Category: Sheikh - I write sweet and steamy rom-coms with tear-jerker happy-ever-afters.

Her Improper Desire

6/9/2023

This wickedly delicious collection of novels includes Blackmailed by the Sheikh, Ruined by the Sheikh, and Bullied by the Sheikh.

Blackmailed by the Sheikh
I'm being blackmailed...and a gorgeous, arrogant sheikh has now taken over my life.
Ruined by the Sheikh
My cousin set me up to ruin my life...and I end up in bed with a sheikh.
Bullied by the Sheikh
My gorgeous royal bosshole is drunk...and the sheikh is now telling me to get out before he does something to me. Problem is, I have secret feelings for him, so...

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Sheikhs of Huzna

9/30/2022

irredeemably twisted and deliciously dirty...

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Blackmailed by the Sheikh (Enemies to Lovers)
I'm being blackmailed, and a gorgeous arrogant sheikh has now taken over my life...
Ruined by the Sheikh (In Bed with a Stranger)
My cousin set me up to ruin my life, and I end up in bed with a sheikh...
Bullied by the Sheikh (Grumpy Bosshole)
I have secret feelings for my gorgeous, royal bosshole...
Betrayed by the Sheikh (Age Gap, Bad Boy)
Uh oh. Mr. Mine catches me secretly taking his photo...
Commanded by the Sheikh (One Night with a Stranger)
It was supposed to be just one wild night of role-playing between a doctor (the sheikh) and his gullible patient (me)...

The Arabian King's Contract Wife

5/18/2022

I know it's rare for ordinary girls like me to have gorgeous Arabian kings as their childhood frenemy...

And it's even rarer that said king would suddenly decide I'm fit to be his wife and queen.
But to be fair to Emir Sheikh Khalil Al-Atassi...
He never promised love.
I was just the stubborn and stupid one to still end up losing my heart to him even though I know he's likely to break it.
And so he does.

