The Arabian Billionaire, Book One: Arabian Seduction
By D.C.Chagnon
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2014 D.C. Chagnon
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Other Books in The Arabian Billionaire Trilogy
The Arabian Billionaire, Book Two: Arabian Kiss
The Arabian Billionaire, Book Three: Arabian Touch
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Other Books By The Author
Chapter 1
Josie kept running back in the house because she had forgotten something. She had packed her suitcase only the night before and packed more useless things than useful things. In the end she had actually forgotten the important things. Her mum watched her run in and out of the house from the window.
“I know, mum. Don't say it,” Josie said. She could tell from her facial expression that her mum was going to say I told you so. Her mum advised her to pack early and not leave things the last minute, but Josie always managed to do it all at the last minute. She hugged her mother once more then dashed out the front door.
“Look after yourself, sweetheart,” her mother called behind her. She was worried about her daughter being in a foreign country by herself. Josie could get hurt or something like that. Yes, she was going to have people around her, but Josie was her own hazard.
Josie ran into the airport dragging her suitcase after her. She reached the check-in desk breathless. Her peers awaited her.
“I'm surprised you made it,” Fiona, Josie's best friend, said. “We all thought you'd miss the flight.”
“Me . . . too,” Josie said still breathless. “Man, I am unfit,” she added. Josie could never run for long without running out of breath. Fiona smiled at her.
Josie and the rest of her peers checked in. She was on a trip with her university to go to one of the largest oil companies in the world. They were studying engineering and were going to study oil fields. Only the top ten best students on the course were going on this trip. Josie may have been unfit, disorganized and clumsy, but she was intelligent and hardworking.
All the excitement heightened when they got on the plane. Josie could not stop touching everything and looking out of the window. It amused her that everything looked so small. She had never been on a plane. Her family never went on vacations. Her family had to sacrifice a lot just to make sure she had gotten into one of the best universities in the country with an impeccable engineering course. Josie had always wanted to be an engineer more than anything in her life. Her friend of ten years, Fiona, had always loved engineering as well. But unlike Josie, Fiona's family was well-off.
The plane finally landed in El-Safar, a country in the Middle East. El-Safar was known for its enormous amounts of oil exports. It was a beautiful, small but rich country. Zahid National Oil was the largest contributor to the oil exporting business in the country. That was the company Josie and her peers were going to intern for.
After checking into the country, they walked out of the cool airport into the hot sun. Josie put her right hand above her eyes to shade them from the sun. A big grin formed across her face as she scanned the area. She was too excited. Fiona grabbed her arm and pulled her into the mini bus. On the highway, Josie stuck her head out of the window.
Tall palm trees were in the middle of highway dividing the two lanes. The air was so clean and fresh. The city had tall, modern buildings. Many of which had spectacular architecture. El-Safar was simply beautiful.
The mini bus pulled up at the Zahid National Oil Company. The place was very large and divided into different sections. They were taken to the lodges. There were lodges for workers to stay in, and since they were going to intern there, they needed to stay close to the oil rigs. They all got out of the bus with their jaws open. The green grass was neatly cut. There were palm trees up the driveway. The lodges were big and built out of wood.
Two people were assigned to each lodge. Fiona and Josie rushed into the lodge. The living room was large and furnished with leather brown sofas. The kitchen was also furnished. The floor was wooden. There was a table out on the patio. The bedrooms were furnished with double beds and large built-in wardrobes. Josie threw herself on the bed. “This is so nice!” she shouted.
“I know!” Fiona shouted back from her room.
That night, Jasmine and Caroline—two of the other girls on the trip—came to have dinner with Josie and Fiona. Jasmine pushed the door open. “Dinner!” she shouted from the bottom of the stairs. Josie jumped up from her bed and ran downstairs. Food was number one in her life. She had a really big appetite. Her mother always complained of how unladylike it was.
“What do you have for me, Jaz?” Josie said sitting down at the table. She rubbed her hands together with a huge smile on her face.
“If they wanted to get information out of you, the best way to torture you is to starve you for half a day,” Caroline said to Josie as she joined her at the table. Fiona laughed as she entered the room. She walked over to the sink and washed her hands.
“Man, whatever,” Josie said already digging into the food.
“Lucky that you don’t put on weight,” Jasmine said.
Josie offered no response. She just smiled. Her mouth was stuffed with food. Fiona smiled and looked away from Josie.
“I can't wait to get out into the fields tomorrow!” Fiona said. Her voice was filled with so much excitement.
“Neither can I,” Jasmine replied.
“I want to see the sheikh,” Caroline said with a mischievous smirk on her face.
“The sheikh?” Jasmine was suddenly confused.
“Jamal Zahid! The one who runs this place. His family owns the Zahid Oil Companies. Hello?” Caroline said and looked at them with a how-can-you-not-know-this face.
“Oh, him. I heard he was attractive,” Fiona said at last, after a moment of silence and confusion.
