The Sheikh's Island (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 4) Read Online Free

hardened and he pushed his shoulders back. “That you’re trouble.”

    * * *
    H e lingered on her mind . As she reviewed the many articles devoted to the Molamid men, she found the photos of him captivating. She’d barely known the man for twenty-four hours, and she was already responding to him with embarrassing ease.
    It had been a long time since she’d been under the spell of a man. For Wynifred, sex was nothing without love, and it had been a long time since she’d fancied herself in love. Obviously, his good looks were a reminder that she was lonely and nothing more.
    There was article after article on the two men after a prominent deal went south. Once the media took notice, it seemed that the Molamid men were all anyone could talk about. When the reporters weren’t focusing on the feud, they were focusing on the women. It looked as though Rameez was seeing someone steadily for a while, but for the past few years, they had a different woman on their arms for each photo.
    She was still trying to look past the frivolity of the media when Haris called her to ask her out to dinner. She’d almost turned him down since she still needed to review the notes from her publisher, but the job came first, and her stomach grumbled with hunger. She jotted down the address to the restaurant and agreed to meet him.
    An hour later, she found him waiting patiently outside. To her surprise, the restaurant looked expensive, and he was well dressed. The lean cut jacket suited his figure, and he greeted her with a charming smile. Wynifred glanced at her own orange sundress and frowned. “I’m not sure I’m dressed appropriately,” she said softly as he took her hand.
    “Nonsense.” His eyes swept over her intimately, and she felt her body warm. Had she misjudged the situation? She and Haris enjoyed each other’s company, but he was still a client. “You look wonderful. I wanted to make sure you got to experience the best this city has to offer while you’re here. It’s the least I can do for prying you away from your busy life to help me.”
    “That’s what my rates are for,” she joked, but she felt better. Of course, he didn’t expect this to be a date. It was a silly notion and she pushed it out of her head. “I’m glad you asked me out tonight. I’d like to have a word with you about how you think the initial meeting went.”
    His hand settled on the small of her back as he guided her into the restaurant. Wynifred immediately stiffened. It was probably an automatic move made by a man who knew how to treat a woman, but it seemed a little too personal to her. She quickened her step to move away, and he didn’t reach for her again.
    Haris made a face as they settled at the table. “Talking about my cousin would certainly ruin dinner,” he muttered.
    “That is exactly the type of stigma we need to move away from,” she said with a laugh. “You came to me because you wanted help, but Rameez can sense your hesitation, and it will only get worse when you think like that. I know it’s a troublesome situation, but you have to remember that relationships require an equal amount of effort from both sides.”
    “I am putting in the effort,” he said with a grin. “I hired you, didn’t I? That’s more than he’s doing.”
    “It’s not a competition,” she chuckled ruefully. “Although, I’ll admit that you two certainly do need outside help. Many situations can easily be fixed internally, but there’s something else at play here. Something that I can’t quite put my finger on.”
    Haris reached across the table and took her hand. Wynifred was surprised by the gesture but didn’t pull away. “I have a feeling that you’re going to make me a better man,” he whispered.
    “That is not the idea here,” she said with a gentle shake of her head. “You’re already a good man. So is Rameez. Even good men fight from time to time.”
    “Rameez,” he hissed as he pulled away. “You’re supposed to be on my