The Sheikh’s Blackmailed Bride (Sheikhs of Al-Dashalid Book 2) Read online

  “Are you entirely sure about that? It’s a bit crass to mention the private jet again, or the international lifestyle—both of which would give you untold credibility in your industry. You’d be the most informed wedding planner in the business, without a doubt. What bride wouldn’t want a wedding with chic international flair?”

  Catelyn studied him. “What did you do, research wedding planning, too?”

  “Yes.”

  “You know,” she said with a wry grin. “It’s not considered very polite to tell other people how to do their jobs.”

  “I would never presume to do that.” Rami leaned back in his chair. “I’ve laid out my offer. A wedding in Connecticut, five hours from now. Or you can delete the blog, and we’ll both weather the fallout.”

  “That would mean a very rocky time for both of us. And our families,” said Catelyn softly. “Not to mention Laura and Daisy…”

  Rami waited.

  “Fine,” she admitted, standing up. “There’s no other way out but through. Let’s get married. For real, this time.”

  6

  They were running behind.

  Catelyn checked her watch, her heart fluttering behind her breastbone. To be fair, they were only three minutes behind schedule, but that didn’t matter much to her. It was Catelyn’s style to be prompt in everything. It was a habit developed at Morris International, when she’d done her level best to impress Lydia, and it had given her a good reputation with the brides she worked for.

  Until this business with Rami, though, it hadn’t been enough of a reputation. Maybe she should have taken out more ads. But where? In the phone book? No. Nobody had phone books anymore. A social media site, maybe, but that seemed more daunting than arranging entire grand events.

  It was all irrelevant now. In this moment, at least, in the car with Rami heading toward Connecticut.

  She could feel his eyes on her and felt a sudden flash of shyness. It was a business arrangement, this wedding, and nothing more. But sitting in the car with him, breathing him in like this—it made her feel as awkward as he’d acted at Lydia’s party.

  Not that either of them needed to think about that on the way to their…second…wedding.

  “What are you thinking about?” Rami spoke quietly, his voice low, and it sent a thrill of pleasure through her core as if she were a tuning fork and the words had struck her in the sweet spot.

  Catelyn looked at him then. Rami’s dark eyes held a flash of worry. “This all happened fast,” Catelyn said wryly. “I’m just…thinking it through again.”

  Rami reached out and patted her just above her knee. It was a casual, teasing touch, but goosebumps rose along her skin. “It’s only cold feet. All brides go through it.”

  She laughed out loud. “All pretend, second-time brides?”

  “It won’t be pretend for long.” He took in a half breath. “Though I still don’t understand—”

  “Why certain states have waiting periods and others don’t?”

  Rami shook his head with a bemused smile. “Why it wasn’t enough just to show up and get married.”

  “That’s what we’re doing.”

  “That is not what we’re doing,” Rami said, laughing. “Unless you want to call the last few hours ‘showing up and getting married.’”

  She gave him a pointed look. “You basically proposed when you were surrounded by three wedding planners. What did you think was going to happen?”

  “I thought we’d get in the car and leave.” Rami dragged his fingers down a fold in the leather in the space between them. Catelyn stifled the urge to grab his hand and press his knuckles to her lips. That would not be a very business-related move. “I didn’t think there would be…all that.”

  All that referred to the chaos that had enveloped Elite Occasions from the moment Catelyn stepped outside her office and sounded the alarm. Laura and Daisy had surged into action. In a matter of hours, they’d pulled together a dress, flowers, and a photographer. They’d driven away in Daisy’s car to set up a makeup and hair station ahead of time. Just like the photoshopped wedding, her hair and makeup would be done by her friends.

  All in all, it was a decently planned event. Daisy had even updated the blog post with a cheeky comment about how updated wedding photos were coming soon.

  “Well,” Catelyn teased. “What would you cancel? The gorgeous dress? The nice makeup? God forbid the photographer.”

  “We already have pictures, thanks to you.”

