Chapter 2
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 would 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.”
“And you think I should do that tonight?”
She nodded. “I’m here so I’ll help you with names and jobs, but ask about their lives so you have the details you need for the next meeting.”
When she smiled up at him like that, Zadir swore he was the luckiest man to ever have walked the planet. She had so much confidence in him. “You think there will be a next meeting?”
She nodded. “I do. They need to sell or risk ruining the legacy of The Crown Jewels, and you have enough cash to make it worth the sentimental value it has for them.”
Zadir looked at her, shocked at how quickly she’d boiled it all down for him. “That was amazing! Can I keep you?”
She laughed at his eager expression. “Don’t be so surprised, Zadir. I did go to business school, you know.”
He waved off her words. “I just meant the way you took everything and just boiled it down to a few simple needs. I need you. On my team.”
Her heart was mid-soar when he completed that thought and again she felt like a foolish, gangly teen. It plummeted to the ground in a jaw-droppingly fast fall. He wanted her mind, her business acumen and her ability to turn his tabloid escapades into a simple boys will be boys story everyone gets a kick out of around the dinner table. “I already have a job, thanks.”
He leaned in close until his lips brushed her cheek when he spoke in her ear. “Yeah but this one has better salary and benefits, a hotter boss and a lot more travel.”
Shala wasn’t ashamed to admit that the travel appealed to her most. It would keep her away from Jovanbar and her overbearing parents, eager to get her coupled up and married off to some wealthy businessman. But she couldn’t deny the hotter boss was nearly as enticing. But the man would make it hard to do her job. He would flirt and begin a relentless crusade to bed her until she gave in, upon which time he would promptly lose interest. She would be heartbroken and unemployed. “I have always wanted to travel,” she whispered back to him, a satisfied smile crossing her face at his shiver.
Zadir pulled back with a seductive smile on his face. “Stick with me, Shala and you’ll go everywhere you ever wanted…and then some.”
Don’t react, don’t react. Do. Not. React. She willed her body not to react in any way to his words, to that look in his eyes that made a girl want to shove her panties to the floor and do whatever he asked. But her nipples puckered and her skin flushed. She was affected and the night had just begun. She smiled at the beautiful, obviously French siblings coming their way. “Bonsoir Annette and Pierre!”
“Bonsoir,” both siblings answered at the same time, pulling Shala into a hug and brushing both cheeks with kisses. “I feel like I know you already,” Annette enthused.
Zadir watched, rapt, as little Shala—all grown up and not so little these days—charmed the hell out of two wealthy French hoteliers. They chatted like old friends, occasionally including him in their conversation. Finally cocktail hour had ended and they all sat for dinner. He sent up a prayer of thanks that the French always did everything backwards and Shala was seated beside him. “At least we know the food will be fantastic.”
She smiled. “Actually their chef used to be the Executive Chef for Les Filles until he entered into a joint partnership for their 3.5 Michelin Star restaurant, L’hommage.” Her light brown gaze darted around the room, the quiet room, while everyone stared back at her. “Sorry,” she flushed and reached for her water glass.
“No worries,” Pierre assured her. “You speak as though the Emerald, she is yours.”
Zadir wanted to groan at the Frenchman’s praise of Shala. But he couldn’t because this resort was a big deal and with his ideas, and Shala by his side, he could take them all to the next level. “Well we’re hoping it soon will be.”
Annette’s perfect sculpted brows rose in question. “Shala, I thought you were just an employee at Alzari Holdings. I had no idea you and Zadir were lovers.”
Shala blushed from her toes to the tops of her ears. “Um, we’re not.”
“Not yet,” he proudly staked his claim while the table laughed happily at his antics.