Accidentally the Sheikh's Wife.

by BARBARA MCMAHON.

CHAPTER ONE

BETHANNE SANDERS lined up the aircraft with the designated runway and began the final descent. The new jet handled like a dream-all the way from Texas to the coast of the Persian Gulf. It was the first time she'd flown halfway around the world and she wished she could continue on until she circled the globe. When she left Quishari, it would be by commercial flight back through Europe. lined up the aircraft with the designated runway and began the final descent. The new jet handled like a dream-all the way from Texas to the coast of the Persian Gulf. It was the first time she'd flown halfway around the world and she wished she could continue on until she circled the globe. When she left Quishari, it would be by commercial flight back through Europe.

Maybe she'd get another dream a.s.signment like this one in the not-too-distant future. For now, she continued to scan the landscape as far as she could see as the plane began descending. Excitement built. The Persian Gulf was magnificently blue, from deep, dark navy to shades of azure and turquoise. The strip of sandy beach now visible was almost blinding beneath the sun. She had read so much about Quishari and heard so much from her father, she almost felt like she recognized the landmarks as she came in for the landing. Her heart raced at the thought of actually being here. It was like a dream come true.

Had this a.s.signment not materialized, she still would have come-but it might have taken longer as the cost was exorbitant and savings acc.u.mulated slowly.

But fate had stepped in-almost like the answer to a prayer. She was delivering a brand-new Starcraft jet to Sheikh Rashid al Harum-and bringing in a priceless cargo. His soon-to-be fiancee.

Except for the shakedown trips around Texas, the only hours on this jet were the ones taken to fly it here. If the sheikh liked it and accepted delivery, he'd be the proud owner of the latest and greatest of the Starcraft line.

She hoped the sheikh's fiancee enjoyed the detailing of the luxury appointments and had enjoyed the flight. Bethanne had taken extra care to make the journey as smooth as possible. She found it vastly romantic that they were planning to marry-and neither had yet met the other.

A bit odd in the twenty-first century. Still, to have been chosen to be the bride of one of the fabulously wealthy sheikhs of Quishari had to be thrilling. Pictures had been exchanged, the parents had made the arrangements. How did a thirty-four-year-old man feel about having his bride handpicked? Not too different from some of the online dating services-match likes and dislikes, find someone compatible, and there they were.

Would they kiss when meeting? Seal the deal, so to speak? Or would the woman be too shy to be bold enough for physical affection at the instant of meeting?

She had daydreamed on the long portions of the flight when autopilot had taken care of flying that she was being met by someone who would sweep her off her feet, make her feel cherished and special.

Or, alternatively, she'd also imagined her father striding along the tarmac, gathering her into his arms for one of his big bear hugs.

Blinking, Bethanne brought her attention back to the task of landing this multimillion-dollar jet.

The snowy-white exterior had already been detailed with stripes using the colors of Quishari-blue and gold and green. The interior resembled a high-end hotel lobby. The lush Persian carpet in golds and reds supported cushy sofas and armchairs, all with the requisite seat belts. The small dining area was elegant with rich walnut furnishings. The galley was fully stocked, and included a stove, oven and microwave in addition to the lavish below-counter refrigerator, wider than long, capable of carrying any supplies necessary for the sheikh's pleasure. Even the sole restroom was s.p.a.cious.

Bethanne had shown Haile al Benqura all the features of the cabin before going to the c.o.c.kpit for her preflight routine. The chaperone accompanying the young woman had not spoken English, but Haile had. She'd taken in everything with a solemn demeanor. Wasn't she the slightest bit excited? Apparently when the sheikh had mentioned something to the president of Starcraft, her boss had immediately offered to fly Haile from her home in Morocco to Quishari as a favor to the prospective buyer of their top-of-the-line private jet.

Bethanne glanced at her copilot, Jess Bradshaw. It was his first long-distance delivery as well and they had taken turns flying the aircraft to minimize delivery time.

"Want to bring it in?" she asked.

"No. We want this to go perfectly. I'm not as good at it as you."

She shrugged and then brought the plane down with a kiss against the asphalt.

"Nice job," Jess said.

"Thanks. This is a sweetheart of a plane. The sheikh is one lucky man."

She followed directions from the tower and taxied to an area away from the main terminal. The immaculate hangar was already swarming with ground crew; everyone had eyes on the jet as she pulled it into the designated slot. She and Jess ran through the checklist as they shut down. She wanted to dash out and breathe the Quishari air. But duty first. She had scheduled several days here to see if she could find her dad. And to see the towns and desert that made Quishari famous.

