by Leslie North
Sara dragged her feet as she walked around the building. She didn't even care what she looked like, nobody was there to see her. She was wearing a black knee-length, pencil skirt and a white camisole that she had untucked. Her long curly hair had long ago come loose from its bun, so she left it down as it rested on her back.
She turned a corner and saw the light on in the conference room. She growled silently. Who had not bothered to switch the light off? She dragged her feet and headed towards the conference room to switch the light off. She walked into the room and towards the light switch. She was in her own world looking at the ground.
“Can I help you with something?” A deep voice sounded from behind her. It startled her as she squealed and turned around quickly.
“Oh gosh,” she sighed with relief. It was Tariq leaning on the table reading some paperwork. He was wearing grey pants and a white shirt. A couple of buttons were unbuttoned, revealing the top of his chest. “You scared me,” she scolded.
“Do you need something?” he asked her. Sara shrugged. She didn't really expect him to be polite to her.
“I saw the light on and I came to switch it off because I thought no one was in here,” Sara replied. Tariq stared at her. She looked untidy and she was barefoot!
“Why are you barefoot?” He could not help himself. He had to ask her.
“I was wearing heels all day. My feet hurt,” Sara responded in an unfriendly tone. She was trying her best not to snap at him but she had lost her patience with his attitude long ago. He did not respond to her as he stared at her. “Working late?” she asked. She caught his gaze and suddenly felt uncomfortable as she slowly inched for the door. He didn't respond to her as he felt like she was asking an obvious question. Sara placed her hands on her hips.
“Why is it that you can never answer me or even act polite towards me?” Sara asked him. She couldn't ignore it anymore. He always felt the need to be that way towards her and she had not done anything to him. On top of that, she was tired and had enough of his attitude towards her.
Tariq raised his eyebrows as he regarded her. He was not expecting her to question him nor did she have the right to. “I am not obligated to do either,” he said. His voice was now deeper.
“I never did anything to offend you.”
She has full lips, Tariq thought to himself as he remembered her licking her lips in the restaurant. It did not matter anyway he thought. “Your persona is offensive,” he said to her.
“Excuse me?”
“Who walks around barefoot?”
Sara frowned. You're the one with an ugly persona. She looked away. She was in the middle of arguing with him and his chest was distracting her. From the little glimpse she got, she could tell that he was very toned. The bulk of his muscles were always showing in the clothes he wore and how was it that he had time to exercise when he was always working?
“You do not act like a lady should,” Tariq added.
“I am good at my job and that's all you should be concerned about,” Sara shot back.
“For England, perhaps. But this is Saudi Arabia and you work for the Botros.”
“Because you're so freaking special,” Sara mumbled under her breath as she headed for the door. If she stayed in there any longer, she would say things that she would regret. She liked Amir and respected him enough not to disrespect his brother. She got the shock of her life when Tariq grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“What did you say?” he demanded. He had pulled her close to him and she was now standing inches from him. She was shocked at how he pulled her so easily as if she weighed nothing.
“Being a little bit more polite and less judgemental to others will not harm you,” Sara said. She was not going to let him intimidate her; she was going to stand her ground. His gaze had grown darker and more intense. He stared at her and she stared back. She was not going to look away first.
“You think you can speak to me any way you wish?”
“Unhand me.”
“If I don't?”
Exactly, what will I do if he does not let go off me?
“Try it and find out.” An empty threat. There was nothing she could do. He called her bluff keeping his hand on her sending tingles up her arm. Instead, he pulled her even closer to him. Sara landed between his legs and her hands landed on his chest. His face was now inches away from his. Wow, he smells good, why is it she hadn’t noticed his cologne before? It was intoxicating on him.
“Time to make good on your threat,” he said to her as he stared at her lips.
“Please let go,” she whispered. She knew that she needed to get out of there. Something unexpected was happening and she wasn’t prepared.
Tariq let go of her arm but Sara didn’t move. She felt paralysed. She so badly wanted to flee from the room but her legs failed her. Tariq wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Her whole body was now flush against his as both palms rested on his rock hard chest. Without waiting, he planted a kiss on her lips as her eyes widened in surprise.
He gently kissed her and she did not stop him. Her mind went blank. She could not think about anything. As she gasped, he gently pushed his tongue into her mouth and deepened the kiss. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. His hands stroked her back. He broke the kiss. Sara was breathing hard and still had her eyes closed.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“What are you?” he asked the question back.
He pressed a feather-light kiss on her neck, which sent ripples of sensation all over her body. She let out a soft moan as she shuddered against him. He continued to kiss her neck as Sara rubbed his back and dug her nails into his flesh.
Before she knew it, her skirt was on the floor and Tariq was caressing and squeezing her bottom. She did not like this man but her senses had left her. She should put a stop to it, but he was doing things to her insides that she’d only ever read about.
Excerpt From The Sheikh’s Accidental Pregnancy (The Botros Brothers Series Book 1)