“Heard? Have you not seen pictures?” Caroline asked.
“No, not real—” Fiona stopped speaking when she saw Caroline's face changed. Caroline looked at her like she had just said the impossible. Fiona shrugged and exchanged looks with Josie. Josie knew she was not into all that unlike Caroline who had to know who was who and what they did and where. With just a look between Josie and Fiona, they had shared an old running joke. Caroline was definitely fishing for a rich husband.
Chapter 2
“Jo!” Fiona screamed at the top of her lungs early in the morning. Josie dragged herself out of bed reluctantly. She opened her door and stood in the hallway. Fiona walked past her and pushed her back in her bedroom. “Go get ready; we’re going to be late” Fiona said and walked into her room. Josie's eyes flew open as she realized they were meant to be at the fields by ten. She ran into her room and immediately started getting ready.
Fiona was waiting for Josie at the front screaming for her to hurry. Josie ran down the stairs with her shoes in her hands. She had managed to slip on light blue jeans and a white t-shirt. She ran out of the door with Fiona. They ran to the fields where everyone was already waiting for
them. Calvin and Macy; their university lecturers, both stared at them when they arrived. The guys just looked at them; no one was really surprised.
“Anyway,” Macy really emphasized the word. She gave her speech of how lucky they were to come there and how they should use the opportunity wisely. Some of the workers introduced themselves and their job description.
“Shall we take you on a tour?” Tariq said. He was in charge of everything that went on in the whole place. He was tall, had black hair, and his beard was only a day old. He seemed to be in his early thirties.
Tariq gave them a tour around the sites. He explained to them what was done in each area, what to do and what not to do.
“Can I touch this?” Josie asked as she reached for one of the machines. Fiona nudged her really hard and shook her head. Tariq laughed softly. He walked over to Josie.
“Here, I’ll show you,” he said. Josie watched wide-eyed. Tariq could see the excitement on her face. “You try it,” he said.
“Really?” Josie squealed. Tariq nodded. Fiona and Caroline looked at each other. They covered their faces with their hands. Knowing how clumsy Josie was, she was either going to break the machine or hurt herself or maybe do something even more embarrassing. She was always prone to accidents and embarrassment.
As Josie reached for the handle, Jasmine mouthed, “Nooo.” Josie grabbed the handle and started pumping. A smile formed on her face. When she let go and stood upright, everyone let out a sigh of relief. “It's easy,” she said. She reached for the handle again. “I want to try again,” she said and giggled.
“NO!” Everyone said at the same time. Tariq raised his eyebrows in surprise. Josie turned around and looked at everyone with a confused look on her face.
“Please don't,” Macy said.
“Why?” Tariq asked. His face was stained with confusion. Josie shrugged her shoulders and stepped away from the machine.
“It's better this way,” Calvin said.
Tariq had a small smile on his face. He walked off and motioned for everyone to follow him. Josie frowned at everyone even though she knew how hazardous she was. She slipped her hands in her pockets and followed. Tariq carried on talking about the equipment and showing them how to use them. Suddenly a black SUV pulled up. Tariq looked up and saw it, and then he excused himself. He walked toward the car.
“Sweet ride,” Chris, one of the university students, said.
“I know, right,” Josh, one of the other guys, agreed.
The guys stood there staring at the car. Caroline stared waiting to see who was coming out of it. When the door opened, a tall, Middle Eastern man came out of the car in an expensive-looking suit. His jet-black hair was neatly cut in short-back-and-sides style. His skin was almond-colored. He had dark eyebrows and a straight jaw. His jawline was powerful.
“He is so much more handsome in person,” Caroline said and placed a hand over her heart.
“Who is he?” Fiona said dreamily.
“The sheikh I was telling you about last night,” Caroline snapped.
“Man, he's hot,” Jasmine said. Josie was wondering around looking at the equipment. She crouched and stuck a finger in the soil. She picked up some soil and started analyzing it.
“Jo, come see,” Fiona called out.
“See what?” she replied without turning her head.
“Oh my,” Macy said when she turned to see what the fuss was all about. The guys just stood there admiring the car. Tariq started speaking to the sheikh. They both looked serious. Josie dusted the soil off her hands and got up. She turned around and saw everyone staring at the two men speaking.
“What's everyone staring at? Who's he?” Josie said looking all confused.
Tariq and the suited-up man walked toward everyone. Tariq was a little bit smaller than the sheikh. The sheikh must have been about six feet four inches.. The sheikh had a bigger physique too. The definition of his muscles showed through his suit. He walked with so much authority and confidence. The females could hardly hide their lustrous glares.
“This is Sheikh Zahid, the eldest son of the Zahid family,” Tariq introduced the sheikh to everyone. He did not go into much depth about the man because he expected them to already know. After all, half of the planet knew.
“Morning, everyone,” the sheikh said. His voice was very deep, and his tone was formal and flat. The guys had no problems greeting him. The women on the other hand sounded dreamy when they greeted him.
