The Sheikh's Second Chance Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 5) by Cara Albany

weddings were used as a means to bring tribes together. It's still a tradition, just not really held to in quite the same way as before."
    "What's that got to do with me?" Lana asked.
    Mia squinted at Lana. "Why, everything. You are my principal attendant at the wedding."
    "And?" Lana asked weakly not liking where this conversation was leading.
    "The groom's choice of attendant gets to make a choice," Mia said. "And, it has to be honored. Otherwise, there will be questions asked about the validity of the wedding as far as tradition goes."
    Lana furrowed her brow. "And Rafiq's attendant is..."
    "Malik, of course," Mia exclaimed.
    Lana nodded slowly. "Of course, he is." This was getting more worrying by the second, Lana reflected.
    "So, Malik has staked his claim."
    Lana grimaced. "You make it sound so primitive."
    "I think what he's suggesting is quite romantic," Mia murmured leaning closer to Lana. "You're not going to believe what it is he has suggested."  
    Mia clapped her hands and smiled.
    "Tell me," Lana stated. "What has Malik in mind?"
    "I'll let him tell you himself," Mia replied.
    Lana frowned. "What are you talking about?"
    Mia glanced at her watch. "He'll be here in less than an hour. That should give you some time to get ready."
    "Ready for what?" Lana insisted.  
    Mia peered at Lana. "I think he's got a very special plan. And, I don't want to say anything that'll spoil the surprise."
    Lana groaned. "Mia. No," she muttered. "I thought I'd be spending time with you getting ready for the wedding."
    Mia laid a hand on Lana's arm. "And you will. When you get back," she said.
    "Get back? From where?" Lana demanded.
    Mia stood up. "Let's get you ready. You've got some packing to do."
    "What!" Lana blurted out.
    Mia hooked an arm inside Lana's and before Lana knew what was happening she was being hurried through the corridors and all the way back to her room.

CHAPTER TEN

    "This is crazy," Lana said once again. Malik gripped the steering wheel of the four by four. He felt his jaw tighten, and he knew he'd have to be careful what he said. Lana was a firecracker ready to go off at a moment's notice. That thought gave Malik a vague feeling of anticipation. It wasn't the first time he'd felt that since they'd left the palace.
    "Why is tradition crazy?" he asked again. She still hadn't been able to come up with an objection to that.
    "You're asking me to believe that we have to spend the night away from the palace. Just because tradition dictates that we must do it?"
    Malik nodded. "Who am I to argue with the wisdom of the past?" he asked. "If it was good enough for my ancestors, then it's good enough for me."
    "Funny, that no-one mentioned it before today," Lana said.
    "Look it up," Malik replied.
    "In what?"
    Malik smiled at Lana. "I don't know. In my tribal handbook or something," he joked. Malik had to admit that he thought that was kind of funny. There wasn't any such thing as a tribal handbook. Every tradition was handed down by word of mouth.
    He could see Lana still wasn't amused. Not one bit. She squinted at him and then he saw her jaw tighten into that cute, hard line. Why did he like teasing her so much?
    Malik gazed out ahead. The thin strip of road stretched off into the distance. All around them was desert, an awe-inspiring expanse of golden sand. The sun was high in the sky, and it was getting into the early part of the afternoon. They hadn't passed a car in nearly an hour.  
    They were headed north to a place that Malik hadn't visited for a very long time. He wondered what was going to happen once they reached the place. He glanced at the beautiful American woman seated in the passenger seat and felt a tug of uncertainty.
    Anyway, it didn't matter now. They were alone, and that was all that was important. He had Lana all to himself.
    Lana sat with her arms crossed over her ample breasts. She was wearing a thin, pale blue dress that reached her knees. Her arms were bare, and her cleavage was barely covered