very possessive of

her already, a good sign indeed. He had enjoyed their phone conversations over the last several

weeks and was determined to make her fall in love with Jawhara and bind her to himself.

Protocol demanded that his older brother must marry first, but Kamal had already chosen his

bride-to-be. Erin Malone, Shira’s cousin and roommate, might not know it yet, but she was destined

to become the next Sheikha of Jawhara. Kamal had decided he wanted her, and his brother always got

whatever he set his mind on. Always!

Escorting Shira through the security gate and customs booths, he then led her out to onto the

tarmac to the private jet that was waiting to fly them to Jawhara. He glanced down at her several

times, taking note of her wide eyes and the bemused expression upon her face. Shira didn’t appear to

be one for surprises!

“Watch your step,” Kale told her as she began her ascent up the steep steps.

“Kale, I…” Shira began, stopping on the first step and turning to look at him.

Kale steadied her on the narrow step with his hands upon her waist, “Don’t be concerned,

habibiti. Everything will work out just fine.” Using his hands to turn her back around, he gave her a

gentle tap on her rear to get her moving again, “Up you go. Watch you head, I wouldn’t want you to

injure yourself before we get airborne.”

Chapter 2

Shira carefully stepped inside the private jet and gasped at the sheer elegance of the furnishings.

Luxurious seating arrangements were scattered around the space, covered in butter-smooth leather

with thick, plush carpet that begged her to remove her shoes and sink her toes into it.

A slender and elegant attendant stood towards the back of the space, dressed in a sleek navy blue

uniform with her hair pulled tightly back at the base of her neck. Shira looked at her face, hoping for

some sort of recognition, slightly alarmed when the young woman ignored her presence, only coming

to life when Kale entered the plane behind her.

“Good afternoon, Your Highness.”

Shira turned to Kale, a question upon her face, “Your Highness? But I thought Kam…”

“All Crown Princes are referred to in this way. Kamal’s correct title is Your Majesty. I trust you

can remember that?” Kale looked at her and when she nodded, smiled and gestured for her to take a

seat.

Shira chose a seat near the window, watching with interest as Kale spoke to the attendant in

Arabic before joining her. “Rihana will bring you some refreshment as soon as we are airborne.”

Shira nodded, still trying to understand how the plans had changed so quickly. “Did Rick or

Damon call you?”

Kale took the seat next to Shira, taking her hands in his and chafing them slightly. “No. It had

already been decided that I would fly your team out in our private jet. When Rick and Damon

explained the need for them to stay behind, along with the rest of the team, I offered to make myself

available to you and help facilitate your work in Jawhara.”

Shira nodded, looking up into Kale’s eyes and quickly becoming lost in their warmth. Feeling

herself sway towards him slightly, she fought the urge to lean against him. The feelings his hands were

creating in her body were quickly becoming hard to ignore. She glanced down at their joined hands

and was transported back to the last time his hands had touched her.

They had celebrated the end of the negotiations between her company and his country and had

retired to his hotel room after several hours of dancing at local clubs. Shira had been full of energy

and enthralled with Kale’s attention.

She had been secretly trying to attract his attention during the months of negotiations, but he had

kept her at arm’s length. When she had walked into the banquet hall, he had immediately captured her

attention and kept her close to his side the rest of the night.

They had just settled themselves upon a rug in front of the fireplace, sharing lingering kisses and

touches when his phone had rung. Cursing, Kale had answered the phone, growing still and silent as

he listened. Evidently, a major catastrophe was brewing in his country and he and his brother were

needed to fly back immediately.

He had given her once last smoldering kiss, full of promise and longing, and then asked his

driver to take her home. He had programmed her phone with his direct line and had called her almost

every day since then. Talking to her for hours about his childhood, her upbringing and their dreams

and hopes for the future. He had been amazed at how much they had in common and quickly become

enamored of her.

When Kamal had instructed him to fly to America and escort the Addams Group team back to

Jawhara, he had called Rick and Damon and made sure Shira was one of the team he would be

escorting. Talks had quickly escalated from a visit to setting up another office in Jawhara. Rick and

Damon had not missed his attraction to Shira, nor hers to him, and had suggested that Shira might be a

good candidate to stay on in Jawhara and manage their first international office.

Kale had kept his enthusiasm for the plan to himself, secretly rejoicing that his task of convincing

Shira to remain in Jawhara long-term would not be that hard. Based upon her reaction only moments

before in the airport terminal, the long-term plans for her employment hadn’t been discussed with her

yet.

Kale would make sure that Rick and Damon corrected that as quickly as possible. He wanted

Shira to grab hold of this adventure and start making plans to stay in Jawhara – permanently.

Chapter 3

Several hours into the flight, Kale glanced up from his laptop to see Shira nodding off, slumped

over in her seat. Setting down his computer, he rose and sat next to her once again, “Shira? Habibiti,

wake up.”

Shira stirred when she felt Kale’s hands upon her neck, massaging lightly, bringing forth a moan

of pleasure. “That feels so good,” she murmured, opening her eyes to see him watching her carefully.

“Would you like to lie down and sleep, little one?” Kale asked, letting his hand play with the

tendrils of hair that had escaped the dark red hair she had pulled up atop her head.

Shira glanced at the small couch and then shook her head, “No, I’m fine.”

Seeing her glance, Kale chuckled, “Not on that too small couch. There is a perfectly decadent

bedroom in the back part of the plane with a very comfortable king-sized bed. Come, I will show

you.”

Rising, he pulled Shira up from her seat, holding her to ensure she found her balance before

turning her and guiding her towards the back of the plane, his hands still upon her waist.

Shira let him lead her towards a doorway, which he opened by reaching over her shoulder and

punching a code into the keypad. He let his fingers skim her upper chest and shoulder upon their

retreat and Shira shivered in reaction.

When the doorway opened, it was to a luxurious bedroom done in gold’s and baby blue tones.

The large king-sized bed took up the majority of the space, but she could see a bathroom off to one

side, and what appeared to be a closet as well. The four-poster bed looked so inviting; yet, out of

place considering they were on an airplane, thirty thousand feet in the sky!

“Kale, this is amazing!” she said, turning to find herself nose to chest with him. She inhaled and

made to move backwards, but his hands kept her locked tight against him. Her senses swamped with

his unique scent had her knees threatening to buckle. She had lain awake many a night, remembering

his smell – remembering his touch.

Pulling her even closer, he dipped his head and murmured, “I’m glad you like it,” just before

capturing her lips with his own. Kissing her deeply for several minutes, he didn’t break the kiss until

he felt her hands creep up his chest, wrapping around his neck.

Sighing, he rested his chin atop her head, “I’ve been dying to do that since you walked into the

airport.”

Shira snuggled into his embrace, echoing his sentiment, “I’ve been dying for you to kiss me just

as long.”

Moving them both further into the room, Kale pushed the door shut behind him with his foot and

led her over to the bed. Pulling back the covers, he then proceeded to unbutton her shirt, pulling it

down her arms amidst her protests. Clad in only a thin camisole, he did his best to rein in his desire

and calm her.

“Shush. You will sleep more comfortably if you’re not fighting your clothing. Remove your jeans

and I will find you a t-shirt to wear to preserve your modesty.” Kale deliberately strode across the

room, giving her a few minutes to follow his commands.

He wanted nothing more than to disrobe himself as well and join her in the large bed, but he

wanted their first joining to be something special. He had learned over the past few weeks that Shira

had a history of boyfriends who took advantage of her and treated her poorly. She had tried to hide the

hurt those relationships had caused her, but Kale had not been deceived. He intended to prove to her

that he wanted her for more than just her stunning body – that he wanted her for her mind, and the

beautiful person she was inside. The chemistry between them would be the icing on the cake.

Shira slowly shed her jeans and then crawled beneath the covers, pulling the sheet up to cover

her breasts which were visible through the thin material of her camisole. When Kale tossed her a

black t-shirt, she quickly pulled it over her head, confused with his odd behavior. When he didn’t

join her on the bed, but headed towards the door, she stopped him, “Kale? Did I do something

wrong?”

Kale closed his eyes upon hearing the hurt in her voice, he had not meant to hurt her feelings.

Turning, he walked back towards the bed, sitting on the edge and taking her cheeks in his hands.

Lifting her eyes up to meet his own, he placed a tender kiss upon her nose, her chin, and then her lips.

He caressed her lips, using his thumb to pull her chin down and open her mouth to his invasion.

The minute his tongue touched her own, he lost some of his self-control, claiming her mouth in a

ravenous kiss that spoke to the intensity of his feelings for her. He pulled her closer to himself,

wrapping a hand around her upper back and crushing her breasts against his chest. The feel of her

tight nipples against his hard muscles had him gripping her back to keep from reaching for them.

He would take things slow if it killed him. Lifting his head, he placed gentling kisses upon her

temple and across her brow, murmuring to her in Arabic.

Shira’s mind was swimming in the feelings his kiss and his touch had aroused. She was no

stranger to the chemistry that existed between a man and a woman, but the feelings Kale created in her

were as foreign as the words he murmured near her ear. Never before had she felt this way about a

man. It was if her previous experiences were all gray and Kale was the rainbow – full of bright

colors and sunshine.

She lifted her hand up to caress his cheek, marveling at the smoothness there and briefly

wondering how many times a day he needed to shave.

“Shira, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I want nothing more than to join you in this bed and

make love to you until we reach Jawhara.”

“Okay,” Shira agreed, wanting the same thing.

“No. We will wait. When I finally make you mine, there will be no time constraints, no chance

of interruptions, and we won’t be in my brother’s plane. I want our first joining to be special and

something that neither one of us will ever forget.”

Shira was so touched that he was thinking about a future and not just getting her into bed, she felt

tears threaten to fall. She had been attracted to Kale’s character before, but now she was enthralled

with him. Hugging him, she leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, “Thank you. I want that too.

“

Kale pushed her down in the pillows and pulled the sheet up to her chin before placing another

kiss on her swollen lips. “Soon. I will see to it.”

Shira smiled at him and watched him leave the room. She drifted off to sleep dreaming of Kale

and the joining that he had promised her. He was a man of his word and she couldn’t wait to find out

how he intended to fulfill his promise.

Chapter 4

Shira slept the majority of the flight to Jawhara, waking only when Kale insisted she rise and eat

something before they started they approach to the airport.

She made use of the on-board shower and then quickly donned her clothing again. She combed

her hair out, leaving it to curl naturally and then rubbed some moisturizer into her face and neck. Shira

hardly ever wore cosmetics. Her alabaster skin and the light dusting of freckles across her nose and

cheekbones, placed her into a unique class of women who were stunning without any help from the

cosmetic industry. A light layer of lip gloss was usually the extent of her makeup regimen.

Exiting the bedroom, she found Kale seated at a small table waiting for her. Rihana served them

and Shira moaned in pleasure at the first bite of the fluffy cheese omelet she was served. There was

also fresh orange juice, slices of tropical melons and bagels with cream cheese.

Kale watched Shira with amusement as she ate, unused to women actually admitting to having an

appetite. Most of the women who found themselves in the royal social circle were stick thin and

thought a cracker and miniscule slice of meat was a meal.

Shira felt Kale’s eyes upon her and glanced up, her face going red as she read the amusement in

his eyes. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. It is refreshing to see a woman eat because she is hungry.”

Shira thought the comment odd, but picked up her glass of juice and drained it before answering,

“Well, I don’t know what kind of women you’ve been hanging out with, but I kind of like food.

Luckily, it hasn’t found my hips as of yet. Erin keeps telling me that one of these days my craving for

carbs and sugar is going to catch up to me, but until then, I’m going to enjoy every bite.”

At the mention of her cousin, she immediately sobered, looking at Kale, she asked, “Does Kam

ever ask about Erin?”

Kale nodded his head, “Yes, but not from me. Talib gives him daily reports on her activities.”

“But that’s not the same as him talking to her directly. Why does he not just call her?”

“Kamal is very busy dealing with a crisis in a neighboring country. He will call her when he

can.”

Shira wasn’t satisfied with his answer, but decided to wait and take the issue up with Kamal

once she arrived in Jawhara. “When will we land?”

Before Kale could answer, Rihana returned to the cabin and cleared away their dishes, speaking

to Kale in Arabic before leaving to the front of the plane once again. “We are getting ready to make

our approach to the airport. The captain would like us to buckle up. Come, sit with me on the couch.”

Kale waited for Shira to settle on the couch and buckle her seatbelt before joining her and doing

the same. Taking her hand in his, he began to trace the creases in her palms, pretending not to notice

the shivers and goosebumps his touch elicited in her.

Shira tried to pull her hand away from the teasing touch, but Kale held firmly to her wrist and

continued his light caresses. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head to tell him to stop, only to find

herself caught in his gaze.

“I am so glad you are here,” Kale told her softly, watching her green eyes darken to a deep green

as he continued to trace his fingertips lightly over her palm.

“Me..,” Shira began, clearing her throat when she heard the huskiness in it, “Me too. I can’t wait

to see your Jawhara.”

“I can’t wait to show it to you. Unfortunately, it is nighttime so we will have to wait until

tomorrow to go sightseeing.”

“Okay. I want to see the desert, and ride a camel, and…”

Kale laughed, “And you shall do all of those things. But first, I want you to rest and get over your

jetlag. If you are wanting to ride a camel, I want to be sure you will not fall asleep on its back.

Camel’s can be very temperamental, and one must be on their guard when riding one.”

Shira wasn’t sure she wanted to ride one by herself, “Couldn’t you ride with me? Like when they

teach children to ride a horse?”

“Is that how you learned to ride a horse, habibiti?”

Shira shook her head, “I’ve never ridden a horse. They’re not exactly abundant in the city.”

“Never ridden a horse? Oh, little one, riding a camel is going to be an adventure. We will need to

start with a short ride.”

“Why?” Shira questioned, not understanding the logic behind his comment.

“You will understand once you have ridden one. We will schedule a lesson as soon as you are

settled.”

“Great! What else?”

Kale told her of the other places and things he wanted to show her as the plane began its descent.

When he felt the wheels touch down, he released her hand, composing himself for the interview with

his brother he knew was coming.

He had left Jawhara with the intentions of bringing back a team of six from the states; instead, he

was returning with a single female, one his brother knew had Khalil’s undivided attention. His

thoughts turned to the conversation he’d had with his brother several days ago.

