by Erin Snihur
Glaring at the man around the door, Amelia stuck her nose up at him. “Thanks, but no thanks. I can handle the bath myself.”
Khalid grinned, his green eyes twinkling, “Perhaps, but maybe it would be more enjoyable as a group activity.”
Attempting to slam the door on his face, Amelia cried out in frustration when Khalid’s suede shoes blocked the door from closing. Pressing a hand to the door, Khalid pushed it open with ease. Her attempts at keeping it closed were a complete waste of energy. She was weak and defenseless against this man.
Letting him open the door, Amelia held tight to her robe, painfully aware that she was naked underneath as she shifted in her feet. Grabbing her cellphone off her kitchen counter, she held it up close to her chest, as if the small piece of technology would protect her.
“What do you want Khalid? You need to leave,” Amelia demanded. “If you don’t, I’ll call the police.”
Khalid grinned further as he entered her apartment before closing the door behind him. The click of the lock skyrocketed Amelia’s nerves and she clutched her phone tighter to her chest.
“No you won’t, ya amar,” Khalid crooned and scanned the apartment, noting the flowers. “Do you like the flowers?”
Breathing in and out in short rasps, Amelia scanned the room with Khalid. “Yes, I guess, but they are completely unnecessary. You should give them to a girl interested in your...attentions.”
Khalid took a step closer and all Amelia could do was watch as he lifted a hand and gently caressed her cheek, “And you are not interested in my attentions, ya amar?”
Amelia’s body said yes and her heart pounded frighteningly as his finger slid from her cheek softly down her neck to dip lower over her chest where her robe lay closed. Her mind screamed at her to do something. Anything. But all she found she could do was stare into Khalid’s green eyes, entranced.
She couldn’t even stop him when his face leaned in close and she felt him breathe in her scent as she too breathed him in. He smelled of spice and leather. She loved the mixture. It was all man. Shuddering, Amelia melted into Khalid’s arms as he pulled her body close and his lips descended on hers.
At first, his kiss was soft. It wasn’t until she relaxed into him and opened her own mouth at his coaxing that she felt it. His tongue probed her mouth, claiming her taste without any second thought. Amelia moaned into his mouth when she felt his teeth lightly nibble against her lower lip. It was only when Amelia nibbled back, that Khalid pulled away. Both breathed heavily as they stared down at one another.
Khalid spoke first, his words a hoarse whisper, “So, dinner?”
Amelia wasn’t sure how she had ended up at Le Claire’s, one of the most sophisticated and expensive restaurants in the city. Staring around the ornate room, Amelia was even more surprised that Khalid had been able to reserve them their own dining room. It was closed off to the other dining patrons and a few of Khalid's friends in their suits manned the doors in and out of the room.
“They aren’t your friends, are they? Are they some sort of security team?” Amelia had finally asked when they were alone in the dining room. The waiter had already come and gone with their food order. Now they sat, sipping wine as Khalid’s heated gaze met hers over their wine glasses.
After their explosive kiss in Amelia’s living room, Khalid had urged her to get dressed in something fancy. Amelia hadn’t dressed, fixed her hair and swiped on a bit of makeup so fast in her life. She had been so dazed by his kiss that she wanted to do whatever he told her to if only he would kiss her like that again. She had even forgotten to empty the tub. Before she could do something about it, Khalid had escorted her out of her apartment and into an SUV similar to the one that had shown up at her school.
At her inquiry about his friends, Khalid had laughed and shook his head. “They are my security detail tasked to keep me out of trouble.”
Amelia’s questions grew from that one statement, but they were disregarded when Khalid began asking her about her day at work. He seemed to take a real interest in her life as a teacher and even asked her about the education system in place for teachers. She found they agreed on a lot when it came to the education of minors and even those in their adult years. There is no age limit to learning.
Finally, when Amelia felt like she couldn’t talk anymore about herself, she asked, “You don’t like to talk about yourself, do you?”
The food had arrived some time ago and Amelia’s question seemed to pause him in his eating.
