by Leslie North
Kerri looked at her with an astonished and disbelieving look upon her face, “You’re kidding right?”
Carolyn shook her head, “No. Why would I be kidding?” She grabbed a service set and the coffee pot and stepped out to go take care of business.
“Look in the mirror sometime and really see yourself. You’re beautiful,” Kerri told her, to which Carolyn shook her head and made a face before heading towards her unwanted guest.
Kerri watched the way the Sheik tracked Carolyn’s movement across the diner floor and smiled before walking back out to the floor to take care of a customer.
Chapter 3
Sheik Mahil Sharqi had never set foot inside such an establishment as the one he was currently sitting in. Ken’s Diner. The rundown exterior had been bad enough, but the inside left him feeling as if he’d entered an abandoned building that was in the process of being torn down.
There were chipped tiles on the floors, the vinyl covering on the bar stools and the booths were torn and had been fixed with duct tape in a closely related color. The walls showed numerous nail holes from previous décor, and the wallpaper was peeling along each seam line.
Country music sputtered from scratchy speakers embedded in the overhead drop ceiling, and the air smelled like old grease and coffee. The only bright spot in the entire building was Carolyn Michaels.
When she had first walked out on the stage during the auction, he was immediately attracted to her and could think of nothing else for days after. When she finally agreed to set the dinner date with him, he had been annoyed when she stood him up. No one stood him up. Ever.
He’d had such plans for their evening. He had envisioned their dinner date turning into something much longer. Maybe even, breakfast the next morning if he could convince her to spend the night with him. He’d been prepared to dazzle her with his personality and even throw around his weight and power if need be to accomplish his goal.
Except that she hadn’t shown and she didn’t even have the courtesy to call the restaurant and leave a message for him. He’d left the restaurant and made a phone call to the registrar of the university to voice his complaint and ask for her information.
The registrar had been deeply apologetic and hadn’t even hesitated to provide Mahil with all of Carolyn’s information. That alone should see the man looking for a new position, but then he wasn’t in Mahil’s employment and the information he provided had been very useful.
“So, what’ll you have?” Carolyn asked him, looking at her order pad and not meeting his eyes.
“Won’t you even look at me when you speak to me?” he teased her, tipping his head to try to see her eyes beneath the curtain of hair that had fallen forward around her face. He itched to move her hair so that he could get a look at her lovely face. He remembered her beautiful eyes, which were framed by incredibly long lashes, her regal nose, high cheekbones and kissable lips.
Carolyn took a breath and looked up, “Fine. What would you like to eat?”
Mahil looked at her and had to give her credit for not giving an inch of welcome to him. She’d told him she didn’t want him here and was determined to make it as difficult as possible for him to remain here. “Won’t you sit and talk to me for a minute? I missed your company at dinner last night.”
“I don’t have time to chit chat right now. I’ll come back in a few minutes to take your order…” She turned on her heel, but his voice stopped her in her tracks.
“The only other customer in here is being taken care of by the other waitress,” he reminded her as she stopped in her tracks and turned reluctantly around. “Is that a menu?” he asked her as he held his hand out for it.
Carolyn blushed realizing that she had yet to give it to him, as she handed him the plastic coated menu. He scanned the options, not even sure what some of them were. Ken’s Burger. Tornado Alley Tacos. “I don’t know what half of these are,” he murmured.
Carolyn gestured to the fine print underneath each food option, “There’s a listing of everything in each dish right there.” She leaned slightly forward and used her index finger to show him the tiny print.
He admired her blush as it crept down her neck and chest. As he looked at her, he was reminded about what he found so enchanting. From what he had surmised from talking to the registrar, she was a part-time student and seemed to work several jobs to make ends meet. She had very elegant hands with delicate looking fingers that he could already envision spread across his…
Sensing her impatience with him, he brought his focus back to the beautiful woman standing in front of him. “My apologies for wasting your time. Please, sit for a moment and let me read through this. I promise to be quick,” he told her with a small smile.
Carolyn seemed to hesitate but then she shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the edge of the opposite bench. When she felt another yawn pull at her, she turned her head away and tried to stifle it, but ended up covering her mouth with her hand anyway. Mahil saw the movement and hoped that her shift would soon be over and she could go home and rest. The dark circles beneath her eyes, left them looking bruised and fragile.
When she turned back to look at him, he smiled at her and then held the menu up for her to see, “So, what would you recommend?”
Carolyn looked at him but held her tongue. He waited for her to speak and when several strained moments had passed, he set the menu down and began to read each option aloud.
“It says here that Ken’s Burger comes with jalapeno peppers mixed into the hamburger patty, pepper jack cheese, and fried onions.”
Carolyn nodded at him, “It’s a guaranteed case of heartburn.” She quickly glanced towards the kitchen, afraid that maybe Ken had overheard her less than complimentary comment. Mahil saw her action and narrowed his eyes towards the kitchen.
“So, not Ken’s Burger then. How about an all American cheeseburger with fries?”