Kamal had asked his younger brother some tough questions about his intentions towards his little

American. Khalil had shared with his brother how much he liked what he knew about Shira Malone

and that he intended to make her his bride.

Kamal had nodded and reminded him that according to protocols, Khalil was not able to marry

until his brother had taken a bride. When Khalil had inquired about when that might happen, he had

been informed that Kamal had every intention of marrying Shira’s cousin at his earliest opportunity.

Khalil had been thrilled and set in place the plans that had led them to their current situation – Shira

on a plane getting ready to land in Jawhara.

Chapter 5

Shira watched out the limousines windows as the car pulled away from the airport. It was

nighttime, but she could see the palace as they approached, lit up like a diamond in the night sky.

The tropical plants and palms trees gave her the feeling of being in a tropical paradise and she

only hoped that on the morrow, in the brightness of the day, the images in her head were brought to

life.

As the car pulled up to the palace, Kale assisted her from the vehicle and she stood for a

moment, breathing in the fragrant smells of the flowers that surrounded the lush gardens. She wished it

were daylight so she could fully appreciate the sights, but there would be plenty of time for that later.

“Come. I will show you to our rooms.”

Our rooms? Shira was tired, but not too tired that she didn’t pick up on the significance of his

verbal slip. She glanced at him quickly, only to see him turn and issue several orders in Arabic to

those who had greeted them.

Placing a hand low on her back, he escorted her into the palace, ushering her up the wide circular

staircase and along a several hallways. She tried to take in the splendor of her surroundings, but

everything went by too quickly.

Coming to a halt in front of a set of double doors, Kale issued more orders in Arabic to the

servants and bodyguards who had accompanied them, and then pushed the doors open to reveal a

palatial suite.

Shira stepped over the threshold and stood for several minutes taking it all in. A large fountain

took center place amongst the white marble tiles and pillars. Large potted palms was scattered around

the foyer and she could see a number of doorways leading to other rooms.

“What is this?” she asked, turning to see Kale leaning against a pillar watching her with hooded

eyes.

“This is the family wing of the palace.” Gesturing towards the rooms to the east, he said, “Those

doors lead to the Sheikh’s private rooms. The doors on the other side lead to my rooms.”

Shira noticed there was one door directly in front of her, “Where does that door lead?”

“That door leads to the family sitting area and dining area. Kamal and I enjoy eating together as

a family. When my parents were still alive, we would eat together every morning and then again each

evening. We continue the tradition still.”

“That’s lovely. After my parents died, Uncle Tom and Aunt Patty always made a point to have at

least one meal with all of us around the table each day. I missed that after Erin went away to college.”

Shira pulled herself from her sad thoughts and then asked, “I’m starting to feel a little sleepy,

would you mind saving the rest of the tour until tomorrow?”

“Not at all. This way.” Kale turned towards his own rooms, stopping when Shira didn’t

immediately follow him. “Is there a problem?”

“I thought you had just misspoken when you said our rooms. “

Kale retraced his steps to her, stopping a few inches away from her to take her face between her

hands and placing a carefully controlled kiss upon her lips. When Shira instinctively parted her lips

to deepen this kiss, he pulled away with a sigh, “No. I made you a promise; one I intend to keep.

There are several bedrooms through that doorway. While I want nothing more than to take you to my

bed, for tonight, you may choose one of the other rooms.”

“And tomorrow?” Shira couldn’t help asking.

“Tomorrow – tomorrow you most definitely will be joining me in my bedroom. So, do not

become too comfortable in whichever room you choose to spend the rest of this night. It will only be

temporary.”

The knowledge that Kale didn’t intend to make them wait to consummate their union was a relief

to her. Shira followed him, choosing the first room he showed her as it didn’t matter in the long run.

She wanted to insist that he take her to his bed, now, but also realized the amount of self-control he

was exercising on her behalf. She’d never had a man treat her thus and while she yearned for more of

his kisses and caresses, she knew that the wait would be well worth it come tomorrow.

Kale showed her where everything was located as three maids brought in her luggage. When they

started to unpack her belongings, he stopped them with a few words in Arabic which sent them

scurrying from the room.

Shira looked at him and questioned, “What did you tell them?”

“The truth. That you would not be staying in this room past tomorrow so there was no need to

unpack your suitcases.”

Shira felt a blush stain her cheeks, and asked, “You didn’t tell them I was moving into your

rooms, did you?”

Coming to her side, he touched her arm and replied, “Shira, the first thing you must learn about

palace life, is that nothing is a secret. That does not mean that rumors or information floats freely

around the kingdom, but the palace staff knows most everything that occurs in the palace. They must in

order to carry out their duties.”

Sensing a presence at her back, she turned to see one of Kale’s bodyguards standing just outside

the doorway, “Why is he there?”

“That is another thing you must get used to. From now on, you will always have at least one

bodyguard with you.”

“Is your country so dangerous then?” Shira asked, perplexed as to why she would need to be

guarded while she slept.

“Danger is everywhere. In the past, there have been attempts by our enemies to sneak into the

palace. I do not believe they would be successful at this time, but I will take no precautions with your

person.”

Shira digested this news before asking, “Why would anyone want to harm me?”

“You became a target the minute I let it be known that I was interested in you.”

“So, these enemies try to harm all of your girlfriends?”

Kale shook his head, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “You are much more than a mere

girlfriend. Do not pretend you do not know where our relationship is headed.” Licking the side of her

neck, he nipped her earlobe before withdrawing his head to look into her eyes. “My girlfriends have

never been invited to live in the palace. By morning, news will have travelled throughout the

kingdom.”

Shira listened as he continued to talk, speaking in Arabic in words that sounded tender, but she

couldn’t understand. First thing tomorrow she needed to find an interpreter and a linguist to teach

her Arabic!

Kale could tell that his use of his native tongue had confused her, but there were no words to

express the depth of his feelings for her in her language. “Shira, turn off that lovely mind of yours, and

get some sleep. Tomorrow, I will show you my Jawhara.”

Shira smiled at him and nodded her head, hiding a yawn behind her hand. She had slept for

hours on the flight over, how could she still be tired?

Kale hid his grin as she tried to cover up her yawn, pushing her towards the bed, he turned and

pulled the bedroom door shut behind him. Speaking to the guard, he gave orders that she was to be

escorted wherever she went and he was to be notified immediately if she awoke and needed anything.

Chapter 6

Shira gazed around her in wonder at the colorful people who came out of their shops and houses

to meet them. Kale had wanted to take her through the village by car, but she had insisted they walk.

Shira was used to spending several hours a day in the local gym, or running along the track at the

National Mall, and after the long flight, she was feeling restless and cooped up.

Kale had shook his head, but quickly given orders for the car to be returned to the garage and he

had taken her hand and headed down the cobblestone driveway towards the village.

As they neared the village, everyone they met stopped and bowed low in greeting. “Is that how

your people greet one another, by bowing?”

When Shira made a move as if she were going to bow back, Kale pulled her up and held her

while he explained, “Never bow to anyone! They bow as a sign of respect for my position and

lineage. You, do not bow back. Merely incline your head if you feel the need to acknowledge their

show of respect.”

“But, I thought you said they were bowing to you, not me?” Shira asked, puzzled.

“Today, they are bowing to us both because you are my guest.” Soon, they would be bowing to

her because she was his wife. Kale kept that thought to himself. He wasn’t sure how Shira would

handle her future being planned out for her so quickly. It was inevitable, but he would give her a few

days to become accustomed to his country before filling her in.

After spending several hours walking around the village and visiting several historic buildings,

Shira was ready to return to the palace. Kale had promised to take her to the beach right after lunch,

and she was glad she had let the girls from the office convince her to purchase a new suit. She

couldn’t wait to see Kale’s response to it.

Lunch was an entertaining affair filled with Shira watching Kale interact with his brother in

Arabic. They both had a habit of speaking with their hands, and she marveled that the glasses and

dishes weren’t knocked from the table several times as they discussion was heated at times.

“Shira,” Kamal asked her at one point, “how do you like my country so far?”

“Your Majesty, what I’ve seen of it so far is stunning. And the people are so friendly and warm.

I’m enjoying myself immensely. Thank you for having me.”

Kamal said something to Khalil in Arabic as he watched her and then nodded at the response.

Keeping her gaze, he told her, “I am glad. Please, if you need anything at all, let Khalil know and he

will see to it. I hope your visit here will be long and prosperous.”

“Thank you,” Shira told him, inclining her head and wondering at the odd wording he had used.

Long? Prosperous? Certainly strange words to apply to the reason for her visit. She was only here

for a few weeks before she would be heading back to the States.

Thinking about home, she realized that she really needed to contact Erin and let her know she had

arrived safely. Turning to Kale, she asked, “Is there a phone I can use to call home? I promised Erin I

would let her know I had arrived safely. She doesn’t even know the rest of the team stayed behind.”

Kamal spoke up, “Erin is fine. It is the middle of the night in the States. She needs her rest;

maybe you should wait until this evening to contact her.”

Something in Kamal’s voice gave Shira pause, “What’s happened to Erin? Why would you tell

me she’s fine? Have you spoken to her?”

“There was a small incident at her office with a disgruntled husband. Talib took care of it and

she is home, sleeping.”

Shira shook her head, “I told her one of these days something bad was going to happen over

there. You can’t hide women and children from angry men and expect them not to react. Why, last

year…,” she trailed off, seeing the thunderstorms gathering on Kamal’s face. So, maybe telling him

about the other times Erin’s life had been in danger wasn’t such a good thing right now.

“Last year…” Kamal prompted her.

“Oh, nothing. I was just rambling.” Directing her attention to Kale, she asked, “Maybe I’ll just

send her a quick email before we head out. She always checks her email when she first gets up.”

Khalil inclined his head, “You will find everything you need, including the password for the

network, lying next to your computer. Take your time and return here when you are ready to go.”

Shira smiled at him and just before the exited the room, she turned back, “Do I need to change

into my suit before we leave?”

While Kale couldn’t wait to see her in a bathing suit, parading her through the palace in one

wasn’t his idea of fun. No, the palace had a private beach, complete with cabana and she would

change there, where only he would see her body revealed. “No. Bring what you need with you and

you can change when we arrive.”

Giving him a big grin, she hurried out of the room. She found her computer and the required

passwords sitting on a desk in the large sitting room she had only caught a glimpse of the night before.

The walls were lined to with books of every kind, many written in English and she smiled upon

seeing some of her all-time favorites.

She quickly sent out an email to her bosses and to Erin, letting them know she had arrived safely

and everything was going well. She promised Erin she would call later that night and closed down

her computer. She quickly gathered her beach gear from her suitcases and half an hour later, found

herself back in the dining room where Kale awaited her.

Chapter 7

The beach was covered in white sand, and the contrast between that and the bright blue water

was a visual feast. A gentle breeze was blowing, keeping the oppressive humidity at bay and Shira

breathed deeply of the ocean air, tainted with a slight saltiness.

Kale led her to the large cabana structure and invited her to join him after changing. He waited

impatiently outside for her to return, images of what she would look like in a bathing suit consuming

his mind.

His mind had failed him! When Shira stepped back out of the cabana, he felt the breath stall in his

lungs. She was more than gorgeous! She was more than beautiful! She was nothing short of a

Goddess come to earth to tempt man!

Shira saw the heat flare in Kale’s eyes and felt her confidence take a huge jump up the scale. She

had been hesitant to wear this suit after seeing herself in the changing room mirror. The sleek gold

two-piece suit was cut more daringly than any suit she had ever worn before. The cups of the top

barely covered the important parts, the push-up bra giving her mediocre cleavage and significant

boost in both size and elevation.

The bottom half of the suit sat so low upon her hips, she was glad she had visited the spa the day

before her departure for a complete Brazilian wax. The suit left little to the imagination and stopped

several inches above her pelvic bone in front, and rode the base of her spine in the back.

The tanning beds had helped give a healthy glow to her normally pale white skin, and she carried

with her a strong sunscreen, not wanting to begin her stay in Jawhara with a nasty sunburn.

Kale made a circling motion with his hand and she dutifully complied, turning slowly on her bare

feet in the sand to give him a complete view of her body. She felt her nipples tighten at his frank

appraisal and felt her own desire start to heat up from the low simmer it had been maintaining.

While she had changed, Kale had donned a pair of board shorts, which rode low on his hips, and

removed his shirt. She gazed with longing at the thin line of hair that bisected his pecs and travelled

down his stomach, disappearing beneath the waistband of his shorts. His body was magnificent, all

hard muscles and smooth skin. She took a step towards him, reaching out to place her hand upon his

chest and letting her fingers dig into the muscles there.

Kale hissed out a breath at her first touch; at this rate, she would never touch the water. Control!

He needed to maintain his control just a little longer.

Grasping at whatever he could to distract himself, he took the bottle of sunscreen from her and

looked at the bottle before shaking his head. There was no way he could maintain his control if he

had to put his hands upon all of that wonderful bare skin!

Seeing him shaking his head, Shira reached for her sunscreen, “What?”

“I have other sunscreen that is much better.” And it comes in an aerosol spray can. No touching

or rubbing required!

Shira shook her head, “I’ll just use this one. I’m allergic to most other sunscreens. The PABA in

them causes a red rash to break out on my skin that itches and burns worse than any sunburn. This one

comes from my dermatologist’s office and doesn’t make me break out.”

Kale bit the inside of his cheek in frustration. So much for keeping his hands to himself! He

quickly realized that his plans for showing her his country, feeding her well and then taking her to bed

needed to be readjusted. Once he got his hands on her, there would be no holding back the chemistry

between them.

“Why don’t you pick a lounge chair and get settled? I need to speak to the staff for a few minutes

and then I will join you.”

“Will you help me put my sunscreen on?” Shira asked, knowing that she was asking for much

more and liking the heat that flared brighter in his gaze as he nodded is assent. “Good.”

Kale closed his eyes and struggled to keep from hauling her off her feet and taking her right there

in the sand. Once he had control, he said something in Arabic and two uniformed palace employees

presented themselves. He quickly gave orders for a meal to be prepared and left in the cabana for

them. He then dismissed them, telling them not to return again until tomorrow morning, and to bring

breakfast when they came.

