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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.”
