The Sheikh's Contract Bride

“In the spirit of girl getting to know boy, I am told that I am quite a catch.”

She’d heard her father tell Adina the same thing. “It’s just that marriage is a big step, and pretty scary when one doesn’t know one’s intended from a rock.”

He walked over to the French doors and looked out for several moments, then turned. A frown had replaced the good-natured expression on his face. “I do not believe anyone has ever compared me to a rock.”

“That’s just an expression. It means that I don’t know you—”

“I understand the expression. But there is something I do not comprehend. In your training to be the Queen of Bha’Khar, it should have been explained that the period of engagement is the time to become acquainted.”

“It was explained.” Probably. But the step-by-step rules of courtship were still being violated. Father picks boy. Girl is engaged to boy. Girl meets boy and, after too brief a time, girl marries boy. And they live happily ever after? The odds were so against that.

She walked over to him and the breeze from the ocean cooled her face. Looking into his dark eyes, she asked, because she sincerely wanted to know how he felt, “What if it goes badly? What if you don’t like me? What if I don’t like you? What if we—?”

He touched a finger to her lips to silence her. “Do you always borrow trouble?”

“What if I do? Is that a deal-breaker?”

He laughed. “If I did not know better I would think you are deliberately trying to make me dislike you.”

“Is it working?”

“I do not know.”

“Do I need to try harder?”

“That depends on your purpose. I have not yet made up my mind about you. And you should not form an opinion about me, either.”

“I’m not pre-judging—”

“I disagree. You came all this way to talk me out of this marriage, which means you have already closed your mind to the possibility that this arrangement could be a good thing.”

She didn’t see how it could be good, but that only proved his point. “What if I have formed an opinion already?”

He took a step closer. “Let go of your preconceived ideas.” He touched his finger to her chin, nudging it up so their gazes locked. “Give me a chance to prove that I am indeed a good catch.”

Beth didn’t know whether to let out the breath she was holding or breathe deeply and overdose on his spicy, exciting scent, letting it invade and conquer her senses. A gleam stole into his eyes, a look that both excited and unnerved her. It was a purely masculine expression, full of male confidence in his power to get what he wanted.

There was little doubt in her mind that he would pull out all the stops in his mission to prove his worth, and seduction was right at the top of his list. While her romantic parts quivered with enthusiasm, her rational parts struggled to prevail.

“Malik, I have no doubt that you’re a perfectly nice man. It was not my intention to insult you, and I apologize if I have.”

“Your misgivings are understandable.”

She wasn’t sure if his easygoing manner made the situation better or worse. Although he was very attractive and charming, she had no reason to believe he was any different from the man who had discarded her in favor of his already chosen, politically correct wife. If anything, Malik was more powerful, and therefore more dangerous.

If it was up to her, she would tell this sheikh to take a flying leap. But it was Addie’s choice. And, because her sister was choosing a time out, Beth was there to make sure she had it. In that spirit, she needed to dial down her opposition. “Thank you for your patience, Malik.”

“You can repay me with patience of your own. Let us get to know each other. We will give it a chance and see what happens. Then if either of us has doubts we will choose an appropriate course of action.”

In essence, he was asking for a truce. It would make things easier if he was a jerk and she could tell him what to do with his engagement.

On the other hand, if Malik decided this arrangement didn’t work for him either, and called off the wedding, Addie would be off the hook and their father couldn’t hold it against her. So, truce it was.

She smiled. “How can I say no?”

Nine out of ten women would be overjoyed to be his betrothed, yet Malik found himself with number ten. Surprisingly, the idea did not rankle as he would have thought. Obedience was a pleasing characteristic in a woman, but after meeting Beth he realized a fawning fiancée would be boring.

He was most curious about this lovely, stubborn young woman who challenged him at every turn. When she’d called him a powerful man, the edge in her voice had warned him it was not a compliment. Oddly enough, he was looking forward to this courtship, to the opportunity for changing her mind about him and discovering the source of her misgivings about marriage.

Malik walked into his dining room and touched the control that lowered the chandelier illumination to a romantic glow. Then he lit the candles on either side of the fragrant flower arrangement gracing the table. He had a bottle of the finest champagne cooling in a silver bucket and crystal flutes waited expectantly, as did he.

Beth would be here any moment, and the dance of learning about each other would continue. Excitement hummed through him, and he realized he had not experienced such a level of anticipation in longer than he could remember. Of course, it had been a long time since he had met such a fascinating woman. The last time it had happened he had been fooled. It was comforting and convenient to know there was no chance of repeating the same mistake with his betrothed.

He checked his appearance in the beveled gilt mirror in his suite’s circular entryway. Every hair was in place, and he’d shaved a short while before—in case he kissed her, which he very much wanted to do. His silk shirt, open at the collar, and his dark pants evoked just the right informal tone, which was important, as he wished to put her at ease.

He heard a knock, so soft it would not have been audible had he not been standing near the door. Beth stood in the doorway, a vision of heaven in a high-necked, sleeveless white linen dress with a wide black belt that drew his attention to her small waist. It was a simple, elegant look, full of sophistication. The allure was in what he could not see as much as in what he could. Then he met her gaze and noticed the wariness in her large eyes—brown eyes, filled with flecks of gold.

He bowed slightly. “Good evening, Beth. Please come in.”

“Thank you.”

As she passed him, her subtle floral fragrance filled his head with visions that had nothing to do with gardens and everything to do with twisted sheets and bare flesh. Instead of entering, she stood and looked around. Of course she would be curious.

“Welcome to your new home,” he said. “This is where we shall live after we are married.”

“About the whole marriage thing—”

“Beth.”

She turned to look at him. “What?”

“You promised to give it a chance,” he reminded her.

“Promise may not be the right word. As I recall, my exact words were ‘How can I say no?’”

He grinned. “Nevertheless, your response implied your agreement for us to get to know each other. In the spirit of that, I would request that for the duration of the evening you refrain from any negative references to a state of marriage between us.”

“Is that a proclamation?”

“It is a heartfelt plea. And, under the circumstances, it is quite open-minded of me.”

Her eyes sparkled with mischief, as he’d hoped they would. “So, Your Highness, can we talk about your humility?”

“Of course.” He held out a hand and indicated the French doors off the living room. “Wait for me on the terrace and I will bring champagne.”

“Is that an order?”

He did not miss the wary expression on her face, or the edge in her voice. Clearly she was expecting him to seduce her. It was a tempting thought, but that was not his plan. Not yet. No, tonight was all about charming her. There was a full moon, a warm breeze, and the fragrance of jasmine mixed with the scent of the sea. Mother Nature would wrap them in romance.