His informed his bodyguards that he would be spending the night in the cabana and that he did not

wish for any interruptions. They nodded in understanding and soon had disappeared from sight.

He turned back and watched as Shira settled herself upon one of the chaise lounges. She had

chosen one receiving full sun and he shook his head at her. She wasn’t used to the harsh sun that beat

down upon Jawhara, and even with her special sunscreen, her skin would look like a boiled lobster if

she spent too long lying in it.

Chapter 8

Approaching her on silent feet, he grinned when she jumped at the touch of his cool hand upon

her shoulder. Looking down into her upturned face, he couldn’t resist dropping to his knees and taking

her mouth with his own. After devouring her for several minutes, he encouraged her to lie the chaise

down and turn over to lie on her stomach.

Shira rolled over once the back of the lounger had been lowered, cradling her cheek against her

hands and trying to relax. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the waves rolling in, the

seagulls chattering in the distance, and then she heard the sunscreen lid snap open.

She tried to relax her muscles, but the anticipation of finally having Kale’s hands upon her bare

skin was too much and when he placed both hands high on her shoulders, she couldn’t help the

reflective shiver that travelled through her.

As she felt his hands begin to massage her muscles, she relaxed into his caress, floating in a state

of mindlessness.

Kale felt her relax beneath his hands and continued to massage her shoulders and upper back

until she melted beneath his touch. Placing more sunscreen in his palms, he let his hands move down

her spine, pushing lightly along each side, smiling at her moan of pleasure when he reached her low

back. He used his thumbs to push along the waistband of her too small bottoms, and only when she

began to squirm beneath his touch, did he let his thumbs push beneath the band - seeking out the

dimples he knew he would find where her spine ended.

Shira was in heaven. Kale’s touch having sent her there. She wanted to insist he move his hands a

little lower, and when he finally did, she sighed in pleasure and then moaned as her desire climbed

another notch. She could feel the moisture pooling in her center and hoped that she wasn’t completely

soaking the bottom of the suit.

Kale leaned over her back and could smell her arousal. Using his large hands, he molded the

curves of her ass, squeezing once before allowing his hands to skim down the length of her legs. The

muscles were a testament to the level of activity she normally kept and he made a mental note to show

her the palace gym when they returned. He had also been informed of her running activities. That was

not an activity his countrymen normally engaged in and he would have to discuss the issue with

Kamal to find a solution. He wanted his woman to be happy and not feel like she was giving up things

in order to remain in Jawhara.

When he reached her feet, he took them in his hands separately, using his thumbs to press against

the soles and arch of each foot. Shira had started to pull her feet away from him, ticklish and not

wanting to disrupt the chemistry between them by giggling, but when his sure touch only brought forth

more pleasure, she couldn’t stop the loud groan from leaving her mouth.

“You like?” he asked.

“Yes. Who knew my feet could…,” she trailed off as another wave of lust clouded her thinking.

“The feet are very sensitive and one of the body’s erogenous zones. Many people do not know

this.”

“I’m so glad you do,” she murmured, longing to feel his caress on other parts of her body. She

was so turned on and he had yet to touch her breasts or her center.

“Turn over,” he instructed her, gathering more sunscreen in his palms.

Shira took a breath and then rolled over, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. Kale saw

her squint, reached up, and placed a pair of dark sunglasses over her eyes. “Better?”

“Yes,” she said, giving him a grateful smile and looking up at him. She watched his face as he

began to apply the lotion to her arms. He appeared to be fascinated with his task and she had never

felt so cared for in that moment. Kale moved to the front of her legs next, making short work of

rubbing the lotion in. When he reached her upper thighs, he brushed lotion on her skin before gently

pushing her legs apart and letting his fingertips skim her inner thighs. Shira wanted him to continue but

before she could say anything, his hands were on her stomach.

Kale was so hard he could pound nails and the longer he touched her, the harder controlling his

basic urges was becoming. When his fingertips skimmed the underside of her breasts, he looked up to

see her watching him beneath half-closed eyes.

Wiping his hands on the towel nearby, he placed a hand on either side of her head and leaned

over her, kissing her gently at first. When she instantly responded by licking his bottom lip, his control

broke and he devoured her with his mouth. Imitating with his tongue what he soon intended to do with

his body, he traced her teeth, the inside of her cheek and the roof of her mouth.

Chapter 9

Shira was on fire. Never had someone made love to her mouth like Kale. Each touch of his

tongue ramped her passion up and she found her arms gripping his shoulders, trying to pull him closer

to her.

Kale let his mouth explore her chin and her cheeks, making note of the spots that elicited more

response. When his mouth trailed down her neck, reaching the spot where shoulders and neck met, he

bit gently into the muscle and heard her breath catch. Doing the same thing on the other side, he felt

her hands grasp at him in response. He used a free hand to skim down her chest, tracing first her

collarbone and then moving downward until it cupped a cloth-covered breast. When she pushed her

body into his palm, he squeezed and began to rub her distended nipple between his thumb and

forefinger.

Shira needed more and leaning up, skimmed her lips against his neck, gently biting his earlobe.

At his low growl, she became more adventurous and using her hands, rubbed them over his torso,

memorizing the contour of his muscled chest.

He was murmuring to her in Arabic, the sound lyrical and tender sounding and she found it didn’t

matter that she couldn’t understand what he was saying. As long as his lips didn’t stop tracing a path

across her body, he could speak whatever language he wanted to.

Kale gently untied her bikini top, baring her to his eyes and feasting on the sight. Her breasts fit

nicely into his hands and he palmed them for several minutes before dropping his head and learning

her taste.

When she arched into his touch, he tightened his grip and then reached lower on her stomach with

his free hand. He could feel the heat pouring off her and when her small hands began to pull at his

hips, he lifted himself over her, making a place for himself between her spread thighs.

Lowering his body over hers, he closed his eyes at the feeling that swamped his senses. He had

been on fire for her since the night he had been called back to Jawhara and their daily phone calls had

done nothing but fan the flames of his desire.

He was pleased to see that Shira was in no better shape. She twisted and arched into his touch,

murmuring pleas for him to continue his onslaught. He was happy to oblige that particular wish and

lifted himself away from her only long enough to remove his swim trunks.

Returning to her, he quickly pulled her bikini bottoms off and flung them to the sand before

resettling himself against her, luxuriating in the first touch of hot center against his hardness.

“Kale, hurry,” Shira begged, she was desperate for him. She had felt desire before, but never like

this. Never to the extent that her next breath depended upon him finally making them one.

Kale wanted nothing more than to answer her plea, but common sense broke through the haze of

lust and he held himself away from her, murmuring, “Shira, are you…?”

“Protected?” Shira finished for him.

At his quick nod, she smiled at him and answered quickly, “Yes. I’m on the pill to help regulate

my cycle.”

Kale exhaled and lowered himself back over her, taking her lips in a searing kiss at the same

time he gently made them one. It was like finding the missing part of himself. He continued to mold

her lips beneath his own, and then started the climb up the hill of paradise, casting them both off the

edge and into oblivion for several moments.

Shira fell off the edge, clinging to Kale as she heard herself vocalize her pleasure. When she

finally landed, she found herself surrounded by Kale’s arms, his head resting on the pillow of her

breasts while he tried to keep the fullness of his weight from crushing her.

When Khalil felt Shira move her hands to run her fingers through the hair at his nape, he lifted his

head and met her gaze. After ascertaining that she was feeling as good as he was, he grinned at her,

pleased to see her return it.

“Wow!” Shira knew she was probably smiling like a fool, but what she and Kale had just shared

was remarkable and earth shattering. It had also ruined her for any other man! “Wow!” she said

again, no other words coming to mind.

“I agree. Nooro hyati.” Kale kissed her nose.

“What does that mean?” Shira asked, wishing she understood just a little bit of Arabic.

“It means ‘light of my life’ roughly,” Khalil explained, “There are many phrases you Americans

use that are not used in Jawhara. I know we’ve only known each other a short while, but I feel things

for you that I’ve never felt before.”

Shira nodded, unable to put into words exactly what she was feeling. She felt attached to Kale in

ways that went against everything she had ever thought about love and falling in love. “I never felt

this way before.”

“Good. It is only right that you should reserve such strong emotions for the one you are destined

to spend eternity with.”

“Eternity? Don’t you think we might be rushing things a little bit. I’m only here for a few

weeks…”

“Not just a few weeks. I forget that your bosses did not tell you about the change in plans.”

Levering himself away from her, he grabbed a nearby towel, helping her adjust the back of the lounger

so she could sit up. When she covered herself with the towel, he wanted to insist she remove it, but

decided that he didn’t want to push her too hard. He had discovered that American women had

strange notions regarding their bodies and used clothing as a means of self-protection and as

emotional walls.

“The Addams Group has accepted my brother’s generous offer to open a branch office in

Jawhara. After much discussion, it was decided that you would be the best candidate for the position

and I am to help you set your office this coming week and hire competent help from my own

countrymen to assist you in your work.”

Shira sputtered, “But…Rick and Damon didn’t say anything to me… they expect me to move to

Jawhara?”

“Will living in close proximity to me, be such a hardship then, habibiti?” Kale asked.

“What does that word mean?”

“It is a term of endearment. Much like your young men would use the term ‘sweetheart’.”

“I can’t just move around the world…”

“Why not? Are you so tied to your life in Washington D.C. that you would be giving up a lot?”

Shira shook her head, “This is all happening too fast. I only got here yesterday, and already I’m

expected to agree to move here?”

Kale watched her and then decided that serious discussions had long passed. Holding out his

hand, he invited her to join him, “Come. Let us enjoy the rest of the day. The ocean is warm and you

have been in the sun for long enough. Let us cool off and then we will see what the servants have left

us to eat.”

Shira smiled, eager to enter the ocean and feel the waves crashing against her body. She quickly

located her suit and shook the sand from it. Sliding her bottom back into place, and then her top, she

looked up to find Kale watching her with the heat in his eyes once again.

Stepping around the lounger, she took several steps towards the water and then hollered over her

shoulder as she began to sprint for the water’s edge, “Race you!”

Kale laughed as he saw her attempt to gain a head start. He flung his towel into the sand and

lunged after her, finding it difficult to catch her as she was very quick. She made the mistake of

stopping once she reached the water’s edge and he took advantage of that fact. Coming up behind her

quickly, he picked her up, holding her above his head and then tossed her into the incoming surf,

laughing as she sputtered and rose to the surface.

They spent the next twenty minutes cooling off and taking turns trying to dunk each other under the

waves. Anyone watching them would have thought they were watching a couple of teenagers play in

the waves. No one would have guessed that they had just shared an intimacy some waited all their

lives to find, only to realize it would never be found.

Chapter 10

After rinsing the salt water from their bodies at the outside shower, Kale led her to a small table

where a luscious meal of fresh meats, cheeses, and fruit awaited them. A sweetened tea was also in

abundance and soon they were both full and ready to rest.

Kale looked at the pink already beginning to form on Shira’s exposed skin and knew that anymore

exposure to the sun’s hateful rays and she would be a very miserable young woman. “You are

becoming sunburned.”

Shira looked at her arm, pushing a finger into her bicep and noticing that it immediately turned

white and then faded back to a gentle pink, looking up at him she nodded, “You’re right. The sun

seems much stronger here than what we get at home.”

“It is. No more sun for you.” While the sun had already begun to sink in the sky, there were still

several hours until daylight would give way to the moon and stars. “Tomorrow, I thought we could

take a camel ride into the desert.”

“Really?!” Shira asked, “I can’t wait. You’ll ride with me, right?”

Kale chuckled, “Of course! I wouldn’t want you to fall off.”

“Good!” Shira exhaled. “So, is it hard to stay on them? And do they really spit?”

Kale laughed outright, “Yes! They do spit! And they will be saddled. The foolish tourists who try

to ride a camel without the benefit of a saddle deserve to find themselves sitting in the sand.”

Shira laughed with him, “You know, when I found out I was coming over here, I watched some

YouTube videos of soldiers in Afghanistan trying to ride camels, and every one of them made a fool

of themselves while the natives looked on. I kind of felt sorry for them.”

“I too have seen some of those videos. In Jawhara, no one would consider treating an American

in such a fashion. It would be dishonorable to allow one’s friend to humiliate themselves so.”

“So, are there no bad people in Jawhara, then?” Shira asked.

“Not many, no. Jawhara is a very small country with very strict laws. Honor and protocol are

taught to our children almost from the time they are born. We have interacted with the Americans for

years, and every experience has been pleasant. They have no reason to wish harm to your people.”

“I didn’t know that we had an American Embassy in Jawhara.”

“That is because you don’t. There is no need for an embassy in my country. We consider America

a great ally. Some of my best friends are Americans.”

“Really? How can that be?”

Kale laughed at the expression upon her face, “Shira, I went to Harvard.”

Shira’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “Really?! That’s why you knew all of the latest dance

moves!” She laughed in delight, “I wondered about that you know.”

Kale laughed with her, “I discovered that I like your dancing much more than that of my own

country.”

“You’re a really good dancer, too.” Shira had been amazed and impressed at his dancing ability

back in the states. “Do you have dance clubs in Jawhara?”

“Sadly, none like those in America. We are progressive, but that type of dancing and encouraging

our young women to dance so freely would enrage the elders of my country.”

Shira had wondered if Jawhara held to the old protocols, and it seemed that they did. She would

have to be careful not to offend anyone without knowing it!

“Little Shira, I see the worry on your face, do not concern yourself. My countrymen will love

you, just as I do. Come. Let us retire – I have a need to feel you next to me again.”

Shira shivered at the promise in his voice and eagerly followed him into the cabana where

paradise awaited and she became well acquainted with passions that knew no bounds.

*****

The next afternoon, Shira returned with Kale from their camel ride, still blushing at the spectacle

she must have presented to his people.

“Are you truly alright, habibiti?” Kale asked as they entered the palace gates.

“Everything except my pride. I’m sorry, Kale, I’ve seen pictures of camels before, but I guess I

never realized just how big they are. I didn’t mean to scream when it started to rise. It just kind of

slipped out.”

Kale started laughing again, trying to quiet himself when he saw the hurt enter her eyes, “Don’t

look so sad, Shira. The camel trainers were as upset as you were by the camel’s reaction.”

