The Sheikh’s Instant Family: The Safar Sheikhs Series Book Two Read online

  The Safar Sheikhs Series

  The Sheikh’s Wife Arrangement

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  The Sheikh’s Instant Family

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  The Sheikh’s Sham Engagement

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

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  RELAY PUBLISHING EDITION, AUGUST 2019

  Copyright © 2019 Relay Publishing Ltd.

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  All rights reserved. Published in the United Kingdom by Relay Publishing. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Leslie North is a pen name created by Relay Publishing for co-authored Romance projects. Relay Publishing works with incredible teams of writers and editors to collaboratively create the very best stories for our readers.

  Cover design by LJ Mayhem Covers.

  www.relaypub.com

  Blurb

  Sheikh Amad has always gone with his gut, which is why his ventures abroad have multiplied his tribe’s wealth and business connections. But with his 30th birthday approaching—and with expectations that he be married by then—he’s got to go home soon...That means leaving his life in Las Vegas, and Vanessa, the sexy waitress he’s falling for, behind.

  Vanessa Hammerman has had to work for everything she’s ever had, left by every man from her father on up. Sheikh Amad has been fun, but she’s not thinking of a long-term commitment with a Middle Eastern prince. She’d rather keep it fun…until the pregnancy test comes back positive. Now she’s out on the biggest limb of her life: Will this man run from her, too? Or will he be the one to stay?

  It seems like fate when Vanessa tells Amad he’s going to be a father, and his marriage proposal is instantaneous. It’s the perfect solution for fulfilling his duty while at the same time satisfying his heart. But when he brings her home to his tribe, he realizes his independent, Western bride might not work so well in the traditional structure of the Middle East.

  Vanessa has put everything on the line for this: her heart, her career, and her life. So when she refuses to fall in line with Amad’s expectations, they begin to doubt if they can make it work. But if they take the chance, love could become the biggest win of their lives.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  End of The Sheikh’s Instant Family

  Thank you!

  About Leslie

  Sneak Peek: The Sheikh’s Sham Engagement

  Also By Leslie

  1

  Vanessa Hammerman squinted into the dim expanse of the club. Every so often, the carpeted path weaving between the tightly clustered tables lit up under the sweep of a strobe light. Disco balls offered scant illumination. Serving girls in tight outfits and short skirts flitted by, beautiful shadows under the pulsing thrum of the electronic music.

  And here she was, in the VIP section, a very nonalcoholic and very empty cranberry juice spritzer in front of her.

  She’d come to this club a thousand times in her life. And in more recent times, this had become her meet-up place with Amad. Her sexy Middle Eastern lover. The man who had punctuated her whirlwind life in Vegas in a way that she might never forget.

  Amad was out getting refills. He didn’t seem to notice that she’d specifically asked for no alcohol tonight, even though most nights she rocked cosmopolitans like it was her job. Vanessa smiled down at her glass. She and Amad weren’t serious, not by a long stretch. Life was just fun at his side.

  She wanted it to stay that way.

  “Excuse me?” A sharp feminine voice cut through her thoughts. Vanessa looked up, finding a busty waitress leaning down over the table. “Your boyfriend says he needs you on the dance floor.” The waitress set down two full drinks and then jutted her thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll leave your drinks here.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” Vanessa said weakly, though it was more out of habit than any real need to correct the waitress. Nobody cared here. Much less this woman.

  “What?” the waitress asked over the throbbing music.

  “Thank you!” Vanessa said, louder this time, and scooted past her. She weaved her way down the aisle, heading for the dance floor, where countless heads could be seen shifting under the liquid flow of the lights.

  Amad was out here, in this sea of human bodies, and normally, Vanessa was more than happy to meet him in the middle of it all.

  But tonight, she just wanted some quiet, a warmly lit place to meet up so she could get some things off her chest.

  The moment she caught sight of Amad’s ear-to-ear grin, both index fingers making that come here gesture that she couldn’t refuse, her hips were swaying in time with the music. It didn’t matter that she was anxious or tired or distraught. None of that mattered on the dance floor. Amad’s grin tugged her forward, through the last vestiges of resistance. He snagged her hands in his and soon they were bumping and swaying in time.

  Amad pressed his warm cheek to hers. He didn’t speak—didn’t need to—yet she swore they were communicating. It had always been like that with him. Even though they’d only been hanging out for three months, sometimes it felt like three years. Serious or not, they had real chemistry. An intensity that could gut her if he looked at her in a certain way.

  She let herself fall into the music. Their sweaty foreheads met, serious gazes broken by childish grins as they both danced and danced and danced.