Khalid set aside his fork and leaned back in his chair to watch her through hooded eyes. “It’s not that, ya amar. I just lead a very convoluted life. Many women in my life attempt to gain access to me for things like money and power.”
Amelia tried to make light of the subject and laughed. “You poor man, having women throw themselves at you must be so horrible.”
Khalid grinned and laughed along with her. “It can be. Especially when it is my family throwing the women in my direction. It is not enough that I handle our family's holdings, but my entire love life is scrutinized by my family as if it is some great game.”
Tilting her head, Amelia frowned. “How archaic. Shouldn’t you be able to meet someone yourself?”
Khalid reached over and touched her hand. “I think I have.”
Before she could answer, Khalid continued, “I wanted to apologize for the way I acted at our last dinner, Lia. It was never my intention to make you think all I was looking for from you was something physical and meaningless.”
Shaking her head, Amelia stared at their entwined hands. “You must think I’m so silly. Here you are a worldly business man, handsome to boot, and I’m nothing more than a twenty-five year old virgin, school teacher.”
Khalid shook his head. “It is not silly, Lia. It is admirable. Though how a beautiful woman such as yourself has held onto your innocence for so long, I will never understand. Men must fall at your feet constantly for a glimpse at your sweetness.”
Blushing, it was Amelia’s turn to shake her head and deny everything. “I haven’t been on a date in a long time. The night we met, I was waiting for a blind date, but he didn’t show. Like me, work was too important to him. In university I dated, but I couldn’t imagine being so vulnerable with any of those men like that.”
Khalid stroked her hand. “Your blind date is a fool for abandoning you in that restaurant alone. I understand your nervousness. I want you to know I would never pressure you, Lia, but you should know that I am fiercely attracted to you and, soon, I hope we will be joined as one.”
Losing her breath, Amelia stared across the table, completely at a loss for words. Finally, gaining a bit of courage, Amelia asked, “Why me?”
Khalid smiled softly at her and his dimple appeared once more. “I can’t explain it. You fell into my arms, ya amar, like a gift from heaven. When I held you, I felt this instant connection. I had to know you, mind, body and soul.”
Pausing, Khalid’s face broke into a naughty grin. “Though not in that order I hope.”
Blushing an even brighter shade of red than before, Amelia finished her dinner as Khalid told her about his family. Though he didn’t over explain, he kept his stories to his childhood and what trouble he and his brother would get up to.
“My mother had help raising us and thank the heavens she did. We were absolute hellions,” Khalid finished one story with a laugh and Amelia found his deep laughter infectious as she too laughed along with him.
“You never mentioned where you grew up? Was it in Toronto or even in Canada?” Amelia asked.
“Far from here, Lia. In the Middle East and in Europe for a time,” Khalid crooned and before she could ask him more, the waiter arrived and cleared their plates.
“Will you be partaking in dessert tonight?” the waiter asked, though Amelia thought he was really asking Khalid. The restaurant had pulled out all the stops for the mysterious Khalid.
Khalid’s eyes met hers and his grin grew as he huskily answered, “Yes, t
hough it’s not on your menu.”
The waiter obviously understood Khalid’s comment as he blushed and departed with a small nod. Amelia giggled as the waiter scurried out in a hurry.
“I think you embarrassed him,” Amelia murmured as Khalid stood and helped her to stand.
“It was the truth, ya amar,” Khalid murmured back in her ear. Amelia had to fight the shiver from escaping as his lips brushed tenderly against her ear.
As he helped her to stand, Amelia let Khalid pull her against his chest as he was draping her coat over her shoulders.
Whispering, so only he could hear, Amelia asked the question that had been plaguing her all night, “What does that mean? Ya amar?”
“It means ‘my moon’ in Arabic. It is a term of endearment. The moon is so uniquely beautiful. I find you to be so uniquely beautiful as well, if not more,” Khalid whispered back as he pressed his mouth to the shell of her ear fully with a soft kiss.
