The Sheikh's Second Chance Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 5) (10 page)

Because, the man he had seen staring back at him had been that most astonishing thing, a creature Malik would never have believed he would ever become.

A sheikh in love.

CHAPTER NINE

Lana awoke with the bright light of the early morning sun flooding in through the partially open blinds on her bedroom's terrace doors. She stretched out on the huge bed and allowed memories of the previous night to filter into her mind.
 

Beaches, sunsets and another kiss.

Such a kiss!

The memory of his touch; the taste of him; his overpowering presence; the scent that filled her senses. Lana felt her nerves quiver as the recollections took possession of her mind the way that Malik had claimed ownership of her full attention.

Lana shook her head and ran a hand through the messy tumble of her hair. She'd only just awoken and yet was already thinking about Malik. It wasn't a good way to start the day, she told herself.

A cold shower suddenly seemed like a great idea.

She leapt out of bed and raced to the bathroom. She threw herself beneath the healing, frozen water, feeling temporary relief as the unwanted early morning sensations were driven to a distant corner of her awareness.

After drying herself, she got dressed in casual pants and loose fitting shirt. Seized by a sudden desire for fresh air she threw open the French doors and stepped out onto the terrace. It was early morning, and the scent of the garden filled the air. She inhaled deep, filling her lungs, sensing how good it was to be alive, how special this place was. The entire visit was turning out to be momentous and awe-inspiring. Not only was she getting to attend her friend's wedding, but something entirely surprising had happened. She felt as if she'd fallen into a deep well, one that she wasn't sure she'd get out of, one that threatened to overwhelm her.

Malik.

What could she say about the man who had tormented her three times now with his ardent attentions, with a primal ferocity that had almost resulted in Lana completely losing her composure and the control over every aspect of her life?

Malik.

Lana leaned on the cool marble balustrade and gazed out over the garden. Away in the distance, somewhere over there, was the beach.
 

Last night, in the limo, during the journey back to the palace, Lana had tried to understand just what had caused her to pull away from Malik. After a long soul-searching debate, she had come to one startling realization. It had shocked her, but, on reflection, it seemed almost inevitable, given the incredible circumstances of the evening.

Trust.

How could Lana trust a man who she not only didn't know that well, but a man who had such a reputation as Malik's?

It came down to trust, pure and simple. He was undeniably attractive. Of that, there was no doubt.

Her reaction to Malik had been visceral, stronger than she could ever have predicted. And she was sure she had hurt him in the process. For that, she felt more than a tinge of regret.
 

Malik had been a perfect gentleman in every respect during the entire evening. The last thing he had deserved was for Lana to give him the cold shoulder, almost accusing him of treating her like nothing more than another of his casual acquaintances.

No.

Malik deserved better than that.

So, what was she to do?

Was there some way she could make it up to him? That would involve spending more time with Malik, and she wasn't sure that was such a great idea. Not after what she had put him through the night before.

Before she had a chance to come to any conclusion she heard the door to her bedroom open and Mia's voice calling out her name.

"Lana? Are you awake?"

Lana went back into the bedroom and through into the lounge of the suite. Mia was standing there looking radiant as usual. Lana thought there was nothing her friend could wear that wouldn't make her look anything less than stunning. Even jeans and T-shirt.

"You must tell me everything," Mia exclaimed.

"About what?"

Mia frowned. "Last night, of course."

Lana groaned and flopped down on the couch. Mia sank down next to Lana. "What happened?" Mia asked.

Lana rolled her eyes. "You don't want to know. You really don't," she ejaculated with a grunt.

Mia's brows furrowed. "That bad, eh?"

Lana nodded. "Worse."

Mia's expression darkened with concern. "You look like you need a good breakfast," Mia said standing up.

Lana gazed up at Mia. "I don't feel very hungry."

"Nonsense. You'll feel so much better once you've tasted one of our special breakfasts."

