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She realized he was edging toward asking her for some kind of date, but she knew she couldn't let that happen. Not after what she'd seen tonight. She merely smiled at him and shook her head as if she couldn't quite believe his brazenness.
It was obvious he wasn't a man to be easily thwarted when it came to getting what he wanted. He was charming, that was for sure. But, he was also determined.
She could understand that maybe what Rashid had said about Ahmed might have a grain of truth. Maybe he was expert at getting what he wanted from women. Even if that was the case, Gemma was determined she wouldn't be next on his list.
She turned away from him.It was a short drive to her apartment block, just a few minutes. But she wondered if it would seem like a very long journey indeed.
There was a long pause and neither of them spoke. She gazed out the window at the passing traffic and the sights of the city. Then she turned to him. "Why are you doing all this?"
"Doing what?"
She frowned. "You know what I mean."
"I would have thought it would have been obvious," he replied.
"You see, that's the thing. It isn't."
Ahmed shrugged. "I'm not someone who gives up easily. If I want something I usually don't stop until I get it."
"Rashid said the same thing about you," she said.
He shrugged. "Nice to know you were all talking about me when I wasn't there to defend myself," he said with a grin.
"Rashid told me you have a reputation," she said.
"In business?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No. With women," she said bluntly.
That seemed to take him aback for a moment and she saw him settle against the leather seat. His features were suddenly thoughtful. She could see his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered how to reply to that remark.
"Isn't it the same thing?" he asked.
She wasn't sure he was being serious. She turned her body to face him directly. "You don't mean that, do you?"
He grinned. "Everything in life is negotiation. In one form or another. Don't you agree?" he asked peering at her.
She frowned. "I couldn't possibly say," was the best she could come up with.
"I mean, look at you," he continued. "You obviously know how to negotiate when it comes to your own business. It's all about creating value. For the people who follow you. And, I could see the pleasure on the face of that young girl, back there. Getting her photo with you was obviously important to her. You could see the excitement."
"But, I'm just someone she sees online. She doesn't know who I really am," Gemma said defensively.
He shifted toward her. "And who are you, Miss Ellon?" he breathed slowly. "Really."
That stopped her right in her tracks. The way he'd spoken those words made something shift again inside her. The same feeling she'd felt in the garden was back again, just as surprising and just as intense as before.
She felt her mouth open slightly. His gaze drifted down toward her lips. There was a hungry look in that gaze. Her heart started racing more quickly. Her breath halted for a moment in her chest.
Thenshe recovered her composure, keenly aware of just how close he was to her. Just how dominating his presence was with him just inches away from her.
She couldn't believe she'd agreed to come inside this limo with him. Suddenly she was glad it was a mere few minutes to her apartment, because the way he was looking at her, right now, if the journey had been any further, she wasn't sure she would have been able to control the sudden temptation she was feeling.
What was it about this man? He seemed to possess the ability to find just the right words, just the right look that would affect her in an instant. Was he like this with all his women? Did he intend for her to be just another in his long line of victories? If that was what he was thinking, then he really didn't know who she was.
Gemma turned away from him. Anything to avoid looking into those eyes, she told herself. That gaze had made something warm, something that made her nervous, take up space in her middle.
Maybe she'd had too much champagne, although she knew she'd been careful not to drink too much, needing to make a good impression on her first big night here in Qazhar.