The camel Shira had chosen appeared to be docile as it chewed its cud and sat quietly in the

sand. Kale had encouraged her to try riding it by herself and she had reluctantly agreed. She had

climbed aboard the saddle easily enough and been gaining confidence in her ability to stay on top of

the animal when the trainer had given a command in Arabic and the large creature had started to rise.

Unprepared for such movement, Shira had screamed in fright, feeling herself slipping sideways

in the saddle and had ended up hanging from the saddle, her ankle having become twisted in the

ornate decorations which decorated the saddle.

The frightened animal had finished rising and then proceeded to twist and turn its body in an

attempt to dislodge the screaming woman hanging from its side. To make matters worse, the animals

bowels had chosen that exact moment to discharge and the poor camel trainer had been in the wrong

place at the wrong time.

It had taken three trainers, Kale and his two bodyguards to hold the animal still long enough to

untangle her foot and remove her from the animals back. “That poor trainer will probably never let

me near his camels again. Not that I have any intention of climbing on the back of another one in the

near future!”

“Do not worry, habibiti. Next time, I will get on the camel first and then you can sit in front of

me. I will hold onto you and keep you safe.” Kale didn’t want to repeat the afternoon’s catastrophe

anytime soon, but riding camels was part of life in Jawhara and if Shira was to become part of his

life, she would eventually find herself on the back of another camel.

“We’ll see. Now, I need to call my cousin and then my bosses. Do I have time?”

“Certainly. Dinner is not served for another hour. Make your calls and then freshen up. Your

belongings have already been moved into my bedchamber. I have some business to attend to so I will

see you at dinner, yes?”

“Yes. Thank you for taking me, even though it was a complete disaster.”

“Thank you for an enjoyable afternoon. I will see you later.”

Shira watched Kale stride away, noticing how he held himself and loving the way he moved his

big frame – effortlessly and with a sense of controlled power. She managed to find her way to the

small library where her computer had been set up and she called her bosses first and promised to

start setting up a field office the very next day.

Next, she placed a call to Erin. They talked for only fifteen minutes as it was still very early back

in the states and she had obviously woken Erin up. She promised to write her all about her adventures

in an email later that night and Erin promised to read it after she got to work.

Shira took a shower, feeling much more in control by the time she entered the dining room.

Putting the camel incident behind her, she was determined to explore her new relationship with Kale

and make her bosses proud of her by setting up a stellar field office.

Chapter 11

Twelve days into her stay in Jawhara, and Shira had managed to set up an entire office and hire

two local Jawharan’s with advertising/marketing experience to assist her. Rick and Damon had been

impressed with her accomplishments and work was underway to obtain the pictures and video

footage needed to put together the advertising plan.

Shira spent time each day in the office, learning about the culture of Jawhara from her new co-

workers, and then after each lunch, she spent several hours with a language tutor Kale had arranged to

teach her Arabic. She might never learn to write the language, but she was pleased that she was

beginning to understand single words and phrases.

The only cloud on her horizon had been a disturbing phone call she’d had with her cousin late

that afternoon. Erin had sounded horrible and completely rundown. She had excused it away as

having caught a stomach bug of some type and promised to get some extra rest and eat better.

Shira overheard Kamal talking with Kale just before dinner and it was obvious that he was upset

about something. When her cousin’s name was said, Shira attempted to understand their conversation

but the most she could come up with was Erin, stubborn, and sick. Evidently His Majesty, the Sheikh,

was none too happy to hear that Erin was ill.

After dinner that evening, Shira decided to broach the subject with Kale, “Why was Kam so

upset earlier?”

Kale knew Shira had been able to understand a few of the words and wondered how long it

would take her to ask about his brother and her cousin. “Kam is worried about Erin. She is ill and he

wanted her to see a doctor. She refused.”

“I spoke with her briefly today. She said it’s just a stomach bug. The doctors wouldn’t do

anything for that, so why waste time and money on going to see them?”

“That is not how things are done here. When one of the royal family is ill, for any reason, the

doctor is summoned to the palace and everything possible is done to alleviate their suffering.”

“That must be really nice. Sometimes, it can take several days to get a doctor’s appointment back

home.”

Kale was horrified, “Why so long? Do the doctors in America not care that their patients may be

suffering needlessly?”

Shira chuckled, “I can see that things are quite different in Jawhara. Kale, not everyone has

access to medical care back in America. Medical care is very expensive, and some people just can’t

afford it – so, they don’t go.”

“That is horrible.” Kale had heard that there was a medical care crisis in America, but had not

really understood the impact upon its citizens until know. “Does your cousin have access to good

medical care?”

“Oh, yes. She has an excellent insurance plan and wonderful doctors. Don’t worry about her,

she’ll be fine. I’ll check in on her in a couple of days.”

Kale nodded his head, glad that Kamal’s Erin had someone to help look after her. He had been

angry at her refusal of a doctor, and had been further enraged when she had hung up on him. Shira

would look after her cousin, and if need be, Kale would let Kamal know he needed to intervene.

“I need to discuss some future plans with you. I spoke with Rick earlier today.”

Shira looked surprised, “You did? But, I spoke with him around 3 o’clock and he didn’t say

anything to me about having spoken to you.”

“That is because I asked him not to. The field office is set up?” When Shira nodded, he

continued, “You are happy with the people you have employed?” When she nodded again and opened

her mouth to speak, he cut her off quickly, “Hold on. Rick would like you to stay on and run the

Jawharan office – permanently.”

Shira’s mouth dropped open at the implications and she closed it while she tried to think of

something to say. She had been dreading leaving Jawhara because of Kale. She was also growing to

love the people and their culture and thoughts of returning to the states had saddened her. She never

dreamt that she might actually be asked to stay here! Her bosses and Kale had mentioned something to

that affect when she first arrived, but she figured that staying for two weeks had been long-term in

their books. The original delegation was only to be in Jawhara for six nights.

“Before you say anything else, I want you to know what else is being offered.”

“There’s more?” Shira asked, still trying to come to terms with a possible future in Jawhara.

“Habibiti, these last two weeks have been nothing short of perfect. You fill a spot in my life that I

always knew was missing, but had never found an answer to.”

Shira’s eyes burned with unshed tears at his tender words, and when he took her hand and knelt

before her on one knee, they ran unchecked down her cheeks.

“Shira, I understand this is how they do things in your country. Would you do me the honor of

becoming my bride and spending the rest of your life with me?”

Shira didn’t even have to think twice, but eagerly nodded her head when he produced a stunning

ring of sapphires and diamonds. Placing it upon her finger, he then kissed the back of her hand and

then her palm.

Standing, he gathered her to himself, wiping her tears with his thumbs. “Why do you cry?”

“Because I’m so happy!” Shira said through her tears. Swallowing, she asked, “If you were

following your country’s customs, how would you have asked for my hand?”

Kale got that look in his eyes she was coming to know well and she bit her lip as she waited for

his reply. “Asking is not really in our nature. I would have simply carried you off on a camel, into the

desert. A tent would have been waiting for us and we would have spent several days there. When we

returned, we would have been considered legally wed according to our customs.”

Shira looked at him aghast, “But that’s barbaric. What if the young lady being carried off doesn’t

want to marry her kidnapper?”

Kale looked confused by the question, “All young ladies wish to be married. It is their duty and

honor to marry and have children.”

Shira shook her head at him, “That is so backwards. Don’t your women want to get an education,

and do something with their lives besides bear children?”

Kale nodded, “Yes. And many of them do just that. But the majority of our women are content to

become wives and raise children. We are a country steeped in tradition, speaking of which, there is

one catch I must tell you about.”

“Catch?”

“Well, according to custom, Kamal must marry first. But don’t worry. I do believe your cousin is

pushing him beyond his abilities to continue watching over her from afar. I would not be surprised to

see her visiting Jawhara in the next several weeks.”

Shira smiled, “She never said, but I knew something happened between the two of them that

night. She was mopey and depressed for days after he left. That whole incident with the bodyguard

was over the top as well.”

“Enough about my brother and his love life. I believe I have a fiancé I haven’t properly kissed all

day. Come here.”

Several hours later, Kale lay in his large bed, arms wrapped around Shira, thinking of the future

they would have together. Shira had expressed a desire to return to the states and pack some of her

belongings and Kale had promised to make the arrangements the next day.

Khalil had spoken to Kam just before lunch regarding his proposal to Shira and received his

brother and his ruler’s blessing. Now, if only Kam could obtain a bride, his life would be perfect.

Chapter 12

Kale watched Shira as she spoke to her cousin on the phone a week later. Shira had been calling

Erin daily, hoping to hear more strength in her voice, but concerned at the end of each call that Erin

was only pretending to feel better.

At the concerned look upon her face, Kale strode across the room, wrapping her in his arms as

she finished her call. “Still not feeling well?”

Shira shook her head, “She says she’s fine, but I can hear it in her voice. Something’s not quite

right. I really wanted to tell her about our engagement, but it doesn’t seem right to tell her something

like that when she’s feeling so poorly.”

“Is she still going to work?” Kale asked, leaning his chin atop her head.

“Yes. Maybe she’s just having trouble with one of her cases. Sometimes when the case is really

difficult, it gets to her.”

“Well, how would you like to check in on her personally?”

Shira turned her head, looking up into his handsome face, “We’re going back to the states?”

“Tomorrow. I figured we would spend six weeks or so letting you pack up your belongings and

take care of any other matters. You said your parents might be coming home around that time…”

“Well, they’re not really my parents. They’re Erin’s parents; I just kind of adopted them.”

“Whatever their relationship is to you, I know it’s important to you and I want you to have some

time to spend with them before I bring you back to Jawhara.”

Shira turned in his arms, kissing him with all the emotion she had in her heart. “Thank you. That

means so much to me. I’ll check in on Erin when we arrive and if she’s still sick, I’ll make her go to

the doctor. She can be stubborn, but I learned from the best and I’m not only stubborn, I can be mean,

too.”

Kale lifted her up into his arms, heading for their bedchamber, “I think you only pretend to be

mean. You’re all soft and caring inside that hardness and you know it.”

“Yeah, you’re right, but don’t tell my cousin that. She still thinks I won’t hesitate to make her life

miserable.” Shira laughed, quickly turning her laughter into moans of pleasure as Kale removed her

clothing and then his own.

The chemistry between them continued to get better and the emotional bond between them was

unexplainable. They had learned much about each other, and took great delight in making the other

crazy with desire.

Shira knew just how to touch Kale to send his heart rate racing and his thoughts fleeing from his

head. Likewise, Kale had learned all of the secret spots that caused her knees to fold and her body to

melt for him.

Together, they could run each other up the mountain of pleasure and then fall into each other’s

arms on the way down.

Kale didn’t waste time once he joined Shira back on their bed. He touched her everywhere,

tasting her behind every touch and leaving her writhing in pleasure and unfulfilled lust on the bed.

When she attempted to wrestle control from him, he allowed it, letting himself be pushed back on the

bed as she straddled his hips.

When she was sitting astride him, letting his hardness melt beneath her heat, he watched her

through slitted eyes as she ran her hands up and down his chest, using her lips and teeth to make him

just as crazy as she had been moments before.

Using his hands on her hips, he lifted her slightly, bringing her down as their bodies joined

together. In a dance as old as time, Shira began to move her hips as Kale guided her and soon, she

was collapsing across his chest in complete satiation, a smile upon her face.

She fell asleep moments later, dreaming of the things she needed to do before she returned to

Jawhara and her new life. She would miss certain aspects of her American lifestyle, but being with

Kale would make up for all of those things and then some.

Chapter 13

Kamal stopped his brother the next morning after breakfast, sending Shira on ahead to finish

packing for the flight back to America. “We received some disturbing intelligence this morning.”

“More trouble with the refugees?” Kale asked.

“No. It seems that the faction that overthrew their government is divided on the issue of their

return home. I will be travelling to meet with the new leaders and ensure that they understand these

refugees need to come home.”

“Is that going to be a problem?”

“No. I don’t believe so, but threats have been made against Jawhara, specifically the royal

family, if the refugees are allowed to cross the border.”

Kale was stunned. “They would attack us personally for allowing their own countrymen to leave

Jawhara?”

Kamal nodded, “Yes. I am under no illusions that my life is always being threatened. My concern

is for Erin and Shira at this point. I tell you this so that you will be extra cautious during your travels.

Six weeks is a long time to be on your guard and while in America, you will not have the same level

of protection that you have here.”

“I’ll see to the protection of myself and Shira. What about Erin?”

“Yes, what about Erin? I haven’t decided yet. I will wait and see how my meeting with the

delegation goes. If everything can be settled peacefully, I will go to America and bring her back

myself. For now, Talib has been made aware of the circumstances and has been instructed to make the

appropriate calls to secure adequate security.”

“Slade’s group?” Kale asked, speaking of his college roommate who had become an FBI agent

and now owned a freelance security company. His employees were mostly ex-special forces, and they

excelled in personal security details and search and rescue operations. Being a private company, they

were able to enter countries the US Military could not, and were not held to the same rules as the

government groups. It worked well for everyone involved.

“Yes. I understand that Slade is putting several of his best men on this case. He also has a new

woman working for him and she has been assigned to the case to offer protection for Shira and Erin in

places the men cannot go.”

“Like public restrooms.” Kale spoke what they were both thinking. Many abductions of world

leaders occurred in public bathrooms. It was the one place where security guards of the opposite sex

could not follow their clients. It made them very vulnerable and was a point that well-trained

kidnappers didn’t often pass up.

Kale thought about his former roommate and couldn’t help asking, “Any idea why he hired a

woman? That’s not actually his style. He was completely against women in the military when we

were in college.”

“I asked Talib the same question. It seems that PJ, the woman in question, is the sister of a man

that Slade was unable to save during his last operation for the FBI. She joined the military after her

brother’s death and when she got out, demanded a job from Slade. He gave it to her.”

“Wow! That is not like him. Anyway, I look forward to meeting some of his men. He only hires

the best.”

“That is why he has been contacted. I will let you know if the threat is still active. If so, I will

want a small detail to accompany you back to Jawhara. Our palace bodyguards are good at their jobs,

but a fresh look at our security measures would not be amiss.”

“I agree.” Glancing at the time, he shook Kamal’s hand, “I’ll check in on your woman when we

arrive.”

