His Defiant Desert Queen. Jane Porter

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His Defiant Desert Queen - Jane Porter


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       “I am to decide your punishment for you,” Mikael said finally.

      “What are the choices?”

      “Seven years’ house arrest here in Haslam—”

      “Seven years?”

      “Or I take you as my wife.”

      “That’s not funny. Not even remotely funny.”

      “It’s not a joke. I either marry you, or leave you here in Haslam to begin your house arrest.”

      He saw Jemma recoil and her face turn white.

      “I warned you that Sheikh Azizzi would not be lenient. He is not a Copeland fan either. He knows what your father did to my mother, and he wants to send a message that Saidia will not tolerate crime or immorality.”

      “But seven years!” She reached for the edge of the table to steady herself. “That’s … that’s … so long.”

      “Seven years or marriage,” he corrected.

      “No. No. Marriage isn’t an option. I won’t marry you. I would never marry you. I could never marry you.”

       THE DISGRACED COPELANDS

       A family in the headlines—for all the wrong reasons!

      For the Copeland family each day brings another tabloid scandal. Their world was one of unrivalled luxury and glittering social events. Now their privileged life is nothing but a distant memory …

      Staring the taunting paparazzi straight in the eye, the Copeland heirs seek to start new lives—with no one to rely on but themselves.

      At least that’s what they think …!

      It seems fame and riches can’t buy happinessbut they make it fun trying!

      Read Morgan Copeland’s story in:

       The Fallen Greek Bride

      Read Jemma Copeland’s story in:

       His Defiant Desert Queen

      Look out for more scandalous stories about

       The Disgraced Copelands

      by Jane Porter

       Coming soon!

      His Defiant Desert Queen

      Jane Porter

      

www.millsandboon.co.uk

      New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author JANE PORTER has written forty romances and eleven women’s fiction novels since her first sale to Mills & Boon® Modern Romance in 2000. A five-time RITA® finalist, Jane is known for her passionate, emotional and sensual novels, and loves nothing more than alpha heroes, exotic locations and happy-ever-afters. Today Jane lives in sunny San Clemente, California, with her surfer husband and three sons. Visit www.janeporter.com

      For Lee Hyat,

      who has been there every step of the way since reading

      The Italian Groom! Thank you for being my first reader and a most loyal and cherished friend.

      Contents

       Cover

       Introduction

      THE DISGRACED COPELANDS

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Dedication

      PROLOGUE

      CHAPTER ONE

       CHAPTER SIX

       CHAPTER SEVEN

       CHAPTER EIGHT

       CHAPTER NINE

       CHAPTER TEN

       CHAPTER ELEVEN

       CHAPTER TWELVE

       CHAPTER THIRTEEN

       CHAPTER FOURTEEN

       CHAPTER FIFTEEN

       Extract

       Copyright

       PROLOGUE

      SEETHING, SHEIKH MIKAEL KARIM, King of Saidia, watched the high fashion photo shoot taking place in the desert—his desert—wondering how anyone could think it was okay to enter a foreign country under a false identity and think he, or she, as it happened to be in this case, could get away with it.

      Apparently the world was filled with fools.

      Fools by the name of Copeland.

      Jaw tight, temper barely leashed, Mikael waited for the right moment to intervene.

      He’d been pushed too far, challenged directly, and he’d meet that challenge with swift retribution.

      A king didn’t negotiate. A king never begged, and a king refused to curry favor.

      Saidia might be a small kingdom, but it was powerful. And the government of Saidia might tolerate the West, but Westerners couldn’t enter Saidia, flaunt Saidia law, and think there would be no repercussions.

      Jemma Copeland was a foolish woman. So like her father, thumbing her nose at the law, believing she was above it.

      Perhaps Daniel Copeland had got away with his crimes. But his daughter would not be so lucky. Miss Jemma Copeland was going to pay.

       CHAPTER ONE

      NECESSITY HAD TAUGHT Jemma Copeland to shut out distractions.

      She’d learned to ignore the things she didn’t want to think about, to enable her to do what needed to be done.

      So for the past two hours she’d ignored the scorching heat of the Sahara. The insistent, hollow ache in her stomach. The stigma of being a Copeland, and what it meant back home in the United States.

      She’d blocked out heat, hunger, and shame, but she couldn’t block out the tall, white-robed man standing just a foot behind the photographer, watching her through dark, unsmiling eyes while a half dozen robed men stood behind him.

      She


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