Once inside, she walked up to the check-in line and was actually right behind Ravi.
“Ravi, hi, glad to see you still made it.”
He turned around and smiled. He’d known she was there and liked how she acted so casually. He sensed she was nervous, and he understood, because he felt nervous, too. He had never met a woman who made him feel that way or had evoked such curiosity that he’d basically waste his time going to events that would draw him near to her. Truthfully, there were only two things he was absolutely interested in at the conference—her and her keynote speech. Drone information came with either of those things.
“It’s good to see you, Sasha.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek softly.
She could smell his cologne and it was yummy. If she could have breathed in deeper to take in its scent without it being obvious, she would have. “I’m looking forward to this. And you?”
“I am, all of it.” He looked her up and down unapologetically and she felt like he might just have the best technology of all—x-ray vision. Well, if he did, at least she had on her matching bra and panties. A girl couldn’t conquer the business world without essentials like that, or so her silly superstition told her.
“Sheikh Kapoor, Dennis will escort you up to your suite.”
“Thank you, what’s the room number?” Ravi asked.
They slid a piece of paper in front of him and he glanced at it and then handed it over to Sasha. “Can you meet me here in an hour?”
The hotel staff looked at her and then at him. She was really embarrassed, but in no position to say “no” because she wanted to meet him there. “Yes, I think so. I don’t have obligations until 1 PM.”
“Perfect.” He walked away and took the lead, the man with the name tag Dennis behind him.
Her head turned to watch him and through her peripheral she caught her entire team standing there, the women smiling brightly and the guys looking away, feeling quite uncomfortable.
Feign ignorance, she thought. She turned to the lady behind the counter. “Sasha Mason with Mason Technologies. And the nine people behind me also have reservations under that name.”
Ten minutes later, Sasha was giving her bell hop a tip for carrying up her luggage for the weekend. He nodded his head and thanked her and then walked out and shut the door, leaving her alone in her room.
She glanced at her watch. In forty-five minutes she was supposed to go and see Ravi. It was a highly appealing thought despite the chaotic and busy schedule she had going for the next two days. But hey…some company for the social events at night wouldn’t be a bad thing. In fact, it would be preferable to just networking solely, often repeating the same stories and sentiments over and over again. That talk was fantastic. What an innovative new technology. Yes, business is on the rise. And you?
***
Knocking on the impressive, thick double French arched door of the suite, Sasha waited for someone to answer. She couldn’t hear any noise at all, either in the hallway or from behind the closed door. Maybe he’d had to step out. A flash of relief came over her at that thought, but it was quickly followed by a massive pang of disappointment.
She knocked again, this time a bit louder.
Then the door swung open and Ravi was standing there, a pair of dress pants on but no shirt. She just about gasped out loud.
“Sorry. I was in the room changing and I didn’t hear the door at first. Please, come in. I’ll be just a minute.”
She did as he asked and watched him walk back toward his bedroom. He was really fit, more fit than she would have guessed possible; especially for a guy who worked so much. She was in good shape, but saw room for improvement. Him, though, wow. That was the most adequate description she could come up with.
While waiting for him, she walked over to the large arched window and looked out. It faced the mountains and she was awestruck by their beauty. It was such a splendid and inspired place in this world, and she was always at peace when she was in that area, whether it was by the businesses land in the small, but very nice cabin, or here at Menla.
“It’s quite lovely, isn’t it?” His voice was soft as he came up behind her.
She glanced over at him and took note of his more casual shirt with a different pattern on the cuffs and color than the rest of it. She loved shirts like that, and he wore that one particularly well.
“It is.”
“Just like you are.”
His words were so tender and she turned to look at him, seeing a vulnerable expression in his eyes that instantly touched her in a more profound way than she ever would have suspected possible.
“Thanks.”
“I ordered us a lunch to have in here, if that’s okay.”
“Sure,” she said, not sure if she could even eat a bite. She was so impacted by his closeness and how he filled the space with this masculinity that she longed to experience more of.
“While we wait, I was wondering if you could indulge me in a simple request.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Sure, what is it?”
“A kiss.”
Her lips parted to answer him, but he was afraid of what she’d say and he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, taking in their soft fullness and when he felt their responsiveness it was exquisite, a perfect kiss and one that drew him in more than he cared to admit.
When they parted he whispered to her. “That was nice.”
“It was.” She couldn’t say anything else.
The two just looked at each other with hopes of figuring out what it was they were doing at that moment and what they were possibly getting into. Whether it was a good choice or a bad one didn’t matter, because it was the choice that they both knew they wanted to make.
The magic was ruined only when there was a firm rap on the door, along with the announcement of, “Room service.”
