Sheikh's Secret

By Anna Kate

Swept away by the sheikh..

Sarah never expected to fall in love when she arrived in Dubai. But after she meets Sheikh Tamir Mohammed, she falls victim to his charm.

Sarah thinks that her relationship with Tamir is nothing more then a fantasy, but a surprise doctor's visit tells her otherwise...

Note: This story includes steamy romantic scenes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna Kate
• Release date: Jun 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513034485

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Chapter 1

The plane touched down in Dubai and Sarah Burkett watched the sandy arid landscape rushing past as it taxied to the gate.  She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was terribly out of place and certainly not qualified to be here conducting a multi-billion dollar deal on her boss’s behalf.  Her only travels out of the country prior to today had been a cruise to the Bahamas that she had won at a company Christmas party, and a Spring Break trip to Mexico in college.

She was stressed, she was overwhelmed, and utterly intimidated by the knowledge that she would soon be meeting with not only a room full of high-rolling executives, but also with an extremely powerful monarch.  She stepped from the plane and was immediately enveloped by the most intense heat she had ever experienced. Beads of sweat sprang to her upper lip as she surveyed the exotic landscape around her. Under normal circumstances, she would be excited to be here and eager to explore, but the impending business meeting had her stomach in knots.

Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath, she headed for baggage claim to meet the company driver who would be waiting there. She would do her best, it was all anyone could expect and she was resolved that she would get through this.

Sarah absently brushed a stray lock of glossy auburn hair from her sweat-dampened brow with a shaky hand and tried to take a deep breath to steady her jangled nerves.  Any moment now Sheikh Tamir Mohammed would be entering the boardroom to discuss terms for a contract with her employer that numbered in the billions, and she felt more than a bit out of her league.  

She had moved up the ranks quite quickly at Harrison Refining Corp, and was more than competent in her position as manager of the Contracts department, but her role to date had merely involved researching and drawing up paperwork for the billion-dollar deals created by the company’s stellar team of negotiators.  She had ended up on a whirlwind trip to Dubai when her boss had suddenly been stricken with a violent bout of food poisoning.  

Mr. Sherwood was in the hospital receiving fluids, and his right-hand man, who would normally have attended the meetings in his place, had quit without warning the day before. This left the nervous, inexperienced, and mildly nauseated Sarah to take his place. She had protested and begged Mr. Sherwood to allow her to call his majesty’s assistant and postpone, all to no avail.  

I have every confidence in you Ms. Burkett, the pale Vice President had growled, accepting no argument.  

Since her arrival in this arid exotic country, she constantly had to remind herself not to stare in wonder at the enchanting, dark-haired gentlemen with gorgeous skin the color of rich coffee with cream.  It was not only the men that fascinated Sarah, though. The sights and sounds that she experienced in Dubai were wonderfully different from anything she’d ever encountered. The colorful bustling of the many marketplaces captured her attention, and had her longing to go out and explore.  But for the moment, here she sat in a richly appointed boardroom in Dubai, swallowing past the dryness in her throat and trying to keep from fidgeting as her heart pounded in her chest.

Her stomach dropped to her knees, and she rubbed the dampness from her palms on the sides of her tailored pencil skirt when she heard the door opening.  She took a small sip of her water as Sheikh Mohammed’s assistant entered, and nearly spit it out when the king himself appeared.  She had never seen such an attractive man in her entire life.  He was dressed in a suit that looked like it cost more than Sarah earned in a year, and had an air of dignity and grace that was like nothing she’d ever experienced.  

She quickly moved to stand, and was dismayed when her notebook slid from the table scattering papers on the floor.  She made a split-second decision to ignore the minor mishap and her knees trembled as she turned to greet Sheikh Mohammed. His assistant moved deftly to her side, picked up the notebook and set it on the table beside her with a slight smile.

Miss Burkett, the elegant royal commanded her full attention, speaking with a slight accent and inclining his head in greeting, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you, thank you for your attendance to the business at hand.  

His voice was deep and rich, with a warmth that was surprising from a man in his position.  Sarah could hardly keep herself from gawking as he flashed a brief but breathtaking smile which revealed even white teeth and caused the corners of his chocolate eyes to crinkle slightly.  Utterly captivated and more than a bit physically aware of her instant attraction to this exotic stranger, she did her best to form what she hoped was an appropriate response, awed by the presence of stunning royalty.  

Sarah felt awkward and uncertain while pleasantries were exchanged, but found her stride quickly when King Mohammed began asking specific questions regarding the transaction at hand.  

She had drafted every bit of the paperwork, and was pleased to be able to supply answers with hardly a second thought.  While she was more than a bit intimidated by this infinitely handsome and powerful man, she was definitely in her comfort zone when it came to explaining terms and conditions.  It was often difficult for her to maintain her focus, however, when he occasionally leaned toward her to review a document, and the heady scent of his cologne teased her nostrils.

King Mohammed’s intelligence showed in the intensity of his gaze as he focused on her while she explained every detail to his satisfaction.  After more than an hour of back and forth, the king steepled his fingers beneath his chin and furrowed his brow briefly before turning to his assistant.

Make the arrangements, he instructed, reaching for a pen.  

Sarah held her breath as he initialed and signed in all the right places.  She practically had to sit on her hands to keep from shuffling papers or fidgeting while his majesty signed the billion-dollar paperwork.  This seemed too good to be true – she had been sent on a mission that was way out of her depth, and from where she sat, it looked like she would be successful in completing her task.  

Her heart thudded so loudly that she was afraid others would hear it.  She had done her best to maintain a professional demeanor, despite the fact that she was profoundly affected by the mere presence of King Mohammed.  

She only had to hold it together for a few minutes longer before she could flee to the comfort and safety of her luxury hotel room, contracts in hand.

Signatures over, the sheikh stood and reached across the table to shake hands with Sarah.  His grasp was warm and strong, and, catching a whiff of masculine scent intermingled with expensive cologne, she found herself unable to hold his gaze for more than a few moments. She gathered her paperwork, relieved to have the meeting behind her, and walked around the end of the table, planning to exit behind the king and his associates.

Arms full of papers and distracted by thoughts of how well the king’s immaculately tailored suit hugged his tight body, Sarah stubbed the tip of her pointy-toed pump against the doorway and fell, sprawling most ungracefully into the hallway behind a startled King Mohammed.  Hot color rose in her cheeks as he rushed over to kneel beside her while she struggled to sit up and gather the papers which had been strewn far and wide.

Leave those, he commanded gently, grasping her elbow to steady her and gesturing to his assistant Mustafa to pick up the scattered papers.

Are you hurt? he asked, chocolate eyes gentle with concern.

No...I...I’m fine, Sarah responded, humiliated.  I’m so sorry, I should’ve been watching where I was going... she trailed off, cheeks burning anew as she considered the source of her distraction.  The nearness of him was overwhelming as she noticed the strength of his jawline and beautifully sculpted mouth from this rather intimate vantage point.

No apologies, King Mohammed grinned, relieved that she wasn’t hurt. I’m not used to having lovely ladies falling at my feet, he chuckled, offering his arm to help her up.  

His touch ignited a warmth inside of her that had nothing to