Her teasing question caught him off guard and he smiled. “We could both stay here and take care of the business by teleconference. What do you say?” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
Shala looked at him with a stony glare, her light brown eyes were sharp enough to cut glass. Then she surprised him and laughed. She was doubled over with laughter when he closed the door with his hand out for the key. “Is it that funny?” He asked, his voice gruff and grumpy.
She stopped laughing briefly and tried to speak, only to be interrupted by another fit of laughter. Under control again she ran a hand down her hair, “What do you say,” she mimicked him with a deep voice and bedroom eyes, and then she erupted in another fit of uncontrollable laughter. “Sorry. My goodness,” she said and fanned the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “Okay,” she beamed a smile at him. “I’m ready to go now.”
He smiled at the few giggles she released on the way to the car. His smile morphed into a scowl when she waved the driver away and tossed her bags in the car. “Let the man do his job, Shala.”
She smiled up at the older man. “We all deserve a break sometime and it’s not like I’ll break a nail.” While she talked, Shala lifted her bags into the trunk. By the time Zadir caught up to her, she had already slid into the open door and settled into her seat. “Took you long enough, slow poke.”
His lips curled into a lazy half-smile and he slid closer to her until his shoulder butted up against hers. “Maybe I just wanted to let you choose your seat so I could make sure I got the one right next to you.”
Her brow wrinkled. “But we’re the only two…oh. You really are incorrigible, Zadir.” She laughed and released a wistful sigh. “Some things never change, do they?”
“I haven’t changed, that’s what you’re saying?”
She bumped his shoulder. “Not in the ways that matter, I suppose. You’re still an outrageous flirt with a wicked sense of humor. You still make me smile even when I don’t want to.”
The tension seeped out of his body at her words. He was glad someone could see the good in him. That wasn’t strictly true, Sabrina also saw past his shallow surface to the man he really was. Zadir smiled at Shala, happy he’d ended up with her as his babysitter. “Why wouldn’t you want to smile? You have such a sexy smile Shala, its full bodied and contagious.”
He heard the gasp she tried to hide and smiled. She glared at him. “Your sexy bag of tricks won’t work on me Zadir.”
“Why not?” He reached for her, letting just one finger slide down her temple to her jaw and down her neck, stopping just before the small space between her cleavage.
“Because I don’t want to lose my job over one night in bed.” She brushed his hand away with a frustrated wave.
“So what you’re saying is if your job wasn’t in jeopardy, we could sleep together?”
The car came to a stop and she hopped out before the driver had killed the engine. “No Zadir. I’m saying that risking my job for a one night stand isn’t something I’m interested in. At all.”
Okay he was confused. This is what he missed about his time in America. The girls were straightforward, making it easy for him to figure out who was free for a few nights of fun and who was looking for forever. “What?”
At the top of the steps that led into the jet she turned to him. “I’m not interested in a one night stand, Zadir. Whether or not my job is at risk. Got it?”
He nodded and smiled as she turned her back. Maybe that accident really had knocked some sense into him because he wasn’t terrified of more than one night or few nights. He had a feeling he’d need at least a month in Shala’s bed before he needed a change. “Oh I got it.” He brushed by her at the top of the steps and stepped onto the royal jet in all its overwrought luxury. “And Shala?”
She sighed, biting back a smile. “Yes?”
“Challenge accepted.”
Two
Paris. Shala was in Paris! Well, she was in a small airport just outside the city waiting to get off the plane. But still…Paris! When she was at University she had dreams of living in Paris and living a bohemian lifestyle as she fought for her art. Only she’d discovered she had no skills in any form of art, other than the art of making even the worst thing sound a lot less bad. So she’d put Paris on her vacation bucket list and hoped she’d find time in the future to scratch a few places off that list.
“You know, you don’t have to try and see the entire city from here. We’ll be here for a few days and you’ll get a chance to see it up close.”
Shala closed her eyes as his breath fanned over her neck, his deep voice reverberating down to her toes. Don’t let him affect you. “I’m just taking it all in, Zadir.” She stood when the extremely tall Frenchman boarded the plane and greeted him in French. She spoke for several minutes, flashed their passports and bid the man au Revoir. “Come on, let’s go.”
Zadir stood a few feet away, blown away. “You’re fluent in French and English?”
“Yes, a few others as well. Is that so surprising?”
“No, it’s amazing.”
Her whiskey brown eyes flared in appreciation before a wide smile spread across her face. “Thank you.” She was glad someone other than her bosses at Alzari Holdings appreciated her skills. Her parents cautioned her to downplay it if she wanted to land a decent man.
Zadir slung a friendly arm around her shoulders. “Come on Shala, let’s get out of here and see some of Paris before we have to get to work.”
Shala stepped out of his grasp, remembering she was here as an employee of Alzari Holdings, not on vacation with her boyfriend. “Actually,” she pulled out her hot pink tablet, “we have a meet and greet at The Crown Jewel in two hours.”
Zadir looked at his watch and then into the distance. “It’ll take us an hour just to get into the city proper.”
