by Leslie North
Adiva walked in with a tray of refreshments. She placed it on the table and asked if they needed anything else. Amir told her that he did not want anything. Tariq did not offer a response. He simply grunted instead.
Sara returned to her office and started researching El-Sultari. She wanted to prove Tariq wrong. There was potential and it was worth checking it out. Tariq probably shut down the idea because it came from her. She really wanted to prove him wrong. She wanted to visit the field but she knew she could not do that herself. Amir would authorise it but would not let her go alone. She smiled at the thought of Malik. He was the perfect person to go with her. After all, he was in charge of the oil fields.
* * * *
It was finally Friday. The last day of the workweek and the last late work night! Sara was happy. She was not used to working such late nights and it was exhausting. She could not wait to get the work over and done with so that she could start her weekend, kick back and relax.
She had worked with Amir every night and he laughed at how tired she got. He kept saying that she was too cute. Sara never understood how she was cute but it didn't bother her. That Friday, Amir had a mysterious appointment he needed to go to. Sara manned his appointments and she was unaware of this one.
“Sir, you're being too secretive,” Sara said to Amir. He laughed and ruffled her hair.
“I am not,” he said.
“Then why do I not know about this appointment? And why aren't I coming along?”
“You're working late,” Amir replied as he kept inching towards the door. Sara placed her hands on her hips and stared at him.
“A date?” Sara asked him.
“I shall see you on Monday,” Amir smiled mischievously. Sara laughed and bid him farewell. She knew that he was going on a date. He seemed to be quite the ladies man. She was going to grill him about him it on Monday. She took the files she needed from his desk and locked his door before she headed back to her office.
After what seemed like hours and hours of work, Sara decided to walk around the building. She needed to stretch and relax for a bit. The place was deserted. The only people who were there were the security guards. Even Adiva was not working late. Sara frowned. She wished that she were home or out with the twins.
Sara dragged her feet as she walked around the building. She didn't even care what she looked like, nobody was there to see her. She was wearing a black knee-length, pencil skirt and a white camisole that was not tucked in. Her hair was not tied up and her long curly hair rested on her back. She had taken her heels off. She turned a corner and saw the light on in the conference room. She growled silently. Who had not bothered to switch the light off? She dragged her feet and headed towards the conference room to switch the light off. She walked into the room and towards the light switch. She was in her own world looking at the ground.
“Can I help you with something?” A deep voice sounded from behind her. It startled her as she squealed and turned around quickly.
“Oh gosh,” she sighed with relief. It was Tariq leaning on the table reading some paperwork. He was wearing grey pants and a white shirt. A couple of buttons were unbuttoned, revealing the top of his chest. “You scared me,” she scolded.
“Do you need something?” Tariq asked her. Sara shrugged. She didn't really expect him to be polite to her.
“I saw the light on and I came to switch it off because I thought no one was in here,” Sara replied. Tariq was analysing her. She looked untidy and she was barefoot!
“Why are you barefoot?” He could not help himself. He had to ask her.
“I was wearing heels all day. My feet hurt,” Sara's tone was not friendly. She was trying her best not to snap at him. He did not respond to her. He studied her silently. “Working late?” Sara asked. She caught his gaze and felt uncomfortable. She slowly inched for the door. He didn't respond to her as he felt like she was asking an obvious question. Sara placed her hands on her hips.
“Why is it you can never answer me or even act polite towards me?” Sara asked him. She couldn't ignore it anymore. He always felt the need to be that way towards her and she had not done anything to him. On top of that, she was tired and had enough of his attitude towards her.
Tariq raised his eyebrows as he regarded her. He was not expecting her to question him nor did she have the right to. “I am not obligated to do either,” he said. His voice was now deeper.
“I never did anything to offend you.”
She has full lips, Tariq thought to himself. He had never noticed them before. It did not matter anyway he thought. “Your persona is offensive,” he said to her.
“Excuse me?”
“Who walks around barefoot?”
Sara frowned. You're the one with an ugly persona, she told herself. She looked away. She was in the middle of arguing with him and his chest was distracting her. From the little glimpse she got, she could tell that he was very toned. The bulk of his muscles were always showing in the clothes he wore. And how was it he had time to work out when he was always working?
“You do not act like a lady should,” Tariq added.
“I am good at my job and that's all you should be concerned about,” Sara shot back.
“For England, perhaps. But this is Saudi Arabia and you work for the Botros.”
“Because you're so freaking special,” Sara mumbled under her breath as she headed for the door. If she stayed in there any longer, she would say things that she would regret. She liked Amir and respected him enough not to disrespect his brother. She got the shock of her life when Tariq grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“What did you say?” he demanded. He had pulled her close to him and she was now standing inches from him. She was shocked at how he pulled her so easily as if she weighed nothing.