Ravi walked away from her and toward the door and she watched him. She licked her lips softly, tasting him on them and delighting in it just as she had his scent after the kiss on the cheek in the lobby. And at that point she knew, never being one to just dabble, she was going to go all in that weekend with Ravi, accepting what the weekend may bring, exploring what had her so curious.
***
Sasha stood up there in front of the audience of a thousand heads, a thousand pairs of eyes, all listening to her as she talked about her keynote topic—how drones have created a new dialogue about privacy versus necessity. She knew the topic well, as it was a huge part of her research for her future projects, as well as a hot button issue she dealt with on an almost daily basis, as she was a go-to source for interviews, quotes, and appearances on radio shows and television programming about the subject, as well.
How was it, she wondered, that in the sea of all those heads she knew exactly where Ravi was sitting. He didn’t take a chair where he’d be easily spotted, but she sensed where he was right away when she walked out onto the stage. It made her slightly nervous, and she felt this intense tingle traveling throughout her entire body. Wait…perhaps it was something more than nerves; it was desire. That kiss, the look of expectation, and the promise of what was to come had her as excited as the conference itself, which was an oddly invasive feeling—one she never would have speculated happening to her.
As she talked, she saw a captive audience ahead of her, everyone paying attention to her message, laughing at her jokes, and nodding their heads at her revelations. It was going well, but the only one whose opinion mattered was the one that wanted to buy her company, and enjoy her company, too. Crazy day, for certain.
After she was finished and the applause died down, Sasha walked down into the audience and was greeted by many people; some that she knew and some who wanted to introduce themselves. She smiled and nodded, having Bev next to her to hand out cards and collect any information that people wanted to hand over. That type of attention came with the territory, but nothing was quite as ineffective as trying to shake someone’s hand when you had no hands avail
able—hence, Bev. At the edge of the group of people, Sasha saw Ravi standing there, taking a step backward every time someone else slowly wedged their way into the circle. His eyes were lit up and the smile that his lips curved into was so appealing. She just wanted to nibble that lip…and then some.
She smiled.
He smiled back.
Then the view of him was lost, a very tall man standing in front of her and introducing himself. The entrepreneur behind a new drone company in Canada, eager to make a connection. Sasha got through it, making each person feel significant and finally, she smiled and said, “Excuse me,” to the few remaining and made it a point to reach Ravi before anyone else reached her.
“Hi there. You’re a patient man.”
“Not really, but when one wants some time with a woman in as much demand as you are, they must exercise a bit of it.”
“You’re kind. So what did you think of the presentation?” She didn’t really need his validation, but wanted it so desperately.
“Brilliant. Poised. Funny. Nothing less than I would have expected.”
“Well, glad to meet your demands.” She laughed and tilted her head, unable to remove her eyes from his. They were like magnets, drawing each other dangerously closer with no clear control of the direction that it might take.
“How much longer do you have to be around here?” he asked.
“Well, the dinner doesn’t start for a few hours. The team can handle everything at the display until we dine. I took the liberty of saving you a spot at our table. Is that okay?”
He paused and she thought that she’d maybe overstepped the boundary. A strange flush of relief and disappointment washed over her. It would be easier to not have to explain him, but he was there because of her, it seemed, so what did he expect?
“Perhaps,” he said.
She shook her head and decided to be a bit more defiantly playful. “Perhaps seems like a word that teeters on the border, not really getting one anywhere. Is that the type of man you are, Ravi?”
“Perhaps.” He laughed after he said that, pressing his hand on her lower back.
She loved his touch and felt his fingers lingering just above her butt, making her mind instantly wonder what they’d feel like underneath the wool fabric of her black skirt. Realizing she might drift off into that fantasy a bit too far, she shook her head and delivered a smile that was meant to tantalize him just a bit—okay, quite a bit.
“Would you like to take a walk, or better yet, a drive to show me where your land is for testing?”
“I would definitely enjoy that. Only if I can drive, though. Are you okay with that?”
“You’re going to drive that bus?”
“Maybe. Meet me in the lobby in a half hour and you’ll find out.”
Ravi’s brows furrowed and he was trying to figure out what she was up to. He was intrigued, absolutely, and her playful and sensual self had him completely captivated. If he were a fish in the sea, she had definitely caught him and was reeling him in. He hadn’t expected such a thing to happen when he came to the States to try and claim Mason Technologies, but he was delighted that it had happened. He had never indulged in a woman like Sasha before; in fact, out of the many women he had ever met, she was a one of a kind. She was his kind.
***
When Ravi saw Sasha in the lobby she was holding a keychain and had a big smile on her face. No longer in dress clothes, she was in a pair of jeans that accented her long, appealing limbs, a pair of boots, and a sweater that showed just how much of a woman she was. He was certain that she knew exactly how to dress to get the attention she wanted at that given moment, and unlike how some might view that, he was impressed, because it was a sign of how aware she was of her surroundings.
