by Leah Leonard
CHAPTER SIX
Ghazi never met any woman who shunned his advances and his wealth. He found Sarah’s attitude incredibly refreshing. He grew accustomed to having to conceal his fortune from the throngs of women who pursued him, for fear they only wanted his money, and not him. This girl was the exact opposite. Sarah seemed completely unaffected by his riches, put off by it, even. “You deserve the best, darling. Come. Let us go.”
He took her hand and they strolled through the halls of the hotel, down the marble floors like a king and queen. He noticed heads turned to stare at them. Apparently everyone could see what he did – Sarah’s rare beauty.
Out front, legions of bellman awaited and leapt to attention, going to fetch his car.
Sarah looked surprised to see the red convertible pull up in the drive. The valet announced, “Sheikh Deniz. Your car, sir.”
Two valets, one on each side of the car opened the doors in unison.
“Thank you, gentlemen.” Ghazi said before turning to Sarah. “Your chariot awaits.”
“This is yours?” She sounded shocked.
“Of course. Have you not experienced a Lamborghini before, darling?”
She giggled. “No, I can’t say that I have.”
“Well then…” Ghazi gently took her hand and braced her as she sank into the leather seats. “You are in for quite a treat.”
“Apparently so.”
He leaned in close, smelling her perfume, gazing down at her cleavage and wanted nothing more than to peel that dress from her sexy body right there and then. He whispered, "You look stunning this evening, by the way, in case I forgot to tell you."
She gazed up at him and batted her lashes. "Thank you. So do you."
Nostrils flared, Ghazi focused on her hot mouth and wanted to taste her lips again. Not yet, he told himself. Soon.
He walked around the front of the car, taking an extra moment to readjust himself from the fresh wave of arousal he experienced around this beautiful girl.
He slipped into the driver’s seat and glanced down at the floorboards and relished the full view of Sarah’s sexy legs. He smiled, took her hand, kissed her fingers. "I will show you the time of your life this summer, I promise."
“I have no doubt about that.”
“And it starts right now.” Hands gripping the wheel, he announced. "Hang on and buckle up."
Ghazi put the car into gear and peeled from the parking circle.
Sarah made a little squeal, her head jerked back from the motion, and her hands instinctively clutched the roll bar on the dash. "This is some car."
“And you are some girl.” Ghazi revved his engine, reached his hand across the seat and squeezed her thigh. He loved showing off for her.
She jumped slightly when he touched her, another trait which turned him on.
"Hang on."
"Okay," she gripped the handle in the center console tighter than before, the wind caught her hair, giving him a perfect view of her neck. He imagined his lips there and nearly swerved off the road.
"Whoa!" Sarah shouted. "Shouldn't you slow down?"
She was sexy when she was scared, Ghazi thought. Laughing, he stepped on the gas. "What do you mean?"
Sarah cupped her hands over her eyes. "You're scaring me!"
"Ahh," Ghazi pulled off on a turnout in one of the most scenic views of the region and stopped, reached over the seat and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry. I'm a pro."
"If you say so…" she smiled.
"I do."
“This is so beautiful here.” She smiled.
“As are you.” He waited a moment while a few cars passed, then roared back on to the highway, expertly navigating the winding hills until the ruins came back into view. He screeched to a halt in a parking lot on the highest hill around with a perfect view of Troy.
****
Winding around gorgeous roads overlooking the Aegean and now arriving back in Troy, Sarah realized she was indeed in for the ride of her life. She practically had to pinch herself because all of this was simply hard to believe. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect her scholarship journey to begin in such luxury.
To her amazement, out on the gravel parking lot near the ancient ruins and Trojan horse replica, lines of tuxedo clad valets stood waiting to assist them from the car. The Deniz family had definitely gone all out to ensure this summer was special.
She watched Ghazi light from the car. He commanded the valets, giving them his exact wishes for where he wanted his car parked. No doubt, the man seemed to know exactly what he wanted and how to get it in all areas of his life.
He stepped around to her side of the convertible, reached his hand out and stared straight through her with his bedroom eyes. He took Sarah's breath away when he looked at her like that. Towering over her in his white tuxedo and black cummerbund, she had never seen anyone so handsome. And to think, at least for this one night, he was hers. True, it was all pure fantasy to believe any of this would last, Ghazi already warned her about that, but still, they were here now. She planned to make the most out of it, and for this one night, she could pretend and dream and imagine anything she wished.
They stepped out and walked toward the seating area, hand in hand. The remnants of the sun cast a striking glow under the blue night sky, illuminating the stars and a crescent moon.
Ghazi placed his arm around her shoulders and Sarah willingly leaned into him. "This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen. I still can't believe I'm here."
"I agree with you on one thing," Ghazi squeezed her.
"What's that?"
"The view I have right now," he turned her toward him and held her gaze, "is the most precious thing I have ever seen." He leaned in for a kiss.
Sarah was about to give in and reciprocate when she glanced over Ghazi's shoulder and saw the tour bus parked further down the lot and her fellow scholars staring right at them. She cleared her throat, backed off.
Ghazi scowled. “Did I offend you?”