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“It is nice to see you again,” the kingdom’s highest-ranking general murmured.
“Umm, it’s nice to see you, too.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway---”
Altair slowly shook his head. You know why I’m here.
Harper scowled. It doesn’t mean I should just give up without a fight.
Because they had just about the same conversation for so many years now, words no longer needed to be spoken.
When Harper opened her mouth to argue anew, Altair said gently, “The king wishes you to stay where you are.”
Harper glared. And if I don’t obey him?
“We have recently expanded the palace’s dungeons,” Altair said very politely. “Perhaps you’d be interested in a personal tour?”
He was going to have her locked behind bars, in other words.
Harper forced a smile between clenched teeth, saying, “Nope.”
“I thought so.”
And so she stayed, fidgeted, and cursed the sheikh to perdition.
Maybe if he weren’t single, she wouldn’t mind being around him so much, Harper thought moodily. Maybe if he found himself a queen, she’d stop being stupid. Maybe, just maybe, she’d finally accept the fact that Khalil Al-Atassi was untouchable, unreachable, and would always be, especially to girls like her.
It took over ten minutes before the sheikh finally found his way to her, having had to pause on his way twice, the first to speak with a French ambassador and later, to exchange a few words with a UN envoy.
His cousins spread out in what seemed like natural synchrony, affording them a circle of privacy, but Harper wasn’t fooled. These five guys were thick as thieves, and nothing they did was ever unplanned.
For a long time, the sheikh simply stared at her, stared and stared, making it seem like he had the hots for her. But they both knew he was just baiting her. Damn sheikh. He knew how much she hated being the center of attention, and that was exactly what he was making her to be.
Finally, his beautiful lips curved, and the sheikh said softly, “Marhava, qalifa.” Hello, little girl.
Harper almost scowled, almost glared, but then she caught sight of her father’s warning look from across the hall. Shit. And so she had to resign herself with a stony expression as she said, “Hello, sheikh.” Now go away.
But he didn’t.
Instead, Khalil Al-Atassi remained in front of her, his gaze patient and knowing.
Damn sheikh.
Don’t do it, Harper warned herself. You know he just likes seeing you mad for whatever reason. And the damn sheikh knew how much she hated it whenever he stared at her. She tried counting to ten, but when the sheikh seemed to be enjoying looking his fill of her, Harper’s quick temper eventually got the better of her.
“Stop that,” Harper grouched.
“Stop what?”
“You know what!”
“I truly do not know,” the sheikh said ever so solemnly that Harper wanted to strangle him. “Is it because I called you qalifa?”
Her teeth gnashed. “I am not a little girl.” Damn sheikh.
The sheikh appeared surprised. “You say it as if it is an insult, but it is not.”
“Ha!”
“It is an endearment, one I only use for special childhood friends such as you – dear qalifa.”
“Call me qalifa one more time, and you’ll see just how good this little girl is at trying to choke the hell out of you.” And who the hell was he trying to kid? Endearment? Ha! He only called her ‘little girl’ because he knew how much she hated her youthful looks. And really, childhood friend? Double ha! He was a sheikh, and she just happened to be the daughter of the American soldier who had saved his uncle’s life. Even if special circumstances had allowed them to see each other for one week every year, it still wasn’t enough to constitute a childhood friendship, and they both knew it.
“You are as feisty as ever,” the sheikh suddenly stated.
She only stared at him. You’re a pain in the ass…as always.
The sheikh laughed, the lovely, deep sound causing everyone to turn towards them, and Harper almost swore out loud. For the love of God! This man was the worst. He was often described as aloof but gentlemanly, but in her presence the damn sheikh would always make it a point to smile, laugh, do whatever that would make it seem like they were such good friends –
And all just so she could blow her top, Harper thought furiously, which the damn sheikh found so enjoyable to watch for some reason.
“I am glad you have not changed all this time.” The sheikh reached out to ruffle her hair, just like the ‘qalifa’ he thought her to be, and Harper was tempted to sink her teeth into it like a rabid dog. Oh, to hurt him just once, she thought wistfully.
“Why are you looking at me like you want to kill me?’
“Because I am.”
The sheikh laughed again.
She grimaced. She had wanted him to feel insulted, not amused.
“One day, some people may tell you to refrain from speaking your mind to me.”
Harper only stared. Where did that come from?
“When that happens – do not listen to them.”
“Umm. Okay.” The sheikh was sounding crazier and crazier by the second, but oh well. Maybe sheikhs simply applied a different kind of logic to life. Whatever.
The sheikh suddenly leaned forward, catching her by surprise, and when he lifted his hand to touch her cheek, Harper’s first instinct was to turn away from his touch---
But again, her gaze once again collided with her father’s, his ferocious scowl perfectly summing up his one-word command. Behave!
And so she gnashed her teeth and forced herself to bear the sheikh’s touch.
I can do this, I can do this.
But with every millimeter of skin that his fingers brushed against blazing to life, flushed hot and tingling, it was so damn hard---
His fingers finally fell away, and Harper almost expired in relief.
Oh, thank God.
“Enjoy the rest of the night, Harper.” His gaze dipped just as her fists clenched against her sides, and amusement once again gleamed in the sheikh’s dark gaze. “You are itching to wipe my touch away, nem?”
She smiled ever so sweetly up at him, saying, “Nem.” Yes. It was a lie – but she would rather cut her tongue off than let him know that. “How did you guess?” Harper was hoping the words would at least win a frown from the sheikh, but instead the damn man remained unflappable as ever.
“I will see you at dinner, qalifa.” And just before turning away, he said huskily, “It was lovely flirting with you.”
The sheikh left her gaping.
Flirting? FLIRTING? How dare he imply---
CLICK!
Harper snapped her mouth shut, but it was too late. The official photographer had already taken her photo, and again the sheikh had managed to bait her into showing a God-awful face.
DAMN SHEIKH!