“Being a little bit more polite and less judgemental to others will not harm you,” Sara said. She was not going to let him intimidate her. She was going to stand her ground. His gaze had grown darker and more intense. He stared at her and she stared back. She was not going to look away first.
“You think you can speak to me any way you wish to?”
“Unhand me.”
“If I don't?”
Exactly, what will I do if he does not let go off me?
“Try it and find out.” An empty threat. There was nothing she could do. He called her bluff. He did not let go. Instead, he pulled her even closer to him. Sara landed between his legs and her hands landed on his chest. His face was now inches away from his. Wow, he smells good. Why is it she hadn’t noticed his cologne before? It was intoxicating on him.
“Time to make good on your threat,” he said to her.
“Please let go,” she whispered. She knew that she needed to get out of there. Something unexpected was happening and she wasn’t prepared.
Tariq let go of her arm but Sara didn’t move. She felt paralysed. She so badly wanted to flee from the room but her legs failed her. Tariq wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Her whole body was now flush against his. Both her palms rested on his rock hard chest. He planted a kiss on her lips. It took her by surprise.
He gently kissed her and she did not stop him. Her mind went blank. She could not think about anything. As she gasped, he gently pushed his tongue into her mouth and deepened the kiss. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. His hands stroked her back. He broke the kiss. Sara was breathing hard and still had her eyes closed.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“What are you?” he asked the question back.
He pressed a feather-light kiss on her neck, which sent ripples of sensation all over her body. She let out a soft moan as she shuddered against him. He continued to kiss her neck as Sara rubbed his back and dug her nails into his flesh. Before she knew it, her skirt was on the floor and Tariq was caressing and squeezing her bottom. She did not like this man but her senses had left her. She should put a stop to it, but he was doing things to her insid
es that she’d only ever read about.
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Julia Thompson sat at the bar and watched the crowded dance floor, once again trying to find her best friend, Tonya, amidst the masses of writhing bodies. She pushed her glasses up on her nose, and her brown hair off her forehead, fanning herself to move the air around.
It was Friday night and they were supposed to be celebrating Julia having won the coveted exchange position in her company. Every year, three employees from the American-based mining company traded placed with three employees from the Russian-based mining company. Prior to this year, all of the exchange positions had been filled with men, but Julia had proven that she could hold her own in the financial world. Much to her counter-part’s dismay, she had been given the chance to fill the position for the upcoming year. She would be leaving for Russia within the next few weeks and needed a break before the madness of preparing to leave the US for a year began.
She had been ecstatic and she and Tonya had gone out to celebrate. The hottest nightclub in the city was DYSH and they had waited for thirty minutes to gain access to the inside. The crowd was to be expected so early on a Friday evening, and Julia hoped that as the night progressed, the people would begin to thin out.
She loved to dance, but being pressed up against five other people while she did so was not her idea of a good time.
While she waited for Tonya to return, she glanced around the large room once more, focusing once again on the group of good-looking men sitting at the corner table. They were all tall, with dark hair, and great physiques. The two younger men kept going out on the dance floor, but the third man simply watched.
Feeling someone staring at him, Dmitry raised his head and once again caught the young woman sitting at the bar looking directly at him. He raised an eyebrow at her and then smiled when she held his gaze and didn’t look away.
Julia wasn’t sure why she kept staring at him. He gave off an aura of power and danger, but she was feeling on top of the world at the moment, and the alcohol buzzing through her system helped her project a confidence she normally didn’t have.
Dmitry motioned with his head for her to come to him, pleased when she slipped from the stool and sauntered over to him, a small smile upon her face. “Hi,” she said when she was standing next to his table.
“Hello. Would you care to join me?”
Julia nodded and slid into the booth, “How come you’re not joining your friends on the dance floor?” She tossed her head towards the throng of people and then looked back at him.
“Too many people. What about you?”
“Same. I love to dance, but getting trampled on isn’t my idea of fun.” Julia let her eyes roam over his face, loving what she saw. His gray eyes were striking and very intense. This man seemed like someone who had trouble relaxing. His accent was unusual, and she wondered where he was from, “You’re not from around here.”
It wasn’t said as a question, but a statement of fact and Dmitry nodded, “No, I’m not. My brother and cousin are here with me on business.”
Julia looked around the crowded bar, “You conduct business in a nightclub?”
Dmitry looked at her, smiling at her jest, “No, we concluded our business earlier today. My brother and cousin wanted a chance to unwind before we returned home. Hence, the reason I am sitting here.”