“Morning, Sheikh,” Josie said a little bit later than everyone. She was not so mesmerized by his looks. She looked at Fiona; they normally thought the same, but this time Fiona was completely blown away by this man. She was looking at him with a smile on her face.
The sheikh looked at Josie after she greeted him last. He noticed her hands were dirty. He kept his expressionless face and did not comment. Instead he said, “I will be seeing you all a lot in the near future. For now I have urgent matters to attend to. Please excuse me.” The sheikh took his leave. Tariq almost laughed when he noticed the females glare at him as he walked off. This was nothing new. Even the female workers at the oil fields always stared at the sheikh. Some turned red while he was speaking to them. To his surprise Josie was perfectly normal except for the dirty hands. He raised an eyebrow when he saw them.
“I was looking at the soil,” Josie said awkwardly when she realized Tariq was looking at her hands. Tariq smiled at her. He could see she was a curious and adventurous one.
“And what did you see?” Tariq asked her.
“You can tell if there is oil underneath the soil by checking the density of the soil,” Josie replied. Tariq was intrigued. Not a lot of people could easily spot that. He nodded at her; he was impressed.
Tariq finished showing them around. He allowed them to leave the fields and get acquainted with the town. They start working on the fields the next day. He excused himself and went on the same path as the sheikh.
* * *
Josie and her fellow peers left for the town. They definitely wanted to explore the towns of El-Safar. Josie and Fiona were really enthused about going to the souk. They had heard so much about souks, and now that they were in a Middle Eastern country, it was definitely a crime to not go to one.
The souk was in an enclosed area like the inside of a tunnel. The walkway and the walls were all made out of stone. It was an old-looking place. There were stalls set up everywhere, selling clothes, accessories, makeup, shoes, and food. There was another stall that was set up for henna. A few women were lining up to get henna tattoos drawn on.
“Come,” a woman shouted at Josie and the others. She was calling for them to come over to her stall. The girls went over to the stall. She was selling accessories. She gave them bangles to try on. “Very nice,” she said.
All the girls except Josie greeted the woman and started trying on the accessories. Josie just smiled at her and awkwardly walked away. She was not into makeup and accessories. She was not into shopping altogether. She was just interested in seeing the souk itself. She walked around analyzing the stone. It fascinated her. She liked how the souk was set up, back home; she'd never seen anything like it.
The girls had spent so much time shopping that they had forgotten about Josie. They asked the guys, but they had not seen her. They started looking around the souk for her. Fiona suggested that she'd be somewhere where there was food. She was correct. They found Josie buying a lot of sweets.
“I knew you'd be stuffing your face,” Fiona said.
“They are so nice; come try one,” Josie said. Fiona smiled and shook her head. Josie looked like a kid, overly excited about candy.
Chapter 3
It was only ten in the morning, and the sun was already burning. Josie slipped into her shorts, a t-shirt and military boots. There was no point in wearing fancy-looking boots; they were going to be out in the fields most of the day. Fiona joked that she was impressed with Josie for waking up and getting ready on time. Josie grabbed an apple on her way out.
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Tariq was waiting for them when they reached the assembly point. He greeted them. Josie had a big grin on her face. She was too excited to go work on the oil wells. Tariq told them that since it was their first day, they'd need to learn the theory first. Josie stopped smiling instantly, and her face dropped. Tariq almost laughed when he saw it.
“Shall we head to the offices?” Tariq said. Everyone made their way toward the buildings. Tariq put his hand on Josie's shoulder. “Don't worry, we'll be out in the fields in no time,” he said to her.
Josie hung her head “I know—theory always comes before practical. I understand,” she said.
They were all introduced to everyone in the offices and shown what they needed to do. Josie and Fiona were put in the same department. Fiona teased Josie saying that it was a good thing that she was there, just in case Josie broke something or someone. Josie laughed because she knew it was true. It was probably a good idea that she was inside and nowhere near the machinery.
Pushing paperwork all day was very boring. It was such a relief for everyone when the end of the day was finally there. Josie gathered herself and got ready to leave. That's when the door opened and the sheikh walked in. Everyone got up from their desks and bowed their heads to greet him. Fiona and Josie looked at each other and just did the same.
“May I get you something to drink, sir?” one of the office ladies asked.
“No, where is Tariq?” he replied. His tone was flat. Josie frowned. She found him slightly rude. The least he could say was, “No thanks.” He had simply said no then asked for Tariq, no please, no thank you.
“He is on his way,” the woman said. The sheikh nodded and slid his hands in his pockets. The women were shifting uncomfortably and batting their eyelashes at him even though he was not looking at them. Josie tucked her chair in and headed for the door. She awkwardly smiled at the sheikh before she left. She was not sure if she was meant to ask for permission to leave or talk to him. The environment was just too awkward. The sheikh moved his head and looked at her. He recognized her from the day before.
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