I love a good Sheikh story and this did not disappoint. Unable to put the book down because of the wonderful characters and chemistry. Harper was fabulous. So glad she and Khalil got their HEA! ~ Amazon 5-star verified review

My Insatiable Sheikh

8/26/2021

I should have told him the truth from the beginning. But now it's too late, and I can't leave until I'm pregnant with the sheikh's child.
Graduate in three months and find a stable job. I had my life all mapped out...when a twist of fate lands me at the beck and call of a tall, dark, and handsome stranger who wouldn't even give me his name.
Even worse, I'm obliged to lose my first time to this arrogant piece of sheikh, and all the other times after that...until I'm carrying his heir.

Start reading today.

“You remember, when I spoke of our circumstances as a gift of fate?"
I nodded again.
"It is something I truly believe in. You and I have extremely different lives, and it could only be destiny that have placed you in my path. The first time we met—-"
"Dahlia's interview?"
There was that flash of his lip curling again, and I had to bite back a smile.
"No. She was merely the means for me to meet you, but other than that, she has no other importance. You, however...when we met, there was this instant and inexplicable connection between us—-"
"Hate at first sight?" I quipped.
The sheikh smiled. "Actually, yes. There was something about you that made me feel this rare desire to let all of my walls down..."
To love you, was what I secretly hoped he'd say, but instead...
"To be cruel to you."
My jaw dropped. "Seriously?"
"I have never felt anything like it with anyone before."
"Are you fucking serious?"
"It is amazing, habibti, the way you bring out the worst in me."
"God, you are such an asshole."
"It's why I knew. You were indeed the woman I have been looking for.”
“Because I make a great punching bag," I asked sarcastically, "and an outlet for all of your evil ways?"

"Do not forget" he said solemnly, "about being the oven for my bun."
I couldn't help laughing even though I knew he was only pretending to have gotten the idiom wrong, and despite all those horrible things he had said...
I actually found myself believing all those things he said about leading a severely restrictive life and discovering this instant connection between us...
But more importantly...
He made me feel special.

Different.
And it was the right kind of different, even if it involved him actually wanting to bully me and no one else.
"You are alright now?"
The sheikh's soft tone caught me off guard, but it was the flash of emotion in his eyes that had me capable of only nodding weakly in response. Shit. That couldn't be what I thought it was. Could it? I mean, even if we did have a connection, and I was, as he said, different...that flash in his eyes couldn't be the fucking L-word. Right?
Then may it be my turn to ask a question?"

His words were the distraction I needed, and I said quickly, "Fire away." No doubt, since he had just opened up about his personal life, he wanted me to do the same thing, too. And that was fine. Whatever he asked, I'd answer, whether it had to do with Dahlia, Greg, or—-
"Did you do as I asked?"
"Huh?"
"The panties, habibti."
Oh.
Shit
I had forgotten about that.
"Did you wear them to class? Did you stay wet for me?”

What do you think about someone who's name is Story Teller? She funny and naive, adorable and sweet and not prepared to face the sheikh of her life. I had a lot of fun with this book and it make me feel hot a lot of times too!!! ;-). It is a very good company in this awkward moment that we are living! Thanks Marian and keep doing it!
- Amazon 5-star review

Click here to view other books in the Instalove series. You can also click on the Sheikh category on your right to view my other sheikh romances.

Altair: Desert Sheikh #5

8/26/2021

You are probably unaware of this...

But my first glimpse of you was not at the royal palace, with you standing tall and proud while my father came bearing gifts, one of which included...me.
My father was of the old ways. He believed he was doing me a favor. I would be the envy of many, he told me, for I was to be bride of your cousin, the king.
Your cousin, who already had a queen.
But I digress.
As I said earlier, that day was not the first time I met you.
Our story, alshaykh, started much, much earlier than that...

Start reading today.