“Or, as we like to call it, a heart attack on a plate,” Carolyn replied before she slapped her hand over her mouth and groaned. “Sorry,” she told him. “I’ve been working a lot lately and I’m over tired and not censoring what I say. What do you normally like to eat?”
Mahil was pleased that she was taking an interest in him even if it was only to take his food order. “I like lamb, beef, fish, chicken, most vegetables, fruit, yogurt.”
“So, nothing from here, then,” she teased, as he smiled.
“Cucumbers?” he asked.
“Oh, we do have a great grilled chicken sandwich with cucumbers on it and I happen to know that the cukes are fresh. How does that sound?”
“Sold,” he told her as he handed the greasy menu back to her before reaching for a napkin to wipe his hands. He watched her blush at his comment as she quickly rose from the table.
“Right. I’ll just go and put the order in.”
“Then come back here and keep me company until my food is ready. That is, if you don’t have other duties requiring your attention?” Mahil told her, knowing he could gain her company with just a word to the owner of this establishment. The moment he’d introduced himself to Ken, the man had gotten a calculating gleam in his eyes and assured Mahil that he would receive the best service possible.
Mahil had acknowledged the man’s attempt to ingratiate himself with a Sheik and had requested that Carolyn herself attend him. Ken had smirked at that but assured him that she would be right with him.
It hadn’t escaped Mahil’s notice that Carolyn was less than pleased to be forced to wait upon him, but then again, he wanted her presence and after being stood up the night before, he didn’t really care if she was upset with him or not. He’d spent five thousand dollars to gain her company for two hours, the least she could do was actually sit with him while he ate at this questionable restaurant. He’d come here to find out why she’d stood him up, and he wasn’t leaving until he received the answer.
He watched her push through the swinging kitchen door and then reluctantly, she returned to his booth and sat dow
n. “No other duties to do right now?” he asked politely, seeing Ken glaring at her from the kitchen service window.
Carolyn glanced in Ken’s direction herself and then shrugged, “I guess not. I was told to be nice and keep you company.”
Mahil saw the tightening of her jaw and couldn’t resist asking, “Is that order so bad?”
Carolyn looked shocked for a moment and then blushed, “No. It isn’t. I’m tired and being a grouch. You caught me by surprise showing up here today.” Taking a deep breath, “I do apologize for not showing up last night. I had to work at the last minute.”
“An emergency came up?” Mahil inquired politely.
“Something like that,” she told him, looking down at her hands as she played with her fingers.
Mahil wanted to reach over to still her nervous hands, but the bell over the front door rang out and a big, burly man entered the diner. The man was dressed in a black suit, but somehow his attire didn’t seem to fit his persona. He reminded Mahil of the bulky security guards used by men who had something to hide. His hair was slicked back and in need of a wash and judging from the cuts to his chin, he was also in need of a new razor He looked around the diner and then fixed his eyes on Carolyn.
Without giving the other waitress a glance, the man headed straight for the booth where both he and Carolyn were seated.
“Carolyn, I need to speak with you.” The man’s voice was hard and brooked no argument.
Mahil watched as Carolyn glanced up in shock, her face immediately closing down when she saw who was addressing her. She shook her head vehemently, “No. Not here and not now.”
The man took a step towards her, nodding his head, “Yes, now! In private.” He gave Mahil a menacing glance, but was rewarded with nothing but a hard stare back.
Carolyn looked between the two men and then stood up quickly, “Fine.” She didn’t say anything else; she simply walked towards the back hallway and disappeared through another door. The big man followed her and Mahil watched, wondering what was going on, and not liking the tingling feeling in his gut. Something’s not right here!
His intuition was affirmed two minutes later when Carolyn exited the hallway, her eyes reddened as if she’d been crying. The man stalked out after her, leaving the diner without a backward glance.
Mahil watched her approach his booth, but when she made to walk past him, he reached out and grabbed her hand. It didn’t escape his notice that she was physically shaking from her encounter with the big man.
Chapter 4
“What is wrong?” he demanded, lowering his voice when she tried to pull away from him. “Carolyn, I can tell that man upset you. What happened?”
Carolyn tried to pull away from him once again, refusing to answer him. He glanced towards the front door and released her as he stood up. “Fine. I’ll go have a word with your friend and find out for myself.”
“Stop it! It doesn’t concern you! Why can’t you go away and leave me alone!” She was yelling at him by the time she had finished and Mahil watched as her anger consumed her. Where before, her pallor had been pale and almost sickly, now, her body was alive as she vibrated with emotion. He quickly masked his emotions not wanting her to see how much this side of her turned him on.
When he didn’t move to act on her demands, she stepped into his space and shoved a finger into his chest, “Go away! I don’t need your help and I don’t want you here!” Mahil was about to reply when he saw Ken stick his head out the kitchen doorway. He raised a hand to indicate everything was under control and held the man’s stare until he disappeared once again.
Mahil watched her, as she fought to catch her breath. His astute observation caught her rubbing her fingertip where she had touched him. He wondered if she could feel the attraction as much as he did. Realizing that she was barely holding herself together, he in no way wanted to add to her troubles, at least not yet, and decided to comply with her wishes. For now.