“No, of course not. It’s them.” She waved to her fellow students, but they didn't respond. Instead they appeared to whisper amongst themselves, about what, she could only imagine.
Ghazi stopped, turned and cupped her face in his hands, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. “And what have I told you about those people?”
Sarah shook her head.
“They mean nothing to us. You are my prize tonight, so please, let’s focus on us. Come," Ghazi said. "We want to have a good view of the light show."
Although on the one hand she knew he was right, Sarah also realized somehow she would have to deal with these people for two months. Still, Ghazi was right. For tonight, she would simply enjoy him and this experience and not focus on tomorrow.
He grabbed her hand and led her to a perfect spot, front and center, where they would have an amazing view of the whole spectacle. Soon the place was packed. Sounds of classical music filled the air, surrounding them in all directions. An announcer's voice called out, "Welcome to Troy. We hope you enjoy tonight's show."
The parking lot lights dimmed and the ruins were pitch black except for the stars and moon. Suddenly, lights spanning the full color spectrum dramatically fell over the structures, changing shade and intensity with each beat of the music. The entire scene was spectacular, and the company was fantastic. Sarah never felt happier.
When she clutched her arms and started to shiver, Ghazi took the opportunity to get closer. "Here, allow me." He removed his jacket, and draped her shoulders, pulling her close. "Better?"
What a gentleman he was, she thought. His grandfather raised him well. "Yes, thank you."
When the lightshow finished, the Sultan appeared holding a microphone in the middle of the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, we so appreciate you coming this evening and would like you to join us back at the hotel as we finish the evening with dance.”
Sarah and Ghazi remained seated and watched the night sky as everyone cleared out of the seating area.
"Wel
l, one thing's for sure, your grandfather definitely knows how to throw a party," Sarah observed.
"Indeed. It runs in our family. If you think he's good, you should have seen my father. He was quite the showman, far more than the Sultan, if you can imagine."
Sarah didn’t know how to respond. Wishing she could find out more about Ghazi’s father and how he passed away, she could tell Ghazi couldn't speak about it now. His jaw tightened and for the first time since she'd known him, she saw the pain of emotion register on his usually stoic face, even more so than she did this afternoon when the subject first came up.
"I’m sorry to hear about his death," she said finally, thinking that sounded so trite. Nobody could understand a loss like that, but in reality, she could. "My parents died in a car crash two years ago."
"Together?" His eyebrows rose, and he leaned back in his seat.
She nodded.
“That’s terrible.”
“You never met them, but they were great people,” Sarah thought about that a moment and remembered one time at a football game when Ghazi might have seen her mom. “Or did you?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t recall.”
“How could I expect you to? I barely remember high school myself.” Other than memories of you, she thought.
“I’m sure they were good people, like their daughter.” An awkward silence ensued until he added, “How did you manage?
“It was difficult, but no more than your father dying. My parents passed after I had just turned eighteen though, so the good news is I was able to go out, get a job and find my own place to live. When I think about it now, I’m just so thankful it happened when I was older rather than if was younger. I might have wound up in foster care.”
"I'm sorry,” he took her hands.
"It's okay," Sarah lowered her eyes, hoping to control her emotions which were still raw. "That was a long time ago. Like I said to your grandfather earlier, I’ve been so lucky with everything. This scholarship is a godsend, something I’m truly grateful for. You seriously have no idea. What about your mom? How is she handling everything?"
Ghazi cleared his throat. "My mother died three years ago. Cancer."
“No,” Sarah covered her mouth.
Ghazi nodded and lowered his gaze, his eyes watered slightly.
Sarah reached for his forearm. "I'm so sorry, Ghazi. This must be an incredibly difficult time for you, and to think I've been acting the way I have. I'm sorry.”
He managed a smile. “For what?”
“Giving you a hard time about the room.”
He shrugged. “You really didn’t Sarah. I thought about that earlier, how appreciative you are about things, how refreshing your attitude is to me. In my world, people are only concerned with money and possessions. You are a rare find, indeed.”
She grabbed the sleeve of his tux. “Thank you again for the room, the flowers…everything. I …" Emotion swelled within her and she fought back tears and shook her head to fight the urge to cry. With all he was going through, this wasn't the time to have to explain to him how she scraped, cut corners and literally saved every single penny she had to come to Turkey in the first place. True, she had a full ride scholarship, which paid for the trip, food and lodging, but she had to work two jobs to put the plane ticket money together and pay rent in advance so she could keep her apartment while she was gone.
Someone like Ghazi had no idea how normal people lived, the struggles they went through. He was wealthy, had been since childhood from what she remembered. Even in high school, everyone knew it. He wouldn't understand how hard she worked for everything she had and how she had to feel in control of providing for herself no matter what the cost. Besides, Sarah felt grateful for all she had. She did not regret her life. She embraced it, but how could someone like Ghazi ever understand that? Then again, all the money in the world couldn’t bring back a loved one. That was something they shared. She swallowed hard and said, "I just normally don’t feel comfortable accepting such expensive gifts, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate you."
Ghazi put his arm around her, squeezing her tight. After a moment, he let her go, turned to face her, brushing her loose strand of hair in his fingers, then he held both her hands. He smiled.
