Claimed by the Sheikh (Harlequin Presents, Band 3312) - Softcover

Thomas, Rachael

 
9780373133185: Claimed by the Sheikh (Harlequin Presents, Band 3312)
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0373133189 ISBN 13: 9780373133185
Verlag: Harlequin Presents, 2015

Inhaltsangabe

Banished! 

Princess Amber's arranged marriage to Prince Kazim Al-Amed of Barazbin was a dream come true—for her, at least! But then their wedding night went spectacularly wrong, and a furious Kazim banished Amber from his kingdom and his life… 

Hunted! 

Now, with his country in turmoil, Kazim must prove his ability to rule and provide an heir for his people. But to do so he'll need to track down his princess. 

Claimed! 

Amber has always threatened Kazim's tightly held control. Yet if he is to save his nation—and his marriage—he must finally make the ultimate claim…on his wife!

Die Inhaltsangabe kann sich auf eine andere Ausgabe dieses Titels beziehen.

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Rachael has loved writing stories since she was a small child, but it was the discovery of Mills and Boon as a teenager, that started her love affair with romance. In 2013 she entered Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write competition and her entry earned her a place in the Top Ten. That entry, A Deal Before the Altar became her debut title. Rachael lives in Wales on a farm and loves exploring. Her latest adventure was in the Sahara Desert for charity - and research! 

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

He'd found her.

Prince Kazim Al Amed of Barazbin had found her.

Amber watched as he made his way across the Parisian club, striding between the tables, scanning the dancers. Even in the dim light she could see the contempt on his face and the seductive beat of the music hardly slowed his pace. If anything, it increased it.

Rooted to the spot, she couldn't move. She didn't want to watch him but couldn't stop herself. Every step he took radiated command, accentuating the raw masculine power that served only to highlight his untamed nature. His tanned complexion, glossy black hair and expensive suit made him stand out against the club's regular clientele, and she certainly wasn't the only person to have noticed him.

A tremor of nerves, mixing with the same attraction she'd felt when they'd first met, raced through her. She clutched the tray of glasses she'd been collecting even tighter, desperate to stop them clinking together. For almost a year she'd dreamt he'd seek her out and declare his love but, from the look on his face, she knew such hopes were futile.

He had never loved her and she dreaded his reason for being here. She wasn't sure she could take another brutal rejection from the man she'd loved once with such adoration. He had been her dream come true. The only man she had ever loved.

Thankful the sultry lighting in the club would enable her to slip away virtually unnoticed, she put down the tray and, without taking her eyes from his tall body, moved backwards into the shadows. The music thumped as wildly as her heart when she saw him pause, his brow furrowed into a suspicious frown as he stood rigid and tall. His eyes rested briefly on her and she couldn't help but hold his gaze.

Kazim took one step towards her and she thought the game was up. Then he looked around the club once more and relief washed over her. He hadn't recognised her. She should be glad, but a dart of pain stabbed at her.

Just when she thought she could breathe again, his gaze returned once more to her, this time with unnerving accuracy. He took another step towards her, oblivious to the customers and waitresses trying to pass him, his piercing gaze not leaving her face. Judging by the tight line of his lips and the firmness of his jaw, he knew it was her and wasn't pleased.

Amber's hands shot up to her hair, checking the blonde, pink-streaked wig she used at work was in place. Surely he hadn't recognised her like this—had he? But she wasn't about to take any chances. She wasn't ready to face him yet—not here, not like this. She needed time to compose herself, time to put aside all the dreams he'd shattered.

Kazim looked once more at the dancers then back at her. The distance between them suddenly closed, even though neither had moved, and she felt his suspicion and shock with every nerve in her body. She had to go. Right now.

Quickly, she moved between the customers, seeing only the door to the dressing rooms. The door to sanctuary and, hopefully, escape. She couldn't face him yet. She needed time to find her strength.

She pushed open the heavy door, rushing along the narrow corridor towards the dressing rooms, her eyes blinking against the bright lights. Her heart pounded; she couldn't believe he was here, not after his cruel words to her that one and only night they'd spent together.

'Amber.' His accented voice rang with command, leaving her in no doubt that he had recognised her.

