Blurb
She’s a down-to-earth Texan. He has royal blood in his veins. They were never meant to fall in love…
Eighteen-year-old Ginny Tate knows everything about horses, but nothing about love until she meets Dariush—David—Akbari at a polo tournament. His self-effacing charm sets him apart from the boys who tormented her in high school, and she’s fascinated.
Sponsored by his uncle, the Shah of Iran, David has spent the last decade in America. With a new degree in International Law, and an altered view of his culture, David resists the idea of returning home to a prearranged marriage.
Torn between obligation and irresistible attraction, David defies his uncle and travels to Ginny’s family farm. The relationship is forbidden on multiple levels, but their passion can’t be contained. When they give in to it, the all-consuming lust gradually shifts to love, which ultimately leads to unexpected complications.
Indebted to the Shah, David must return home to Iran. They reluctantly say goodbye but the separation becomes unbearable. Trying to save his long-distance relationship may not be possible while his country is in turmoil, but circumstances change, and David is determined to find a way back to the woman who stole his heart.
Excerpt
DAVID BIT BACK the angry retort on the tip of his tongue after Naveed, the shah’s personal secretary, informed him his immediate presence was required in the presidential suite. His uncle wouldn’t take no for an answer so there was no point in arguing. Risking one last glance in the mirror, he adjusted the knot on his Hermes tie and was finally satisfied. It had been giving him problems, and he hoped this wasn’t an omen. He’d been looking forward to his date with Ginny, and it would be bad form to arrive late.
He knocked, and Naveed pulled the door open and stepped aside, gesturing for David to enter. He shut the door on his way out to give them privacy. His uncle frowned when he noticed David’s attire and addressed him in Farsi.
“Where are you going, Dariush?”
“I have a dinner date, Uncle.”
“With the cowgirl?”
“If you mean Ginny Tate, then yes.”
“Why waste your time? I’ve already gone out of my way to accommodate you with this inconvenient side trip and paid for the animal you were coveting. There’s nothing more to be gained by seeing her again.”
“I enjoy her company.”
“You’re in no position to be dating. Amira and I have wrapped up the loose ends with the Al Mahdani family, and your engagement to Shahnaz will be announced in December when you return to Tehran.”
David’s resentment toward his uncle rose swiftly. Prior to leaving Tehran nine years ago, he’d warned his mother that sending him abroad to study would have repercussions. The shah had offered to foot the bill for his schooling, recommending a degree in International Law to further serve the crown, but one of the conditions had been keeping her distance. Home visits were frowned upon, lest he get derailed in his primary objective—to excel in his studies. No one argued with the supreme ruler, especially his mother, Amira, who’d been widowed when David was fourteen. She’d accepted the shah’s offer and endured the separation, knowing it was for his own good. Graduating at the top of his class had been expected and achieved, but higher education had altered David’s perception when it came to the business of arranged marriages.
Tradition demanded a mother clear the path by letting her counterpart in the other family know they were interested and a proposal was forthcoming. Since David’s father was no longer in the mix, the shah had stepped in, and it was his emissary who made the formal request in a social meeting between both families. This kind of groundwork was an essential part of marriage brokering. Once they were united, the two families virtually merged, and had extensive rights and obligations toward each other. In David’s case, the union would tie the bride’s family to the shah, with the accompanying privileges. It was important their political views were compatible before the marriage took place. David’s mother had been brokering the deal for over a year, but he wanted no part of a loveless marriage.
“With all due respect, Uncle, I barely know this woman. We’ve corresponded once by mail, and, yes, I’ve seen a photo, but it’s hardly a good foundation for a lifelong commitment. For the hundredth time since you broached this idea, I’m going on record to protest this archaic custom. Let me choose my own bride.”
“Dariush,” the shah maintained. “Marriage is primarily a business arrangement, and there’s no reason why yours should be any different. Shahnaz is pleasing to the eye and well-schooled in our customs. Why make such a fuss? You’re not planning to marry a foreigner, are you? I would never sanction a marriage to anyone outside of our culture.”
David gritted his teeth. “I have no one else in mind, but if you’ll allow me to fend for myself, I promise I’ll find someone suitable who meets your criteria. They do exist here in America and are scattered throughout the world. It won’t become an issue.”
“Then why bother with this young cowgirl?”
“Men and women can have dinner without marriage on the forefront of their minds.”
“A woman from a decent family would never go out to dinner with an unmarried male.”
“Maybe back home,” David argued, “but not here. The operative word is dinner, Uncle. Maybe a little dancing afterward. Don’t read anything more into this.”
“Your law degree has served you well tonight,” the shah said tiredly. He waved him away. “Go and enjoy your date.”
“And my arranged marriage?”
“Is not negotiable.”
“But, Uncle,” David protested a little too loudly. He shut his mouth with an audible snap of his teeth when the shah glared at him. Once the supreme ruler had spoken, it was in David’s best interest to go while the going was good.
In the elevator on his way down to the lobby, David continued to mull over the conversation. He was tempted to cancel the date but didn’t want to disappoint Ginny. Why hurt her feelings unnecessarily? He’d deal with this problem eventually, but for the moment, he planned to do exactly as he pleased. Once his uncle was back in Tehran, the interfering would stop. Forcing David into an arranged marriage was unreasonable and would never work. With his degree in hand, and job offers pouring in, money was no longer an issue. He could arrange for his mother to leave Iran, if it became an insurmountable problem, but for now, he would play the dutiful nephew.
Finding Our Morning is an m/f romance set in 1977, prior to the Iranian revolution. This second edition has been re-edited and re-covered. The novel is available on Kindle Unlimited and Paperback.
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