Mia described the various treats in store, but the sound of the exotic delights merely made Lana groan even more. After some more persuasion by Mia, she gave in and followed Mia downstairs. They came to the dining room where the breakfast table had been set out on the terrace. With the permanent sunshine on virtually every day of the week, hardly anything was done indoors in Qazhar.

They sat at the table and were served an astonishing combination of small dishes, everything from fruits to dips and a huge pot of fresh tea. After eating Lana started to feel her courage return and she told Mia about her visit to Malik's club, their time in his apartment and the helicopter ride to the beach. As she listened, Mia's eyes were bright with excitement, but immediately dulled when Lana started to describe what had happened on the beach.

"And?" Mia asked eager to hear more.

"That's it," Lana concluded.

Mia frowned. "What do you mean, that's it?"

"Just what I say. We left the beach and came back to the city."

Mia looked disappointed. What was Lana going to tell her? That she had panicked just when she'd realized she was nothing more than another one of Malik's numerous conquests? That she had let her innate distrust of wealthy elite men get the better of her? That she was merely tarring Malik with the same brush she had used on all the men she had encountered since her own personal wound had been inflicted upon her?
 
But, that seemed like such a long time ago, almost like an eternity ago, something that had happened in another world.

Surely Malik was nothing like the man who had hurt Lana.

Mia looked serious, and Lana could sense that her friend was determined to help.

"Is all this really about Colton?" Mia asked softly.

There was no way Lana could avoid answering, no possibility of evading the truth. Lana carried the hurt like a physical wound. It had been one of the reasons she had driven herself to that crazy, impulsive test with Malik in New York. She'd been trying to find out if the wound had healed.
 

She'd been foolish.
 

Lana knew that now. She saw that her impulsive need to find out if she could control her mistrust, her fear of letting go, her anxiety about allowing a powerful man to come close to her again, had merely resulted in making the wound hurt even more keenly.

As had always been the case, Lana saw that Mia felt her friend's pain. Mia's eyes were filled with sympathy and concern.

Mia knew the story. She and Lana had shared many a glass of wine over many a long girl-talk.

Colton Brannigan had been a young man from a prominent, powerful Maine family. Lana had fallen for him after a wild college party. They'd become inseparable for weeks and Colton had declared undying love. Lana had felt like a woman transformed. Colton had lit a flame inside her which had burned fierce and bright. She had been convinced of their love.

However, it turned out that Colton's family had had other ideas about who would be suitable to be Colton's life companion. One thing had led to another and one dark, winter night, Lana had found herself abandoned and cast out, like an unwelcome visitor who clearly had emerged from a level of society from which Colton's well-to-do parents were determined to shelter their precious son.

But, what had really hurt worse than judgment that Lana was not a worthy enough person, was the ease with which Colton had complied with the wishes of his parents, It turned out that true love didn't mean the same to Colton as it did to Lana.

The pain of rejection still burned inside Lana. It was a flame that never died.

So, Lana had done what seemed natural under the circumstances. She had shut herself off from the world of men. She'd thrown herself into her career and had found her place in New York taking money from the rich and giving to the poor. Charity work had seemed like a sweet revenge. At least, for a while.

And then Malik had appeared. One night in New York, just at the moment when Lana had felt the wound burn hot, and she had decided to test herself, find out if the hurt would still hold her life in check.

Malik had seemed like an irresistible temptation. He'd promised release or renewed imprisonment, and Lana had been determined to find out.

Well, she knew now how that had turned out. Malik had made something shift in Lana's life, a renewal of sorts, but one that threatened to turn her world upside down once again.

Could she trust such a man? Could she even trust herself? Had she truly left the past behind? Was that wound anywhere near healing?

Lana had no answer to those questions, not even here, with her best friend about to embark on a new life full of hope and happiness.

Lana and Mia talked for a while. It was the same old talk as before. Lana felt comforted by Mia's advice. It was good to have a friend who could see things with perspective, view Lana's hurt with compassion and sympathy.
 

