Desert Rogues Part 1

Susan Mallery

The Sheik’s Kidnapped Bride

Susan W. Macias

The Sheik’s Arranged Marriage

Susan W. Macias

The Sheik’s Secret Bride

Susan W. Macias

The Sheik and the Runaway Princess

Susan Macias-Redmond

The Sheik & the Virgin Princess

Susan Macias-Redmond

The Sheikh’s Kidnapped Bride

The Sheikh’s Arranged Marriage

The Sheikh’s Secret Bride

The Sheikh and the Runaway Princess

The Sheikh and the Virgin Princess

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

A bride?

Prince Khalil Khan stared out onto the tarmac and told himself what he saw was nothing more than a mirage. He was familiar with the phenomenon, having experienced it both times he’d been stupid enough to get lost in the vast desert of El Bahar. He knew the telltale signs of shimmering heat, a wavering image, the sensation of pain pounding at the back of his eyes.

Unfortunately none of those symptoms occurred at this moment. It was January, not mid-July, and piles of dirty snow stood at the edge of the runway. So much for the shimmering heat. He had no headache—at least not one from staring at the mirage. The image in question neither wavered nor disappeared. It approached steadily in a determined fashion. There was also the small detail of this not being El Bahar. Instead, he found himself in the middle of an airfield in Kansas.

If this wasn’t a mirage, then a dark-haired woman in an ill-fitting wedding gown really walked toward him.

“I’ve committed a grievous sin,” he muttered to himself. “In a past life, if not in this one.”

The woman stopped in front of him. Her eyes, a nondescript shade of brown, were red-rimmed from crying. He bit back a sigh and a curse. He loathed weak females.

“Excuse me,” she said, her voice husky, most likely from her emotional outburst. “I’ve been stranded here.” She motioned to the small airport that primarily served corporate jets. “This is going to sound a little strange, but I need a ride.”

He stared down at her, giving her what his grandmother, Fatima, referred to as his imperious look, although to him it felt no different from any other expression. “You don’t know where the plane is headed.”

The woman swallowed. Two bright spots stained her pale skin, making her look feverish and unattractive. “I know, but it’s not here. I need to get to a city.” Her fingers twisted together. “I’ve been stranded. I don’t have any luggage or regular clothes.” She tugged at the waist of her wedding gown.

He was almost curious enough to ask how she came to be left at the Salina Airport in a wedding gown in the winter. She had no coat, or if she did, she wasn’t wearing it. Perhaps she was unbalanced.

Just then, one of the glass doors opened and a tall, statuesque blonde came out of the terminal carrying a cup of coffee. Her short skirt exposed long, perfect legs, while her too-tight sweater outlined full breasts that jiggled with each step. When she saw Khalil, she waggled her fingers at him and smiled.

“I got some coffee,” she said, as if he couldn’t figure out what was in the clearly marked cup.

Again he wondered what trick of fate had brought him to this place in his life. What was supposed to have been a simple three-week business trip to the United States had turned into a hellish journey. His assistant, a pleasant and efficient young man, had been forced to return to El Bahar when his mother took ill. Both of the hotels Khalil had stayed in had lost his reservations, forcing him to sleep in a regular room instead of a suite. His jet had developed mechanical trouble, and the plane he’d chartered as a replacement didn’t have the fuel capacity to fly from Los Angeles to New York, hence the stop in this outpost of an airport. Last but certainly not least, his temporary secretary had an intelligence level in direct contrast to the size of her breasts. She seemed convinced that all she’d been hired to do was smile and preen. He’d made dozens of attempts to explain that he had actual work for her, but it was all beyond her capacity.

Now he stared at a lost bride who wanted his help. So ended his first week. He could only wonder what the other two would bring.

A steady throbbing began at his temples. “There are extra seats,” he said at last. “We are going to New York. You may come if you’d like, but please do so silently. If you so much as sniffle, I will put you out of the plane myself, regardless of our altitude.”