“Cards on the table," he said softly. "Deal?"
Safiya nodded.
"You know of the charges your father is facing?
"Nem."
"Do you believe him capable of treason?"
"I believe he will do everything he can to make me queen."
"Fair enough," Altair conceded. "And you? You truly do not wish to be queen?
"Only if you wish to be king."
"I don't."
"Then I don't."
"I matter that much to you?"
"Nem."
"Because I'm your hero."
"Nem.”

“Why?"
"Because you always do the right thing," Safiya said simply.
"I am not a fucking saint—-"
"I know, alshaykh. You are no saint."
Altair stiffened.
"Because saints die..."
Her voice trailed off, but he heard the rest of her words all the same.
Saints died, and the princess did not want him to die.
The princess, who was a traitor's daughter, wanted him—-
A man she thought was her hero, but also...
A man who had been lying to her and was still lying to her—-

She did not want him to die, and it was just one of the thousand things about her that did not make sense.
Nothing about her ever made sense, but for now—-
"May I kiss you, Safiya?"
He saw her eyes start to shine at hearing him say her name, and when she finally spoke, it was that voice again.
"Yes, please."
It was the kind of voice that loved without saying the words.

This is the fifth and final book from the Desert Sheikh Romance series. You'll love Altair and Safiya’s story and it's sweet how in love they are. What started as a marriage of convenience turned into a real love. This book is well written with some twists to keep you guessing. The characters are amazing and likable. This is my favorite of the series and a great finale. I read a free book via Booksprout and voluntarily chose to review it.
- Amazon 5-star review

Note: Also available in iBooks, Kobo, Nook, and Google Play

RAYYAN: DESERT SHEIKH #4

8/26/2021

I have something to hide, and to keep it a secret I might need to blackmail the sheikh into becoming my fake boyfriend.
It wasn't a bad secret, mind you. It was just something to keep people from worrying about me.
And the sheikh as my fake boyfriend? It wasn't supposed to last, but then one lie became another. And another. And another.
Until...the next thing I knew, I was in love with Sheikh Rayyan for real...only to find out he had already lost his heart to someone else.

START READING TODAY.

“Did Al Afea send you?”
The man slowly sheathed his gun at her words, and she nearly expired in relief. Oh, thank God. She had done the right thing then. Al Afea was another name that Sheikh Rayyan Al-Atassi answered to, and Hyacinth had been hoping that the air of mystery that constantly shrouded the royal sheikh would make her lie more believable.
Forcing herself to meet the man’s gaze, she demanded, “Did you not hear what I said? Because the sheikh will not be pleased at all if he sees his woman---” Her voice died when she saw the man reach for his helmet.
Oh. Shit.
She had watched too many true crime shows not to know how much danger she was in, and Hyacinth slowly took a step back. If he was willing to show her his face, then it only meant one thing. He wasn’t worried she would be able to identify him – because he had no plans of keeping her alive.
The helmet clattered to the ground, and the moment he reached for the edge of his balaclava, Hyacinth spun around to take advantage of his momentary blindness and make a run for it.
But she had barely been able to take several steps when long, hard fingers curled around her wrist and hauled her back.
She screamed. She kicked and thrashed against him. She gave him as good as she got, hell bent on fighting to her dying breath –
“Stop struggling!”
“Stop, dammit!”
“Will you just look at me---”
The man’s words eventually penetrated the haze of terror that had clouded her mind, and even though she dared not stop pummeling his chest and doing all she could to knee him in the groin, she did let her gaze move up to her assailant’s face –
“HOLY FUCK!”
Startled at the expletive, Rayyan unconsciously loosened his grip on her just as Hyacinth made another attempt to free herself. She succeeded this time and backed away as soon as she could. Too soon as it turned out because the next thing she knew, she was falling and falling and falling –
Thud.
Hyacinth couldn’t tell which hurt worse: her ego or her ass. All she knew was how her embarrassment was growing with every second, more so when she saw the sheikh slowly crouch down in front of her.
“Well, anisdi…” Rayyan paused. “This certainly isn’t the kind of reaction I was hoping to get from my woman.”
A strangled sound escaped Hyacinth.
Oh. My. God.
Shit, shit, shit.
She had forgotten about that.
“And for the record---” She saw his gaze dip down. “White underwear isn’t a favorite of mine.”
Too late, she realized she was still sprawled on the ground, her legs wide open, and her abaya falling all the way back to her waist.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Another great! As with all her books you feel for the characters like they are right there. It was a little different in that the girl wasn't unsure...I don't want to spoil it. But it doesn't disappoint.
- Amazon 5-star review

