by Cara Albany
THE SHEIKH'S SECOND CHANCE SEDUCTION
Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 19
CARA ALBANY
A REUNION WITH SECRETS AND A SECOND CHANCE FOR THE SHEIKH
Determined to succeed, Amber comes to Qazhar to find her future. However, she's also reunited with the sheikh she once abandoned.
Wild and untamed, Sheikh Sayid Al Kharif claimed unruly Amber a year before. Now that she is back in his life, Sayid is determined not to lose her again.
But Amber has secrets. A private passion for the sheikh. And a hidden truth that will destroy their future.
Now that she's in his world, where he is lord and master, can she resist the temptations of his palace bed?
And can the sheikh reclaim his lost love?
The Qazhar Sheikhs series
The Sheikh's Forbidden Bride
The Sheikh's Pretend Bride
The Sheikh's Rebellious Bride
The Sheikh's Reunion Bride
The Sheikh's Second Chance Bride
The Sheikh's Baby Secret
The Sheikh's Hesitant Bride
The Sheikh's Desert Bride
The Sheikh's Matchmaker Bride
The Sheikh's Marriage Of Convenience
The Sheikh's Desert Captive
The Sheikh's Enemy Lover
The Sheikh's Tempted Bride
The Sheikh's Desert Princess
The Sheikh's Bride of Convenience
The Sheikh's Unexpected Bride
The Sheikh's Marriage Deal
The Sheikh's Royal Bride
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
The Sheikh's Second Chance Seduction © 2017 Cara Albany
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CHAPTER ONE
"This is it," Yasmina said slowing the car to a halt at the crest of the dune which looked down onto the valley. "We're here, at last," she added.
Amber Forres smiled at Yasmina, the dark-haired, elegant and very pretty Qazhar woman who had met Amber at the airport. Amber gazed down at the small, desert town. If it could even be called a town, she thought to herself. The cluster of buildings, constructed in the typical Qazhar style for this region, nestled in a valley of high sand dunes. The town itself stretched off into the distance for about a mile.
"Meriyah," Amber said quietly.
"That's the name," Yasmina confirmed brightly. "Your new home. At least for the next few months," she added with a smile.
Amber sighed. "It's bigger than I thought it would be," she said.
Yasmina nodded. "That just means there will be plenty to keep us busy," she said.
"Good," Amber replied. She didn't plan on being here for long. The time would pass more quickly if she had plenty to do. If she was busy, she would be able to forget the real reason why she'd come here.
Amber gazed out across the wide expanse of dunes that stretched away to the distant horizon. The sky was an azure blue and the sun was so bright it forced her to narrow her eyes. It had been a long drive from Qazhar city. The desert had seemed endless. Beautiful and awe-inspiring. This was her first time in Qazhar. If she had her way, it would also be her last visit to the kingdom.
But, finally, they had arrived at the place which would be her place of work.
Yasmina shifted the car into gear and started down the thin strip of dark road which led toward the town.
"Where's the relief compound?" Amber asked, examining the town.
"At the far end of town," Yasmina said, pointing. "Everyone's looking forward to meeting you."
Amber squinted. "Really?"
Yasmina nodded. "You know we needed someone to come to the project at short notice." She frowned. "It wasn't easy to find the right person," Yasmina said. She smiled at Amber. "But we found you. At least, I did," Yasmina added with a grin.
Amber smiled weakly. "You certainly did," she agreed. She didn't want to seem ungrateful about the opportunity this project would give her. But, Qazhar hadn't been at the top of her list of places to work in this region. Amber knew there were places that needed her skills. It was just that, right now, there were no real openings for her. So, she'd had to accept this placement. It would be temporary, she reassured herself. Then she could move on to what she really wanted. Something with prospects. Something more substantial.
Up close, the town looked ramshackle. The buildings were very basic, constructed of plain stone. Simple architecture. The kind which was common in desert regions.
The car moved slowly up the main street. If you could call it a street, Amber reflected. There were some rudimentary stores, a coffee shop and houses. The street was busy with the town's inhabitants, almost all of whom were dressed in traditional Qazhar white robes. The townsfolk didn't look particularly traumatized, Amber told herself. That was amazing, given what had happened a few weeks before.
No-one paid much attention to the car as it moved slowly up the street. On the surface everything seemed normal. But Amber knew that was just appearances.
"There's not much to see," Amber observed.
"Most of the damage is up ahead. At the far end of town," Yasmina explained.
Amber thought about how terrible it must have been when the low-intensity earthquake had struck a few weeks before. Even though it had been a really small one, a forceful tremor, the effect on the townsfolk must have been devastating. Gazing down the side streets, Amber could see some damaged buildings. Coming from California, Amber knew that, in comparison to what could happen there, this earthquake had been miniscule. What had happened in Meriyah would have been considered simply a tiny tremor back in California.