Frightened by that smile and what it might imply, after a few tense moments of silence, Sarah couldn't stand it anymore. "What are you thinking?"
"I understand you, Sarah."
"Do you?"
He nodded.
She laughed under her breath.
"I understand now where your complexity comes from, your tendency to run…"
She hated hearing him say that and tried pulling away again.
"Like you are doing right now." He brushed her cheek. "I find you even more alluring than before."
Mouth dry, Sarah tried to respond, but couldn't find the words. She glanced around and realized everyone was gone and the staff were in the process of shutting off all the overhead lighting.
"Come. Let us go have a dance, shall we?" He stood and helped her out of her seat.
“I would be honored,” she smiled and took his hand. A new wave of shivers rippled through her body that had nothing to do with the night air.
By now, the parking lot was empty and they would be officially fashionably late to the ball. Ghazi draped his arm around her shoulder, holding his jacket in place as they walked to the valet stand.
Sarah was pleasantly surprised by Ghazi's change of attitude on the drive back to the hotel. Rather than trying to impress her with speed, he commanded the car with careful vigilance as though the conversation about their mutual loss had softened him a bit.
Sarah found the change irresistible.
A few minutes later, Ghazi pulled up in front of the hotel.
A team of valets waited outside as usual and swarmed them the moment he stopped the engine.
"Having fun?" He leaned toward her until their noses almost touched.
Sarah shivered at the smell of his cologne. "Yes."
"Good," he leaned a little closer, sucked in a breath through flared nostrils like a bull about to charge. Instead of kissing her, which she thought he was about to do, Ghazi pulled away and stepped out to the curb, rejoining her by her door. He reached out for her hand, took it in his and escorted her through the hotel entrance and into the lobby.
Captivated by this man's raw allure, like Cinderella having her first dance with the prince, she never felt so attracted to anyone before.
Ghazi led her inside to the packed ballroom. They stood together and observed the crowd for a moment. The scholars were mostly conservatively dressed in business suits and dresses in blacks and neutral tones.
To her dismay, Sarah found heads turned when her flash of emerald satin passed them by.
"They cannot stop looking at you," Ghazi observed.
Sarah laughed, squeezed his hand. "No, I think it's you they're seeing. Your tux is incredible, you know?"
He paused, turned to face her, leaning his mouth toward hers. "It's us…"
Sarah gulped, her mouth watered with anticipation, and yet again, Ghazi pulled away. The man who practically ripped her clothes off earlier was apparently playing a little game of cat and mouse. She liked it.
A live orchestra played soft jazz and when a waltz came on, Ghazi swept the jacket off of Sarah, placing it in a chair and took her hand, leading her out to the dance floor. "I've been waiting for this moment all night. Come.”
She brought her hands up to his shoulders, relishing in the perfectly formed musculature hidden underneath the white tuxedo, gazed in his eyes and found him almost too handsome. Her feet felt like heavy weights. "I'm not sure I know how to do this."
"Hold my hands," Ghazi directed. "Arms up, allow me to take you away."
Leaning her head directly into his chest, Sarah found her cheek fit perfectly in the space beneath Ghazi's chin. She relished the tenderness in which he placed his right hand in hers and melted under his left hand which was b
racing her back. She closed her eyes, swayed to the music and found the rhythm in his arms she'd never experienced before. God she could love this man! The thought terrified her.
As the night went on, the dance floor cleared out until only a few wait staff remained. Ghazi held Sarah close and they danced to the sounds of clanking dishes.
"I think the music stopped," Sarah said at last.
"Did it? I can only hear the sound of your heart beating next to mine."
There was no doubt Ghazi was good. He knew just what to say, how to say it to convince her of practically anything. She had a hard time even considering the possibility of trying to resist his charms. The longer they were together, the more she feared she would not be able to say no to anything he asked of her ever, and that one day, the fairy tale ending she daydreamed about in her mind would come crashing down around her.
Still, the discussion about his parents touched her. Poor Ghazi. She knew all too well about the pain of losing parents. They both did.
“Come, darling.” Ghazi held Sarah's hand and accompanied her out of the ballroom, to her private elevator and down the hall. They stood by the door of Sarah's room. "So?"
She giggled. "Yes?"
He stepped within an inch of her, leaned his mouth so close to hers, she could feel his breath on her skin. "Invite me in for a drink?" When she failed to reply, he added, "I promise I'll be good."
Sarah pressed her hands on his chest. "Why don't I believe that?"
Whipping his hand around her waist, he pulled her to him. "I didn't say it would be easy. I said I would try."
"No," she teased. "You said promise. I distinctly recall the word promise in there somewhere."
Nostrils flared, he pulled her tighter toward his chest, resting his palm against the tender curve of her back. "I'm not sure I can."
"Exactly, which is why—"
Before she finished her sentence, he crushed his mouth on hers, held her cheeks in his palms, then loosened her hair and ran his fingers through each strand and down her back, resting them on her behind. Giving her a slight squeeze, he began kissing the wind from her lungs and breathed, "I want you," before leaning over, pressing his lips on her neck.
