"It's usually not," she admitted, realizing the way he'd phrased her words back to her made her feel unaccountably foolish.
"But in my case it is?"
"Could be." Tightening her fingers on her notes, Faith held his gaze, refusing to back down. She wasn't about to admit what the man's presence did to her. To do so would only feed his enormous ego.
"I just think it's best if we not…socialize," she said with a careless shrug of her slender shoulders. "It can lead to…complications." It wasn't the right word, but it would do for the moment.
"Socialize?" One brow rose. "I wasn't aware that I was asking you to socialize. I was merely suggesting we continue our business meeting over dinner. You obviously have not eaten, and neither have I, and quite frankly, I've had a very long day and am quite hungry." His smile was slow. "My suggestion was nothing more than that."
He was not accustomed to lying and found the words rang hollowly. But he knew if he admitted the truth, that he just wanted to spend time with her, she'd never agree to have dinner with him.
"And the only complication I can foresee, Faith, is what you would prefer to eat."
Concerned now that perhaps she had misinterpreted his actions, Faith felt her face grow warm as she searched his gaze. He looked as innocent as a newborn babe, making her wonder if perhaps she had misunderstood his intentions.
"You are hungry, yes?" he prodded.
Feeling trapped, she nodded dully.
"Good." His smile flashed brilliantly. "So we will continue our meeting over dinner. You can bring me up to date on the system, and I can tell you about my conversation with Abner Josslyn this afternoon. It will save time, and we can satisfy our appetites. It is—what do you call it—multi-tasking, I believe?"
"You talked to Abner Josslyn this afternoon?"
Anxious, she took a step forward, remembering his promise to speak to Mr. Josslyn about her.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I did." He slipped his hands in his pockets to prevent himself from touching her again. He wanted to lay a hand to her cheek, to soothe the worry, the tension he saw there. "It was a very pleasant and profitable conversation as well. We can discuss it at length at dinner." He turned to leave. "Meet me at the Coronado, it's in the lobby of the Hotel—"
"I know where it is," she snapped, slightly offended by his arrogant tone. "I'm not a complete social moron."
He merely smiled, refusing to be baited. "Fine." He glanced at his watch. "Shall we say thirty minutes, then? I need to make a quick call first."
"Fine." Thirty minutes should just give her enough time to gather her composure and shore up her defenses.
"I'll see you then." Ali turned and left her standing there, notes clutched in her hands, wondering how she was supposed to swallow a single bite of food with the man sitting next to her.
"The Coronado," Faith muttered miserably. Couldn't he have picked a less intimidating spot?
The four-star hotel that housed the Coronado restaurant sat high atop a bluff, overlooking the beautiful grounds and gardens of the magnificent old-world hotel that had been built in the early twenties and restored to all its original glory.
Private bungalows were discreetly tucked around the grounds, which meandered through the entire acreage, past the two kidney-shaped pools, and the spas.
The restaurant itself was just as old, just as impressive and had also been totally restored to its heyday complete with impeccable service and outstanding food.
The antiques that adorned every nook and cranny of the Coronado were rumored to be authentic and worth a small fortune.
It figured, Faith thought with a scowl. Elegant, intimate, and definitely more than a bit romantic with its candle-lit tables, and soft harp music floating quietly through the room.
This was definitely not the kind of restaurant in which she would normally envision conducting business. At least not her business.
She'd have much preferred somewhere where she could have a cheeseburger, fries and a cola, and relax in her T-shirt and jeans.
She started to laugh, wondering exactly how the arrogant Sheik Ali El-Etra was going to react when the Coronado's maître d' took one look at her absolutely inappropriate attire and promptly and firmly tossed her raggedy butt out?
Six
"I half-expected the maître d' to toss me out on my butt," Faith admitted with a laugh as she sipped the ice-cold soda Ali had graciously ordered before she'd arrived.
Muted conversation and the soft strings of a harp wafted softly through the air.
"Toss you out?" he repeated with an amused lift of his brow. "And why on earth would you assume such a ridiculous thing?"