  This was what she loved about Amad. She could always live in the moment with him. He was the most fun of anyone. Always.

  God, she hoped that didn’t change.

  “Let’s take a breather,” she finally said, once countless electronic songs had come and gone under the spell of their dancing. Amad nodded and followed her off the dance floor. She led them back to their seats in the VIP section, their drinks untouched. She collapsed in front of her cranberry spritzer with a sigh. Amad tossed back his gin and tonic and immediately flagged down another waitress.

  “You’re so sexy when you dance, Vanessa,” Amad said into her ear once the waitress had gone. “I don’t know why you stopped.”

  “Just kinda tired,” she said, figuring he couldn’t sense the worry flicking through her.

  “You and I,” he said, “we should get out of Vegas sometime. I mean really out. Have you ever thought about that?” He shouted over the din of the music, though compared to the dance floor, their seats were practically in a quie
t zone. “We should go to Ibiza sometime. I went to the craziest party in Ibiza once. I even won a boxing competition there. I could probably get us a free meal just by flashing my trophy, not gonna lie.”

  Vanessa snorted with laughter. Amad was no stranger to world travel and fantastical stories. “Was that with or without alcohol involved?”

  “Without, without. Or maybe with. So when is good for you? Ibiiiiza.” He massaged her thigh under the table. “Come on, baby. Let’s set a date. I bet you’d be fun to travel with. Imagine all the seaside sex.”

  It was hard not to get lost in the caramel swirl of his gaze. Amad had a heat that regularly intoxicated her. Saying no to him was never an option. Nor was disturbing this precarious balance of fun and lightness. They were dating, sure, but they weren’t anything serious.

  Because who wanted to be the girl who brought that loaded topic up? Vanessa knew better than to expect he’d want anything long-term. Nobody did. Not a single man in her life had stayed, from her daddy on up.

  Even the news she had to share with him didn’t convince her that he’d stay. More than anything, it would probably make him bolt.

  “Let’s talk about dates later,” she said, nuzzling her shoulder into his.

  “We’ll need to set it soon,” Amad said, pinching one eye shut to give her a half-drunken stern look. “I’m going home soon to see my brothers for some business, and I don’t want this to conflict. Ibiza can’t conflict.”

  “My schedule is wide open, babe,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. She loved coming out with him. He was so fun and spontaneous, but also so affectionate. He didn’t want to hide the fact that they were dating, or fucking, or whatever it was they were doing. That’s what she’d miss the most, if he chose to end things—the way it seemed like he actually loved being with her.

  Sadness pinged through her. She loved being with him. Three short months and already he was the best man she’d ever known. The funnest. The sexiest. She had a whole scroll of words reserved just for him.

  She didn’t want him to leave. To leave her behind. But she had to get the words out of her mouth. She had to tell him.

  “Amad—" she began.

  “I’m trying to get this meeting with a huge, like…department store,” Amad said. “It’s huge. And high-end. I’m trying to get my family’s clothing line in stores around the world, see.” He wet his bottom lip as he studied the other side of the club. “They’ll set the date. It’s all up to them. This is just my chance to bring something new to my tribe, you know?”

  Vanessa smiled up at him. He tended to spill his business dealings when he’d had a few drinks, which was cute. This wasn’t the first time he’d referenced his tribe, though. Amad was trendy, but that part always stuck out to her as a bit too trendy. Why didn’t he just call them his friends and family?

  “What if your tribe was about to get bigger?” she asked, heart racing suddenly. Here it was. She was going to tell him. She just had to say it.

  “My tribe is always getting bigger,” he said.

  “No, I mean, like, our tribe.” She gestured to the space between them. “Amad, I’m pregnant.”

  Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt. The bass throbbed around them as Amad’s eyes narrowed. He went quiet for what felt like an hour.

  “What did you say?”

  “I’m pregnant, and it’s yours.” She tacked on a big smile for good measure. Her heart beat so fast she thought she might pass out. Please be happy, or even mildly interested in our baby.

  Amad blinked a few times, and his expression shifted into a smile. Slowly, that heartbreaker grin crept across his face. His rough boxer hands covered hers.

  “Are you serious?” he asked.

  She nodded, tears suddenly pricking her eyes. She hadn’t expected to get emotional about this. She hadn’t even expected him to smile. Hell, in her head she was already preparing for him to be halfway out the front door.

  “I am. I wasn’t sure how you’d take it, but I thought you should know.” She could barely speak loudly enough to be heard over the music.