But, while their conversation was as reassuring as before, Lana realized that there was a fresh determination in Mia's advice. It was almost as if Mia had made a decision to act as a matchmaker on Lana's behalf. Lana recalled Mia's reaction to that accusation. Maybe it was true, after all. Perhaps there was something going on.

Did everyone else see that Malik and Lana already had some kind of attraction to each other?
 

Was that such a bad thing? Not really, Lana reflected. She knew that Mia only had Lana's best interests at heart.

But, why wouldn't Mia stop talking about Malik?

Lana decided to try and persuade Mia that Malik really wasn't the kind of man she needed. Assuming Lana needed a man at all. That was something she was sure of, even if everyone else in the world thought otherwise.

"Look, I know you're only trying to help, Mia. But, really Malik and I are poles apart. We don't exist in the same world."

"You see that's the same thing I thought when Rafiq was courting me," Mia said. "But, it just wasn't true."

Lana sighed. "I'm not like you, Mia. You grew up with privilege. I didn't."

"Nonsense. You might not have had some of the advantages that were thrown my way, but you're every bit as bright as I am. And, your heart is in the right place."

Lana felt a rush of exasperation. "There's no way that Malik and I can have anything together." Lana frowned. "He's not my type. I told you that."

Mia laughed. "Yeah, right. One of the sexiest bachelors in this part of the world isn't your type. Why don't I believe that?"

"It's true," Lana replied.

Lana wondered why she didn't sound too convincing.

"Well, it doesn't really matter anyway. It's two days to the wedding. And, there's a tradition that's unique to Qazhar. As you might expect it all revolves around the men who are getting married." Mia rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Men. What are they like?"

Lana felt concern curl in her middle. "What are you talking about?"

"There's a tradition that the woman who is the main attendant to the bride has to submit to one request. It goes back to the old days when weddings were used as a means to bring tribes together. It's still a tradition, just not really held to in quite the same way as before."

"What's that got to do with me?" Lana asked.

Mia squinted at Lana. "Why, everything. You are my principal attendant at the wedding."

"And?" Lana asked weakly not liking where this conversation was leading.

"The groom's choice of attendant gets to make a choice," Mia said. "And, it has to be honored. Otherwise, there will be questions asked about the validity of the wedding as far as tradition goes."

Lana furrowed her brow. "And Rafiq's attendant is..."

"Malik, of course," Mia exclaimed.

Lana nodded slowly. "Of course, he is." This was getting more worrying by the second, Lana reflected.

"So, Malik has staked his claim."

Lana grimaced. "You make it sound so primitive."

"I think what he's suggesting is quite romantic," Mia murmured leaning closer to Lana. "You're not going to believe what it is he has suggested."
 

Mia clapped her hands and smiled.

"Tell me," Lana stated. "What has Malik in mind?"

"I'll let him tell you himself," Mia replied.

Lana frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Mia glanced at her watch. "He'll be here in less than an hour. That should give you some time to get ready."

"Ready for what?" Lana insisted.
 

Mia peered at Lana. "I think he's got a very special plan. And, I don't want to say anything that'll spoil the surprise."

Lana groaned. "Mia. No," she muttered. "I thought I'd be spending time with you getting ready for the wedding."

Mia laid a hand on Lana's arm. "And you will. When you get back," she said.

"Get back? From where?" Lana demanded.

Mia stood up. "Let's get you ready. You've got some packing to do."

"What!" Lana blurted out.

Mia hooked an arm inside Lana's and before Lana knew what was happening she was being hurried through the corridors and all the way back to her room.

CHAPTER TEN

"This is crazy," Lana said once again. Malik gripped the steering wheel of the four by four. He felt his jaw tighten, and he knew he'd have to be careful what he said. Lana was a firecracker ready to go off at a moment's notice. That thought gave Malik a vague feeling of anticipation. It wasn't the first time he'd felt that since they'd left the palace.