Kamal nodded his head, saying nothing. Kale gave his brother one last look and then headed off

to finish his own packing.

Chapter 14

The flight home was much the same as the flight to Jawhara had been three weeks ago. The only

difference – this time when Kale suggested she make use of the luxurious bedroom, he joined her.

There was something completely naughty about making love at thirty thousand feet in the air.

When Kale had first suggested a nap, Shira had started to object, as she wasn’t at all tired. Then she

had taken one look at his eyes and readily agreed. The banked hunger in them was too much to resist.

Kale escorted her to the back of the plane and Shira was astounded at the luxury once again.

When he wrapped his arms around her from behind, she let her head fall back against his shoulder,

turning her head when his lips skimmed below her ear to give him unfettered access.

She wrapped her arms around his, letting her fingertips skim the muscles in his forearms and

down to where his fingers were quickly undoing the buttons on her shirt. When they parted the

material and skimmed back up her stomach, she guided his hands to her breasts, moaning when they

reached their goal.

“You like that, don’t you?” Kale asked, molding her breasts and squeezing gently.

“Yes.” Shira felt Kale turn them around, but she didn’t pay much attention as her eyes were

closed. Even after spending every night, and sometimes several times throughout the day, wrapped in

the sensual spell Kale wove each time he touched her, she was amazed at her response. She had

always been a very sexual person, but all Kale had to do was walk into the room and she was ready

to go.

“Open your eyes,” Kale commanded softly.

Shira moaned and rolled her head against his chest, not willing to let the spell be broken by

anything her eyes might see. Instead, she was content to let her senses roam free, basking in the path

they led her down.

“Habibiti, open your eyes and watch.”

Watch? That got her attention and she slowly lifted her eyes, gasping at the raw carnality of the

image before her. Kale had turned them so they were directly across from the mirror atop the dresser.

She watched as Kale touched her body, seeing her breathing increase in tempo with the desire his

hands were carefully orchestrating.

When one hand abandoned her breasts to begin a slow descent down, she watched in delight as

he slipped his hand beneath her waistband. When her eyes started to drift shut, he nudged her with his

chin, “Open.”

Shira raised her eyelids and met his stare in the mirror, holding his gaze as he did things to her

body, causing her to writhe back against him demanding more of the same.

Kale watched her watching herself, and was pleased to see that the eroticism of the moment was

not lost on her. When his control was on its last thread, he quickly turned her around, devouring her

mouth as he walked her backwards and pushed her down on the bed.

Joining his body to hers quickly, he pushed them up the peak, for once not worrying about

whether she was with him or not. Her moans, pleas for him to “Hurry!” and the raking of her nails

upon his back told him she was right there with him.

They flew into space together, their breaths mingling as he fused their lips together. Each time

was better than the last. Rolling to his side, he brought her up against him, closing his eyes and feeling

her relax and place her head upon his chest.

They drifted in and out of sleep, waking once more during the long flight to make each other soar

to the pinnacle of ecstasy. The shower was only big enough for one person, so they took turns.

After a light meal of broiled salmon, and a vegetable medley, Kale excused himself to get some

work done and left Shira to her own devices. The jet had a large selection of movies and she chose

one of her favorites and settled back to watch.

As the movie played on, her thoughts began to go through the items that she needed to take care of

before she returned to Jawhara in six weeks. The first order of business was to check in on Erin and

make sure that she would be able to handle the rent payments by herself for a while. Kale seemed

certain that Kamal would be bringing Erin to Jawhara soon, but her cousin was stubborn and not

likely to give up her independence so easily.

She would have to arrange for her belongings to be shipped, stored, or sold. Her Uncle and Aunt

would be returning from their world cruise about the time she was due to fly back to Jawhara and she

hoped that they would be supportive of her decision to return with Kale.

They had raised her from the time she was ten and they were as much her parents as they were

Erin’s. They had always told her to follow her heart, and she only hoped that they meant it. The last

thing she wanted to do was disappoint them.

When she heard the captain announce that they were approaching Dulles Airport, she shut the

movie off and joined Kale on the couch where he was still immersed in his computer. Seeing the

frown on his face, she inquired, “Is everything okay?”

Kale looked at the beautiful young woman sitting next to him, and tried to push the worry from his

mind as he nodded and gave her a smile. More intelligence reports had come in during their flight that

told of a group of dissidents from the neighboring country who had tried to cross the border into

Jawhara with weapons. Luckily they had been apprehended, but the leader had promised more attacks

were on their way.

He hoped Kamal could get an agreement figured out for the return of the refugees, and soon. New

threats had been made and he feared that desperation would make the dissenter’s act irrationally. That

could mean any number of things, but it could also put Shira in danger once they realized his

attachment to her was real.

As soon as they landed, he intended to contact Slade and make sure his team was already on the

case. He had a bad feeling about this situation and only hoped that things would settle down before

they became too volatile.

Chapter 15

It was early evening in Washington D.C. when the private jet landed at Dulles, and while Kale

tried to contact Slade, Shira spent time trying to get ahold of Erin. When she didn’t answer at their

apartment, she tried her office only to find out that she had left early, not feeling well again.

Shira was growing more concerned and tried her cousin’s cell phone, which went straight to her

voice mail. She spoke of her concerns to Kale and he agreed to have the driver take them to her

apartment immediately after they finished passing through customs.

On the way across town, Kale’s phone rang and he answered it, speaking quickly in Arabic so

Shira knew it was someone from Jawhara on the line. He spoke to the other person for several

minutes before disconnecting the call and then sitting back with the strangest look upon his face.

Leaning forward, he spoke to the driver, instructing him to change their course and take them to

an upscale restaurant instead of the apartment Shira shared with Erin.

“Kale?” she questioned him, wondering what had changed.

“Well, that was Kamal on the phone. It would seem that your cousin’s illness…”

“Wait! What’s wrong with Erin? Kale, do you know where she is? Please take me to her…”

Shira was close to tears at the thought of Erin being ill and all alone.

“Habibiti,” he hushed her, pulling her into his arms and wrapping his arms around her, “Calm

yourself. Talib is bringing your cousin to the airport as we speak and will be taking her directly to

Jawhara where Kamal had the palace physician waiting to evaluate her.”

“No! Kale, I want to see her. We have good doctor’s here in the states…”

“Whoa! Listen to me. There is nothing wrong with Erin that several months will not take care of.”

He paused, wondering if her quick mind would catch on to where this conversation was heading.

“You mean…?” Shira asked, her eyebrows raised and her eyes wide open.

“Yes. It seems that in around eight months, I am to become an uncle.”

“Erin’s pregnant? That’s why she hasn’t been feeling well!” Shira was at once relieved and

concerned. “But, what will happen now. And why is Kamal having her brought to Jawhara?”

“Shira, think about it. Your cousin is carrying the future ruler of Jawhara in her belly. Do you

honestly think, having spent time getting to know my brother, that he would allow the mother of his

child to raise his child alone, or without his input?”

“No…but, doesn’t Erin get a say in all of this?”

“Of course she does. I’m sure Kamal will politely ask her to become his bride.”

“And if she says ‘No’?”

“What do you think?” Kale asked with a grin on his lips.

Shira shook her head, glad that she was on this side of the world. Erin liked her independence

and she imagined having it taken away from her was going to be full of fireworks and tension. “I think

your brother doesn’t know how stubborn my cousin can be.”

Kale laughed and agreed, “Well, I believe he will be finding out shortly. Now, how about I take

you to dinner and then to the hotel. There will be plenty of time tomorrow to get started on that list I

know you already have formed in your mind.” Kale tapped her forehead with his fingertips for

emphasis.

Shira nodded her head and grinned at him, “You know it. There are so many things to do in such a

short amount of time…”

“About that. I suspect Kamal may want us to return sooner….

“Than six weeks?! No,” Shira said, shaking her head emphatically, “That’s not possible. My

uncle and aunt won’t even be back yet. I have to see them!”

“All will be taken care of. I will fly Erin’s parents to Jawhara if I need to. But we will be going

back to Jawhara, and anything we don’t get finished up can be handled via email or courier.”

Shira nodded, automatically rearranging her to-do list and wondering how on earth she was

going to get everything accomplished in such a short amount of time.

Chapter 16

When Kale received another call from his brother several days later, Shira knew she wasn’t

necessarily going to like the news. It seems that Kamal had decreed he and Erin would be marrying

before the month was out. Due to her condition, the doctor had decreed plane travel unwise and

Kamal had charged Kale and Shira with packing up Erin’s belongings as well.

They were still expected to be back in Jawhara, but Kamal was now requesting they return in

less than two weeks. Kamal had gone so far as to send a private yet to Brisbane to intercept her uncle

and aunt and have them brought to Jawhara for the wedding.

Shira was glad that she would get to see them, but now had even more loose ends to take care of.

The shipping company delivered more boxes and she got to work packing up Erin’s personal effects

while Kale had a talk with the landlord.

When he returned, she was pleased to find out that the landlord had happily cancelled their lease

and she suspected that Kale had paid the man but couldn’t prove it and he wasn’t saying anything

about it.

“Is Erin feeling better?” Shira inquired, taping up the last box of books.

Kale took the box from her and placed it with the others along the living room wall. “Yes. The

doctor has provided her with vitamins and a special diet. Kamal seems to be pleased, so everything

must be going better.”

“Good. Erin is one of those people who rarely gets sick and I can’t imagine that she is handling it

all that well.”

“She is being well cared for. Kam did mention that she had some personal items at her office that

she would like you to pick up for her.”

Shira nodded, “That’s fine. I need a break from packing anyway.”

“Good,” before Kale could escort her from the apartment, his phone rang again. This time it was

Slade, his old college roommate and head of the security firm which already had agents in Jawhara

helping to bolster their security.

“Slade, it is good to hear from you.”

“You too, man. I spoke with Kamal a few minutes ago and told him I would contact you. Two of

the agents I sent over to Jawhara picked up some intel a few hours ago. There’s a leak in the palace.”

Kale started to shake his head and then remembered that Slade was very good at his job. If his

agents said there was a leak – there was a leak! “Do they have any suspects yet?”

“No. What concerns me more is the nature of the intel.”

“And that is?” Kale asked, wondering if he really wanted to know the answer.

“The dissidents are smart. They realize that getting to either you or Kamal is going to be very

tough, if not impossible. That is not true of your women.”

Kale cursed before asking, “What are you saying? That they are going to try and hurt Erin or

Shira?”

“I’m afraid that’s exactly what I’m saying. I spoke with Kamal and he wants to basically lock

Erin up in the palace and never let her leave again. I advised him against doing that, but I don’t know

that he listened to me.”

“That would be his first response and not such a bad one.”

“The female agent I sent over there disagrees. Erin has become an integral part of caring for the

refugees and seeing to their comfort while in Jawhara. If she suddenly stops, it will be noticed by

everyone and could harm the negotiations your brother has worked so hard to get signed. The refugees

are to being crossing the border back into their own country next week.”

Kale sighed, “So, what do you recommend?”

“Everyone needs to be extra careful. I have already instructed PJ that Erin goes nowhere by

herself. Not even to her bedroom in the palace. And especially not anywhere public.”

“And she agreed to this?”

“She will. She was on one of her mercy missions to the refugee camp when I spoke with Kamal.

He was sending someone out to bring her back immediately.”

“Good.” Kale ran his fingers through his hair, the sooner the refugees returned to their own

country, the sooner Jawhara could return to a peaceful existence and he could focus on his future.

“Anyway, I wanted you to let your men know what’s going on. I’m going to fly over there at the

end of the week with several more agents. Until this thing goes away, I don’t want to take any

chances.”

“Sure you don’t just want to go lay on the beach for a while?” Kale asked, nor forgetting Slade’s

fondness for Jawhara or the ocean.

“Well, every job has to have some perks.” Slade chuckled, “I’ll be waiting for your return. Let us

know when you leave the states and I’ll make sure we have extra security waiting for you when you

land.”

“Will do. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. I can’t wait to meet your woman. Kamal tells me she is the perfect mate for

you.”

Kale looked at Shira, who had been watching him the entire conversation and smiled at her,

“Yes, she is perfect.”

Shira knew he was talking to someone about her, and smiled at him, a blush staining her cheeks at

his words.

When he hung up, Kale pulled her to him and hugged her close, filling her in on the new threats

that had been discovered and securing her promise to keep at least one bodyguard with her at all

times, unless she was with him.

The threat to her wasn’t in the states, but once they returned to Jawhara, her life would be just as

precious as Erin’s. He was taking no chances with her, now that he had found her.

Chapter 17

The refugee camps, Jawhara western border….

Erin walked amongst the refugee tents, pleased to see that many of the people not only bowed to

her, but gave her shy smiles. They were growing to trust her more with each passing day and she

hoped that their lives would return to normal when they were allowed to go home.

“Your Highness?” one of the new bodyguards called to her.

Erin turned to the young man with a raised eyebrow, “Yes?”

“Ma’am, there is a woman several rows over who is demanding to speak with you.”

“What does she want?” Erin asked, confused at the guards use of the word ‘demand’.

He shook his head, “I really have no idea. She said she would only speak directly to you.”

Erin glanced to where the rest of the palace detail were still handing out food packets and water.

She had promised Kamal that she would take extra precautions and that included having several

guards with her at all times.

“Where is her tent?” she inquired, straining to see where the young man pointed. It was less than

a football field away, and Erin decided she could be there and back before anyone missed her. Kamal

was anxious for her to return to the palace and had already called her cell phone six times in the last

ten minutes. She found his concern for her pleasing, but sometimes if felt like she was being

smothered by it. Hopefully, he would back off a little after the baby was born.

“Take me to her. We will go there and come straight back.”

The young man nodded and gestured for her to precede him through the tents.

Erin nodded at the people she passed, noticing that the farther they went, the less people were

around. No one was outside the tent when they finally reached it and Erin looked at the guard, “Where

is she?”

“I do not know, Your Highness.” He turned and called out something in Arabic, which Erin still

couldn’t understand. She had managed to pick up a few words and phrases, but everyone spoke so

quickly, she despaired of ever mastering their language.

When a faint reply was heard back, she waited for the guard to interpret for her. “She asks you to

come inside. She is feeling poorly and is unable to walk.”

