C.J. Miller – Under the Sheik's Protection (страница 1)
A sexy sheik finds forbidden love in C.J. Miller’s tale of international intrigue
After an uncharacteristic night of passion, event coordinator Sarah Parker learns her mystery lover is Sheik Saafir, her new client—and the target of an assassination plot. But the darkly handsome royal has an appeal the sensible Sarah can’t ignore, even when she’s caught in the cross fire.
Honor bound, Saafir has agreed to an arranged marriage to unite the feuding factions in his country…and then he kisses the surprising American. Now, dodging bullets is nowhere near as dangerous as the attraction that puts his sense of duty at war with his heart. But can he walk away from Sarah even to save his life…and hers?
“I’m not ready to say goodbye.”
“What are you suggesting?” Saafir asked.
“That we do what feels right and that it stays between us.”
He thought a secret affair was perfect, and yet sad, too. It highlighted the fact that love came second to duty.
He pulled her tight. “You should know that while you are mine, I will treat you like a princess. I will spoil you for any other man. You will think of me long after I am gone.” Then he kissed her.
He laid her back against his desk, until he heard a sharp knock at the door. His security officer stepped into the room. Of all the times to be interrupted, this was not it. From the look on the guard’s face, Saafir knew it had to be life or death.
He reached for his gun and pulled Sarah behind him. He hated this. A man should provide safety for his woman…but he had brought peril to her doorstep.
I have a close friend whose parents arranged her marriage. She was satisfied with her parents’ choice until she fell in love with another man.
Not having a choice in love can be devastating. In this book, the new emir of Qamsar is to have an arranged marriage for political reasons. Saafir first appeared in my third book, Protecting His Princess. Strong, quiet and loyal, Saafir’s future has been decided for him, except he’s not sure he wants the life he’s been offered.
Recently divorced and disillusioned with love, Sarah Parker feels her heart has been broken and trampled. She wants a fresh beginning, and meeting a mysterious and exotic stranger seems like a good start to a new chapter in her life. Even though Saafir can only be temporarily in her life, there’s something about Saafir that makes him hard to resist.
As for my friend, while it wasn’t easy and required a lot of compromise, she got her happily ever after with the man she loves.
I hope you enjoy reading how Sarah and Saafir’s story turns out. I love hearing from readers and can be contacted through my website, www.cj-miller.com.
C.J. Miller
Under The Sheik’s
Protection
C.J. Miller
C.J. Miller
loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted through her website, www.cj-miller.com. She lives in Maryland with her husband, son and daughter. C.J. believes in first loves, second chances and happily ever after.
To my mom, Jane, who taught me to “play something with imagination.”
Contents
Saafir hated secret meetings. They reeked of corruption and backroom deals that had no place in Qamsar’s government. At least, not anymore. Saafir’s brother, the former emir, had abdicated the throne when it was revealed that his fiancée was allied with a terrorist network. As the second oldest male of his father’s recognized lineage, Saafir was next in line for the throne. He’d been thrown into the position of emir, and he had made it his policy to be open and honest. Anything less and he would break the already shaky faith of his countrymen and be ousted.
“These are the files you requested, your excellency,” Frederick said, handing Saafir a folder thick with its contents. “There are a number of them to go through.”
Saafir opened the folder. His advisor and friend’s assessment was an understatement. Dozens of profiles to review, and he had to pick the right one.
Saafir’s position was precarious, holding together the three political factions of the Assembly with the Conservatives, the Progressives and the Loyalists. The Conservatives, with Rabah Wasam leading them, believed Saafir and his entire family should be cast out of the ruling seat they had held for over two hundred years for taking a reformist stance on culture and the economy. Saafir’s personal history with Wasam didn’t help matters.
The Progressives were distrustful of Saafir, viewing him as no better than his brother, who’d tried to keep social change from taking hold in Qamsar. Only members of the Loyalists party stood steadfast at his side, although Saafir had heard murmurs of dissension. Threats of violent revolution were a weekly occurrence. Saafir didn’t want civil war, and he was working against extreme rhetoric, polarizing positions and unrealistic demands.
Saafir had never wanted to be the emir. He had been raised to believe that position would belong to Mikhail. Saafir had made decisions about his life based on not being in the spotlight. But the laws of Qamsar were clear. Saafir had inherited the throne, the title and the responsibilities.
He sat in his private library inside his compound in Qamsar with two of the country’s most powerful men, both members of the Loyalist party, discussing a bizarre and uncomfortable topic: his wife. Or lack thereof. His lack of wife presented a political opportunity. Once a trade agreement with America was in place, a marriage to one of the daughters of a leader of the Conservative party would seal the trust between them and the royal family. With the Loyalists and Conservatives united, and if Saafir could forge a successful trade agreement with America to please the Progressives, they’d move the small desert Middle Eastern country in a forward direction and give the economy and the culture a chance for growth.
The candidate list was long, and the profiles were detailed. Frederick laid out each one, a photograph and a written profile, like resumes from job applicants. Each was pretty and from a prominent Qamsarian family. Saafir hated to choose a wife this way. A picture and resume spoke nothing of who each woman was, only of what they had done and their credentials, as if being his wife were a job. In some ways, he supposed it was. He hoped whoever was chosen was happy with the match. Being the emir’s wife came with benefits—wealth, power and prestige—but in the current environment, many drawbacks. The uncertainty swirling around the royal family, a husband who was busy and traveled often and little privacy weren’t part of the hopes and dreams of many women.
Saafir didn’t know a single one of them, and he knew none of them would have his heart. Frederick pressed on, oblivious to Saafir’s discomfort and unhappiness.
“We’ve arranged the women in order of preference. Some women provide benefits over the others,” Frederick said.
Benefits. Not love. Never love. As long as he could form an amicable, mutually beneficial relationship with a woman and they could tolerate each other long enough to have children, it didn’t matter to Saafir who was selected. The best woman for the position was the one who provided something his flailing country needed.
“You don’t have to do this, Saafir,” the third man said. “You should not do this.”
The third man did not sit at the table with Saafir and Frederick. He stood in the shadows near the doorway, leaning against the wall with a lazy sense of ease. Saafir knew nothing was further from the truth. Saafir had known Adham since their time together in the military, and his head of security was anything but lazy and never at ease. He could explode into action at a moment’s notice. He’d already thwarted four assassination attempts on Saafir’s life since Saafir had become the emir.
“I have to do this,” Saafir said. “Qamsar needs me to do this.”
Frederick nodded his agreement. “The people want to see a married emir with a growing brood of children. It will give them a sense of security and clarify the line of succession.”
“Only a fool marries for anything other than love,” Adham said. “You will resent any woman you choose for not loving you. She will resent you for using her as a political tool. You will only find sorrow in this.”