The Sheikh's Second Chance Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 5) by Cara Albany Page B
Book: The Sheikh's Second Chance Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 5) by Cara Albany
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Authors: Cara Albany
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know about?"
Mia took Rafiq's arm. "Let's get back to the reception before people start asking questions." Mia turned to Lana. "Are you coming?"
Lana waved a hand. "You two go on ahead. I'll catch up in a moment."
Mia and Rafiq left the room. Lana paused before following them. She needed a moment to consider what she'd just agreed to do. Nothing less than spending time with Malik. A dangerous proposition, if their previous encounters were anything to go by.
Malik was a sheikh and very much a man. He was a sheer male presence the likes of which Lana had never encountered before. The memory of his touch made her nerves tingle.
Lana tried to shake some sense into herself. She was sure she knew how to handle Malik. After all, Lana knew she'd been keeping men at a distance for longer than she cared to remember. But, that was another thing entirely, something she didn't want to think about right now.
Malik.
She was sure that there were things that she could enjoy while being in his company, even if she was determined to keep her distance.
Lana stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She looked down the corridor and saw Mia and Rafiq walking down the corridor hand in hand. They looked so happy together, so absolutely perfect. They were a dream couple, and the last thing Lana wanted to do was spoil the upcoming next few days.
Being with Malik would be enjoyable, and that would be all it would be. Pleasant. Lana didn't care if Malik was on the hunt for a wife. Because, there was one thing she was absolutely sure of. Lana was not one of Malik's possible wives.
CHAPTER SIX
The reception had finished, and all the guests had left. Malik closed the huge, ornately carved front door and looked at Rafiq. His brother's shoulders slumped in relief at the departure of the last guest. The hallway was quiet. Peaceful, at last.
"Where is Mia? Malik asked.
"She said she had some preparations to attend to for the wedding," he replied.
"At this time?" Malik asked.
"Mia does what she wants," Rafiq said. "That's the kind of woman she is."
Malik laid a hand across Rafiq's shoulders. "You've certainly got yourself a live one there, brother," Malik said.
Rafiq nodded. "I already know that. I knew that when I was trying to get her to become my wife."
Malik gave his brother an appreciative look. "Well, you certainly did a good job of that."
"I am the older brother," Rafiq said. "I guess I was always going to be first."
Malik and Rafiq walked side-by-side down the corridors as they had done so many times before when they were younger. It felt good to walk beside his brother even if, in a few days time, things between them were going to change irreparably.
Rafiq looked at Malik. "Father talked to you, didn't he?"
Malik shook his head firmly. "Let's not talk about that just now."
"Why not?" Rafiq asked.
"It's complicated," Malik said running a hand through his dark hair.
"Finding a wife is never simple," Rafiq admitted. "But it's important."
"I know that." Malik wanted the conversation to end before it became too difficult. The last thing he wanted was to have this kind of conversation with his brother so close to the wedding. He knew how much it meant to Rafiq to be getting married. Even if Malik didn't share Rafiq's enthusiasm for matrimony, there was no doubting the happiness in his brother. And, Malik wasn't so selfish that he would deny such happiness to one of his own siblings.
"If you know why it's so important to be married, then why are you so resistant to the idea?" Rafiq asked softly.
Malik shrugged. "I don't know. I am the way I am. I chose this life for myself. No-one forced it on me."
"Maybe it's time to move on," Rafiq suggested. "There was always going to come a time when you had to consider things in the clear light of day. You couldn't spend your whole life like that, could you, Malik?"
"Why not?" Malik asked. He knew there was defiance in his tone of voice, even if deep inside he knew that
Mia took Rafiq's arm. "Let's get back to the reception before people start asking questions." Mia turned to Lana. "Are you coming?"
Lana waved a hand. "You two go on ahead. I'll catch up in a moment."
Mia and Rafiq left the room. Lana paused before following them. She needed a moment to consider what she'd just agreed to do. Nothing less than spending time with Malik. A dangerous proposition, if their previous encounters were anything to go by.
Malik was a sheikh and very much a man. He was a sheer male presence the likes of which Lana had never encountered before. The memory of his touch made her nerves tingle.
Lana tried to shake some sense into herself. She was sure she knew how to handle Malik. After all, Lana knew she'd been keeping men at a distance for longer than she cared to remember. But, that was another thing entirely, something she didn't want to think about right now.
Malik.
She was sure that there were things that she could enjoy while being in his company, even if she was determined to keep her distance.
Lana stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She looked down the corridor and saw Mia and Rafiq walking down the corridor hand in hand. They looked so happy together, so absolutely perfect. They were a dream couple, and the last thing Lana wanted to do was spoil the upcoming next few days.
Being with Malik would be enjoyable, and that would be all it would be. Pleasant. Lana didn't care if Malik was on the hunt for a wife. Because, there was one thing she was absolutely sure of. Lana was not one of Malik's possible wives.
CHAPTER SIX
The reception had finished, and all the guests had left. Malik closed the huge, ornately carved front door and looked at Rafiq. His brother's shoulders slumped in relief at the departure of the last guest. The hallway was quiet. Peaceful, at last.
"Where is Mia? Malik asked.
"She said she had some preparations to attend to for the wedding," he replied.
"At this time?" Malik asked.
"Mia does what she wants," Rafiq said. "That's the kind of woman she is."
Malik laid a hand across Rafiq's shoulders. "You've certainly got yourself a live one there, brother," Malik said.
Rafiq nodded. "I already know that. I knew that when I was trying to get her to become my wife."
Malik gave his brother an appreciative look. "Well, you certainly did a good job of that."
"I am the older brother," Rafiq said. "I guess I was always going to be first."
Malik and Rafiq walked side-by-side down the corridors as they had done so many times before when they were younger. It felt good to walk beside his brother even if, in a few days time, things between them were going to change irreparably.
Rafiq looked at Malik. "Father talked to you, didn't he?"
Malik shook his head firmly. "Let's not talk about that just now."
"Why not?" Rafiq asked.
"It's complicated," Malik said running a hand through his dark hair.
"Finding a wife is never simple," Rafiq admitted. "But it's important."
"I know that." Malik wanted the conversation to end before it became too difficult. The last thing he wanted was to have this kind of conversation with his brother so close to the wedding. He knew how much it meant to Rafiq to be getting married. Even if Malik didn't share Rafiq's enthusiasm for matrimony, there was no doubting the happiness in his brother. And, Malik wasn't so selfish that he would deny such happiness to one of his own siblings.
"If you know why it's so important to be married, then why are you so resistant to the idea?" Rafiq asked softly.
Malik shrugged. "I don't know. I am the way I am. I chose this life for myself. No-one forced it on me."
"Maybe it's time to move on," Rafiq suggested. "There was always going to come a time when you had to consider things in the clear light of day. You couldn't spend your whole life like that, could you, Malik?"
"Why not?" Malik asked. He knew there was defiance in his tone of voice, even if deep inside he knew that
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