“Oh. You don’t sound like you’re having fun.”
“Not at all. Now that you are here, the night is looking much better.”
Julia blushed prettily and then lowered her eyes before replying, “So…”
Before she could finish her statement, the two younger men returned, sliding into the booth and forcing her to press up against the third. “Hey, I’m Alexey. What’s your name?”
Julia couldn’t help but smile at the enthusiasm on the younger man’s face, “I’m Julia.”
Alexey took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it before reluctantly letting her pull it from his grasp. “So, you want to dance?”
Julia shook her head, “Not really.”
Alexey looked disappointed, but then seeing Tonya heading towards their table, he brightened up, “Do you know that girl?”
Julia had seen Tonya leave the dance floor and nodded her head for her to come over. “That’s my best friend, Tonya.”
“Think she might dance with me?” Alexey asked, never taking his eyes off the gorgeous red-head coming towards them.
“Probably. Why don’t you ask her?”
Alexey didn’t even wait for to reach the table before he jumped from the booth and grabbed her hand, pulling her to the dance floor at her nod of acceptance.
The other younger man excused himself and headed back to the dance floor, leaving Julia alone once again with the man whose name she didn’t even know. “I told you my name. Care to return the favor?”
Dmitry smiled and then nodded, “Dmitry. Since you don’t want to dance, would you care to head over to the small diner next door and grab a coffee? The loud music is beginning to wear.”
Julia had been thinking the same thing and nodded. Dmitry scooted from the booth and then pulled her from the booth. Her ankle twisted as she attempted to stand up and she fell against him, plastering herself across his entire front.
Dmitry wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close enough that he could smell her perfume. She smelled delicious! It had been many weeks since he had last spent time with a female as beautiful as Julia and he found himself reluctant to loosen his hold.
Julia looked up at him, knowing she should pull away, but somehow liking the feelings rushing through her body. He was hard in all the right places and she looked up into his face, wondering if his lips were as firm as they looked.
Dmitry gazed down upon her face, leaning in slowly to place a chaste kiss upon her lips. A firestorm of desire rushed through his body at their contact and he found himself deepening the kiss, regardless of the fact that they were in a crowded nightclub.
Finally regaining some self-control, he murmured, “Come, let’s get out of here.”
“Wait! I need to text my friend and tell her where I’m going. We kind of have a system for keeping each other safe, you know?”
No, he didn’t know, but if texting her girlfriend was some sort of ritual that allowed her to leave with him feeling safe, so be it. “Quickly.”
Julia looked at him, and then grabbed her phone from her purse and quickly typed out a message.
Dmitry escorted her from the crowded room, breathing a sigh of relief once they were outside in the cool night air and quiet. He placed his hand at the lowest part of her spine and felt the shiver that snaked up her vertebrae and the goose bumps that came out on her arms.
Julia had never reacted so strongly to a man in her life. She’d dated plenty of guys, but this one was something special. Too bad he was only in town on business! Making a quick decision, she decided that since he wasn’t going to be around long-term, there was no reason she couldn’t indulge in a little making out before heading home for the night.
She was too conservative to jump into bed with someone she just met, but making out with them, trading kisses and touches was just fine. She sensed him watching her as they stood on the sidewalk and glanced up at him, stepping in his chest as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Dmitry was taken aback at how forthright she was being, normally women waited until he made the first move and then they jumped in. Julia wrapped her arms around his neck like a practiced courtesan and when she pulled his head down for a kiss, he was unable to resist.
The kiss was explosive and went on until neither of them could breathe. Breaking apart, Dmitry took her hand and pulled her around the side of the building. He wasn’t sure where this was heading, but he knew that standing on the sidewalk for all to see was not where he wanted to be.
H
e pushed her up against the brick building and then let his lips drift from her mouth to her ear and down her neck. “You smell so sweet,” he told her, using his hands to hold her hips still, lest she unknowingly unman him. She was moving around so much, his manhood was in danger of coming into forceful contact with her hipbones.
“You’re a really good kisser,” she murmured, using her fingertips to play with the hair at the back of his neck.
Dmitry let one of his hands wander up the side of her ribcage, stopping just below her breasts and rubbing his thumb back and forth beneath one several times. When he heard her moan and she arched into his touch, he brought his thumb up and over her distended nipple, loving the way she had already hardened for his touch. She was so responsive!
Julia felt his touch and realized that things were quickly spiraling out of control. She leaned her head back against the building and struggled to catch her breath. When Dmitry tried to take possession of her mouth once again, she evaded him, whispering, “We have to stop.”