HER SEDUCTIVE ENEMY (TARIF'S STORY)

8/26/2021

Note: This is the second edition of Tarif: A Sheikh Romance. Contains extended epilogue.

A womanizing royalhole and a bookish prude: opposites attract...or natural-born enemies?

Uh-oh. Sheikh Tarif Al-Atassi used to walk past me all the time without really seeing me. But something's changed.
The sinfully gorgeous sheikh now sees me as a challenge...
And in no time at all, I find myself enslaved by his touch, and begging wildly for his possession. But just when I start to believe in love, that's when I'm arrested for treason...on the orders of Sheikh Tarif himself. And it hurts. It hurts so, so much to see the way he's looking at me now.
Was all that we had nothing but a lie?

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It was almost three in the afternoon by the time Anisah Kahveci came out of the library, her departure made necessary by the not-so-subtle grumbling of her stomach. After nodding courteously towards the guards stationed outside the doors, she headed towards the stairs at a brisk pace, fully intending to have her midday meal and make it back in under half an hour. With her presentation only a week away, she still had to---
Oh.
Anisah ducked her head as soon as she caught sight of Sheikh Tarif Al-Atassi coming up the stairs, dressed in an elegant grey tweed suit. Among his cousins, he was the only one who seemed to have a stated preference for Western clothing over their kingdom’s traditional robes; it was a trait Anisah secretly found baffling, considering he was also the only full-blooded Ramilian one among the five sheikhs that made up the kingdom’s highest branch of government.
With the sheikh now only a few steps away, Anisah came to a stop and once he was near enough to hear her, she murmured respectfully, “Yam jamil, Your Highness.” The term meant ‘a beautiful day’ in their language, a formal greeting commonly used when greeting one’s superiors.
Afterwards, she waited for the sheikh to walk past her like he usually did.
But this time he did not.
Instead, the sheikh stopped right in front of her, asking lazily, “Anisah, is it not?”
Her head jerked up in confusion, and violet eyes unintentionally clashed with hooded black eyes.
Although all Al-Atassi sheikhs were gorgeous beyond belief, most people agreed that Tarif was the most seductive one among his cousins, with the way his six-foot-plus frame of pure, sinewy muscles pulsated with a blatantly sexual aura – it was as if every inch of him was designed to arouse, and the simplest contact from the sheikh could make a woman come.
The silky texture of his ebony hair that begged to have a woman’s fingers rake through it, the dark eyes that could make a woman come with one scorching-hot look, the hard, perfect lines of a face so achingly beautiful it could make one ache just by looking at him---
“Anisdi?” My lady?
Anisah’s face flushed with color when she realized she had been practically staring at the sheikh like an infatuated little fool. Curses! This was one of the reasons she had worked hard to perfect the art of being invisible when this particular sheikh was around. And for so many years now, her trick of acting submissive and boring to avoid drawing his attention had always worked.
Always.
Until now, that was.
Clearing her throat, she managed to answer in a steady voice, “Nem, alshaykh.” Yes, sheikh. “That is my name.” And hopefully that would be the end of it, and the sheikh would soon go his merry way to wherever his next rendezvous was.
Unfortunately, the sheikh seemed in a mood to prove her wrong every instance.
“It’s a pleasure to finally have a chance to speak with you.”
The words had Anisah at wit’s end, and she couldn’t help lowering her gaze as she muttered, “The honor and privilege is mine, Your Highness.” There was nothing she despised more than dishonesty, and yet here she was, forced to speak falsehoods. But then again, what choice did she have?
Despite being much younger compared to other scholars, Anisah was already considered as one of the kingdom’s leading authorities on Ramilian history and etiquette. Was she supposed to forget everything she stood for just so she could tell Tarif Al-Atassi to his face she---