Faith laughed, carefully setting her glass down on the tablecloth. It was the first time she could ever remember drinking cola out of Baccarat crystal. "Because I'm not exactly dressed for an elegant dinner in a place like this."
"On the contrary, Faith, you look lovely." He gave her hand a reassuring pat, not daring to admit that he had already discussed this rather delicate situation with the staff of the restaurant.
Although Charles, the maître d', was widely known for enforcing the dress code, not even he would dare insult one of Sheik El-Etra's guests.
"Well, thanks," she said, glancing around the dining room.
The floor-to-ceiling windows glistened against the night's darkness, reflecting the twinkling of the soft candles inside and the magnificent sprawl of stars outside.
Each table was covered in a snowy white linen tablecloth edged in Battenburg lace. The supple red leather booths constructed in a half circle seemed to caress each one of the patrons, providing an intimate alcove of privacy. Their corner booth was set against one of the glass walls, allowing an unobstructed view of the bluffs below. Under other circumstances, she realized this could be an incredibly romantic setting for lovers. But this was a business dinner, and Ali was definitely not her lover.
Uncomfortable with her thoughts, Faith shifted in the booth. An ice bucket sat to the right of their booth, but instead of a cold bottle of expensive champagne, it held several bottles of cola, almost making Faith laugh again.
"Have you decided?" Ali asked politely, sipping his own mineral water.
"I haven't even looked at the menu." When she did, she tried not to gape at the prices. "You could feed a third-world country for what they're charging for one meal." She scowled. "I don't suppose they serve cheeseburgers?"
Ali almost choked on his drink. Convulsively, he swallowed several times before setting his glass down.
Not in memory had a woman ever worried or considered the price of anything when she was with him. It was, in spite of his shock, rather charming. He didn't know which amused him more—her concern over the prices, or her rather unusual dinner request.
"Cheeseburgers?" he repeated as if she'd just requested raw rats for dinner. "Why not allow me to order for us?"
Hesitant, Faith worried her lower lip, thinking about the tank of live lobsters she saw as she came in.
"Okay, but if it's going to be fish, nothing with eyes." She shifted. "I don't eat anything that can watch me while I'm eating it." The mere thought had her shuddering, making Ali laugh.
"I promise." He lifted his hand solemnly. "Nothing with eyes." He hesitated a moment. "Except potatoes. You do eat potatoes, don't you?" he asked with a lift of his brow.
She grinned. "Make it French fries and you've got a deal."
With a nod, Ali signaled for a waiter, then placed their order. Faith waited until he was finished before asking her question.
"Okay, so tell me about your conversation with Mr. Josslyn."
Thoughtfully, Ali fingered the rim of his glass. "Well, Abner only had a few minutes, so I suggested we get together for lunch next week."
"We?" Faith looked at him carefully. "Define 'we.'"
Ali laughed. Her mind was just one of her many assets. A refreshing change from the women he usually dined with. "I'd forgotten how perceptive you are." He sipped his drink, taking h
is time, glancing around.
Faith was antsy. She was dying to hear about his conversation with old man Josslyn, and he was drawing it out like it was a world secret.
"Ali?" she prompted, and he smiled slowly at her, pausing while the waiter set down their salads.
"Very well, I can see that you are impatient. I told Abner that I thought it would be a smart business move on his part to meet you." Ali shrugged, then picked up his fork and tasted his salad. "I suggested lunch next week when he returns from the East Coast. I told him by then you should have our system up and working again." He hesitated, his fork hovering over his plate. "You will have our system back up and working, won't you?"
"Of course."
She wasn't about to blow that bonus Ali had promised her. She had plans for it, big plans.
"Good, good." Ali nodded, then resumed eating. "Anyway, at lunch I can tell him the things you've done for El-Etra, and then perhaps you can discuss upgrading his entire computer system as well."
Faith frowned, picking at her salad, more interested in Ali's conversation than her food. "For which company?"