But still, the townsfolk must have been terrified by it.
Now the whole town needed help. And the NGO Amber worked for had sent in as much as they could at short notice. The relief compound where some of the inhabitants were being cared for, and the town itself, would be the focus of Amber's life for the next few weeks. Or even months, she reflected.
She would be here until her next placement came up. Being a Health Advisor meant she'd get to use some of her medical and organizational skills. Helping people was why she had gotten involved in this kind of work. And she loved it. But, she knew she really wanted to work in some of the other parts of the region where the problems were even more serious than the ones she'd find here. Regions which had been devastated by war and conflict. Amber was desperate to make her mark in her chosen profession. She had bigger ambitions.This would merely be a start.
She could see they were coming up to the part of town that had sustained the most damage. "I'm glad it wasn't as bad as it could have been," she said, looking at some of the shaken buildings. She saw cracked walls and some buildings which had obviously been badly affected by the tremors.
"They were lucky," Yasmina replied. "It could have been a bigger quake."
"Isn't it unusual for this area?"
Yasmina nodded. "They haven't had one here for so many years, no-one can remember the last time."
"So they're unprepared."
Yasmina nodded. "That's where we come in," she said. "And the Qazhar emergency services, of course." She pointed up ahead. "There's home."
Amber smiled and looked in the direction Yasmina had indicated. She saw a clu
ster of white tents and some temporary metal structures up ahead. She could see many people moving around. The place was a hive of activity.
Yasmina drew the car to a halt in front of a large, quite imposing, metallic building. Amber assumed it must be the center of operations. She gazed around the encampment. She knew there were around a hundred professionals living here. They included a health team, nutritional specialists, buildings specialists and those involved in repairing the damaged water system for the town and a host of support staff. Most of them were Qazhar professionals, like Yasmina, who was a water quality specialist.
But the kingdom had asked for some additional expertise from the overseas NGO. Amber knew there were around twenty or so NGO staff. She wondered if there had been any friction between the outsiders and the very proud and competent Qazhar specialists. It must have been galling for them to have been forced to call in outside help. But, it just wasn't possible to be completely prepared for something like this, Amber reflected. There were so many complex skills needed when it came to this kind of relief work.
They both got out of the car. Amber gazed around the encampment. Everyone was busy, hardly noticing the new arrivals.
Amber took her bag from the car and followed Yasmina into the operations center. The interior of the metal structure was divided into small, partitioned rooms. Amber followed Yasmina down a narrow corridor to an office at the far end of the building.
Yasmina knocked on a door.
"Come in," said a firm, female voice.
Yasmina and Amber stepped inside the office.
A tall woman, dark-haired and with a severe expression, stepped out from behind a wide desk. She was dressed in white shirt and loose fitting jeans. Amber guessed the woman was in her late forties. She thought the woman looked tired, but maybe that impression was created by the dim light inside the warm room.
"Our newest recruit, I presume," the woman said with a smile.
Amber shook hands with the woman. "Amber Forres," she said.
"Monica," the other woman replied casually. "I'm the senior around here." She smiled at Amber. "Glad you made it. Take a seat," she said gesturing toward a chair in front of her desk. Yasmina said goodbye, leaving Amber to get acquainted with her new boss.
Amber shared her experience of making it all the way out to the town. She described how she had gotten the last minute offer to come and work on the relief project. In fact, the offer had come out of the blue and had been completely unexpected. Amber had been contacted by the Non Governmental Organization and offered the placement with hardly any discussion about her suitability for the position. They just needed someone really quickly. After further discussions, Amber had reluctantly accepted the offer from the NGO.
Amber didn't go into too much detail when it came to her desire to work in the more turbulent areas in the region, outside of Qazhar. She knew that Qazhar itself wasn't the kind of place which ever suffered too badly. Life in the kingdom was mostly privileged and tranquil. Exactly the opposite of what Amber was looking for.
Of course, the kingdom had more than enough resources to deal with emergencies. But, they'd called on the expertise of the NGO to add some crucial elements to the relief effort.
For her part, Monica listened attentively, nodding from time to time as Amber spoke about her own background, her interests in relief work and her hopes for the future. Apparently satisfied, Monica went over some of the details of the work Amber would be involved in. It was all familiar enough to Amber.
Finally, Monica stood and told Amber she'd show her to her accommodation. They stepped out into the bright sunshine. The heat was stifling and Amber loosened the collar of her shirt.
As they made their way across the wide open space of the compound, Monica asked Amber how much she knew about Qazhar.
Amber paused a moment, before answering. She'd thought long and hard about whether or not she should reveal to anyone just how much personal experience she'd had of at least one very important inhabitant of Qazhar. But, she had already made up her mind before coming to the kingdom. Personal matters would remain private. For the entire duration of her stay. She was determined to keep some aspects of her own recent past well and truly hidden.
