Tessa Radley - The Desert Bride of Al Zayed / Best Man's Conquest

The Desert Bride of Al Zayed by Tessa Radley

She should not be allowing Tariq to kiss her like this.

Tariq needed a wife who would do her duty… and that woman was not her. So what on earth was she doing responding to her soon-to-be-ex like this?

She tore out of his arms and put half the length of the room between them. “I don’t want this.”

“Liar.” His voice was flat, his face expressionless. The light in his golden eyes had been extinguished. “You responded to me.”

He was right. But she couldn’t afford to let him know that. “Maybe I’d have responded to any attractive man.”

“Any man?” It was a soft snarl, dangerous. “Like the one waiting for you back in Auckland?”

Jayne’s heart thumped in her chest, so loudly she feared he might hear. “Your lack of trust is the reason why I don’t want to be married to you any more.”

“Do you blame me?” His mouth tightened. “No, don’t answer that. Our marriage is over. In a month you will have your divorce.”

Best Man’s Conquest by Michelle Celmer

“You don’t look happy to see me,” he said.

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m going to try to make the best of this. I expect you to do the same.”

“How do you suppose we go about doing that?”

“I think we should agree to avoid each other whenever humanly possible. After this week, we never have to see each other again.”

A corner of his mouth twitched but he held the smile inside. “Sounds like a good idea.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “So that’s it?”

“Sure.” It did sound like a good idea. For her . But the way he saw it, he was long overdue for a little payback. Some good old-fashioned revenge.

If keeping his distance was what she really wanted, for the next week he would be stuck to that woman like glue.

TESSA RADLEY

MICHELLE CELMER

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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by

Tessa Radley

TESSA RADLEY

loves travelling, reading and watching the world around her. As a teenager Tessa wanted to be an intrepid foreign correspondent. But after completing a bachelor of arts and marrying her sweetheart, she became fascinated with law and ended up studying further and becoming a lawyer in a city practice.

A six-month break travelling through Australia with her family re-awoke the yen to write. And life as a writer suits her perfectly: travelling and reading count as research and as for analysing the world…well, she can think what if all day long. When she’s not reading, travelling or thinking about writing, she’s spending time with her husband, her two sons – or her zany and wonderful friends. You can contact Tessa through her website, www.tessaradley.com.

Dear Reader,

But now it’s time to go out and meet – even embrace:) – new characters. Learn about them. What they like. What they loathe. And most importantly what happens to them when they fall in love…

I found it very hard to write this letter – mostly because I’ve reached the end of the BILLIONAIRE HEIRS trilogy about cousins Zac, Angelo and Tariq. And I don’t really want to say goodbye to these gorgeous men. Not yet. Nor do I want to say goodbye to Pandora, Gemma and Jayne. I’ve spent so much time with these people over the past months that they’ve become a part of my life.

Because at the heart of it all it’s fabulous to create people who, after a rocky beginning, end up falling in love – and convincing readers that their love will last a lifetime. And sometimes, like Jayne and Tariq, they don’t get it right the first time around. In The Desert Bride of Al Zayed Jayne and Tariq have a second chance at love…and a chance to get it right.

Take care,

Tessa

PS: Don’t forget that you can find out more about my upcoming releases over at www.tessaradley.com. Please come and visit!

I grew up surrounded by inspiring women.

My mother, Ria, who always stays true to

herself. As well as Sophie and Esme who

give so generously of themselves.

Thank you all for your love.

Much thanks to Melissa Jeglinski and Karen

Solem for giving me the freedom to write.

And Abby Gaines, Karina Bliss and

Sandra Hyatt – thank you for never being

farther than a call away!

One

“I want a divorce.”

The moment she’d blurted the words out, Jayne felt her pulse quicken. She squeezed her eyes shut…and waited. The silence on the other end of the line was absolute.

“No.”

The answer rang with finality over the vast distance that separated Zayed from New Zealand. Tariq’s voice was smooth and deep and very, very cool. Like ice. Tingling shivers of apprehension started to dance along Jayne’s spine. She recognised that sensation. It meant trouble.

Jayne gripped the handset until her fingers hurt. “But we’ve been separated for over five years. I thought you’d be jumping for joy at the prospect of a divorce.” And your father , too . She refrained from adding the dig. Mention of his father, the Emir of Zayed, tended to result in arguments—she’d learned that a long time ago. And she didn’t want a battle with no ceasefire in sight, she simply wanted a divorce.

But this was not going quite as she’d planned. From the outset Jayne had intended avoiding any direct contact with Tariq—or his father. She’d phoned the Emir’s chief aide, Hadi al Ebrahim, and had bluntly stated that more than five years had passed since Tariq had banished her from Zayed. Tariq was a citizen of Zayed and their marriage had been conducted in accordance with the laws of his country. According to the laws of Zayed, parties had to be separated for five years before a divorce could be petitioned.

The legal waiting time was over. She wanted to set divorce proceedings in motion. The excruciatingly polite aide had taken her number and promised to call her back.

But the aide’s promised call hadn’t come. Instead Sheikh Tariq bin Rashid al Zayed, her husband—no, her hopefully soon-to-be-ex-husband—had called.

Only to refuse her request.

No . No explanation. No softening the blow. Just a very blunt, very final “ No .”

Jayne resisted the urge to stamp her foot. Instead she tried for her most reasonable teacher’s voice, and said, “You haven’t seen me for years, Tariq. Don’t you think it’s time for us both to move on?” From a past that had brought her more pain and anguish than she’d ever anticipated.

“It’s not yet time.”

Jayne’s heart skipped a beat. She sensed all her well-laid plans to start a new degree with the new year, to start dating again, to come out of hibernation and start living a life, unravelling. “Not time? What do you mean it’s not yet time? Of course it’s time. All you need to do is sign—”