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Despite his wishes to the contrary, Raheem felt his body harden in response.
More to keep his libido in check than anything else, he chugged an ice-cold mimosa then strode across the room to greet her. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of him dressed in his country’s traditional robes and if he wasn’t mistaken, Raheem saw a flicker of feminine interest and heat in her gaze. Masculine pride welled within him. So maybe she was attracted to him after all.
“Thank you for arriving promptly, Laura,” he said, slipping her hand around his arm to lead her to their table at the front of the room. As they walked the air carried the scent of her floral shampoo and the spicy anise and clove infused lotion that was supplied to all the guest rooms in the palace. Images of her smoothing the cream into her skin, over her long limbs and down her chest and breasts filled his head and Raheem damned near tripped over his own feet.
He quickly shoved those dangerous thoughts aside. He had no business thinking about Miss Bliss that way. None at all. Now if someone would just let his traitorous, twitching cock know the program, he’d be all set.
He led her up onto the dais where the honored guests and speakers would be sitting and couldn’t help but smile as she stared around the room, wide-eyed.
“Holy cow, this place is packed,” Laura said, her voice quiet. Raheem leaned in closer to hear her, then instantly regretted it as her warmth penetrated the fine linen of his robes, setting his pulse racing anew. “Is that the Secretary of State I see over there?”
“Yes.” Raheem held her chair for her, ignoring the jolts of awareness that zinged up his arms as his fingers brushed the backs of her silk-covered shoulders. He’d have to thank Najma later on. He’d asked his sister to help out in the wardrobe department, but Laura looked beyond gorgeous in the outfit his sister had chosen. He took the seat beside her and gazed out over the crowd. “I believe that your country sent an entire delegation to our breakfast today. Keeping relationships friendly between our countries is a top priority for the West. Most of the European Union and Great Britain have representatives here too.”
Pretty pink color flushed Laura’s cheeks as she placed her napkin across her lap. “And you really think I can help you and your country attract money from these people?”
“That’s my hope.” He nodded to a server who placed plates full of fragrant stacks of freshly baked fiat bread, small bowls of salty, white goat cheese, and a selection of black and green olives before them. There was also labnah—a thick cream cheese drizzled with olive oil to dip their bread in. Once their glasses had been filled with water and sweet tea poured into their cups, the server left and he continued. “You have not said yes yet though. Nor have you named your terms of employment.”
She exhaled slowly and a bit of tension seemed to leave her shoulders. “I just don’t know. What about my production company? I can’t afford to lose that job and this is only temporary. And I don’t think I’ll have time to do both. We’re only here until the end of the week. My boss is going to be angry enough when I get back to the hotel.”
“This boss of yours, he is a fair man?”
Laura snorted at this and damn if even that wasn’t adorable. Raheem forced his gaze back to his food and not at the graceful way she moved and talked and held herself. This was getting ridiculous. She was just another woman. A beautiful, intelligent, talented woman, but still.
“Ben is…ambitious,” she said slowly, as if choosing her words carefully. “He spends most of his time looking out for himself. Like yesterday. The only reason I was stuck scrounging around the desert looking for some stupid sand dune that didn’t exist is because he took the better scouting job for himself. He spent the day poolside at the hotel, sipping coconut water while scoping out interior shots for the film.”
Sudden anger flared white-hot within Raheem. How dare a man, especially one with power over this lovely creature, wield it with such disregard. In his family women were treated with the upmost respect and granted the best of everything, even if it meant the men suffered. That was the way of things in his world and to hell with any other opinions on the matter. He gripped his piece of toasted fiat bread so hard it shattered all over his plate. With a muttered curse, Raheem wiped his hand then took a long drink of water to douse his ire. “That is shameful. A man of honor takes care of the women in his protection. Your boss sounds like an insufferable ass.”
“That’s about right.” Laura grinned at him and his whole world brightened. “But ass or not, I still need the job. My hope is that soon I’ll be promoted to full location scout by the production company and I won’t have to work under Ben anymore.”
Raheem swallowed a piece of dry toast, then met her gaze. “How much are they paying you?”
“By the job, you mean?”
“No, for the entire year.”
She was silent for a moment. “Oh, uh. I don’t really know. I mean, I’m paid by the job most times and it just depends on the roster of films we have coming up for the season. My pay tends to fluctuate.”
“That must make budgeting hard.” Raheem frowned. “Give me a ballpark then. Knowing your personal expenses and cost of living, what do you need to make in a year to cover everything?”
“Well, let’s see.” Her auburn brows knit as she concentrated, and Raheem once again felt the insane urge to lean closer and kiss those tiny lines away. He stopped himself through sheer force of will. “With rent and utilities and food and insurance, I’d say forty thousand at least.”
“Good.” Raheem felt that sam
e rush of adrenaline he got when he closed a major business deal for Djeva. “You agree to stay here for another two weeks and I will pay you a hundred thousand dollars for services rendered. Is that satisfactory?”
Laura choked on her orange juice. Raheem patted her back and rubbed small circles to soothe her until her breathing became normal again. Then he left his hand on her back just because it felt so good to touch her. Finally, she straightened and his hand slipped away. He missed the heat of her immediately.
She took a sip of water before answering him. “I’m sorry. I thought you said you’d pay me a hundred grand to stay here another two weeks and work with you.”
“That’s correct.” Raheem sat back as the server took his empty plate away. His speech was scheduled to start soon and he wanted her answer now so he could make the announcement to the assembled. “Is that not enough? Let’s make it five then. My final offer.”
“Five-hundred-thousand. That’s half a million dollars. No! Wait, please.” She placed her hands on her cheeks and shook her head. This couldn’t really be happening, could it? “Seriously. Five hundred grand is more money than I’ve ever had, like ever. But I can’t just up and quit the production company.”
“Why not?” Raheem was getting impatient. He saw the host trying to catch his eye near the podium and he needed to close this deal fast. “You just said that your boss behaves like a boorish ass. He has no respect for you or the work you do. He gives you the worst assignments while taking the best for himself and the company pays you only the bare minimum to survive. I’ve just offered you far more than what you said you needed to cover your expenses for a year. After the two weeks you spend with me, you’d be free to travel, find a new job, do whatever you wanted for the next twelve months and beyond. Are you going to tell me you’ll turn that down out of some misguided sense of loyalty?”
“But why me?” Laura asked, her frown deepening. “I’m sure you could find a hundred people better qualified or with more experience in travel and tourism than me. I’ve never worked in this sector before. You barely know me.” She narrowed her gaze. “And I’m telling you right now that if this is some ploy to get me to go to bed with you, I won’t do it. Understand?”
This time, it was Raheem’s turn to be taken aback. Much as he’d love to explore every single inch of Laura Bliss, that thought hadn’t even entered into his plans for hiring her as his locations specialist for this project. He stood and pushed his chair in, rising to his full height of six two to tower above her, royal bearing on full display. “You insult me deeply with such accusations. I have not now, nor will I ever seduce an employee to further my business goals. Now this offer I’ve made is nearly off the table. I will need your answer now, Miss Bliss, or the money and the job offer are rescinded.”
