The Sheikh's Blackmailed Bride (Sheikhs of Al-Dashalid 2)

“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?”