Erin had a fleeting moment of trepidation, but shoved it aside. They were surrounded by refugee

tents, the palace guards and workers were only several hundred yards away, and she had an armed

escort with her. What could possibly happen to her hear?

Smiling at the guard, she stepped to the tent, pushing aside the canvas and ducking her head, she

entered, followed by the young guard.

*****

PJ looked at the workers handing out food packets and water to the refugees, searching for some

sign of the Erin Malone. She had seen the young woman this morning, dressed in a yellow pantsuit

and grew alarmed when she could not immediately locate her.

Stepping up to the one of the guards, she gained his attention and asked, “Where is Miss

Malone?”

The man looked around him for several seconds, scanning the area and then shrugged, “I don’t

know. The last time I saw her she was over by those tents, speaking with a group of children.”

“Did she have an escort?” PJ asked, scanning the area around the tents and seeing no one.

“Yes. A bright young man that joined the palace guard several weeks ago.”

“Where is he?”

The man once again scoured the area, calling to several of the other workers in Arabic who only

shrugged their shoulders in reply. “No one has seen him for several minutes.”

PJ had a bad feeling about this and pushed her com button, “All agents, listen up. We have a

situation on the southern side of the refugee camp. Miss Malone is missing along with her young

guard. I want the entire area searched until she is found.”

“PJ, what’s going on?” Trent Larson was the first to reply, an ex-Navy seal who had specialized

in extractions.

“I’m not really sure, but as of now, Miss Malone is missing.”

“I’m on it. Should we alert the palace?”

PJ cringed but knew it was the right thing to do, “Yeah. I’ll make the call. Slade’s gonna have our

heads if she goes missing.”

“Make the call. We’ll find her.” Trent sounded so sure of himself, PJ grabbed onto that ray of

hope as she called the palace, dialing Sheikh Kamal’s personal line.

When he answered, she quickly outlined what she knew, cringing as he cursed in Arabic for

several minutes. She hadn’t picked up much of the language, but even she could tell the words coming

from the Sheikh were not very nice ones.

Kamal felt like his heart was being ripped form his chest as PJ informed him of Erin’s

disappearance. She had only been missing for a few minutes, and the American agent informed him

they were going to search every tent until she was found.

Hanging up the phone, Kamal sat behind his desk trying to decide the best course of action. Either

Erin had deliberately disobeyed him and was simply occupied with one of the refugees, oblivious of

the fact that everyone was searching for her, or his enemies had made good on their earlier threat.

He felt so helpless. He was the Sheikh of Jawhara, one of the richest oil countries in the world.

How could something like this have happened?

Picking up the phone, he dialed Khalil’s phone and waited for the call to connect.

“Kam, what’s up? Did you forget to tell me something else? We just picked up the items from

Erin’s office and were heading back to the hotel.”

Kamal was silent on the other end of the phone, not wanting to speak the words as that would

make Erin’s disappearance more real.

“Kam? What’s going on?” Kale waited for Kamal to speak to him, not liking the sense of

foreboding that filled the silence.

When Kam finally spoke, Khalil’s heart dropped, “Erin is missing.”

“What?! Where is she?”

“She was helping deliver food and water to the refugees. I sent a detail out to bring her back after

the latest intel. She and her guard have disappeared.”

“The guard is missing as well?” Kale asked, Slade’s comments about a leak in the palace

security coming to mind.

“Yes. He has only been on staff for a few weeks and is fairly young.”

Kale immediately knew that the young guard was the source of the leak. It was too coincidental

that the very day the intel was discovered, Erin should go missing with one of the newest palace

employees.

“Shira and I will be on the jet in a few hours.”

Shira had only been half-listening to the one-sided conversation until that last comment. Kale had

switched from Arabic to English without even knowing he had done so.

“No! I don’t want one more person in danger until we figure out what is going on here. Stay there

and I will call you when I know more.”

“Kam, we’re coming home. You need my help and shouldn’t be alone during this time. Slade is

bringing more men out at the end of the week. I’ll let him know we need him sooner. Shira will want

to be there as well.”

Kamal sighed, knowing his brother was right, “Fine. Talib has already left to pick up Erin’s

parents in Brisbane. They will be returning tomorrow. At least, everyone will be under the same roof

and not scattered around the globe.”

“Erin will be fine. She is a strong woman and will do whatever is required to keep her child

safe.”

“I hope you are right, brother. I hope you are right.” Kamal hung up the phone, striding for the

office door and the courtyard. He refused to sit by and allow anyone to threaten his future bride or his

child.

“What’s happened?” Shira inquired after Kale disconnected the call.

“We are leaving for Jawhara tonight. Whatever else needs to be done can either be done long

distance, or we will return at a later time.”

“Kale? I don’t understand. We won’t supposed to leave…”

“Shira, I don’t know any other way to say this, so I’m just going to tell you straight out. Erin is

missing.”

“No!” Shira yelled, “Where is she?”

“We don’t know,” Kale said, shaking his head and grabbing onto her hands, “She was in the

refugee camp and has disappeared along with her bodyguard.”

Shira looked at Kale, not sure why he sneered at the mention of the bodyguard. Then it hit her!

“You think the bodyguard was in on it, don’t you?”

Kale nodded, “I’m afraid that is what it looks like. He is a young man and has only been working

with the palace guard for a few weeks.”

“They won’t hurt her, will they?”

“I hope not. If one hair is removed from her head, Kamal will show them no mercy. Unlike you

soft Americans, crimes are punished harshly and swiftly in Jawhara. We do not have prisons full of

criminals. They either rehabilitate and join society as productive citizens, or they will find

themselves facing a firing squad.”

“Firing squad? Is that how you meet out the death penalty in Jawhara?” Shira was curious to

learn more about the country she was now going to call her own.

“Yes. Any attack against the Sheikh is punishable by death. That protection is extended to his

family as well. An attack against you or your cousin bears no difference according to our laws, than

an attack against Kamal himself.”

“Wow! That’s why your country has such a low crime rate.”

“Exactly! Have no fear, when the perpetrators of this atrocity are found, their judgment will come

swiftly. But first, your cousin must be found.”

In Jawhara, Kamal was dealing with Erin’s disappearance the only way he knew how. By

demanding her return! The dissidents might not be in agreement with the refugees returning home, but

return home they would. If they thought to hold his bride hostage and strong-arm him into cancelling

the recent negotiations, they were about to be sadly disappointed. Sheikh Kamal Mehalel El-Jawhara

bowed to no one. He did not negotiate with terrorists or criminals. He always protected that which

was his. Erin and her unborn child were his. He would protect them with his life!

Chapter 18

Talib had located Erin’s parents easily as her mother had the same dark red-hair as the daughter.

They had been pleased to meet him and full of all kinds of questions. Talib had tried his best to

answer them, but would be glad when they reached Jawhara. The couple was currently sleeping in the

jet’s bedroom, and he hoped they would continue to do so.

He was a personal bodyguard to the Sheikh and his future Sheikha, not an encyclopedia. The

woman had wanted to know the history of Jawhara, what kind of culture and people would her

daughter be living amongst – the questions had caused his head to hurt.

Kamal had best prepare himself or he would regret bringing them in for the wedding. Picking up

the phone, he placed a call to Kamal, “Your Majesty, I just wanted to let you know I have Miss

Malone’s parents and we are already airborne and headed back to Jawhara.”

The silence on the other end of the phone struck Talib as abnormal, yet his training kept him silent

for several minutes. Finally Kamal spoke, “Erin is missing.”

“What?!” Talib asked with a shout, quieting his voice with the hopes that his outburst wouldn’t

rouse the Malone’s from their slumber. He was through answering questions for the trip.

“She was in the refugee camp and has disappeared. Her guard is missing as well.”

Talib digested this information, “Have the American’s shown up yet?”

“Yes. They are scouring the area for her even know.”

“When did this occur?” Talib inquired, knowing that the sooner they could locate Erin after her

abduction, the less chance of her or the baby coming to any harm.

Kamal looked at his watch before replying, “Two hours. She’s been missing for two hours.”

“Your Majesty, don’t give up hope. She will be found. I will personally oversee the operation

upon my return in six hours.”

“Thank you Talib. I know you will do everything you can to bring her home and serve justice to

those who have taken her from me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will see you soon.”

Talib waited until the call disconnected and then pulled up the satellite maps of the desert where

the refugee camp was located. If the dissidents thought to sneak back across the border with Erin, they

would find out quickly that the people of Jawhara were loyal to their ruler and those under his

protection.

He quickly accessed the computers which kept a video feed of the satellite images for each

twelve hour period of time. He brought them up on his laptop and proceeded to scan through each

image, carefully watching for any sign of the border being crossed.

Several hours later, he rubbed his neck and scowled at the screen in frustration. Nothing! No one

had crossed the border between the time Erin had gone missing and the present time. Erin was still in

Jawhara, but where?

Chapter 19

Erin awoke with the sensation of choking, gasping for air. She could barely breathe, the air was

so heavy and filled with a horrible smell. To make matters worse, a heavy cloth covered her face.

When she went to move it, she found her arms were secured behind her back.

As panic began to set in, she gave into it and began to struggle to free herself. When she heard

someone approach, she stopped squirming, hoping that whoever had joined her was there to explain

themselves and untie the ropes that secured her feet and hands.

Someone spoke harshly to her in Arabic and nudged her in the back. She attempted to move away

and was hauled roughly to a sitting position. She wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep, and

couldn’t remember what had happened.

Her head throbbed fiercely at the back of her head and a wet sensation had her wondering if she

was bleeding from the wound.

When the heavy cloth was removed from her face, she blinked trying to adjust to the dim light and

make out the features of her capturer. Swallowing, she hoarsely asked, “What have you done?”

Calling upon the royal air of command she had heard Kamal use many times, she tried again, “Untie

me at once. Where is my guard?”

The woman standing in front of her either didn’t understand or had decided not to respond. Erin

was frustrated and ready to start screaming when the young guard appeared.

“Help me!” she called out to him, surprised to see him ignore her and begin conversing with the

women in a language that sounded different than the Arabic other Jawharan’s spoke.

“What is going on here?” Erin demanded, growing more alarmed by the second. Kamal would

send the entire kingdom to find her once word of her disappearance got back to him.

The guard approached her, squatting down to look her in the eye, “You are going to help us with a

little problem.”

“No! The Sheikh will kill you for what you’ve done.”

The guard shook his head, unconcerned with her threat, “He will try. Even now, he has people

scouring the tents trying to find you. Don’t bother screaming, they have already been here and

thoroughly searched this tent. They found no one but my mother and her disabled son – me.”

Erin started to open her mouth to scream but stopped when he grabbed her around the throat and

squeezed. “I would recommend you don’t do that. I do not want to harm you, but your Sheikh has

made a grave mistake. His negotiations for the refugees to return is a fool’s dream. He was warned to

stay out of our politics and to let the refugees stay here in Jawhara. He didn’t listen. The trucks are to

arrive next week to begin carrying these people back across the border. Unless the Sheikh cancels

those trucks, he will not be getting you back.”

“Why does it matter to you? Doesn’t your mother want to return to her home?” Erin was confused

and trying to understand why the refugees were not wanted back.

“You are an American, so try to understand. My country is a proud people with a great history;

one that includes a strong Islamic faith and practice. These people,” he gestured with his arms,

indicating the refugees, “They do not practice Islam in the old ways. They want to bring in western

ideologies and contaminate the minds of our young people.”

“But I thought they were simply refugees who sought safety when the war broke out.”

“That is what your Sheikh was led to believe. These people were forced from their homes

because of the way they practice their religion. We do not want them back in our country.”

Erin was starting to see the picture and grew more alarmed than ever. This war in the

neighboring country was religious in nature, and holy wars had a history of ending badly – for

everyone involved. “Has the Sheikh been informed of the true reason behind the war in your

country?”

The guard shook his head, “It would not matter. He has chosen to align himself with the enemies

of Islam and therefore, he is also our enemy. We will do everything in our power to ensure these

refugees do not return to our country. Even if it means taking drastic measures.”

Erin hoped her kidnapping was considered ‘drastic’ enough. She didn’t want to think what else it

might mean. She would be patient and look for any opportunity to escape from her kidnappers. In the

meantime, she would be kind and biddable and protect her unborn child as best as she could. Kamal

would move heaven and earth to find her. She just knew he would.

Chapter 20

Seven hours later, Talib arrived at the refugee camp, and was immediately confronted by a

blonde-haired woman who looked like a strong breeze could carry her off. The top of her head only

came to the middle of his chest, but the fierce look in her eyes gave him confidence that she was the

right person to be heading up this search team in his absence.

“Miss Williams?”

PJ turned upon hearing her name and looked up, and then up again. The man speaking to her was

obviously from Jawhara, but spoke excellent English. She guessed he was probably 6’5” tall as he

towered over her 5’5” height by at least a foot.

His dark eyes were almost black and his dark hair and unshaven appearance gave him a deadly

aura she hoped was not being directed at her. “Yes?”

“My name is Talib, I am the head of security for Jawhara. I have just returned from retrieving

Miss Malone’s parents and require an update on the situation. I don’t have to tell you that they were

very alarmed to arrive at the palace and find their daughter had been kidnapped.”

PJ sighed, “I wish I had better news for you. We’ve searched every tent in the camp, and there’s

no sign of her anywhere.”

“Search again.”

PJ stared at the man, her ire growing at his demand. “Now, wait a minute. I just got done telling

you we searched each tent. I don’t think she’s still here. I think whoever took her managed to slip past

us and has crossed the border.”

“You would be wrong. I have personally reviewed all of the satellite footage and no one has

crossed the border in the last twelve hours. No. One. That means that she is still in this camp and I

want her found.”

PJ was impressed that he had access to satellite feeds and had thought to search through them.

“No one has crossed the border?”

“That is correct. That means she is still here in the camp.”

PJ didn’t like the fact that the teams had missed finding her during the first search. She whistled,

gaining everyone’s attention and asked, “Would you mind telling everyone what you just told me? My

Arabic is rusty and they keep correcting me. Tell them that we search each tent again, but this time,

every nook and cranny of each tent will be gone through. I also want all of the occupants of each tent

outside while we search.”

Talib was impressed with her plan; one he would have implemented himself given the chance.