Abner Josslyn was the head of an international conglomerate of companies that did business around the world.
"All of them," Ali said with a smile, watching the excitement light Faith's eyes. It pleased him to make her happy, he realized.
She swallowed, then slowly set her fork down, not certain she'd heard him correctly. "All of them?"
Her head was suddenly spinning. The opportunity, the possibilities, and what this meeting could mean to her consulting firm if she landed the entire Josslyn conglomerate was staggering.
"I trust you are pleased?" Sipping his drink, Ali watched her.
"Pleased?" Faith fairly beamed at him. "I'd say that's the word for it. Not the right word, mind you. But it will do. For now." Thrilled, she couldn't resist leaning close and giving his hand an appreciative squeeze. "Ali, thank you. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help."
He caught her hand in his, then raised it to his lips for a kiss, sending a ripple of awareness over her. They were sitting barely an inch apart, their hips touching, connecting them on a whole other level.
"But I have done nothing, Faith." With his gaze intent on hers, he kissed her hand again, enjoying the touch, the taste of her, the way her eyes darkened with each kiss. "This is all your work, your expertise." He shrugged, contenting himself with kissing her fingertips one by one. "You are the one who has made this possible." He smiled. "I merely am the facilitator, bringing two people together who need each other." His gaze caught hers and there was something dark and dangerous in his eyes. It made her shiver. "And what else do you need, Faith?" His voice had dropped, it was low, husky and sent her heart fluttering.
"N-need?" She tried to laugh, but it came out a croak. "I really don't need anything."
She managed a smile and withdrew her hand, not comfortable with where this was going. Then she picked up her fork and pushed her salad around her plate some more.
"My life is pretty full," she said, rushing on, not certain she liked the timbre of his voice or the intent of his words. He'd managed to take a simple business conversation and turn it into something that sounded decidedly like a…seduction.
Remembering what had happened the other night, at the gala, Faith knew she was treading on dangerous ground. She didn't want to get into any type of personal conversation with him. She didn't think she could handle it, not knowing how the man affected her.
Good grief, all he had to do was look at her with those deep, mysterious eyes, or smile that sensuous smile and her knees were buckling. It was quite annoying, she decided, determined to keep things very businesslike.
"I have my business and it keeps me very busy. Then there's the managing and hiring of all my employees." She flashed him a shaky smile, talking a mile a minute. "You know how that can be. Employees can sometimes be like children. They squabble, they mark their territory. Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm running a business or a day care. But it keeps me very busy. My life is incredibly full. I really don't need or have time for much else."
"But, Faith," he said carefully, "do you not find your life just a bit boring with only business to fill your time?"
"Boring?" She considered it for a moment. Lonely, perhaps, she thought silently. There were times she ached with loneliness. She spent so much time with machines that at times she longed to hear just another human voice.
But she wasn't about to admit such a thing to him.
Faith forced a laugh. "Boring is not a word that I encounter very often. There's always something interesting happening. Always some new snafu that takes me by surprise." She shrugged, realizing that talking about her business, something she knew was solid, was allowing her to relax a bit. "The world is moving so fast, and technology with it, that sometimes it's difficult to keep up. So I'm never bored."
He was having trouble concentrating on her words when her delicate fragrance was playing havoc with his senses. "What about your social life, Faith? Surely you have time to socialize?"
"Nope." She shook her head and broke off a piece of crusty bread from the basket. "I'm not much into socializing." She shrugged, nibbled her bread. "Unless it's for business, like the other night, I'm not much for crowds or fancy get-togethers."
"I see," he said thoughtfully, sipping his drink and watching her over his glass. "And what about men? Is there someone special in your life?"
How he'd managed to turn this from a business discussion into a discussion of her love life was beyond her. He was quite smooth.
Hoping to ignore the question, Faith broke off another piece of bread, then glanced around the quiet, elegant room.
"Faith?" He took her hand again, caressing it, stroking his own fingers up and down hers in a way that heated her blood and sent it pulsing through her veins.