  “This is amazing,” Amad said. The amazed grin hadn’t dulled even slightly. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers the way he loved to do. It always grounded her, always made her see stars for just a few seconds. Like they were together. Like they were really something.

  “Let’s take it one step further, baby,” he whispered into her ear. “Let’s go get married.”

  2

  Amad was strutting on the strip. He knew it. Vanessa knew it. Damn near everyone could see it.

  But why shouldn’t he be strutting? He couldn’t help himself. His world had just flipped upside down—for the better. Not only was he a father-to-be, he was about to be a married man.

  Most guys probably wouldn’t respond to the big bomb of Vanessa’s news the same way he had. But they weren’t in his position. Amad needed a wife. Ever since the discovery of the ancient law last year that led to Fatim marrying his wife Calla, his older brother had deemed the edict a miracle. And according to his interpretation of the law, it extended to all the Safar brothers.

  At age twenty-nine, Amad had some time. But he didn’t have all the time. Besides, he liked Vanessa enough. She was the only woman he’d ever been with that seeing her again and again didn’t feel like a chore. Add in a baby, and the math did itself.

  “Are you sure?” Vanessa asked for the fifth time since they’d hit the Vegas strip. Amad brought the back of her hand to his lips.

  “Positive. Look, here’s the store.” He pointed to the big, glittering jewelry store. He’d passed this place too many times to count. Vegas had been his official home away from home for almost five years. He loved the fast pace and the glitz and the weird underbelly of the city. It appealed to his spontaneous nature and love of flashy things. And money. Oh, he loved money. Spending it, sure, but more than that, earning it.

  Which was why he was perfectly positioned as the head of finances for his tribe. He chose what to invest in, how heavily, and how often. And now that Calla’s fashion line was top priority for the tribe, the entire financial future of the country was being restructured. He had to play it right. And the fact that his entire personal future was being restructured right now seemed like too much of a coincidence. This was a sign. Vanessa was the one for him, and this was the path he needed to take.

  They breezed into the brightly lit jewelry store. Diamonds and gemstones glittered from every angle, enhanced by the cleverly placed mirrors and the ostentatious chandeliers. Amad smiled so widely his cheeks hurt.

  “Pick whatever you want, baby,” he whispered into her ear. He kept a protective arm around her waist as they drifted from one display case to the next. “I want you to have the ring of your dreams.”

  “Amad,” she chided. “This isn’t necessary. It’s not like we need to get married just because I’m pregnant.”

  “No,” he said, “But why shouldn’t we? I want to get married, and of all the women in the world, there’s no one I’d rather be with than you.”

  The words popped out so easily, so honestly, that even he was surprised by the depth of them. Vanessa’s throat bobbed. They’d only been seeing each other for three months, and in that time they’d been careful to keep it casual. It wasn’t hard, with him traveling about half of the time. But Amad hadn’t been with anyone else. He’d felt that spark from day one. He’d thought they’d enjoy the lightness of things for a while longer, but if the serious part came now, then so be it. He was ready.

  “You don’t mean that,” Vanessa said softly, but there was doubt in her voice.

  “I do mean it,” Amad insisted, squeezing her shoulders. “You think I would spring this idea on just anyone? Now look at these ridiculous diamonds.”

  Vanessa laughed, swiping at her cheeks. “God, how can I say no to that?”

  “You don’t,” Amad confirmed. He jabbed his finger against the glass pane protecting a display of diamond rings. “What about these?”
r />   Vanessa scanned the rings, her full lips coming to a pretty pucker as she assessed them. Amad couldn’t help but smile. He’d been smitten with Vanessa since the very first moment he laid eyes on this honey blonde beauty. She’d been helping out a short-staffed friend at their bar, and Amad had come in just as she was serving a Mai Tai to the burly man who’d ordered a Michelob. He’d stepped in to save her ass and won himself some brownie points in the process.

  They’d been meeting up and having fun ever since. And this was sure to be just one more fun adventure before them.

  “I don’t know,” she said, squeezing his wrist as she gnawed on her lower lip. She swung those deep chocolate-brown eyes his way, and he melted a little. “I never thought I’d get married. I haven’t even thought about what ring I’d like!”

  “You don’t need to think of it beforehand,” he murmured into her ear, and then pressed his lips to her temple. It was always hard to not touch or kiss her. “Just look at these and find your favorite. Don’t think about it too much, or else you’ll never pick one.”

  She nodded resolutely, frowning as she looked over the rings again. Then she pressed her index finger against the pane. “This one.”

  Amad waved his hand in the air, calling over an employee. “She’ll take this one, please.”