She froze. Her name on his lips, so full of authority, she didn't dare move. She couldn't even turn around. Her heart galloped faster than a racehorse as she heard his footsteps behind her on the tiled floor, coming closer, until a shiver of something she refused to acknowledge ran down her spine. How could he still have that effect on her?

The door to the club closed, muffling the beat of the music, and all she could hear was the tap of expensive leather shoes on the tiled floor. Then silence. She knew he stood almost right behind her. She could feel him, her whole body aware of his, but still she couldn't turn.

Finally her feet were able to move and she hurried on towards the dressing rooms, not looking back. She didn't dare. One look at him would unleash all the memories of her spoiled dreams. Dreams he had crushed.

'You can run, Amber, but you can't hide.' The undercurrent of steel in his voice made her stop just as she reached the dressing room door. Slowly she turned, knowing the time had come, whether she liked it or not—this was the moment she'd dreaded for almost a year.

It was time to face her past.

'I'm not running.' The words rushed out boldly as she looked into his face. She surprised herself with the courage in them.

As Amber looked at Kazim she lifted her chin and pushed her shoulders back. He'd changed. He was still undeniably handsome, but different. She watched him take a few more paces towards her. The severe fluorescent light of the narrow corridor highlighted the angles of his face, the slant of his cheekbones and the firm set of his lips. She had to hold her ground now. She couldn't let him see how unnerved she was. 'Neither am I trying to hide, Kazim.'

'I don't think you can do much hiding in that ridiculous thing.' His black eyes blazed with fury as he looked at her wig.

She couldn't help herself and reached up again to touch it. 'Part of the job,' she said flippantly as he came to stand directly in front of her and way too close. His annoyance at the wig pleased her, fuelling much needed resistance to him.

His gaze snapped back to hers, his contempt washing over her, just as it had done when she'd last seen him. Images replayed frantically in her mind, as clear as if it had all happened last night instead of many months ago.

That night he'd rejected her, rebuffed her clumsy advances and scorned her love. He'd turned her away without a second thought of what it would mean to her, not caring how such a dismissal would affect her. Because of that, she was now a different woman to the one she had been that night. She had to be stronger. She was stronger. He wouldn't hurt her again.

'And this?' He reached out, his fingers plucking at the feathers which adorned the bottom of her corsetstyle outfit, bringing her sharply back to the present. She wanted to jump quickly away from the heat of his touch but refused to give into the urge. 'Is this part of the job too?'

'Yes,' she snapped, roughly brushing his hand away. She would never let him know how he'd hurt her, how he'd destroyed her life. 'What I do for a living is no longer any of your concern. You made sure of that.'

Indignation simmered inside her as she remembered how he'd sent her away, turned his back on her as if she could just return to her life and it would all be the same. In reality, it had changed beyond comprehension and he hadn't cared.

His posture stiffened, making him appear taller, dominating the small space. 'A living? You call this a living?' Dark eyes, glittering with barely concealed anger, pierced hers, as if trying to extract every secret from her soul.

'Don't worry.' She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, exasperated at his obvious scorn for her. 'Nobody knows who I really am.'

She didn't know who she was any more, managing to convince herself, as well as her flatmate, that she was just a regular girl trying to earn a living and get over a broken heart.

'That explains why you were so hard to find.' Irritation filled his voice, but it didn't matter; she knew what...

„Über diesen Titel“ kann sich auf eine andere Ausgabe dieses Titels beziehen.

Verlag
Harlequin Presents
Erscheinungsdatum
2015
Sprache
Englisch
ISBN 10 
0373133189
ISBN 13 
9780373133185
Einband
Taschenbuch
Anzahl der Seiten
192
Kontakt zum Hersteller
Nicht verfügbar
Verantwortliche Person
Product Safety Manager
enquiries@harpercollins.ie

HarperCollins, Macken House, 39/40 Mayor Street Upper
Dublin 1
D01 C9W8
Irland

Weitere beliebte Ausgaben desselben Titels

9780263248418: Claimed by the Sheikh

Vorgestellte Ausgabe

ISBN 10:  0263248410 ISBN 13:  9780263248418
Verlag: HarperCollins Publishers, 2015
Softcover