“I wonder if you truly mean that, anisdi.”
The sheikh’s tone remained lazy, but even so Anisah couldn’t keep her gaze from narrowing suspiciously at the sheikh. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought that the sheikh was actually mocking her.
But that wouldn’t make sense, Anisah thought with a frown. Her ability to conceal her dislike towards the sheikh was something she took great pride in, and she couldn’t think of a single incident that she had let her true feelings slip.
Deciding she was being merely fanciful, she said finally, “I sincerely apologize if I have behaved in a manner that suggests otherwise---”
“Not at all,” the sheikh interrupted her. “I have been observing you for the past two months---”
Her eyebrows shot up. For what possible reason could the sheikh have been observing her for two long months?
“And your self-control has been nothing but remarkable.”
It was?
“But I digress.” The sheikh’s lips curved in a smile then, and Anisah stiffened. No. It could not be. It could not. And so she rubbed her eyes hard, but when she peered fearfully up at the sheikh one more time, the cursed smile was still there---
Allah save her!
She had seen that smile a thousand times, and she had always thanked Allah that such a smile had never been directed at her because it was an omen from hell. In the fifteen years she had lived in the palace, she had seen that smile directed at the women the sheikh had intended to bed – and he had always succeeded in doing so – as well as breaking their hearts in the process.
Did that mean she was next?
Her heart came to a screeching halt at the thought, but when she saw the sheikh’s lips start to move, her heart came pumping back in full force, its every hard and heavy thud telling her that she had no time to lose.
“Maehdina, alshaykh.” I’m sorry, sheikh. “I just remembered that there is an urgent errand the queen has tasked me with. I beg your forgiveness, but please excuse me, Your Highness.” She bowed without meeting his gaze and turned away without letting the sheikh speak another word.
Yes, she knew she was being abominably rude, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
As she rushed away, she felt the sheikh’s eyes follow her, and she almost tripped over her feet at the smoldering heat of his gaze.
Oh curse the man, but it was as if his gaze was actually laying a claim on her body, letting her know that it was only a matter of time before she, too, came to his bed willingly and offered her virginity---
NO.
NO, NO, NO!

Ahhh "sigh".. Right that's how all of Marian Tee books make me fell like I've accomplished something great by reading it but feel sad because I don't want it to end. Another exceptional story that levels you wanting more. I could not put it down and had to wipe the tears that kept falling.
Here you finally get to meet Tarif and Anisah and what a story from their barb comments to each other to hot sizzling chemistry kisses (n much more). This coupe just makes you feel for them with all their childhood trauma just messing up their adult love life. Anisah who avoided Sheikh Tarif and a little bad mouthed about him to the other Sheikh soon finds herself the center of attention by none other then Tarif. He drives her nuts but on the plus side she drives him insane too. Betrayal, Iove and redemption all wrapped up in one.
Can't wait to read Rayyan and Hyacinth story!
- Amazon 5-star review

MY CONTROLLING SHEIKH

8/26/2021

What if Cinderella’s prince was a tall, dark, and handsome sheikh...and he was anything but charming?

I used to be an ordinary small-town girl, a curvy eighteen-year-old who worked countless hours after school just to make things meet. I didn't even have time to date, much less a chance to have my first kiss.
But then my mother married the king and my life changed forever.
Sheikh Khal, the king's heir, now has total control of my life.
Everyone thinks he's a dream come true.
Gorgeous. Courageous. Kind.
With me, however, he's nothing but a domineering jerk.
I hated him, and I thought he hated me back…until the sheikh showed me hate was just another form of love.