  Catelyn dismissed this with a wave of her hand. “We edited the post to explain that those were bridal session photos for help choosing my dress. Plus, these new ones will be a hundred times better. You’ll be able to use them as promo photos. You know. Back in Al-Dashalid.” She laughed.

  “What—you don’t trust my ability to be a groom in real life?”

  “No, it’s just—” Thoughts rushed through Catelyn’s mind. “It’s just that I promised my parents I’d never marry in a rush. I said I might never marry at all. And here I am, participating in self-sabotage.”

  Rami’s mouth curved up in a smile, his eyes lingering on her face. “It’ll all work out. We have a plan.”

  She rolled her eyes. “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”

  A question formed on Rami’s lips, but the driver pulled the car over at the curb. Catelyn looked out the window at the courthouse in Middletown, Connecticut. This time, she reached for Rami’s hand. “Let’s go fill out some paperwork,” she said. “Time to get married. For real.”

  * * *

  Catelyn took a deep breath and tried to stop her hands from trembling.

  The venue, she had to admit, was gorgeous. Daisy and Laura had booked a last-minute time block at the Patriot Room at the Inn at Middletown. The room was perfect for smaller groups, though the four of them had a little too much breathing room. Never mind all that. The photographer was there on time, and Daisy and Laura had thrown together an aisle runner and floral arrangements that flanked where Rami stood with the officiant at the front of the room.

  Catelyn beamed at him through the open doors, and then the violin music began. Her friends had really left no stone unturned, and a single violinist stood in the back corner of the room, playing the opening notes of "Be Thou My Vision." Catelyn’s heart swelled.

  They’d even found bridesmaid dresses. Her friends processed to the front of the room ahead of her, then stood to one side.

  It was her big moment.

  Rami did not take his eyes off her.

  She knew she looked good. Laura was practically a professional at styling hair, and her makeup was what they suggested for all brides—fresh and neutral and soft. But the way Rami’s eyes went wide as she came closer told her that she was more than a vision. She was radiant. The awe in his eyes was absolutely genuine.

  Catelyn blinked hard. This was about business. Not emotion. This…arrangement was going to save her business and let her friends keep the jobs they loved, even if it did mean leaving them one woman short when she was traveling. Al-Dashalid itself still seemed like a dream. And to go as Rami’s wife…

  To everyone else, it would be real. And they’d treat her as such. Her stomach did a slow flip. They might not be pleased. She’d looked up his brother Kyril’s wedding, and this scenario seemed awfully close. Would his parents be able to stand it?

  She moved slowly down the aisle, aware of each click of the camera shutter that slipped through the violin music. Relax, she told herself. Don’t hold your bouquet so tight. You look like you’re about to crush it. She loosened her grip.

  Rami stood ramrod straight next to the officiant, his expression serious. But as she drew nearer, the warmth in his eyes spread over the rest of his face. A grin turned up the corners of his mouth, and she felt herself smiling back even wider.

  Finally, she stood next to him, and he offered his hand.

  She took it.

  She could feel the officiant preparing to begin the ceremony—a short one, s
ince so much more chaos would follow this wedding—but Rami spoke low into her ear. “You look beautiful,” he said, and Catelyn’s whole body flushed with pleasure. “I have to admit something, before we become man and wife.” She looked into his eyes. “I saw the blog post as a sign.” The words lingered in the air between them and Catelyn’s heart beat harder. She also had to swallow a giggle. This sudden burst of awkward facts was so him. “I wanted you from the moment I saw you.”

  That did not sound like a business arrangement.

  Before she could answer, the officiant began, welcoming the four of them to the most intimate ceremony Elite Occasions had ever planned. “We’re gathered here today to witness the wedding of Catelyn and Rami,” the woman said with a smile. “Unless, of course, anyone objects.” It was a joke, but when a moment of silence came and went, Catelyn felt Rami relax ever so slightly.

  The officiant turned to Rami. “Rami, do you intend to take this woman as your wife, to love, cherish, and protect from this day forward?”

