Free The Sheikh's Green Card Bride by Holly Rayner, Lara Hunter

weeks for a renewal of your visa.”
     
    Bahir frowned. “Three weeks? That’s the best they could do? Do they understand the rate at which my business moves?” he asked, his voice full of annoyance.
     
    Nicole shrugged, keeping her expression blank. There was no use in taking the side of Bahir’s imaginary foes. He could argue into thin air for all he wanted, but it wouldn’t change the fact that they were going to be stuck in Dubai for nearly a month.
     
    “Apparently not,” she answered, and Bahir sighed.
     
    “Well, I suppose we must learn to be patient then. Are you free this weekend?”
     
    Nicole lifted an eyebrow. “Why?”
     
    Bahir grinned then, his expression impish. “Because I’ve just booked us a flight to a remote island so that I can marry you, and I was hoping that you might be free.”
     
    Nicole laughed then—out of nervousness or actual mirth, she didn’t know. The whole situation was ridiculous.
     
    “Let me check my schedule, and I’ll get back to you.”
     
    “I am your schedule,” Bahir said, his grin firmly in place.
     
    Nicole couldn’t help herself. She smiled back at him. “Well, then I guess I’m free.”
     
    “It’s a date,” he said, and Nicole rose.
     
    “I guess that’s one thing you could call it.”
     
    “Why, what else would you call it?” he asked as she turned and headed for the door.
     
    She turned and looked at him one more time. She didn’t want to say the first word that came to her mind: a disaster. Instead she grinned, hiding her disquiet.
     
    “A wedding?”
     
    Bahir’s eyes glowed with an emotion Nicole didn’t want to name. It couldn’t possibly be lust. Could it?
     
    “It will be perfect, Nicole. I’ll make sure of it.”
     
    With that, she left him continue picking through the mountain of paperwork his visa fiasco involved, excited to busy her mind with anything else but his gorgeous face. It was nearly impossible to believe.
     
    By the end of the weekend, she would be the Sheikh’s wife.

 
     
    EIGHT

Nicole stared at her phone.
     
    It would be a good time in Seattle to call her brother—not too late, not too early. He’d probably just be sitting down at the breakfast table for some cereal that was way too sugary.
     
    She squared her shoulders, preparing herself. Nicole had never once lied to her brother, at least, not about the big things. Little lies? Sure. She knew how to tell a white lie when the occasion called for it; she would be doing just that when Ryan imminently received a mysterious job offer. She reminded herself of that as she picked up the phone and dialed her brother’s number, turning her chair to face the window.
     
    “Hello?” he said, his voice groggy.
     
    “Are you still sleeping?” Nicole asked, her voice incredulous.
     
    Ryan grunted. “Who wants to know?”
     
    “Your sister. You should be awake and productive by now,” she said.
     
    “Kind of hard to do when you’re unemployed, sis. I have to say, this whole sleeping in thing is really starting to grow on me.”
     
    “Really?” she asked, trying not to sound disappointed. She wanted her brother to succeed more than anything.
     
    “Of course not, Nic. I’m dying here. I’ve got another interview lined up, though, so that’s something. I’ll keep you posted.”
     
    “Really, where?” she asked, just as Ryan sneezed into the phone. “Gross! Ryan, just because I’m thousands of miles away doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cover your mouth when you sneeze.”
     
    “My bad. Anyway, to what do I owe this honor?”
     
    Nicole gulped. She could do this. She had to.
     
    “I wanted to share some good news with you,” she said, hesitating.
     
    Ryan yawned loudly. “Oh yeah? I like good news. What’s the haps?”
     
    “I’m getting married this weekend.”
     
    The line went silent. Nicole waited for a response, but after a minute of nothing she finally spoke again.
     
    “Ryan? You there?”
     
    “Uh, yeah. I’m