She inhaled a deep breath. Was someone siphoning the air? It was getting hard to breathe.
"No." She concentrated on blowing her breath out slowly. "There's no one special."
He looked pleased, but not surprised. "I see." With his gaze still intent on hers, he brought her hand to his lips once more, kissing it again, making her heart dance a wicked beat beneath her T-shirt.
Faith's eyes widened. "Uh, Ali?"
Embarrassed, she tried to tug her hand free as she watched a couple approach their table. He refused to relinquish her hand, kissing it once again.
"I'm very pleased to hear—"
"Ali." Faith's voice held a sense of urgency as she tried to tug her hand free once again. "I think we…we're about to have company." Her eyes widened in alarm as an elegant, well-dressed couple approached their booth.
The man was tall, dark and broad-shouldered; he glowed with vigor and vitality. Although thickening around the waist, he was impeccably attired. His profile was strong, sharp, and although his hair was short, and a deep, rich black, it was tinged with silver around the temples.
The resemblance to Ali was so strong, so striking, Faith knew instinctively it had to be his father. Why this alarmed her, she didn't know.
Her gaze shifted to the woman with him. She was not beautiful in the traditional sense, but she had a distinct air of elegance. Her features were an interesting, exotic mix of high cheekbones, small, upturned nose and the most beautiful near-black eyes Faith had ever seen. Her lips were delicately sculptured and painted a smart sleek red.
She was small and delicate, with dark hair swept into a fashionable style. Still model-slender, she wore an impeccable suit in a pale shade of ice-blue, complemented by matching jewels that sparkled at her ears and on her small, slender fingers.
Ali glanced behind him and released Faith's hand as a wide smile sheathed his face, softening it.
"Father." Ali's face lit up like a beacon, his gaze going from his father to his mother. Clearly he was both pleased and surprised.
Watching him, Faith was stunned by the transformation. It was like the day with Maureen Jourdan. Gone wa
s the arrogant, aristocratic facade, replaced by a man of warmth and love. It was clear to see he adored his parents.
"Son." With a broad smile, Sheik Omar El-Etra laid a large, bronzed hand on his son's shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze.
Although dressed in a three-piece suit, he also wore a kalfiylh, the traditional loose head scarf that was held in place by decorative cords.
"Father." Smiling broadly, Ali openly embraced his father. "What a pleasant surprise." He patted his father's back affectionately. "It is so good to see you."
His father returned the hug, smiling at Faith over Ali's shoulder. "It is good to see you as well, my son."
Ali kissed his father's cheeks, then stepped out of his father's embrace and caught his mother up in a ferocious hug.
"Mom."
"My son." Tibi El-Etra laid loving hands to her son's cheeks, her eyes shining with pride. "We've missed you."
With a laugh of joy, Ali tightened his arms around his mother, nearly lifting her off the ground.
"And I have missed you." He swung her around in a circle, making her laugh before releasing her, and kissing her on each cheek as well, then dropping a protective arm around her slender shoulders.
The gesture was so loving, Faith couldn't help but stare, wondering if this was the same man she'd gotten to know the past week.
"It is so wonderful to see you," Ali glanced down at his mother. "You look as beautiful as ever."
"And you, my son, still know how to flatter."
Ali glanced at Faith, his face still sheathed in pleasure. "Please, forgive my manners. This is Faith Martin. Faith, this is my mother, Tibi El-Etra, and my father, Omar El-Etra."
Feeling a bit self-conscious since she'd been caught by Ali's parents having her fingers kissed, Faith felt her face grow warm as she started to stand to greet them.
"Sit, sit," his father admonished with a warm smile, waving her back down into her seat. "Please, do not get up on our account." His glance was loving as he looked at his wife. "We are not a family who stands on ceremony."
Faith sat back down, watching them, trying not to feel envious. It was clear that this was a family in the true sense of the word. There was love, devotion and trust between them, radiating through the air, connecting them in a way she'd never known.
I Married a Sheik Page 10
