The Sheikh’s Unexpected Fiancée: Omirabad Sheikhs, #3

By Leslie North

When her half-sister flees with her true love to avoid an arranged marriage, Zainab bravely steps up to take her place. 

 

All her life, Zainab has sought the approval of her father, Javeed, but even she is shocked when he refuses to consider his oldest daughter—her—for an alliance that will finally bring peace between his tribe and the royal family of Omirabad. Javeed has always been a bit embarrassed by Zainab, who was the result of a fling with an American girl he met one summer. With her mother dead, Zainab now lives with her father, doing everything she can to win his approval—even if that means marrying a man she's never met. Though she's willing to wed for the sake of the tribe and half-sister, she secretly doesn't believe it's much of a sacrifice, given that the one she would be marrying, Sheikh Khalid bin Salam, is one of the most handsome and charming men she's ever met. 

 

At first, Khalid is resistant to the idea of an arranged marriage. And then he meets Zainab, and the idea of marrying a stranger is a bit more appealing. He likes her American ways, her lovely smile, her beautiful curves. But Javeed is determined to keep them apart, pulling every string he can reach to ensure each day passes without them seeing each other. That still leaves the nights… And as their passion builds, their marriage seems less arranged and more like destiny. If only Javeed could see what's best for his tribe and his daughter.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leslie North
• Release date: Feb 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393472889

Book preview

1

The palace was busier than usual.

Khalid came and went quite often in his self-chosen role of Omirabad’s science and technology liaison, but he was still attuned to the sounds and rhythms of the palace. Today, they were different.

Is it me, or is there a special event happening today?

His attaché, Zyan, took a tablet from underneath his arm and swiped across the screen. It looks as though King Rashid is hosting a meeting.

That would explain it.

Khalid stretched his arms over his head. They’d been flying for the better part of the morning, and before that he’d been in Germany for nearly a month. The trip had gone well. He’d built several new relationships with charismatic people from tech and environmental companies while he was there and had laid the groundwork for a cultural exchange later in the year. Unlike his brother Rashid, who was the king, and his brother Samir, who was official liaison to the desert tribes, Khalid didn’t have any traditional responsibilities, so he’d shaped them to his interests. It was a job well done.

Meeting or not, he couldn’t very well walk right past the sitting room Rashid used for meetings without greeting his brothers. He was exhilarated by the success in Germany, but it had been a long month, and he was glad to be back.

Who’s on the roster? he asked Zyan.

Zyan frowned at the screen. The scheduling program isn’t updating, so I—

It’s no trouble. We’re there.

Khalid stepped through the doors of the sitting room and took in the group of people occupying the formal furniture. His brother Rashid sat at the head of a wide coffee table, back straight in his chair. A man he recognized as Javeed Halil, head of one of the tribes, sat to Rashid’s right. Samir sat on a loveseat across from Javeed, one arm draped over the back in a gesture that looked causal. Khalid knew better. Samir was calculating, when it came to business. He only relaxed behind closed doors with his family or out in the desert.

None of the men noticed him when he entered the room, which was good…because something else entirely caught Khalid’s attention.

The distinct rhythms of English made his head turn. Two women stood near the door, wearing brightly colored dresses that struck a balance between the tribe’s traditional clothes and city fashion.

The woman in red leaned closer to the woman in blue.

I don’t know what they’ll do, she said, and Khalid found himself less concerned with what she was saying than the American accent she said it in.

Yet she was clearly there with the members of the tribe.

Fascinating.

The woman in red flicked her gaze to his, and his heart skipped a beat. She was stunning. Dark hair, clear blue eyes…was his mouth open? He pressed his lips together in case his jaw was on the floor. A little grin played over her lips, and she looked back at the younger woman in blue and raised her eyebrows.

The other woman was gorgeous, too…but something about the mysterious woman with the American accent had hooked something behind his breastbone. His heart beat faster. He half turned, ready to go over to her.

You made it! Rashid was always right on time. You’re back. His brother came toward him, grinning, and pulled him in for an embrace. I didn’t know your plane had landed. How was the flight?

Good, good. Khalid’s other brother, Samir, came up to the two of them, and he and Khalid exchanged pats on the back. How are the both of you? Nora and Clementine?

Well, answered Samir. He had a new baby, only a couple months old, with his wife Clementine, and as a result he was constantly wearing a bit of a smile. It made him look like he was keeping a secret, but Khalid hadn’t told him that. Come, Khalid. Sit down with us. Your timing is perfect.

Khalid laughed. Isn’t it always?

It really is, answered Rashid.