Note: This STANDALONE romance is STEAMY and OVER THE TOP. It features a curvy heroine and a possessive, jealous hero. A QUICK, FUN READ that's perfect for those wanting to temporarily forget real-life problems. This new edition also includes an extended epilogue featuring the next sheikh to fall in love.

Other themes: age gap romance, older man romance, enemies to lovers romance, new adult romance

Start reading for FREE with Kindle Unlimited.

I couldn’t breathe, could only look down at the table as the sheikh started stroking a tiny nub of flesh between my legs. I knew about it, of course, but I had never tried to touch it, hadn’t even known how sensitive it was until now, with the sheikh making me want to scream at each tortuous stroke.
God, I hated that he was so good at this.
“Lady Ella?” It was one of the attendants, and I realized she was unable to serve me the third course until I leaned back on my chair.
The sheikh’s thumb started moving faster.
Oh, oh, oh---
It was all I could do not to shudder as I forced myself to lean back against my chair. The position had my legs parting wider, making me more exposed to the sheikh’s touch.
The attendant bent forward---
The sheikh slid the smallest tip of his finger inside of me.
I gasped.
The attendant froze.
Oh dear God, please go away!

This is a great one day read. Khal and Ella story is a much more smutty rendition of Cinderella. Very enjoyable light reading.
- Amazon 5-star review

His Forbidden Bride (Malik's Story)

8/24/2021

She's the only girl I dote on. The only girl I have time for. But fate has also made her the only girl forbidden to me...

Sheikh Malik Al-Atassi could have any girl in the world. But the one he wanted was the girl who had been entrusted to his care---and thus forbidden.
But with his need and desire for her only growing over the years, Sheikh Malik realized the only way out was to push her away for good...by finding someone else.

When reading the summary, I can tell it will be a childhood love story but having the story being told my Malik most of the time makes it a great book. There are always parts where they are funny and parts that you never get to see from different romance books. I love the different short love story that is also part of this book. I also love that the entire royal family knows that they were meant for each other and don't care about while the world doesn't think like the old days just because these two were raised like family and look like family from the outside.
- Amazon 5-star review