"I'm glad we get to sleep on the way home," Jess mumbled, waiting for her to get up first. He followed her from the c.o.c.kpit to the outside door of the jet. With minimum effort, Bethanne opened it, watching as stairs unfolded. She glanced back and saw the chaperone. Where was Haile? In the restroom? Probably primping to look her best when seeing the sheikh for the first time. Bethanne hoped she hadn't been there when they landed. Jess had announced their approach and told the pa.s.sengers to fasten seat belts.

The chaperone looked worried, her eyes darting around the cabin, refusing to meet Bethanne's gaze. Had she been afraid of flying? Bethanne couldn't image anyone not loving it. She'd wanted to be a pilot since she turned five and first been taken up in the c.o.c.kpit of a small plane. Of course, wanting to follow in her father's footsteps had also played a big part.

Two men waited at the foot of the stairs. When the steps unfolded and locked in place, the taller began to ascend. Bethanne watched him approach. He was maybe six-three or four. Which Bethanne found refreshing. Her own five-ten height usually had her eye to eye with men. His dark hair shone in the sunlight, his skin was tanned to teak. The closer he came, the more she could see-from dark eyes that watched her steadily, to a strong jaw that suggested arrogance and power, to the wide shoulders encased in a pristine white shirt and dark charcoal suit.

Her heart began to beat heavily. She was fascinated by the man. Awareness flooded through her, as did a sudden need to brush her hair-she hoped it was still neat in its French plait. Studying him as he drew closer every step, she noticed the hint of wave in his hair. She wondered what he'd look like if he ran his fingers through his hair. Or if she did.

She swallowed and tried to look away. Fantasies like that would get her nowhere. This had to be Sheikh Rashid al Harum. Almost-fiance to the woman in the back of the plane. Oh, lucky Haile al Benqura. She had undoubtedly fallen in love with the man from the pictures exchanged. Now she would be greeted and swept off her feet with one of the most gorgeous men Bethanne had ever seen.

"I am Rashid al Harum. Welcome to Quishari," he said in English as he stepped into the aircraft.

"Thank you." She cleared her throat. That husky tone wasn't like her. This man was rattling her senses. "I'm Bethanne Sanders. My copilot, Jess Bradshaw." She saw the surprise in his eyes. Despite all the headway women had made in aviation, it was still considered primarily a male profession. She was growing used to seeing that expression-especially in locales away from the U.S.

Rashid al Harum inclined his head slightly and then looked beyond them into the cabin.

The older woman rose and began to speak in a rapid strained tone.

Bethanne still didn't see Haile. Was she ill? As the chaperone continued, she glanced at the sheikh, wishing she understood the language. His face grew harder by the second. In a moment he turned and glared at Bethanne. "What do you know of Haile's disappearance?" he asked in English.

Bethanne looked back into the cabin. "Disappearance? Isn't she in the restroom?" she asked, suddenly worried something was wrong. What had the chaperone said? Where was Haile al Benqura?

"Apparently she never left Morocco," the sheikh said in a tight voice.

"What? That's impossible. I showed her around the plane myself. She was on board when we were ready to leave." She turned to Jess. "You saw her, right? When you boarded?"

Jess shook his head slightly. "I don't remember seeing her when I closed the door. A maintenance man ran down the stairs just as I was rounding the back to board. No one else got off the plane."

"There shouldn't have been a maintenance man aboard-there's nothing wrong with the plane," Bethanne said. What was going on? Where was Haile? "What did she say?" Bethanne gestured to the chaperone, still standing in front of the sofa.

The sheikh glared at her for a moment, then in a soft, controlled voice that did not soothe at all, said, "I suggest that you and I speak alone."

She stared at him, suddenly worried things had gone terribly wrong. He seemed to tower above her, anger evident.

"I'll check on things on the ground," Jess said with obvious relief. He eased by the two of them and hurried down the stairs. Once he was out of earshot, the sheikh turned to the older woman and spoke briefly.

She dropped her gaze and nodded. Gathering her few things, she walked to the back and sat on the edge of the sofa, gazing out one of the small windows.

"According to her, Haile took off before the plane departed Morocco, running to meet a lover."

"What? How is that possible? I thought she was coming here to meet you-your fiancee, or almost," Bethanne blurted out before thinking. How could the woman choose someone else over this man? was Bethanne's first thought.

"So she is, was, to be. Her family and mine have been in negotiations for months over an oil deal that would prove advantageous to both countries. Included in that was the merger of our two families through marriage. Now my entire family-not to mention others in this country-expects the arrival of a woman who is to be my wife-and she is not on board."

Bethanne swallowed hard at the anger in his eyes. Surrept.i.tiously wiping her palms against the fabric of her uniform, she raised her chin and said, "I'm not responsible for her leaving the plane. I thought she was on board. She was when I last saw her."