Before he could take things further, a deep voiced man cleared his throat at the doors of the dining area and Amelia jumped apart from Khalid as if she had been bitten. Blushing, she realized a member of Khalid’s security detail stood with hands clasped in front of him.
The man gave a small bow and spoke in a heavily accented voice, “I apologize, your…”
Before he could continue, Khalid moved in front of Amelia and interrupted the man, “What is it?”
If the man was surprised at Khalid’s abruptness, he didn’t let on and instead kept his eyes blank as he bowed again, “The car is ready.”
Khalid nodded and the man stepped back out of the dining room with another bow. Amelia’s curiosity grew. Why was everyone bowing? Was it a security thing? As Khalid turned back to her and placed his warm hands on her shoulders, she smiled up at him, forgetting her questions.
“Let me take you home, ya amar. You must be exhausted,” Khalid whispered and escorted her from the room. Two of Khalid’s security met him there. One led the way and the other followed behind them. It was all very strange for an ordinary business man like Khalid.
When they arrived back at her apartment door, Mrs. Moody was thankfully absent from the hallway and Amelia felt relieved that the older woman wouldn’t see her try to control herself around Khalid and his smoldering eyes and sinful lips.
Smiling as she unlocked her door, Amelia said softly, “Thank you for dinner, Khalid. I had an amazing time.”
Khalid stopped her from opening her door further and instead pulled her close to his chest. The smell of their spicy dinner lingered on both of their breathes as they stared into each other’s eyes, waiting for the other to make the first move. Khalid did, rubbing his nose against her own before placing his lips softly against her own.
Just like his kiss in her apartment, this one was explosive and toe curling. Moaning into his mouth, Amelia felt her hands roving up Khalid’s chest until they met his silky, curly hair. Clutching his tendrils tighter caused a growl to escape from Khalid’s throat and Amelia muffled a shriek in surprise when the strong man pressed her up against the door frame of her apartment door.
Even through his suit jacket and pants, she felt his muscles rippling beneath them tense in anticipation. As the kiss deepened and their tongues battled for dominance, Amelia moaned and felt her body beginning to press itself more against Khalid’s instinctively. She was practically grinding against him as she arched against his lingering hands.
With another growl, Khalid pulled his lips away from hers. They both breathed heavily as they stared into another’s eyes. Khalid’s words were hoarse and Amelia had to stop her body from writhing against his as he slowly placed her on her unsteady feet.
“If I don’t leave now, ya amar, you will be a virgin no longer,” Khalid murmured and pressed a soft kiss on her nose. “You do not deserve a quick fuck in a hallway. You deserve a bed of rose petals and all things soft and sensual. Like a princess.”
Amelia blushed as his words washed over her. “I’m no royal, Khalid. I’m just an average girl.”
Khalid grinned down at her. “Never average. Brighter than the moon.”
Pressing another quick kiss on her lips and then to the tops of her hands, Khalid nodded to her. “I will call you, ya amar. Dream of me.”
How could she not?
4
A few days later, Meghan’s cheery voice came over the intercom in the middle of Amelia’s first afternoon period.
“Ms. Jones, Mrs. Cranston would like to see you in her office.”
Her class ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’ at the statement and some even snickered at the thought of a teacher being sent to the principal’s office. Smiling at her cheeky students, Amelia called her teacher’s aide to the front of the class and gave her the notes for the lesson before leaving her class in the aide’s capable hands.
As she walked the empty halls in the direction of the principal’s office, Amelia thought back to the last few days. Khalid had indeed called her after work the next day and they had spent two hours talking before she had sleepily told him she had papers to grade.
Khalid had asked when he could see her again, but it wouldn’t be soon. The week was going to be a busy one and her weekends were usually full with working toward the next week. Their school was underfunded. They needed to keep up with regulations and ensuring their students received good grades ensured they received the minimal funding from the government.
Khalid had understood and admired her work ethic and passion, but that hadn’t stopped him from sending her flirty text messages throughout the night and day. It had gotten so distracting that she had locked her phone up in her desk. He would just have to wait. She still had her job to worry about.