Shala knew it had been a mistake to touch him the moment her hand landed on his shoulder. “That gives you an hour to shower, relax and get dressed, Zadir. We’re staying at the resort so we won’t have far to travel.” She rolled her eyes at him, a smile curving the corners of her lips upward. He knew very well they were staying at the Parisian Emerald. It was one of five of The Crown Jewels luxury resort locations. And the reason for this visit. Zadir wanted to add it to the Alzari portfolio.
“I know that, I just meant we’ll be tied up with them for hours and I wanted to show you some of the city tonight.”
She smiled. Despite his bad boy persona and some of his questionable behavior, Zadir really was the same boy who’d saved her from bullies on more than one occasion. He was still a sweetheart. Classic bad boy with a heart of gold, she thought sardonically. Of course he had to be utterly and totally irresistible, or she just might have gotten over him sometime in the past thousand years! “As you said, we will be here for a few days so there’s time.”
His green eyes narrowed at her for using his own words against him. “Yes, well I don’t really feel like attending a meet and greet.” He hated this part of business, but he wanted this chain of luxury resorts. It would show his father that he took his responsibilities seriously and it would show that he was the best man to lead the company.
“I know you don’t. But I also know you’re eager to get rid of me and that means being a good boy, so I have nothing but things to report.” She patted his chest in a gesture meant to placate him, but she found her body responding to the hard rock under his shirt.
Zadir groaned at her words, her touch. “Say it again,” he commanded, his voice deep and dark.
Brown eyes wide, she looked up at him in confusion. “What? Oh, I said I know you’re eager,”
“Not that part,” he growled.
Shala thought about what she’d said. “Oh that you have to be a good boy? I didn’t mean to be so impertinent but we both know it’s true and there’s no point in pretending otherwise. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.” Oh my goodness, please shut up! When she was nervous she tended to babble.
He lifted a brow. “You wouldn’t want to just hop on a plane and see Paris with me? I’ve been told I’m an excellent guide.”
She rolled her eyes. “You haven’t spared one thought for me in all these years, Zadir, how would I be in Paris with you if not for the exact reason I’m here now?”
“I could have just rung you up and invited you.”
His tone was offended, but she must’ve misheard because there’s no way she could offend him. “That would never happen.” She crossed her arms in a protective gesture.
“Why?”
She gave him a look that said, are you kidding me? “Because you’ve never noticed me, you probably forgot I even existed. So how would you have found me to ask me to go anywhere with you?”
He shrugged, knowing exactly what Shala was getting at but refusing to acknowledge it. “Believe me, I would have found a way.”
Those words stopped any other argument that would have flowed from her sharp tongue. Of course he wanted to deny it. All he wanted was to use her as a diversion since she was around. But Shala wasn’t stupid. Proximity was everything for a guy like Zadir and soon enough she wouldn’t be close enough to hold his interest. “I’m sure. We can get off the plane so we’d better hurry if you want some time to yourself before the meet and greet this afternoon.”
Zadir frowned, wondering what caused such a quick change in attitude. She was flirty and fun one minute, and the ice queen the next. Whatever, he shrugged it off. She would give in to his charms. Eventually they all did.
* * *
Zadir watched Shala move in his periphery. She was so relaxed and unintentionally sultry when she thought the world wasn’t paying attention. Maybe it was just when she thought he wasn’t paying attention, but he found her endlessly fascinating. She stood next to a bellhop while he checked them in to the hotel. He looked his fill now, because he had a feeling when she found out they were in a suite together, she would find a way to make her displeasure known. “Merci,” he told the concierge while he tucked the keycards into his jacket pocket. He walked over to Shala and came to a stop at her side.
“What room am I in?”
He took in those eyes the color of amber, all innocent and sexy all at once. “I don’t know. The keys are in my pocket.”
She frowned at him. “So take them out so we can stop on the right floors.” The longer he said nothing, just stared at her with a gaze so hot she could smell the silk of her undergarments smoking, the more frustrated she became. Both by her body’s response to him and his lack of words. Arms crossed over her chest, she tapped her foot. “Well?”
Zadir couldn’t speak, not when she was pushing her lush breasts up and in his face the way she was. She looked sexy all mad, eyes blazing nearly golden in her frustration. She was a damn sight to behold and suddenly he didn’t feel so bad about their room arrangement.
“Zadir, are you having a stroke?”
He laughed, causing several other guests to look their way. “No sweetheart, I’m not. I was just mesmerized by your body.” And just like that the heat and fun and affection went out of her eyes like a flame prematurely extinguished. She stepped silently on the elevator and he entered behind her. Screw it, she doesn’t want to talk to me then she can just be surprised.
Shala silently fumed as the elevator made the slow climb to their floor, whatever floor it was since apparently it was a government secret! Why did the man insist on humiliating her and making things difficult? One moment it was like he could wait to undress her and show her more pleasure than any one woman should ever be able to experience and the next he’s treating her like the pesky geek who seemed to pop up everywhere. She released a long, emotional sigh and froze when he turned to her.