He quickly spoke to the guards and worker’s present, telling them to divide themselves up into groups

of four. Two would search the tent, and two would stand guard outside with the tent’s occupants. At

the first sign of struggle or if they found Miss Malone, they would fire their weapons into the air three

times and hold their position until help arrived.

After everyone dispersed, PJ found herself alone with Talib. “How is the Sheikh doing?”

“He longs for something to destroy. Your boss arrived just as I was leaving the palace. I imagine

he and the men he has brought with him will join us soon.”

PJ nodded, having already received a text from Slade that he was in country and headed her way.

“She has to be here, somewhere. Two people cannot just have disappeared so easily.”

Talib thought about her words and then placed a call on his phone. PJ listened to him, only

picking up pieces of his conversation, enough to know that he was making inquiries into the guard

who was also missing.

The grim expression on his face told her all was not well back at the palace. “What?!”

“The guard that with her when she disappeared.”

“Yeah, what about him?” PJ demanded, wondering if they had missed something.

“I suspected he had something to do with Miss Malone’s disappearance and I was correct. When

I asked for them to do a background check on him, I never looked at it. I was sent to retrieve Miss

Malone’s parents when it hit my desk.”

“Well, what did we miss?”

“He’s the son of a conservative Islamic group, based in the country next door. His father most

recently served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs before the war broke out. He was killed when the

rebels took over the palace.”

“So is this a revenge thing, then?”

“No. It is a holy war. The conservative group he belongs to abhors the new western influences on

their culture. They wish to practice Islam the way their forefathers practiced it, and their fathers

before them.”

“But that’s archaic! No civilization remains the same century after century!”

“They do not see it that way. They see it as protecting and maintaining the purity of their beliefs.”

PJ let the impact of what he was telling her sink in. Fighting a holy war was much harder than

fighting for democracy or justice. PJ stared at Talib, seeing the answering knowledge in his eyes. The

stakes were much higher than originally thought and it was imperative that they locate the missing

bride of the Sheikh. The future of Jawhara hung in the balance, as well as the peace the region was

currently enjoying.

PJ walked away, intent on making sure the American agents with her knew the game had just

changed. Talib watched the small woman walk away from him, admiring her small compact form and

swinging blonde hair.

Talib had always had a fondness for blondes, ever since he had accompanied Kale to Harvard.

Women with blonde hair were not a normal occurrence in his part of the world, and he had always

found the contrast between their coloring and his own striking.

He hoped that this situation could be resolved quickly. Kamal had already informed him that the

American security team would be staying in country for a minimum of two months. Talib smiled to

himself as he thought of all the things he could show the little American spitfire in that amount of time.

Bringing his thoughts back around to the present, he headed in the opposite direction. He would

plan the seduction of the little American after Miss Malone was found. It would be his way of

celebrating a job well done. He only hoped she could be encouraged to celebrate with him.

End of Book 2

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The Sheikh’s Captive Bride

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Excerpt from

Secret Billionaire’s Stubborn Cowgirl

(Start Reading Today!)

Lucy led him out to the old pond on Charlie’s farm. It sat back from the road not far from the horse pasture. They’d kept their halters on

the horses, so they tied them to a tree and Zach began pulling out the food.

Lucy sat down on the grass. “Oh, man! Charlie outdid herself this time.”

It seemed like Zach just kept pulling food from his saddle bags. Fried chicken, biscuits, cheese and crackers, strawberries, even a bottle

of wine and paper cups. He cracked open the wine—a twist-top, thank you, Charlie—and poured. “An excellent vintage, I see.”

“Hey, don’t knock the convenience.” She leaned back on her elbows, sucking a strawberry into her mouth. The sweetness exploded and

she closed her eyes and hummed. She looked up again to see Zach staring at her so intently that she had a hard time breathing. When his

eyes dipped to her chest, she wondered if he could see the outline of her bra and breasts. His eyes darkened.

She caught a breath.

She didn’t want this—but she did. She knew he was trouble—he wasn’t the kind of guy she wanted. But he was what she needed right

now.

He leaned over her, his mouth hovering close. All she had to do was push him away. All she had to do was crack a joke about employee

harassment. All she had to do… god, he had beautiful eyes, the blue framed by thick, dark lashes.

He turned his head and kissed the crook of her neck. The warmth of his mouth undid the last of her good intentions. “Zach.” His name

slipped out on a whisper.

He pulled back. “Ask me.”

She stared at him. “Ask you what?”

“Ask me to kiss you.”

She shook her head. “Not a good idea.”

“It’s not a bad one. One kiss—what’s the harm in one kiss?”

“Oh, I can think of a lot of harm.”

He leaned closer. “Ask me anyway.”

His eyes were her undoing. They teased her, light danced, tempted, promised, and she asked him by wrapping her hand around the back

of his neck and pulling his mouth to hers.

She opened her mouth to him, to that kiss, to the need for him, raw, pure and simple. He pushed her down to the ground and she spread

her legs so he could settle himself. She hadn’t been with anyone like this since high school. She could feel his hands searching for a way

under her shirt, a way to get to skin. She knocked off his Stetson and tangled her fingers in his hair.

A horse whinny pulled her back to reality—to what she was doing.

He pulled back and she sat up, pushing at her hair—he’d pulled it out of the pony tail. “That was some bottle of wine.” She tried for a

smile, but the joke fell flat.

“Lucy—”

She held up a hand. “One kiss. That’s what you asked for—what I asked for. Best we leave it there.”

“But—”

Pushing up to her feet, she stared down at him. “I can’t quit. You don’t want to fire me—not for that. So let’s be smart about this.”

Bending down, she started to pack up the food. “Now we should head back, shouldn’t we, boss? We’ve got clouds coming in and rain

with ‘em.”

He shoved a hand into his hair and grabbed for his Stetson. “Don’t think that leaves either of us satisfied.”

Lucy pressed her lips tighter.

It didn’t take long to pack the saddle bags, untie the horses and ride back. The wind picked up and the horses jogged, eager to get back

to their pasture. At the trailer, Lucy focused on brushing down the mare, not on watching Zach—and not remembering that kiss. So what

if he left her dizzy. So what if she’d been wet in five seconds. So what if she wanted to go back and grab him and kiss him again.

That was the trouble with guys like him—they spun your world around and then if you were fool enough to hook up with them they just

kept on spinning you. Her daddy had been a man like that. Well, no thank you, sir. She wanted a hard-working man. She wanted a

regular guy.

Zach headed into the trailer to put away his saddle.

That was when Lucy heard a sharp jingle and a bark. Fear ran up her back.

Excerpt from

Secret Billionaire’s Stubborn Cowgirl

(Start Reading Today!)

Excerpt From ‘The Sheikh’s Accidental Pregnancy’ (Download Instantly Today!)

“She's adorable,” Fiddah said to Tariq as Sara walked away. He was watching her walk with his

usual blank face. He turned to look at Fiddah.

“Amir keeps saying that. I do not see it,” Tariq said and picked up his menu. Fiddah laughed.

“This is you we are talking about.”

He lowered his menu and narrowed his gaze at her. “I am not the problem here,” he defended

himself. The waitress reappeared to take their orders. She was watching him and blushing whilst he

was speaking to her. Fiddah watched the waitress turn red.

“When do you plan to marry?” Fiddah asked Tariq as soon as the waitress left. Tariq frowned at

his grandmother.

“What brought this on?” He was confused with her sudden change of topic even though it was not

the first time she had questioned him about marriage.

“The waitress was blushing when she was speaking with you but you did not even notice. Makes

me wonder if you notice women.”

Tariq sighed before he replied. He was so used to women blushing in his presence that it did not

even faze him anymore. The waitress came back carrying their drinks. Tariq sunk in his chair and

watched her. She noticed him looking at her and she immediately started smiling. He raised one

eyebrow. He waited for her to leave before he commented.

“Marriage is not for me and even if it was, she would not be my type,” he said and took a sip

from his glass. Fiddah shook her head. For years, she had been trying to convince him to marry but

failed.

“So what, you will bury yourself in the company until your death bed?”

“I like my job.”

“Too much! You need a life outside your job. You need a family.”

“I have one.”

“Of your own! I want great grandchildren. Do not deny me that!”

Tariq was never going to win this argument. Fiddah was tenacious. This was not their first time

discussing his love life and it was certainly not going to be their last.

“How about you pick a wife for me?” Tariq said and grinned at her.

“Does that even make sense? Is it so hard to court a woman?” Tariq laughed gently.

Sara heard Tariq laugh. So it's capable of laughing, she said to herself. She turned her attention

back to her food. It surprised her to hear him laugh. She had never heard it and never thought she

would. He was so uptight and mean.

“Can you see me courting a woman?” Tariq asked Fiddah.

“There is no hope for you,” she replied. He grinned at her. “Don't you want love?” she asked.

“No.”

“What?”

“It doesn't exist.” Tariq was determined to stick to his beliefs. In his eyes, love did not exist. It

was simply heightened infatuation. As he took a sip from his glass, he noticed Sara attempt to eat an

olive but it fell back on the plate. No table manners even? She could not walk like a normal person.

She talked too much. She had poor dress sense. And now this! What other weird trait was she going

to exhibit? He watched her eat. He could tell that she was really enjoying her food. She sat up and

licked her lips, then took a sip of her drink. When she was not eating, she was talking. It's as if she

never stops. Tariq shook his head and looked away from her.

Sara was finally done with her delicious lunch. Food made her happy. As they were leaving, she

made sure not to make eye contact with Tariq. It was not the case for Keira and Kaleena. They both

stared at Tariq as they walked past. Tariq chewed slowly and watched them, watching him.

“Please stop staring at him,” Sara said feeling awkward.

“He's so handsome,” Keira said.

*****

There was a lot of work that needed to be done to get the new field up and running. Sara's

workload tripled faster than she anticipated. Amir told her that they had to pull some long nights. Sara

walked into his office to brief him on a report she had been working on. To her surprise, Tariq and

Amir were both sitting on the sofa discussing the appropriate barrels to use. They both looked up

when she walked in. It was the first time she had seen him since that Saturday at the mall. She bowed

to them. Only Amir responded.

“Barrels for gasoline or crude oil?” Sara asked. They both looked at her and she realised that she

had jumped into their conversation.

“Both,” Amir replied.

She pointed at one of the pictures and said, “Those carry more oil.” Amir turned his attention to

the picture and picked it up. Tariq was still wondering why she had included herself in the

conversation.

“Is that so?” Amir asked her. Sara smiled and nodded.

“Oh, I actually came in to brief you on this report,” she said as she handed him a file. She made

eye contact with Tariq. He wore an expressionless look as always, which annoyed her. She could

never guess what he was thinking. She looked away first, as she was getting uncomfortable in his

presence.

“An estimation of 400 gallons of crude oil can be produced in the El-Sultari region,” Sara said.

“That is not a lot of oil,” Amir said. Tariq leaned back in his chair. He was wondering where

Sara was taking this. Did she have a point or was she rambling again?

“True, but it's worth looking into. You never know.”

“Actually, we do know. We have been doing this for years,” Tariq interrupted.

“I meant that it's worth learning more about this field. It might prove to be a good investment.”

“Or it might be a fruitless endeavour and we would have wasted a lot of time and resources,”

shot back Tariq.

Amir lifted his head from the file and looked at the both of them. They were both making good

points but there was nothing friendly about their conversation. He knew that his brother and his

assistant would never get along. He simply hoped it wouldn’t get much worse.

“Sara, if you can find more information about the field, then we'll go from there,” Amir told her.

“Do not give her false hope,” Tariq said. Sara bit the inside of her lip. She wanted to hurl curse

words at him but she would not do that. Why did he find it so difficult to be nice to her?

“Sheik Amir, that is fair, thank you.” Sara bowed to him and left the room. Tariq narrowed his

gaze. She deliberately thanked Amir so she could make it obvious that she was ignoring him, just as

she had done at the mall when Fiddah was there. He watched her walk out of the office. His eyes

could not help but rest on her bottom as he contemplated what she looked like without her clothes on.

He looked away before Amir caught him. He wouldn't know how to explain it. He started talking

about his lunch with Fiddah. Amir laughed. He knew his brother's views on love. The world had

failed to convince him otherwise.

Adiva walked in with a tray of refreshments. She placed it on the table and asked if they needed

anything else. Amir told her that he did not want anything. Tariq did not offer a response. He simply

grunted instead.

Sara returned to her office and started researching El-Sultari. She wanted to prove Tariq wrong.

There was potential and it was worth checking it out. Tariq probably shut down the idea because it

came from her. She really wanted to prove him wrong. She wanted to visit the field but she knew she

could not do that herself. Amir would authorise it but would not let her go alone. She smiled at the

thought of Malik. He was the perfect person to go with her. After all, he was in charge of the oil

fields.

*****

It was finally Friday. The last day of the workweek and the last late work night! Sara was happy.

She was not used to working such late nights and it was exhausting. She could not wait to get the work

over and done with so that she could start her weekend, kick back and relax.

She had worked with Amir every night and he laughed at how tired she got. He kept saying that

she was too cute. Sara never understood how she was cute but it didn't bother her. That Friday, Amir

had a mysterious appointment he needed to go to. Sara manned his appointments and she was unaware

of this one.

“Sir, you're being too secretive,” Sara said to Amir. He laughed and ruffled her hair.

“I am not,” he said.

“Then why do I not know about this appointment? And why aren't I coming along?”

“You're working late,” Amir replied as he kept inching towards the door. Sara placed her hands

on her hips and stared at him.

“A date?” Sara asked him.

“I shall see you on Monday,” Amir smiled mischievously. Sara laughed and bid him farewell.

She knew that he was going on a date. He seemed to be quite the ladies man. She was going to grill

him about him it on Monday. She took the files she needed from his desk and locked his door before

she headed back to her office.

After what seemed like hours and hours of work, Sara decided to walk around the building. She

needed to stretch and relax for a bit. The place was deserted. The only people who were there were

the security guards. Even Adiva was not working late. Sara frowned. She wished that she were home

or out with the twins.

Sara dragged her feet as she walked around the building. She didn't even care what she looked

like, nobody was there to see her. She was wearing a black knee-length, pencil skirt and a white

camisole that was not tucked in. Her hair was not tied up and her long curly hair rested on her back.