Wait. What was going on here? His brothers were acting like Khalid’s presence at the meeting was necessary in some way, but nobody had added it to his schedule. If they had, he wouldn’t have come back from Germany so late in the day. Now that he thought of it, an energy did hum in the room. He’d chalked it up to the absolutely gorgeous women standing near the door, but maybe that wasn’t it.

Javeed Halil was on his feet when they got back to the coffee table, and Khalid clasped arms with the man. They had met several times, though the brothers saw Chief Jazir, of another branch of the tribes, far more often.

Chief Halil’s father had, during his tenure as chief, separated the tribe from the royal family as a result of a policy disagreement. King Rafiq, Khalid’s father, had abolished the requirement that princes be married by their thirtieth birthday in order to retain their official positions. The old tradition had been written into the laws of Omirabad, and Rafiq wanted a change. And that was all for the love of his brother, Sherrod. Sherrod had been engaged to a woman he was deeply in love with, but she died before the wedding could take place. He never wanted to marry again, and Rafiq wouldn’t force him.

One of the desert tribes, led by Javeed’s father, had disagreed. They believed in the marriage requirement as a symbol of the bond between the royal family and the tribes. So, while they still accepted the royal family’s leadership on a national scale, they governed themselves on local matters and held closely to tradition.

Which made it a thousand times more intriguing that one of them seemed to be…an American.

Khalid took a seat next to Samir, and the four men settled in. What was this about? Khalid was intensely curious. When his father was king, he’d never forced Chief Halil’s father into any further closeness. He hadn’t wanted a war between the tribes and the royal family, and the elder Halil had taken their traditions just that seriously. It had been three decades, give or take, and they’d managed to coexist peacefully. But a strange tension had pulled tight between the two men. It probably had to do with the fact that life was easier for the tribes if they had a good relationship with the royal family. After thirty years of icy relations, it wasn’t like Chief Halil could pretend the rift hadn’t happened.

Khalid. Rashid leaned back, balancing one elbow on the arm of his chair. We’ve been discussing a matter of importance to both the members of the tribe and the members of the royal family. It’s…auspicious that you’re able to be a part of our conversation.

If part of that conversation has to do with sharing technologies between us, then I’d absolutely agree, said Khalid. I’ve been in Germany, Chief Halil, forming partnerships with a number of prestigious companies. Both of our countries should benefit. He said this to Halil, but he wanted Rashid to hear it, too. One strange meeting at the end of a long trip couldn’t tarnish his glow of pride.

That’s wonderful to hear, said Rashid, glancing at Chief Halil, "but our talks have been about a different matter. One that will also benefit all of us here in Omirabad."

We came to propose a reconciliation. Chief Halil fixed his dark eyes on Khalid’s face, lifting his chin a fraction of an inch. It’s been many years now since we went our separate ways, as much as is possible in Omirabad. He leaned forward, pursing his lips. As you know, my father wished for…a stronger commitment to the traditions the royal family kept alive for so long. I agree with him, but I also think there’s room for a solution.

If it was about the symbolic bond between the two groups, Khalid could think of a hundred ways to approach it and incorporate an exchange of knowledge and ideas and technology. His mind raced ahead with all of them, blocking out what Chief Halil said next.

They were looking at him.

I’m sorry, Khalid said, smiling at Chief Halil. I was imagining several mutually beneficial possibilities. I beg your pardon.

You have it, Chief Halil said with a nod. We’ve come with a solution in mind. A marriage between a member of the chief’s family and the royal family.

Interesting, said Khalid, and then his mind caught up with exactly what that meant.

Rashid and Samir were already married. His sister, Aliyah, was already married. There was only one member of the royal family available for this kind of marriage—him.

No. He wouldn’t have it. Khalid had plans, and none of them involved being forced into an arranged marriage for the sake of an ancient treaty. Hadn’t all those traditions put them in this position in the first place? He had never once expressed a desire to be married, and he had especially not told his brothers that his dream was to marry a random woman from the tribes as part of a political alliance.

He took a deep breath, keeping a neutral expression on his face. At least he hoped it was neutral. Still, this was an absurd proposal. His older brothers had more important positions in the royal hierarchy and with the tribes, but they’d been able to choose their own wives. How could it possibly be that Khalid was the one who was going to end up in an arranged marriage? It was so archaic. He’d come back from the cutting-edge of technology in Germany and found himself centuries back in time.

It would be up to you, Khalid, Samir said into the silence. We wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter before we entertained the possibility any further.

It would be entirely your decision. Rashid looked Khalid in the eyes as he said it. You have our word on that. However…

No, go on. Khalid waved a hand in the air. I’d like to hear your proposal in full, so I can consider it. His heart pounded. There was no way he’d agree to this. Not a chance. But this was a diplomatic meeting, and even if Khalid wasn’t king, he’d still had to play the part of a dutiful member of the royal family.

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