  Her heart leapt into her throat. It was fake—all of it was fake. But this moment sang with a realness that even Catelyn couldn’t deny. Not at the very core of her.

  “I do,” answered Rami. He sounded utterly confident.

  It was fake—unless it wasn’t. He’d wanted her from the moment he saw her. They’d agreed to terms. They’d agreed to a year. But if he’d wanted her that much…

  She had no more time to think about it. The officiant turned to her. “Catelyn, do you intend to take this man as your husband, to love, cherish, and protect from this day forward?”

  Tears sprang to Catelyn’s eyes in spite of herself. “I do.”

  She could accept that it was nothing more than a business arrangement. She could. If that’s truly what it was. But as the officiant led them in their vows, Catelyn couldn’t shake the feeling that there could be more to this. It was a long shot. But there could be more.

  Catelyn barely heard the words Rami spoke. She barely heard the words from her own mouth. But she did hear when the officiant said, “You may kiss the bride!”

  She stepped into Rami’s arms as easily as if it were real, giving herself over to the fantasy. But his kiss—it wasn’t the chaste peck of a staid royal ceremony. His mouth possessed hers, and she felt herself yielding, and oh—it was good. Strong and gentle, and she felt his breath as he moved to explore her mouth with his tongue—

  Laura started clapping, and Daisy followed suit, the two of them cheering. That was close. Catelyn stepped back, Rami’s hand in hers, and they led the way back down the center of the room.

  It was official.

  The clock was ticking.

  7

  “To the newlyweds,” Laura said, leading them all in yet another round of toasts. The bridal party—all four of them—had gone to a restaurant a few blocks from the Inn. It was attached to a very small and very upscale hotel.

  When Daisy had filled the couple in on the reception plans, Rami had nudged his new wife with his elbow, whispering, "Sure, we’re just driving up and getting married."

  Catelyn elbowed him back. “A separate hotel? I trust you guys with my wedding, but—” Her friends chuckled at the joke, their voices rising as they walked through the lobby and out to waiting car.

  “The restaurant had an open reservation,” she said. “And it’s more our speed.” She’d raised her eyebrows at Catelyn, and she’d immediately understood—the restaurant was upscale. It was the kind of place that Elite Occasions would book for other brides. They’d thought of everything.

  Catelyn looked back at Rami and could swear she’d caught him giving Daisy a wink.

  “Oh, so you’re in on this? How?” she’d demanded of her brand-new husband. “We planned everything—”

  “I take it you don’t like surprises?”

  “When it comes to weddings, the fewer surprises, the better.”

  “Imagine my shock when I found out I’d been married without my knowledge.”

  The group laughed again. They’d quieted as they rode together to the restaurant and settled in at the table.

  Now, it was…more awkward, once the adrenaline of planning the ceremony had faded, but Laura had called for a bottle of champagne and Daisy a round of cocktails, and now Catelyn was feeling good.

  “Okay, okay,” she said. “Everybody, quiet down. I have to make a phone call.”

  “Right now?” Laura narrowed her eyes. “Isn’t it a little loud for that?”

  Catelyn scanned the restaurant. With the cocktail thrumming through her veins, it seemed like the perfect time. And anyway, she couldn’t let those photos exist in the world without telling her parents the…current truth.

  She pulled out her phone and dialed her mom’s number. Her parents had left two weeks before on a yearlong cruise around the world. Where were they right now, even? It didn’t surprise her that her mother’s phone went to voicemail.

  “Mom,” she said after the beep. “I know you’re going to be pissed off, but I wanted to tell you and Dad that I got married today. His name is Rami. You met him at Lydia’s cocktail party—the extremely handsome one. I’ll explain all of it later. And I’m very happy. Okay. Love you. Bye.” She ended the call and slapped the phone down on the table.

  “Look at you,” said Daisy. “Grinning like an idiot.”

  “I meant it when I said I was happy.” She blew a kiss to Daisy across the table. Catelyn was surprised to find that it was…true. She was happy and feeling more relaxed than she had in days. What miracles a couple of cocktails and some champagne could work on a girl.