Metal clashed against metal as the sheikhs skillfully wielded their swords to parry the attacks endlessly launched against them. Sword fighting was a traditional skill that Ramilian royals were expected to master, but more than that, their instructors wanted to forge the foundation of teamwork among the five young sheikhs. There would come a day when Khalil became king and the four his vassals; it was critical that their trust in each other prove as unassailable as the kingdom’s tallest mountains the moment Khalil took the throne.
“Rayyan, now!” The command came from Khalil, and his blue-eyed cousin whirled around, taking the opponents behind him by surprise. His sword came into contact with the soldiers’ vest, and the pair immediately bowed out of the fight.
Ten more minutes passed, and their enemies – which had started at a mere number of thirty – were now down to ten. Khalil’s gaze scanned his surroundings like surveying a battlefield and wasted no time making his decision. “Cover for Malik.” In war, every second was vital. “Now!”
He and the others cleared the path for their youngest brother in blood---
One by one, their opponents fell to the ground and tapped out of the fight.
That was to be expected.
But the manner in which Malik executed their strategy was not, and it had everyone in the fighting hall silent and stunned, the other sheikhs included. The speed with which Malik delivered his attack, the daredevil risks he was taking, the barely leashed violence in every strike of his sword---
When Malik suddenly swung to face them, the four sheikhs involuntarily tensed, their hands poised above the swords they had already sheathed. Malik stared at them, breathing hard, and the four sheikhs looked back at him. All of them shared the same unspoken and utterly discomfiting thought.
Had jealousy turned Malik batshit crazy?
Sanity gradually returned to Malik, and he said tightly, “I’m okay.”
The four continued to look at him. Malik might think he was okay, only he looked anything but. Right now, their youngest brother looked no different from a beast about to go on a rampage.
“I’ve been thinking,” Malik muttered. “What do you think of attending Kyrillos Gazis’ weekend cruise?”
It was midnight by the time the royal helicopters carrying the five sheikhs landed on the yacht’s helipad, and as soon as they descended, several long-legged beauties in uniform moved forward to welcome them with sexy smiles and non-alcoholic cocktails. That the staff knew better than to offer the sheikhs liquor was testament to their employer’s exacting standards on hospitality, and even Rayyan was grudgingly impressed. “Smart move.” As the kingdom’s future head of finance, he had to acknowledge the subtle excellence of their host’s marketing strategy. With just a simple act of service, the Greek billionaire had let his young guests know that he was the man to consider when it came to business ventures in the recreational industry.
“Careful, brother,” Tarif said with a smirk as they went to join the other guests in the yacht’s upper deck. “The euros in your eyes are starting to shine.”
His cousin only shrugged. “Fucking bimbos can only keep me entertained for so long.” Making money was his favorite pastime, and he saw no shame in it. “Besides---” His knowing gaze slid to their youngest cousin. “I’m determined to make the most out of this emergency trip.”
Malik frowned when he saw that the other sheikhs were looking at him. “What?”
“Feeling better now?” Altair asked politely.
He started to ask what the hell Altair meant when he saw their cousins turn to him again, their expressions guarded, and in a flash, he realized that they had all seen through him. No wonder they had been so quick to accept his invitation to attend Kyrillos Gazis’ party.
As they had willingly flown out of Ramil to keep him company, Malik knew he owed them the truth at the very least. Shaking his head, he heard himself say flatly, “No.” His lips twisted. “I don’t feel better. I still feel fucked, and it’s been so long that I can no longer remember what normal feels like.”
A pained expression crossed Tarif’s face. “That bad, eh?” He tried imagining himself in Malik’s shoes. How would it feel if the young girl he had forbidden feelings for were about to go to prom with another boy? He supposed he would want to smash his fist into the boy’s face---
Tarif glanced at his cousin, and the harsh lines of ill-suppressed violence outlining Malik’s face told him that was exactly what the other sheikh was feeling. And probably more than that, too, Tarif thought, discomfited. The truth was, the word ‘love’ had no meaning for him beyond the filial sense. He could try to imagine how Malik was feeling, but he knew no matter what his imagination was able to conjure---
It would be nothing like whatever Malik was feeling and had been struggling with for years.
“Why don’t you just marry her?” he asked finally. “In the eyes of our law, sixteen is of marriageable age as long as you have the parents’ consent---”
“Even if my own mother were to agree,” Malik said flatly, “I wouldn’t want to do that to her.”
“Eighteen then?” Khalil suggested pragmatically.
Malik shook his head. “She’d still be too young---”
“She’ll always be too young, Malik,” Rayyan pointed out. “You’re ten years older. No matter how much time passes, that will never change.”
“I just can’t do that to her,” Malik gritted out under his breath. “Okay?” His dark gaze swung to his brother. “You at least understand that, don’t you?”
“I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t.” Altair loathed seeing his younger brother suffer, but since Kyria was also his sister, he couldn’t help agreeing with what Malik was saying. Eighteen was still too young, but…how much waiting should Malik condemn himself to?
Looking at Malik, he said with a shake of his head, “You’ve always had a knack for making trouble, but this…” Sardonic humor flashed in Altair’s eyes. “I have to hand it to you, Malik. You could have any girl in the world throw herself at your feet, and yet you just had to pick the one girl you can’t have.”
Malik raised his glass in a mock toast, saying, “And since the five of us are supposedly bound by the same fate, may all of us want the girl we can never have.”
Everyone sputtered and cursed as they realized what they were toasting to, none of them taking it lightly since there was a Ramilian myth about a king and his four vassals that revolved around the five men sharing the same fate.

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