"You're the captain of the aircraft. What goes on is your responsibility. I hold you accountable. How could you let her leave?" His dark eyes pinned her in place. His entire demeanor shimmered with anger-controlled, which made it seem even stronger.

"How was I suppose to know she didn't want to come here? I thought everything was arranged." She would not tell him how romantic she found the scenario. Maybe she hadn't thought it through if the woman had fled rather than come to Quishari. "Though if I had known the circ.u.mstances, maybe I would have questioned whether anyone wanted to be negotiated negotiated into a marriage. I thought it was an old-fashioned mail-order-bride situation. But if the bride wasn't willing, I'm glad I did not have a part in bringing her here." She looked at the older woman. "She's the one you should hold responsible. Bringing them from Morocco to Quishari was a favor to you by our company." into a marriage. I thought it was an old-fashioned mail-order-bride situation. But if the bride wasn't willing, I'm glad I did not have a part in bringing her here." She looked at the older woman. "She's the one you should hold responsible. Bringing them from Morocco to Quishari was a favor to you by our company."

"But the favor was not fulfilled. She is not here."

"I can see that. What do you want me to do about it now?" Bethanne said.

"The marriage would be an arrangement that benefits both countries," he said with a dismissing gesture. "That is not any concern of yours. The decision has been made. What is of your concern, is the fact Haile went missing on your watch."

Bethanne met his gaze bravely. It was not her fault the woman had deplaned. Why hadn't the chaperone stopped her? Or told someone before they took off from Morocco? What else could she say?

This was certainly not the happy arrival at Quishari she'd antic.i.p.ated.

"The immediate need, now, is for damage control," he said after a moment. The sheikh looked back at the woman sitting so still in the back of the jet. For a moment Bethanne imagined she could see the wheels spinning in his head. How could she have known Haile wasn't as interested in the marriage as she had thought? She would never have suspected a young woman like Haile would disguise herself and slip away between the time Bethanne went into the c.o.c.kpit and Jess joined her. It couldn't have been more than five minutes. Obviously it had not been a spur-of-the-moment decision. It had taken planning and daring. Bethanne's romantic mind imagined Haile deplaning surrept.i.tiously and finding her lover and both fleeing, whilst her father and his minions followed on horseback. She blinked. Her overactive imagination could get her in trouble.

"I'm sorry I can't help you," she said, hoping to ease the tension that was as thick as b.u.t.ter. Her primary goal was to deliver the plane, which she'd done. Now all the sheikh had to do was accept the delivery, sign the paperwork and Bethanne could begin her vacation in Quishari while Jess would be flying back to Texas on the next available flight.

"Ah, but you can help. In fact, I insist." He turned back to her. The serious expression in his eyes held her in thrall. What did he mean?

"How can I help? Fly back to Morocco and find her? I wouldn't begin to know where to look."

"Despite my family's efforts to keep the entire matter solely within the family, rumors have been flying around the country. I've ignored them, but I know they speculate a special visitor will arrive soon. My coming to meet this plane would have fueled speculation even more. So, you're it."

"I'm what it?" she asked, wondering what would happen if there was no special visitor. Some gossip, more speculation about when his fiancee would arrive.

"The woman I came to meet. It's as if it was meant to be. What are the odds of having a female pilot bringing the plane-and one who is young and pretty enough to pa.s.s muster?"

"Muster for what?" Bethanne wondered if she'd fallen down the rabbit hole. Nothing was making sense.

"To pa.s.s as my special guest, of course."

She stared at him. "Are you crazy? I mean..." Ever conscious of the fact he was an important client of her company she didn't want to insult, she stopped. But he couldn't be serious. Thinking she could pa.s.s as a fiancee for a sheikh? He had to have half the money of the country. She'd learned that much about the al Harum family from her father. They controlled vast oil deposits and dealt in the world market for oil. They played a major role in the government of Quishari and had for generations.

Bethanne's head was spinning. He wanted to pretend she was his fiancee?

He spoke to the chaperone who came reluctantly to stand beside him. For several moments, he spoke in rapid Arabic. The woman glanced at Bethanne and frowned. The sheikh continued to speak and resignation settled on the woman's face. Finally she answered, bowing slightly.

Bethanne hadn't understood a word. But her mind had quickly considered and discarded one idea after another. The one fact that shone above all was she would be dealing with Rashid al Harum for days. Awareness spiked. She wished she had checked her makeup and hair before opening the door. Did he even see her in the uniform? Feeling decidedly feminine to his masculinity, she let herself consider the outlandish suggestion.

