The Sheikh’s Tempting Assistant by Leslie North
Publication date: June 21st, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Laura Bliss is an assistant location scout with no sense of direction — which is how she got stuck with a faulty GPS and the job of scouting sand dunes rather than the oasis her boss is currently viewing. With the sun going down and Laura seriously worrying for her life, she stumbles across a tent that looks more like a palace than a campsite. Dehydrated and burnt, it seems like salvation — until men wearing desert garb and toting AK47’s ride out in jeeps to gther her.
Sheikh Raheem can barely believe his luck when an American woman is brought into his tent. He is passionate about his country’s natural splendor, but its PR is in desperate need of a makeover — perhaps as much as the dirty beauty in front of him. He makes an offer: Laura, with her eye for finding the beauty in a location, will help him craft a campaign promoting his country, and when she completes the project he’ll send her back to America with a paycheck she can live on for years. Seeing a chance for financial freedom, Laura jumps at the opportunity.
As Raheem shows off the magnificence of his land, Laura finds herself getting swept into a fairy tale full of palaces, five-star luxury, and the most sensuous sex she’s ever experienced. Though she values her independence, the temptation to stay — not just for Raheem, but for the beautiful country that isn’t getting the attention it deserves — holds her in place. But when the country’s natural treasures are threatened, Raheem and Laura must decide what means more to them: their love for one another or their original plans.
Excerpt:
“What I need is a ringer,” Sheikh Raheem bin Haik al Nazari
said, reclining back on his chaise lounge in the middle of the desert of his
small country, Djeva. Twilight had settled over the landscape, bathing
everything in soft shades of deepening purples and blues. Quite lovely. He took
a deep breath of fresh air and closed his eyes, seeking a bit of the relaxation
that had been so elusive on this trip.
“A ring? Did I hear that right?” his eldest sister Jessenia
said, undisguised interest edging her tone. After the death of their father
earlier in the year, Jess had taken it upon herself to assume the role that up
until then had been the sole province of their beloved mother—boss of everyone
and everything. “Don’t tell me you’ve finally decided to settle down and start
a family after all my months of prodding.”
Raheem sighed and shook his head. “No. That’s not what I
said. And you know as well as I do that marriage is not even on my radar right
now. I’ve got too many other projects to work on at the moment. I said I need a
‘ringer’, not a ring. Someone with no skin in the game to help me strategize.”
‘The game’ was his grand scheme to use his country’s
ever-growing wealth from tourism to fund a much-needed wildlife preserve. There
were several species of cats, camels, and birds that could only be found here
in Djeva. He felt it was his duty and calling to ensure their survival for
generations to come.
“Bah.” Jess gave a dismissive wave of her hand, her white
silk robes blowing softly in the breeze. Honestly, she even looked like their
mother Zuhra—dark hair and eyes, smooth golden skin, short and slightly more
rounded than his other sisters. And dedicated to trying to run the lives of her
six siblings. “You spend too much time working and too little time playing,
brother. What you need is to find the right woman to show you how wonderful
love can be. You’ve always been far too competitive for your own good, Raheem.”
That
last sentence was probably true, he admitted to himself.
Author Bio:
Leslie North is the pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women’s contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.
The truth of the matter is she loves her fictional persona, Leslie North, more than her normal, day-to-day persona! Her bestselling books focus on strong characters and particularly women who aren’t afraid to challenge an alpha male. Inspired after years of travel, her stories are set all over the world, from the tough streets of Russia to the beautiful beaches of the middle east.
Leslie fell in love with romance when she first picked up a scrappy, dog-eared romance book from her local library. She began writing soon after and the rest, as they say, was history. She now lives in a cozy cottage on the British coast and enjoys taking long walks with her two Dalmatians, George and Fergie.
Thanks for being on the tour!
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