She had taken her heels off. She turned a corner and saw the light on in the conference room. She

growled silently. Who had not bothered to switch the light off? She dragged her feet and headed

towards the conference room to switch the light off. She walked into the room and towards the light

switch. She was in her own world looking at the ground.

“Can I help you with something?” A deep voice sounded from behind her. It startled her as she

squealed and turned around quickly.

“Oh gosh,” she sighed with relief. It was Tariq leaning on the table reading some paperwork. He

was wearing grey pants and a white shirt. A couple of buttons were unbuttoned, revealing the top of

his chest. “You scared me,” she scolded.

“Do you need something?” Tariq asked her. Sara shrugged. She didn't really expect him to be

polite to her.

“I saw the light on and I came to switch it off because I thought no one was in here,” Sara

replied. Tariq was analysing her. She looked untidy and she was barefoot!

“Why are you barefoot?” He could not help himself. He had to ask her.

“I was wearing heels all day. My feet hurt,” Sara's tone was not friendly. She was trying her best

not to snap at him. He did not respond to her. He studied her silently. “Working late?” Sara asked. She

caught his gaze and felt uncomfortable. She slowly inched for the door. He didn't respond to her as he

felt like she was asking an obvious question. Sara placed her hands on her hips.

“Why is it you can never answer me or even act polite towards me?” Sara asked him. She

couldn't ignore it anymore. He always felt the need to be that way towards her and she had not done

anything to him. On top of that, she was tired and had enough of his attitude towards her.

Tariq raised his eyebrows as he regarded her. He was not expecting her to question him nor did

she have the right to. “I am not obligated to do either,” he said. His voice was now deeper.

“I never did anything to offend you.”

She has full lips, Tariq thought to himself. He had never noticed them before. It did not matter

anyway he thought. “Your persona is offensive,” he said to her.

“Excuse me?”

“Who walks around barefoot?”

Sara frowned. You're the one with an ugly persona, she told herself. She looked away. She was

in the middle of arguing with him and his chest was distracting her. From the little glimpse she got,

she could tell that he was very toned. The bulk of his muscles were always showing in the clothes he

wore. And how was it he had time to work out when he was always working?

“You do not act like a lady should,” Tariq added.

“I am good at my job and that's all you should be concerned about,” Sara shot back.

“For England, perhaps. But this is Saudi Arabia and you work for the Botros.”

“Because you're so freaking special,” Sara mumbled under her breath as she headed for the door.

If she stayed in there any longer, she would say things that she would regret. She liked Amir and

respected him enough not to disrespect his brother. She got the shock of her life when Tariq grabbed

her arm and pulled her back.

“What did you say?” he demanded. He had pulled her close to him and she was now standing

inches from him. She was shocked at how he pulled her so easily as if she weighed nothing.

“Being a little bit more polite and less judgemental to others will not harm you,” Sara said. She

was not going to let him intimidate her. She was going to stand her ground. His gaze had grown darker

and more intense. He stared at her and she stared back. She was not going to look away first.

“You think you can speak to me any way you wish to?”

“Unhand me.”

“If I don't?”

Exactly, what will I do if he does not let go off me?

“Try it and find out.” An empty threat. There was nothing she could do. He called her bluff. He

did not let go. Instead, he pulled her even closer to him. Sara landed between his legs and her hands

landed on his chest. His face was now inches away from his. Wow, he smells good. Why is it she

hadn’t noticed his cologne before? It was intoxicating on him.

“Time to make good on your threat,” he said to her.

“Please let go,” she whispered. She knew that she needed to get out of there. Something

unexpected was happening and she wasn’t prepared.

Tariq let go of her arm but Sara didn’t move. She felt paralysed. She so badly wanted to flee

from the room but her legs failed her. Tariq wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer

to him. Her whole body was now flush against his. Both her palms rested on his rock hard chest. He

planted a kiss on her lips. It took her by surprise.

He gently kissed her and she did not stop him. Her mind went blank. She could not think about

anything. As she gasped, he gently pushed his tongue into her mouth and deepened the kiss. Sara

wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. His hands stroked her back. He broke the

kiss. Sara was breathing hard and still had her eyes closed.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“What are you?” he asked the question back.

He pressed a feather-light kiss on her neck, which sent ripples of sensation all over her body.

She let out a soft moan as she shuddered against him. He continued to kiss her neck as Sara rubbed his

back and dug her nails into his flesh. Before she knew it, her skirt was on the floor and Tariq was

caressing and squeezing her bottom. She did not like this man but her senses had left her. She should

put a stop to it, but he was doing things to her insides that she’d only ever read about.

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“HR, Janet speaking. How may I he-”

“Janet? Trent. I need you to send up a replacement for Pam. Her daughter was injured in an accident, and she just left to go take

care of the children and such. I’ve no idea how long she will be gone, so send me someone that you weren’t planning on firing at the end

of the week.” Trent said matter-of-factly. He didn’t really care if she fired twenty people each week; if they couldn’t do the job they

could find somewhere else to work.

Janet Marshall worked as the head of HR for Coldwell Enterprises. She was not only a friend, she was the toughest woman Trent

had working for him. She was also his second cousin and married to his best friend from college. While Janet didn’t have to work

another day in her life, she enjoyed managing people and understood Trent in a way others didn’t. He was as alpha as they came, she’d

never met a more dominating, arrogant man until Trent had come along.

“Oh dear! Which one of Pam’s daughters was hurt?” Janet asked with obvious concern in her voice. Pam had worked for the

company for as long as she could remember, first as Trent’s father’s personal assistant, and now for Trent. She was one of the nicest

women Janet had ever worked with and she only hoped that her daughter wasn’t too badly hurt.

“Susan,” Trent replied, thinly hiding his impatience.

The timing couldn’t be worse as Trent was in the process of acquiring a large production company in Europe and the contracts that

had been drawn up by his European office were in chaos. He had been in the process of finalizing his corrections when Pam had

announced that she must leave immediately. He needed these contracts fixed today!

“Oh, no. And she just delivered twins a few months back. That poor woman,” Janet commiserated over the phone. “Don’t worry

about it; I have just the girl in mind. She’s only been working here for about six months, but her reviews are excellent.”

Janet was thinking of the young woman she had hired a little over six months back. Janet had interviewed her and been surprised

at how mature she seemed for someone only twenty-four years old. Smiling to herself, she tried to envision how Trent would react to the

young woman who wore her hair like a fifty year old, clothing that didn’t fit her body, or compliment her natural coloring, and honestly

had no idea of just how attractive she could be. On top of all that, she was the most capable woman Janet had hired in months.

“Whatever - just send her up after lunch. I’m right in the middle of negotiations for that buyout in Germany, and Pam didn’t have

time to make the corrections on the contract yet. I need them by 3 o’clock - if not sooner.”

“Not to worry. I’ll go tell her now and then send her to lunch. I assume that I can offer her the same benefits and salary that Pam

was drawing?”

“Of course.” Trent started to hang up the phone when he heard Janet call him back. Sighing, he put the phone back to his ear and

answered, “What?” Damn it, he had work to do. He didn’t have time to chitchat with Janet; that’s what her husband was for. He’d

mention just that fact to Shawn next time he saw him.

Janet took a breath and thought about keeping this information to herself, but then she decided that Trent would want to know.

“Shawn and I went to that symphony fundraiser last night.”

Trent waited for her to continue, and when she didn’t, he impatiently replied, “And? I assume it was a smashing success and all

that.”

“It was, but that wasn’t my point.”

“Well, get to it. I have work to do and so do you.”

“I saw Marco Bresi there.” Janet said in a rush, holding her breath for the explosion she assumed was coming. When nothing

happened, she paused, letting Trent digest what she had just told him. Marco Bresi was a very wealthy, and very influential businessman

in Europe. He and Trent had a past marked with tragedy and Marco had stayed in Europe for the last three years because of it. Janet

had been shocked to see him back in the States, especially in Denver.

Trent was silent as he let Janet’s words sink in. Serena’s father was back in the states. Trent immediately tamped down on the

emotion that threatened to sideline his focus. He hadn’t thought of Serena for several months now, and wanted to keep it that way.

Serena Bresi had taken the fashion world by storm at the age of sixteen. Three years after that, she had met Trent at a fundraiser

in New York City and they had fallen madly in love. At least, Trent thought she had been in love with him as much as he had been with

her.

Their love affair had been the subject of all the social magazines and the paparazzi had hounded them mercilessly. When Trent had

taken over Coldwell Enterprises from his father, he had immediately used his many contacts in Europe to expand the company overseas.

Everything had been going smoothly, or so he thought. Serena had signed a contract with a large fashion house in Milan and had

temporarily moved to Italy. Trent had missed her, but had so many things on his plate in the states, that the time had just seemed to slip

away.

Four months later, he had flown to Milan to surprise Serena for the weekend. He had gone straight to her flat, flowers in hand,

surprised to find her home in the middle of the afternoon. The surprise had been on him, however, as she had answered the door with

the arms of her current lover wrapped intimately around her.

Trent had been so furious, he had immediately left and returned to the airport. His private jet had been airborne several hours later.

Serena had called him repeatedly, but he had ignored her calls. Trent valued honesty and loyalty above all else, and her betrayal had hurt

him deeply. He had let it be known to the media, that they had decided to break things off, but were still friends. He’d had no wish to

tarnish her reputation in the publics’ eyes.

When she had called him three weeks later during the middle of the night, he had reached for the phone, unaware that she was on

the other end of the line. Having been caught off-guard, he had listened as she tearfully apologized and begged for his help. It seemed

that she had just found out she was pregnant and expected Trent to come to her rescue. Trent knew there was no possible way the baby

was his since he hadn’t touched Serena for over five months.

Trent had been repulsed and hung up the phone without replying. Two days later, he received news that Serena had driven her car

off a bridge. Her suicide note made it seem that Trent had refused to do the right thing and marry her, and that she couldn’t bear to

shame her family by having a child out of wedlock.

Marco Bresi, Serena’s heartbroken father, had managed to keep the suicide note out of the media, but had vowed to get revenge

for Serena’s death. He blamed Trent for causing her death. Trent had thought of telling Marco the truth, but didn’t think that her grief-

stricken father was in any position to listen at the time so had kept silent.

True to his word, Marco had started to go after Trent, keeping their feud to the business world, thus far, but Trent knew that it was

only a matter of time before Marco started trying to attack him in his personal life as well. Now that Marco had personally come to

Denver, it seemed that time had arrived.

“Did you speak with him?” Trent asked.

“He didn’t give us a choice. He made a point of cornering us during the intermission. Trent, there was such hatred in his eyes

when he asked about you. I know you and Serena broke up before her death…”

“Janet, let it go. I told you then, and I’ll tell you the same thing now. What happened between Serena and myself was between us.

I will not discuss it and as she’s dead, there really is no point. Marco believes some things that are not true. I’ve tried to correct his

thinking, but he doesn’t want to hear it. That is on him.” Trent took a breath and then continued, “Now, we both have work to do. Was

there anything else you wanted to discuss with me?”

Janet wondered if she should just let it go like Trent had commanded, but then pushed forward anyway, “Trent, he asked me to

deliver a message to you.”

Trent clenched his jaw and then looked to the ceiling before asking Janet to continue. Whatever the message was, he assumed it

was more threat than anything and part of him felt bad that Janet and her husband had been put in the middle of his and Marco’s feud.

“Tell me.”

“He warned me that you were going to get what you deserve and that I should tell you to watch your back very carefully. He also

mentioned a company called Global Tech. Does that mean anything to you?”

Trent cursed softly and quickly pulled his keyboard towards him and pulled up the information on the company they were currently

buying out. When he scrolled down through the list of shareholders, he cursed again. How could he have missed something like that?

Marco Bresi’s company owned thirty-two percent of the stock. No wonder he was in the states. He must have gotten wind that Coldwell

Enterprises was in the process of negotiating a hostile takeover and was already talking with bidders, for when the company was split

apart. The current shareholders stood to lose a lot of money when that happened.

Trent had dealt with Marco trying to derail other business negotiations, and Trent had made it a point to stay away from any

company attached to the Bresi family name. He had no wish to harm Marco or his family, and didn’t have time for complications with

this current negotiation.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he held his breath and then let it go in a rush, “Janet, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle the problem.

Get me that assistant.” Trent hung up the phone and then went back to reading the contract in front of him, making marks with a red pen

as he went. He would deal with Marco later. Right now, he needed to finish these contract papers.

Janet shook her head as she said “Goodbye” to a dead line. Trent exasperated her with his ability to be rude without trying. One of

these days she hoped he learned to curb his impatience, just a little bit. Shaking her head, she placed the call that would bring Trent’s

stand-in assistant to her office and hoped that whatever Marco Bresi was planning would fail before it got off the ground.

*****

Trent Coldwell was the CEO of Coldwell Enterprises. If someone were to ask what the company did, the answers would vary.

Coldwell Enterprises had many interests, but mainly purchased failing companies and then either sold them off in pieces, or turned them

around and made them leaders in their market. They did their job very well.

At the age of thirty-one, Trent Coldwell was one of Denver’s most eligible bachelors, never lacking for female companionship, but

never being seen with the same women for more than a few weeks. The fact that he was richer than Croesus didn’t hurt his eligibility

either.

Trent Coldwell had inherited the company from his father upon his retirement, and had immediately implemented changes. He had

successfully taken it from a small regional firm, and created an international mega-company with interests worldwide.

Not known for his patience, he briefly thought of calling Janet back and making sure that she was sending him someone who knew

how to work and wouldn’t burst into tears at the first sign of criticism. He was a perfectionist and expected the same from his

employees. He often spoke his mind and had been told by more than one employee that he should take lessons in how to communicate

effectively. Trent scoffed at the idea. He communicated fine. He told people what to do and they did it. End of story. He saw no reason

to explain his requests as he was the boss and as they worked for him, it shouldn’t matter why he wanted something done. His

employees were paid to take care of the job to the best of their ability. Deciding that he would just send the girl away if she were

unsuitable, he went back to reading his contract.

Excerpt from ‘CEO’s Pregnant Lover’ (Download Instantly – Click here)

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of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses

permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions

Coordinator,” at the address below.

www.LeslieNorthBooks.com

Document Outline

The Sheikh’s Troublesome Bride
Copyright
Dedications
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20

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