In any case, it didn't seem relevant. It had been a year since she'd last seen Sayid Al Kharif. That was all in the past. So much history, she told herself. She noted how she still could barely think of him without triggering a familiar reaction in herself.
An intense memory of pain and separation.
Also something else. Something she still couldn't forget.
Unforgettable pleasure.
So much pleasure, so much ecstasy.
Amber pushed those memories out of her awareness.
She thought about the hurt. The disappointment.
Was that what he'd done to her? Was that what they'd done to each other?
She saw Monica watching her with narrowed eyes and obvious curiosity, waiting for an answer.
"I've done some research," Amber admitted. "I know it's a wealthy kingdom. And that they seem more than capable of taking care of themselves."
Monica nodded. "There are some things money can't buy," she said. "We've got some expertise they needed in a hurry. So they agreed for us to come into the kingdom. It's the first time they've done that."
Amber raised her brows. "Really? They've never allowed an outside agency to bring in assistance?"
Monica shook her head. "They haven't had an earthquake here before. At least not in modern times," Monica said. "Although the quake itself wasn't that strong, a place like this is hardly built to withstand even a minor tremor. Which is really all it was. You've seen the buildings. They're really basic."
"So that's why there was so much damage?" Amber asked.
Monica nodded. "Luckily it wasn't as bad as we thought at first. But there's still work to be done. The kingdom sent in all the help they could. But they still need more."
"Maybe they thought they could handle everything on their own," Amber said.
Monica nodded. "Seems there are a lot of very proud men in this kingdom. Perhaps its something to do with retaining honor." She crinkled her nose."Or something like that," she added shaking her head.
Amber nodded. "The pride of the sheikhs, I guess," she said.
"You might call it that," Monica said, and then frowned. "You may get a chance to see that pride up close."
"What do you mean?" Amber asked.
"The only resistance we've had to deal with while we've been here has been from the local chieftain. A sheikh who doesn't quite appreciate some of the work we've been doing here."
"Why?" Amber exclaimed. "Doesn't he see the value of what we're doing?"
Monica nodded. "I'm sure he does. It's just that he's not exactly the friendliest type. But, we have to deal with him, since he's the most powerful man in these parts. Nothing gets done without his approval."
"That can't make things easy," Amber said.
Monica shook her head. "He hasn't stood in the way of anything really important getting done. But, he likes to be involved in what we do." Monica rolled her eyes. "And he likes to get his own way in most things." Monica lifted a brow. "He's the controlling type. You know the kind, don't you?"
Amber nodded and said nothing. She thought about that one experience with a very special Qazhar man. Someone who'd been controlling and very hands-on. That description sounded all too familiar. She masked her thoughts with a blank expression, determined not to reveal her inner reflections.
"All that matters is that the people of this town get what they need," Monica said. "And as quickly as possible."
Amber glanced back in the direction of the town. "Looks like you've already done a good job."
"A lot of work has already been done," Monica agreed.
Amber smiled. "I'm really happy to be here," she said. "I could hardly refuse such a generous offer."
They'd reached a large white tent and halted outside the entrance. "You'll be her
e for the duration of your stay," Monica said. "You and Yasmina will be sharing this one. Some of the staff stay on the compound and some have found places to stay in the town. It's a good way of ensuring good relations with the townsfolk. And they're so friendly. They're more than happy to have some of our people staying with them and their families."
"That sounds amazing," Amber said.
Suddenly, Amber heard a rhythmic, pounding sound from behind her. She turned and peered across the open, flat area of the compound enclosure.
A white clad figure, dressed in traditional Qazhar desert robes, was pulling hard on reins and drawing a black stallion to a sudden halt only a few feet away from her and Monica. The horse's hooves slid on the sandy ground, sending up a plume of dust. The horse neighed loudly, resisting its master's control, but the figure in the saddle restrained the wild animal with obvious strength. Amber heard a man's voice call out a deep, vibrant roar. The horse settled immediately.
The man's face was entirely covered, apart from a narrow slit above the nose. All Amber could see of his features were his piercing dark eyes. There was an intensity in that gaze which momentarily startled her.
Amber glanced hurriedly at Monica and frowned.
Monica smiled hesitantly. "Looks like you won't have to wait long to meet our desert chieftain, after all," she observed.
"What do you mean?" Amber said.
She turned and saw the tall figure of the man dismounting from the horse. He started to stride toward Amber and Monica. There was a natural power, a unique confidence in the movement of his body, Amber told herself. Unaccountably, she felt something stir within her. Her heart quickened as the figure halted in front of them.
Amber was sure she saw the man's body stiffen when he looked at her. She saw his eyes widen, gazing intently at Amber. She heard a deep, masculine grunt from beneath the fabric which covered his face. Had that been an expression of surprise? Or even shock? The man's eyes narrowed suddenly and he looked questioningly at Monica.