“What is it?”
“What is what, exactly?”
She saw him roll his eyes in the mirrored elevator doors. “What is it that I did to make you angry yet again?”
That was a fair question because just being around Zadir made her so mercurial even she couldn’t predict her moods. But she wouldn’t give him more ammo to use against her. “I’m not angry at you Zadir.”
“Sure.”
She shrugged. “Believe what you like.” Her eyes scanned over the floor buttons and only one was highlighted. Tenth floor. “Are we both on the same floor?”
“We are.” He said nothing else, but stared at her daring her to say something more. She knew.
“Well give me my key,” she said impatiently. “I don’t want to run around the whole floor because you’re playing games.”
Zadir bit back a laugh at her impatience. “Don’t worry. We’ll stop at your room first, make sure you’re all settled in.”
His words were spoken seductively, like there was a double meaning behind what he said. “You don’t need to worry about that. I’m the employee here so you don’t need to worry about my comfort.”
She saw the flash of hurt and disappointment in his eyes, but he quickly erased it. “Okay then. Follow me.” She can’t possibly be for real, can she? He couldn’t believe those words had come from her mouth. “Do you really think that?”
“It’s true, Zadir. It doesn’t matter what I think.”
He scoffed but didn’t pursue the point further. “Right here,” he barked at her. When she walked back to where he stood, Zadir pushed the door open and let her in first. He smiled, watching her body language as she took in two sets of luggage.
Shala turned with wide brown eyes, her plump lips opened in an ‘o’. “Why is your luggage in my room?”
A smug grin curled up one side of his face. “Because it is our room. Well our suite,” he amended when he heard the swift intake of breath.
“What? Th-This isn’t funny, Zadir.” He wouldn’t press the sex issue, would he? He had no need to but she knew it wasn’t always about that. “Why would you do this?”
He shrugged and turned left at the end of the long hall that opened to a large living room with two bedrooms off either end. “I’ll take this room here,” he pointed to the door in front of him. “You take the one at the other end. See? There’s nothing to worry about. Your virtue is safe with me, unless you say otherwise.” He winked and disappeared into his room.
“Cheeky bastard,” she mumbled and grabbed the handle of one of her bags as she marched past. She heard his laughter on the other side of the door and slammed her door. Hard.
He continued to laugh in his bedroom, undressing for a quick shower. Maybe this trip would turn out alright, after all.
* * *
“Shala you look…stunning.”
She warmed down to her bones at his compliment. His green gaze was dark and full of lust as he took in her appearance. “Thanks, Zadir. You clean up pretty well yourself.” More than well, if she were being honest. His newly sculpted physique cut quite a handsome figure in a dark blue suit. The coat draped beautifully on his broad shoulders, tapering in a very distracting way down to his narrow waist and hips. Long legs encased in blue material that was just tight enough make a girl’s imagination go wild.
Zadir had to stifle several groans and put an immediate stop to the images flashing in his mind. The woman wore red like no woman he’d ever seen, on any continent. The red dress she wore clung to her chest, pushing those delectable breasts up and out. The contrast between her chest and her waist had him reciting polo stats just to keep his body under control. The dress stopped a couple inches above her knees and flared out. It was sexy and youthful, sensual and innocent. As much a contradiction as the woman herself. “Let’s go do this, and you stay close. If I have to play nice, I should be rewarded by having a beautiful woman to look at.”
Shala laughed and playfully smacked him in the stomach, instantly regretting her actions when she’d been able to discern two hard hills of abdominal muscle. “Don’t be silly. Everyone knows I work for you.”
“That does not preclude you from also being a beautiful woman.”
It didn’t and she knew that. But she also knew Zadir woul
d never go for a woman like her. Worst of all, she knew everyone else would know it too. “Let’s go. We don’t want to be late.” She walked ahead of him out of their suite, needing a few feet of distance to get her bearings. When Zadir was like this, charming and kind and friendly, and smelling like the best damn thing ever, she wouldn’t be able to resist him. Couldn’t resist him or anything he might offer. She was on dangerous ground tonight and part of her vibrated with anticipation over the possibilities. The other part, the far more cautious part of her, wanted to approach the night with a healthy dose of wariness.
Zadir came up to her, sliding his hand across her lower back. “What’s the matter?”
She smiled up at him and then quickly looked away. There was no need for more temptation, the man was plenty of that without being kind and caring on top of everything else. “Oh nothing. Just mentally preparing for the gathering. Names and positions and things like that, you know?”
He shrugged because he didn’t know. Not really. “Tell me.” He listened as her sultry voice told him of the importance of knowing basic details of the people involved in a deal.
“You want to have those details down because it’s a good icebreaker. Hey Henri, how are the kids? Or Marie, did you enjoy the manta rays on your holiday? It tells people that you listen when they talk and you care about their lives.” She stepped off the elevator with him and stopped. “They smile and open up and just like that, they become more willing to listen to your pitch and consider you for the sale.”
ROMANCE: THE SHEIKH'S GAMES: A Sheikh Romance Page 83