  “How’d the three of you meet?” Rami said, leaning back in his chair with his glass of seltzer. He wasn’t drinking, which was no surprise to Catelyn, but he’d loosened up, too. He wasn’t sitting quite so straight and looking seriously at everyone. “University?”

  Catelyn caught Laura’s eye across the table, and the three women cried in unison: “Alpha Beta Pi, till I die!” and dissolved into laughter.

  Rami surveyed all this with a bemused expression.

  “Our sorority,” Catelyn explained. “We were all in the same pledge class, and we stayed friends after college.”

  “And went off to better jobs, I’m assuming,” Rami said lightly.

  There was a beat of silence.

  “What does that mean?” Laura asked, taking a long sip of her cocktail.

  “Catelyn worked for Morris International before the three of you started the planning business. Didn’t the two of you also leave similarly good jobs before leaving to become wedding planners?”

  Daisy looked at him through narrowed eyes. “I don’t follow. Why do you think wedding planning isn’t a good job?”

  “Event planning isn’t without its charms,” he continued, as if it were painfully obvious. “But the business model you’ve set up isn’t a good one. And the industry focus itself is too narrow, in your case. It could be done better. More profitably.”

  Daisy and Laura gaped at Rami, then exchanged a look.

  “You’re wrong,” Laura said flatly. “Our business—”

  “You know what?” Catelyn cut in. She was desperate not to let the excitement of the day slip away. It had already careened into a bit of a sour ending, but it was better to get out now rather than let it devolve into a heated debate. “I think we should call it a night. Which hotel are we booked at?”

  Laura tore her eyes from Rami, and despite his comments, a little smile flashed across her face. “You two are booked at this hotel.”

  “No way. This place is booked out months in advance.”

  “I made some arrangements,” Rami said, and she turned to find a triumphant smile on his face. “In fact, we’re staying in the VIP suite.”

  There was a chorus of goodbyes, during which Daisy whispered, “You have got to teach him to keep his mouth shut,” into her ear. “But he’s hot, anyway.” Then they only needed to walk down one long hallway and take an elevator up to the top floor.

&nb
sp; Rami put the key card in the slot and held the door open for her.

  “Oh, my god,” Catelyn breathed. “This is…beyond.”

  She’d planned a few over-the-top weddings in her life, but this suite? It even smelled like riches. A subtle floral scent danced over the air in the suite, which was centered on a wide living area with graceful sofas and a gleaming coffee table set with a crystal vase full of delicate pink roses. A few steps in, and Catelyn could see into the small but well-appointed kitchen and the master bedroom, where a king-size bed waited with a pure white coverlet. What was the thread count on all that?

  Her heart beat faster as Rami shut the door behind them, and she felt like she’d stepped fully into her new husband’s world. Was it going to be as easy to navigate as Lydia’s cocktail party? Nervousness pricked at her palms.

  “Do you like it?”

  Rami came up beside her, and she found herself going a little weak at the knees. He was…so tall. They were so alone. He smelled so good. And that kiss at the wedding?

  It was too much.

  “I’m going to bed,” she blurted out. “I’m—I’m really tired. I hope you don’t think I’m being rude.” It was a strange thing to say on their wedding night, and she knew it.

  Rami’s eyebrows rose, but he said nothing as she turned and went into the bedroom.

  * * *

  Rami watched her go. “Good night,” he called the moment before she shut the door to the bedroom behind her with a firm click.

  “Good night,” she called back, her voice muffled. And then she was quiet.

  He had half a mind to follow her, but there was something he needed to do first: call his father. Let him know that he’d doubled down on the blog post instead of having her wipe it off the face of the planet.

  Rami folded himself onto one of the sofas and pulled out his phone, dialing his father’s number before he could talk himself out of it. He answered on the first ring.

  “Son,” Zafir, former ruler of Al-Dashalid, said jovially. “How is your wife?”