Special guest to a sheikh. They'd spend a lot of romantic moments together. Would he kiss her? Her knees almost melted at the thought.

"It is settled. Haile's chaperone will serve as yours for the time being. Her name is Fatima. She doesn't speak English but we'll get around that somehow."

"Wait a minute. I'm not-"

He raised his hand. "You are in my country now, Ms. Sanders. And my rules apply. Certain influential people are watching to see the young woman that I am interested in. It is fortunate that my family kept a tight lid on the negotiations. No one knows who I have selected. It would not be a good thing at this point to disappoint them. You are my choice since you you lost my other one." lost my other one."

"That's totally ridiculous. How can you say that? Maybe you need a few minutes to come up with an alternative plan."

"This suits me. Time is short. Please put on a happy face and accompany me down the stairs," he ordered.

"Wait a minute. I haven't agreed to anything."

"Would you prefer to fly this plane back to the United States immediately? Canceling the sale?" he asked. "And perhaps putting in jeopardy the relationship Quishari holds with Morocco?"

His implacable expression confirmed he was completely serious. She tried to comprehend if he really thought she could divert an international incident. She opened her mouth to refute it when a thought occurred to her.

She had another agenda in Quishari. She had hoped during her vacation to find her father. It wasn't exactly the kind of stay she'd envisioned, but maybe agreeing to his pretense for a short time would work to her advantage as well. Certainly the special guest of the sheikh would be afforded more access to information than a mere visitor. She had contacts to find, places to visit. Wouldn't it be easier with the help of Sheikh Rashid al Harum?

She closed her mouth while she tried to see how this odd request-no, demand-could work to her benefit. "What exactly are we talking about?" she asked, suddenly seeing the situation advantageous to her own quest.

"A short visit. We'll tell people you've come to meet me and my family. If they think you and I are making a match, that's their problem. After a few weeks, you leave. By then, I'll have the contract finalized and who cares what the rumormongers say. In the meantime, you would be my honored guest."

"I don't see how that would work at all. We don't even know each other." She had never been in love. Had dreamed about finding that special man, one who had likes and interests similar to her own. Never in a million years could she envision herself having anything in common with a sheikh. But there was that pull of attraction that surprised her. She couldn't fall for a stranger. Not right away. It had to be jet lag or something.

Still, he fascinated her. And she was pragmatic enough to realize she could get a lot of help in searching for her father.

The way he put things, it wasn't quite as if they were supposed to be lovers. They were to be still in the getting-to-know-you stage. The thought of getting to know him better tantalized. And people who were almost engaged did kiss.

Why did that compel her? she wondered as she looked at his lips, imagining them pressed against her own.

"Have you considered all the ramifications? What will you say when asked how we met? Why we are attracted to each other? My background is not that important that a sheikh would view it as any kind of advantage."

"Perhaps we could say we fell in love," he suggested sardonically.

She frowned. His tone suggested he didn't believe in love. The dismissing glance he gave proved the thought never crossed his mind. And it wasn't as if she'd fallen in love with him. A strong interest in an intriguing man-that's all she felt. Once she got to know him better, she'd undoubtedly find him a bit annoying.

"It's important even in an arranged marriage for the partners to at least be cordial to each other," she replied with false sweetness, wondering if she could spend much time in his company without coming completely unglued.

"Do you not think I can be cordial?" he asked in a silky tone, leaning closer. He brushed his fingers against her cheek as he pushed back a strand of hair. His dark eyes were so close she could see tiny golden flecks in them. The affinity she felt was drugging. She wanted to close the scant inches separating them and touch his face, feel his mouth on hers.

She drew a breath to get control of her senses. But the scent of his aftershave set her senses to dancing. She opened her mouth to offer a hearty no, then closed it.

Think.

It would help her look for her father. Using her unexpected position to gain access where mere visitors might not have was a bonus she never expected. Don't hastily reject this, she warned herself.

"Perhaps," she conceded.

"And you?" he asked. The intensity of his gaze had her mesmerized. She could no more look away than she could fly without a plane.

"I can be cordial. But not lovey-dovey," she said. There was a limit she dare not cross lest she be lost. One kiss would never be enough. She'd become demanding and forget why she'd come to Quishari if the tempting allure was given free rein.

Amus.e.m.e.nt flared in his eyes. "Agreed, no lovey-dovey. You must call me Rashid and I will call you Bethanne. In public you will appear to be devoted to me."

"And in private?" she asked, already wondering if she'd lost her mind to even consider such a bizarre plan. Still, if it gave her the answers she craved, who was she to say no?

"I'd settle for devotion, but can understand if you feel more reserved," he said. Laughter lurked in his eyes.