He watched her for another moment before nodding his head and then headed towards the front door. He had instructed his town car to wait for him around the corner, and he pulled his cell phone from his pocket as he stepped through the diner door to notify the driver he was ready to leave.
A burst of cold air reminded him that he was without his jacket and he turned to re-enter the diner. He’d left it lying on the vinyl seat of the booth. His town car came around the corner at the same time and he instructed his driver that he would be returning to the airport post haste. He’d had enough of American women and their stubborn attitudes. He told the driver he would be back with his jacket shortly, and left him with the car sitting in the middle of the diner’s almost empty parking lot.
He pushed through the front door of the diner and returned to the booth where he’d been sitting. The back of the booths stood almost four feet tall, providing the illusion of privacy to the people seated in them, so he didn’t immediately see the booth had an occupant until he was directly upon it.
Carolyn! She had her head buried in her arms and he couldn’t tell if she was crying or just resting her eyes. He lightly touched her shoulder, but she didn’t acknowledge it.
“She’s sound asleep,” the other waitress informed him.
“It’s only been a few minutes,” he commented with a look of confusion on his face.
When he turned to look at her with a raised brow, she stuck out her hand, “Hi, I’m Kerri. Your girl there is exhausted.”
Mahil didn’t stop to examine why hearing Carolyn referred to as his girl made him so happy. “Why is she so tired?”
“She’s been working for more than seventy-two hours straight by my calculations. She has two main jobs, and she’s been picking up extra hours whenever she can get them.”
“Is her schooling that expensive?”
Shrugging her shoulders, “Not at the pace she’s going. With all the hours she’s working, she had to cut back to one class per term and she even struggles with that. When I first met her, she was going to school full-time and was in the top ten percent of her class. Now, she agrees to participate in an auction in order to boost her grade,” she answered, watching his face for his reaction.
Mahil didn’t like what he was hearing and he looked at the sleeping woman and realized she was too headstrong for her own good. It was obvious to him that she needed help, but her independent streak was preventing her from asking or accepting any help.
“Who was the guy that came in here a few minutes ago? He asked to speak with her and she was upset when she came back. Shaking and she looked like she’d been crying.”
Kerri shook her head, “I don’t know who he is but I get a really bad feeling from him. He’s only come in here one other time, and Ken made him leave when he grabbed her arm and twisted it hard enough to leave a bruise.”
Mahil felt fury towards the man and a small measure of gratitude that her less than pleasant boss had protected her.
Kerri continued, “I personally think she’s in danger, but she wouldn’t tell anyone, even if it was true.”
“Why not?” Mahil demanded to know.
“She’s got an independent streak a mile wide. I’ve tried to help her in the past, but she refuses to let me. She thinks she has to do everything on her own. It’s really sad if you ask me.”
I concur! Mahil looked at Carolyn’s sleeping face once more and immediately bent down and scooped her up in his arms, “That period of her life has now come to an end. She is going to accept my help whether she likes it or not.”
Kerri stepped in front of him. “Wait, where are you taking her?”
“Some place where she can get some rest,” he said simply as he stared impatiently at the woman blocking his way. Chewing on her lower lip, she looked at him as he shifted Carolyn in his arms. Softening his tone, “You said so yourself that she’s overworked. Allow me to take care of her, at least for a short while.” Mahil didn’t like the idea that he was pleading with a complete stranger. If this were home, his decision would not
be questioned.
Nodding slowly, Kerri stepped back as she mumbled under her breath, “You better be one of the good guys.” Reaching into the other side of the booth, she retrieved his jacket, “You don’t want to forget this.”
Mahil inclined his head, “Thank you.” He watched as Kerri tenderly tucked the jacket around Carolyn’s sleeping form and then stepped back.
“I’ll let Ken know she’ll be taking a few days off.”
Mahil nodded his head, “That would be for the best.” He was hoping she wouldn’t need to work so many hours, if only she would let him help her.
He headed for the front door with his precious bundle cradled against his chest. Resting his chin on her head, he tensed when her hand came up to wrap around his neck. Smiling, he liked how she innocently reached out to him in her sleep. He only hoped she would soon do that when she was awake. The driver saw him coming and hurried to open the diner door, “Sir?”
“We will both be heading directly to the airport.”
“Very good, sir.”
“Please go give that woman my card and let her know that she can contact me anytime.”
“Yes, sir.”
Exiting the diner, the driver held the car door open as Mahil slid in the back before shutting it behind him. Walking quickly around to the front of the car, he put the car in gear and pulled smoothly out of the parking lot. Leaning back against the seat, he continued to hold Carolyn on his lap as they made their way towards the airport. What he was about to do was most definitely considered kidnapping, both in the States and in his home country, but the ends would justify the means in this instance.
Carolyn Michaels needed help and he would be damned before he’d let the past repeat itself. This time, he meant to make sure of it!
*****
The town car arrived at the airport some thirty minutes later, and as Mahil exited the vehicle, Ahmed, his pilot and head of security exited the private jet shaking his head, “Mahil? What have you done?”