As she entered the administrative office and smiled at Meghan who squirmed in her chair, her delight obvious. Cocking an eyebrow at the bouncy woman, Amelia almost laughed until she caught sight of a familiar figure standing in the corner of the waiting room.
One of Khalid’s security detail. Khalid had introduced him as Haseem, if she recalled correctly. Haseem nodded to her, his face set in a serious frown as it had been the night at the restaurant and Amelia exchanged a confused look with Meghan.
As if she couldn’t contain herself, Meghan bounced up and out of her chair, but managed to stay behind her desk as her usually excited voice calmly professed, “Mrs. Cranston is waiting for you inside, Ms. Jones.”
Forcing herself to smile, Amelia straightened her blouse and eyed the stoney faced Haseem for the second time before striding past the serious man and into the lion's den.
Inwardly, Amelia rolled her eyes at her over exaggeration. Mrs. Cranston was a very sweet, older lady. Though, like Khalid’s family, she was archaic when it came to what she felt were a teacher's responsibilities. It had taken Amelia months to convince the woman to spring for new computers and accounting software so the children could learn about money and investments.
It was a necessary life skill in the electronic era. Better they learn about finances now in middle school, then not at all like Amelia had. When she’d been kicked out of foster care at eighteen, she had no idea how to support herself. Amelia had been lucky enough to have gotten a scholarship and met Bea who offered Amelia a room in her apartment. Without Bea’s support, Amelia was certain she would have ended up living on the street.
Knocking on the door softly, Amelia waited until she heard the prim and proper call to come in from Mrs. Cranston before she opened the door and closed it softly behind her. Mrs. Cranston’s office was clean and a bit outdated, but nonetheless resembled a principal’s office to a ‘t’.
Smiling at the older woman, Amelia nodded as her boss indicated for Amelia to take a seat. The room was empty other then her and Mrs. Cranston, and for that Amelia was glad. If she was here for disciplinary action, Meghan would no doubt be present and not so bouncy.
“Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice, Amelia,” Mrs. Cranston’s nasal voice spoke finally as she smiled, her teeth revealing red lipsti
ck stains. Usually British accents had a way of relaxing Amelia, but today, Mrs. Cranston’s accent grated on her every nerve.
Smiling back, Amelia straightened in her chair. “It was no problem. Is there something wrong?”
Mrs. Cranston shook her head. “Heavens no, but you have been keeping secrets from me. I had no idea how ambitious you truly were until this very moment.”
Confused at the woman’s comments that mirrored Mrs. Moody’s, Amelia tilted her head and laughed nervously. “I beg your pardon?”
“Your secret campaign for our school, my dear? It has been successful! A wealthy benefactor, Mr. Majeed, sent over his man this morning along with a letter and a cheque of funds. Why it is so incredible, I can scarcely believe it. Why did you not inform us of your campaign to raise funds for our school?” Mrs. Cranston exclaimed, her eyes wide behind her tiny glasses as she peered across her desk at Amelia.
Khalid.
Shaking her head, Amelia cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Cranston, I don’t fully understand⎯.”
Before she could finish, Mrs. Cranston was up on her tiny feet and marched around the desk, a piece of paper in her hands. Handing it to Amelia, Mrs. Cranston laughed in glee.
“Read it yourself, my dear girl. You must be in quite a shock. I will have Meghan put on a pot of tea at once to celebrate!” With that, the older woman left to go speak with Meghan and it gave Amelia a chance to focus on the letter in her hands.
It was a simple letter printed on beige paper. The letterhead at the top stated simply, Aman Industries, and the contact information. Recognizing Khalid’s family's business name, Amelia read further, completely perplexed.
Dear Mrs. Elizabeth Cranston,
I hope this correspondence finds you well. I have had the pleasure of being introduced to one of your teachers, Ms. Amelia Jones. I find myself blown away by Ms. Jones’ fresh ideas for your school and education as a whole. The ambition she has sparked within me shall not be doused. Please accept this first installment in what I hope will aid your students in reaching their fullest potential. Future installments will arrive yearly.