“You ready?” She gave a teasing smile and dangled the keys in front of him.
“I am, are you?” He leaned in and whispered the words in her ear, his lips brushing against her earlobe.
There was no answer, but he felt her nod her head in approval.
She recovered, finally. “Wonderful, let’s go. I’m excited.”
Sasha loved the way that Ravi looked, a maroon button-up oxford shirt, a pair of jeans that showed off his excellent physique, and brown loafers that were trendy, but really masculine. He was the real deal, a renegade of sorts who had the ability to pull off a style that wasn’t really uncommon for a guy, as if he’d invented it. She loved that kind of assurance and found it quite sexy, as well as an appealing personal quality to have.
In the parking lot, Ravi laughed when he saw a large white Sprinter van was the vehicle destination. “Where did this come from?”
“Well, the team will go out to the land on our way back Sunday and do some drone playing and training. Makes sense since we’re all up here. So, Marty, the guy who leads up those outings drove this up separately. You ready?”
“That thing is big enough to be a hotel room.”
“For most of us, but not for guys like you who get the largest suite.”
“I like the best.” His eyes absorbed her bright blue eyes, filled with mischief and flirtation that made him excited about more than a drone demonstration. A day of teasing and innuendos seemed to be under way. He just had to make sure to keep it all in perspective.
“So do I.”
Once in the van, Ravi confessed, “I’ve never been driven around by a woman before, much less in a big white van.”
“Is it exciting?”
“Interesting.”
“Well, I’m a great driver so you have nothing to worry about.”
“Have you ever had any accidents?”
“One, but I was only seventeen. How about you?”
“Three, I think.”
Sasha’s head turned to look at him and see if he was serious. “Three? That’s a lot. Maybe I’d better not let you play with my drone.”
“Ah, a drone tease.”
Sasha laughed. “Call it what you will. Maybe if you drove yourself around more you’d be a better driver. Just a thought.”
“Or maybe I’d have more accidents. Just a thought.”
“Good point.”
By the time they arrived at the land, the two were laughing wildly, talking about antics from when they were young, each realizing that some things that kids did were universal—transcending both gender and location, and certainly privilege and opportunity, as well. Pranks and practical jokes, moments of defiance toward their parents that came with big lectures and extra chores, finding a clever way to quietly steal their first kiss.
Standing on the back side of the van, the door open, Sasha pointed out the features of the drone. It was a current model—minus the military technology—but it was a great example of what made Mason Technologies leaders in the technology.
“The coating is patented for the next ten years, which has given us a huge edge.”
“What does it do?”
“It is a lightweight protective shell that is basically indestructible and just happens to be non-detectible by most technologies.”
“Like a spy, off the radar?”
“Exactly like that. Really effective.”
“What happens after ten years?” Ravi’s analytical mind went into play, wondering how a company did stay ahead of the competition in these matters. Everyone had to be researching the same things, hoping for the same types of breakthroughs.
“We’ll be on to the next thing so it will not matter. There are a few companies out there now with variations that don’t infringe on the patent, but they are not as completely effective. One coating may be non-detectable, but too heavy to make it as good in flight. Or vice versa.”
Ravi took a step back and wrapped his arms around Sasha’s waist, pressing his hips into her backside. “Did you detect that?”
“No. Are you covered in my technology?” Her head tilted up slightly as she felt the excitement that his unexpected touch delivered.
“Hmm, you have a knack for making technology sound sexy.”<
br />
The way he murmured in her ear, his strong body pressed against hers, nearly took her over the edge. “Technology is sexy, at least to me, which is why I’m such a strange duck to so many people.”
“Not to me. I get you.” Ravi meant this truly and sincerely, for he believed that he did. It had taken just an hour with her to recognize why it was insulting to her to sell the company based on his offer alone—a cold offer presented from afar. Everything she was involved in she was passionate about, and with passion, you were hands on, not hands off.
She turned around, wrapping her arms around his waist. They were locked there, no space between their bodies and only inches between their mouths. “What do you get about me?”
“That your passion drives you and anything that you aren’t passionate about is something that you’ll likely take a pass on. Your time is too valuable. Your goals too high. You are someone who knows who you are, what you stand for, and where you’d like to be.”
Sasha gulped. “That was pretty good. Are you a mind reader?”
Ravi gave a cocky chuckle. “Hardly, in fact I’m accused of being insensitive and not understanding more than anything. But you, you’re too much like me to not get it—at least a bit.”
Each of them wanted the same thing at that moment and they leaned in, their lips connecting to each other’s ever so slightly, as gently as the breeze sways the grass, and the sensation sent shivers up each of their spines, urging them closer.
SHEIKH'S SURPRISE BABY: A Sheikh Romance Page 4
