Chapter Eleven
Samiyah dialed Jonas’ penthouse suite and waited patiently for him to answer. When he didn’t, she hung up and redialed the number. No answer. Samiyah huffed.
The newspaper clipping disturbed her. She was a professional for Pete’s sake, on the front page looking like she had a school girl crush. Samiyah went in search of Jonas stopping by the conference rooms first. He did say he had an urgent call to take, so maybe he would be there. When she reached her destination, to her dismay, Jonas was nowhere in sight. Samiyah let out an exasperated sigh.
When I’m not looking for him, he’ll show up.
She was right. The hotel was huge; it could take all day to find him. Maybe she should just plan her day out and wait to run into him.
But what if you don’t?
Samiyah groaned. It was 1:48 p.m., today she would make it her business to get to the beach. This was a four-day three-night trip, and there was much to explore. Deciding to get something to eat, Samiyah made her way to Delicias, a restaurant inside the hotel.
On her way, Samiyah received pleasant smiles and flirtatious looks from women and men alike. In her mind, she wondered if they recognized her as the lovesick woman on the front of the newspaper.
Stop worrying about something you can’t control.
When she made it to the restaurant, Samiyah sauntered to the first free table she saw. It sat by glass windows with a view of the palm trees and beautiful blue waters that surrounded them. The feel of the restaurant was busy, the décor upscale, and no one seemed to be sitting alone but her. As she waited for a server to approach, Samiyah got lost in her thoughts. It wasn’t long before the waitress manifested to take her order. Looking over the menu, she placed an order for grilled chicken quesadillas and a glass of water.
As the waitress walked away, Samiyah eyed her movements which came to a halt when she passed him. A rush of emotions filled her gut. There Jonas sat, comfortably in simple but sexy attire. Her eyes zeroed in on his face. He lifted a fork to his mouth, and Samiyah caught herself softly moan. It was barely above a whisper.
Then his tongue licked his delicious lips, and he took another bite of his food. Samiyah envied that fork. A charming smile broke out sitting high on his masculine face. It was followed by a burst of laughter and a nod of the head. It was then that Samiyah realized he had a companion. From her long slender legs, Samiyah knew she was tall. Her brunette hair was in a bunch of curls that curved her ears. Samiyah was unable to see the woman’s face, but from a distance, she could see enough.
A pang of jealousy ran through her core. Samiyah tried unsuccessfully to dismiss the feeling. It was uncomfortable and confusing. She didn’t want to care. There was so much she didn’t know about Mr. Jonas Alexander Rose, and Samiyah wasn’t trying to find out.
What did she expect, he was Chicago’s most eligible bachelor after all. When paparazzi got a hold of a picture of him today, they would forget all about her. Yes, Samiyah reassured herself. So why on earth did she care so much?” Another beat passed, and he looked over meeting her quizzical stare.
Now her heart was racing double time, and she quickly looked away. Clearing her throat, Samiyah placed her focus outside the glass window and held it there.
When Jonas saw her, there was an unfamiliar leap in his chest that confused him. The broad smile that sat on his face dissipated. He wondered how long she’d been watching him. Dr. Blake Sanchez entered the room seeing Samiyah immediately. The doctor strolled to her table. Jonas watched as he interrupted her thoughts. A look of surprise catching her face. The doctor spoke, and a gorgeous smile lit up her beautiful expression.
Again, there was that leap in his chest. Samiyah shook her head yes and the doctor took a seat across from her. The waitress appeared with her food and took the doctor’s order.
When she began to eat Jonas’ mind flashed back to memories of her delicate lips on him; licking softly across his neck, biting down on his shoulder, kissing up his jaw and nibbling on his ear. When she took another bite, her eyes met his and this time she licked her lips.
“Excuse me.”
Jonas was up moving towards her like a predatory animal. Samiyah took a sip of her water to calm her nerves. When Jonas approached, he could hardly take his eyes off her.
“Good afternoon, Samiyah,” Jonas glanced at Dr. Black Sanchez. “Doctor,” he said quickly acknowledging him.
“Jonas,” the doctor said, surprised once again by his sudden appearance. “How are you today?”
“I’m well,” he responded to the doctor, but his eyes lingered on Samiyah. She took another sip of her water.
“Good afternoon, Jonas,” Samiyah said. “Enjoying your lunch?” A smile dashed across her lips.
Jonas slid his hands into his pockets. “I did, I missed breakfast this morning, and I was in desperate need of a bite to eat after working up such an appetite last night.” He spoke low; his voice, deep.
Samiyah swallowed hard.
“You work too hard,” the doctor chimed in, “even on vacation. How do you plan to relax and take a load off,” he asked.
“I’ve got an idea,” Jonas said, speaking to the doctor but sending a direct implication toward Samiyah.
The doctor laughed, “I’m sure.”
“Samiyah, do you mind if I speak to you for a moment?”
“Actually, I do need to have a word with you. Dr. Sanchez, you don’t mind if I speak to Mr. Rose for a minute, do you?”
“Of course not, take your time.”
Samiyah rose from the table and walked passed Jonas exiting the restaurant. When they got outside, she turned to him.
“Did you see the Chicago Tribune, today?”
“I did.”
He stepped closer to her. Jonas had a thing about getting into her personal space. Samiyah let out a deep breath to refocus her thoughts.
“Well, what are you going to do about it?”
Jonas lifted a brow. “What’s wrong with it?”
She crossed her arms. “Are you serious? They think I’m your love interest.”
“I’m waiting for the part where this should be an issue for us.”
Did he say us?
“The problem is, I’m not your love interest. Look, I’ve got a career, and I’m still building my client list. I can’t have people thinking I’m one of your one hit wonders.”
A silly smile cracked Jonas’ lips replaced by a humorous laugh. He was so irresistibly charming she couldn’t help but laugh, too.
“This isn’t funny, Mr. Rose.”
He reached for her, drawing Samiyah into his embrace. “But you’re laughing.” Her head fell forward landing on his chest as she let out a cheerful laugh.
“And since when did we go back to referencing each other with a formal address? I think we’re more than acquainted enough to be on a first-name basis.”
Pulling back from him, Samiyah looked into his eyes. It was amazing how she felt just being here with him.
“I don’t assume anything, Mr. Rose.” He gave her a stern look. “Okay Jonas,” she said taking back the formality.
“You don’t have to, always call me Jonas.”
Always?
“How was your breakfast,” he inquired.
“It was fabulous, thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome. Listen, if you have a problem being photographed with me, tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.” He was being serious. “I don’t want you to think being with me will ruin your reputation or the reputation you’re trying to build. I would never want to put you in that position.”
His face was so close just an inch more, and her lips could touch his.
“Hey, Mr. Rose, sorry to interrupt, I took care of the check, and I’m off to the beach if you need me.”
Samiyah pulled slightly away from him.
“You did use the company card, right?”
“Should I have,” Amanda asked.
“Whenever you’re on company business, you use the company card.”
“I did, I’m just playing around.” A shy laugh departed from Amanda before extinguishing into an artificial smile.
Jonas smiled brightly. “Samiyah this is Amanda, my assistant. She’s dealt with me for six years now. A real trooper, I hope she stays around for a while. It would be hard to replace her.” Amanda gushed. “Amanda this is Samiyah Manhattan,” he paused then said, “My love interest.”