His Royal Prize
Texas Sheikhs: Though their veins course with royal blood, their pride lies in the Texas land they call home!THE SECRET HEIRDashing bachelor prince Sharif Asad Al Farid swept onto the Desert Rose ranch, his eyes as fierce as the Texas heat. Although he'd come to meet his newfound relatives, it was their lovely ranch hand who attracted his attention. Olivia Smith's beguiling innocence and sassy attitude enraptured him. Matrimony wasn't on Sharif s mind–until the press caught them in a compromising clinch…and his royal family demanded a wedding. The powerful sheikh could not deny his duty, but convincing independent Olivia to become his princess bride would put his reputation as a master of charm and seduction to the ultimate test.
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“Why are you so anxious to run from me? You do not take my proposition seriously?”
“You want me to marry you?” Just saying the words sent a shiver down Olivia’s spine, her thoughts flying in a hopeless direction. “Why? Do you love me?”
“I have a great fondness for you.”
“Why?”
“Your violet eyes. They intrigue me. And you will bear many brave, strong-willed children.”
She blinked. “I thought you didn’t want any. In fact, last night you said—”
“I am not a patient man, Olivia.”
It wasn’t her imagination that he moved closer, or that his eyes had darkened. “Is that supposed to win me over?”
“Perhaps this will.” He cupped her nape, drawing her closer, and covered her mouth with his.
Dear Reader,
Heartwarming, emotional, compelling…these are all words that describe Harlequin American Romance. Check out this month’s stellar selection of love stories, which are sure to delight you.
First, Debbi Rawlins delivers the exciting conclusion of Harlequin American Romance’s continuity series, TEXAS SHEIKHS. In His Royal Prize, sparks fly immediately between dashing sheikh Sharif and Desert Rose ranch hand Olivia Smith. However, Sharif never expected their romantic tryst to be plastered all over the tabloids—or that the only way to salvage their reputations would be to make Olivia his royal bride.
Bestselling author Muriel Jensen pens another spectacular story in her WHO’S THE DADDY? miniseries with Daddy To Be Determined, in which a single gal’s ticking biological clock leads her to convince a single dad that he’s the perfect man to father her baby. In Have Husband, Need Honeymoon, the third book in Rita Herron’s THE HARTWELL HOPE CHESTS miniseries, Alison Hartwell thought her youthful marriage to an air force pilot had been annulled, but surprise! Now a forced reunion with her “husband” has her wondering if a second honeymoon couldn’t give them a second chance at forever. And Harlequin American Romance’s promotion THE WAY WE MET…AND MARRIED continues with The Best Blind Date in Texas. Don’t miss this wonderful romance from Victoria Chancellor.
It’s a great lineup, and we hope you enjoy them all!
Wishing you happy reading,
Melissa Jeglinski
Associate Senior Editor
Harlequin American Romance
In memory of Sister John Olivia. I miss you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debbi Rawlins currently lives with her husband and dog in Las Vegas, Nevada. A native of Hawaii, she married on Maui and has since lived in Cincinnati, Chicago, Tulsa, Houston, Detroit and Durham, North Carolina, during the past twenty years. Now that she’s had enough of the gypsy life, it’ll take a crane, a bulldozer and a forklift to get her out of her new home. Good thing she doesn’t like to gamble. Except maybe on romance.
Books by Debbi Rawlins
HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE
580—MARRIAGE INCORPORATED
618—THE COWBOY AND THE CENTERFOLD
622—THE OUTLAW AND THE CITY SLICKER
675—LOVE, MARRIAGE AND OTHER CALAMITIES
691—MARRY ME, BABY
730—THE BRIDE TO BE…OR NOT TO BE
741—IF WISHES WERE…HUSBANDS
780—STUD FOR HIRE?
790—OVERNIGHT FATHER
808—HIS, HERS AND THEIRS
860—LOVING A LONESOME COWBOY
881—HIS ROYAL PRIZE
HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE
587—HER MYSTERIOUS STRANGER
Contents
Chapter One
America was a strange and bewildering place. Sharif Asad Al Farid squinted out the parlor window at the vast expanse of the Desert Rose ranch. In the distance, he could see two of his three brothers working with the horses. Brothers he had just met, had not known existed until a week ago.
No, America was not so strange. Sharif had traveled to New York often while he studied at the university in London, and he had always enjoyed his visits. It was Texas that seemed odd to him, and the way his brothers embraced manual labor, even though they shared the same royal blood that flowed through his veins.
Did they not understand what it meant to be heir to the throne of Sorajhee? To be sons of a king?
Sharif massaged the tension knotting the back of his neck. More confusing than a desert mirage were the thoughts spinning incessantly like a whirlpool inside his head. He was not sure who he was anymore, or from where he truly came. For twenty-nine years he had been the firstborn, the only son of King Zakariyya and Queen Nadirah of Balahar. There had been no question he would ascend the throne. But now…
His glance slid to Rose, the American woman who had borne him. She looked his way, her anxious blue eyes meeting his, and she stopped pouring tea. Her lips curved slightly. Only politeness made him return the tentative smile before he turned to stare out the window again.
He was a fool not to have guessed he had been adopted. Or that he was of half-Western ancestry. All the signs were in evidence—the lighter eyes, the fairer skin. Although his eyes were a dark midnight-blue and not as pale as those of this woman who claimed to be his mother, he in no way resembled King Zak’s or Queen Nadirah’s dark, regal looks.
