by Leslie North
“An estimation of 400 gallons of crude oil can be produced in the El-Sultari region,” Sara said.
“That is not a lot of oil,” Amir said. Tariq leaned back in his chair. He was wondering where Sara was taking this. Did she have a point or was she rambling again?
“True, but it's worth looking into. You never know.”
“Actually, we do know. We have been doing this for years,” Tariq interrupted.
“I meant that it's worth learning more about this field. It might prove to be a good investment.”
“Or it might be a fruitless endeavour and we would have wasted a lot of time and resources,” shot back Tariq.
Amir lifted his head from the file and looked at the both of them. They were both making good points but there was nothing friendly about their conversation. He knew that his brother and his assistant would never get along. He simply hoped it wouldn’t get much worse.
“Sara, if you can find more information about the field, then we'll go from there,” Amir told her.
“Do not give her false hope,” Tariq said. Sara bit the inside of her lip. She wanted to hurl curse words at him but she would not do that. Why did he find it so difficult to be nice to her?
“Sheik Amir, that is fair, thank you.” Sara bowed to him and left the room. Tariq narrowed his gaze. She deliberately thanked Amir so she could make it obvious that she was ignoring him, just as she had done at the mall when Fiddah was there. He watched her walk out of the office. His eyes could not help but rest on her bottom as he contemplated what she looked like without her clothes on. He looked away before Amir caught him. He wouldn't know how to explain it. He started talking about his lunch with Fiddah. Amir laughed. He knew his brother's views on love. The world had failed to convince him otherwise.
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?”
Exactl
y, 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 insides that she’d only ever read about.
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As the prince was getting ready to leave, the front door crashed open as Macee came limping in. Dressed head to toe in black and completely covered in different colours of paint, she was hopping up and down as she attempted to pull her boots off when she realized that she had an audience. Looking up, she groaned. She wasn’t sure which was worse. The fact that the prince was still in their home or the look of fury on her mother’s face. Dropping her boot, she turned and gave the prince an awkward curtsy as she idly swept her socked foot across some paint that had dripped on the floor.
The prince raised an eyebrow, as he looked at what appeared to be another sister. Mrs LeBlanc felt as if she was going to have a heart attack. While Macee was usually messy, this was much worse. Her normally unkempt hair had been pulled back in a ponytail as stray strands curled around her face. The bottom of her t-shirt was ripped and underneath the paint, her pants were covered in dirt and grass stains. Since she had only managed to remove one boot, Mrs LeBlanc noticed her big toe poking out from her torn sock.
“MACEE!” Mrs LeBlanc growled. She cleared her throat when she realised how unladylike her tone sounded. “Darling, what happened to you?”
Francesca blinked a few times in disbelief as she stared at the mess that was her sister. It was the Crown Prince for goodness sake.
“I am so sorry,” Macee said, as she looked at the prince. “I thought that you would be gone by now.” She smiled as she picked up her bag and boot and awkwardly dismissed herself as she limped out of the room. The whole time, Prince Louis hid his smile. Never in his life had he met a woman like her. He studied her from head to toe in all her mess. Every woman around him was always so nicely dressed and poised; he found her utterly refreshing. He couldn’t help but wonder what she looked like under all that paint.
“Your highness, I am so sorry about that,” Mrs LeBlanc quickly apologised.
“Please, do not apologise. She is allowed to be free in her own home.” Prince Louis bowed his head slightly and left the house.
Mrs LeBlanc marched up to Macee's room and flung the door open. What on earth was she thinking coming in looking like that when the prince was at their house. She had promised to be out of the house for the entire day, she should have stayed out.
“Mother, I apologise. The prince was supposed to be gone already. I did not do it on purpose,” Macee said.
“What were you doing to get this dirty?”
“Paintball.”
“What on earth is that?”
“Mother, you are overreacting. The prince didn’t come to see me, so let it be.”
Macee threw herself on the bed. “At least take a shower before you lay on your bed,” Mrs LeBlanc said and pushed Macee off the bed. She groaned in complaint as she headed to the bathroom. Her mother was always overreacting about things.
Francesca let herself into the bathroom whilst Macee was in the shower. She was excited about meeting the prince and wanted to tell her little sister about it. Macee popped her head out of the shower. “Was there chemistry at least?” she asked.
“Who cares about that? I get to live in the palace,” Francesca replied.
“Frannie, you are so materialistic.”
“When I am queen, you will have to stop calling me that! It sounds so ugly.”
“Frannie, fanny,” Macee sang and started laughing. Francesca opened the tap water. Macee screamed when the water went hotter.
“Serves you right!” Francesca shouted and left the bathroom.
* * * *
Toward the end of the week, the Colonel and Mrs LeBlanc were summoned to the palace. They were surprised to be called so soon. Mrs LeBlanc felt positive that their earlier meeting with the prince had gone well and he was probably calling them to agree to the marriage to Francesca.
Prince Louis sat in the courtyard with his mother and aunt when the LeBlancs arrived. They greeted the royal family with bows. Prince Louis gestured for them to sit down as the maid brought out a tray of deliciously-baked pastries and drinks. They immediately started discussing Francesca, as it was a matter of urgency that deserved full attention.
“Did you like her, son?” the queen asked Prince Louis.
“She is a well-mannered and poised young lady,” the prince replied.
“Thank you, your highness,” Mrs LeBlanc said. Her husband smiled and bowed his head. He was always proud of his girls. They had turned out well, even Macee. He was not as hard on her as his wife.
“So, we will be going ahead with the wedding plans?” Bridgette, Prince Louis’ aunt asked. She was not keen on it. She liked Liane and wanted her to marry her nephew. This sudden change was unsettling for her. She did not trust Mrs LeBlanc, never had.
“Not quite,” Prince Louis said.
“Why not?” Bridgette asked.
“Well, we will need to meet with her before anything,” the queen said.
“Of course, but he must like his bride.”
“Is there something displeasing about her?” Mrs LeBlanc asked. She was ready to fight tooth and nail for her daughter. This marriage was going to happen.
“Nothing is wrong with her,” Prince Louis replied.
“Then what is the matter?” Bridgette asked.
“I would like to marry your other daughter,” the prince looked at Mrs LeBlanc as he spoke. She was confused.
“Liane?” she asked.
“No, the other one.. with the paint.”
“Good gracious me, Macee?”
“Yes, her.”
The LeBlancs looked at each other. That was something they had not seen coming. The prince wanting to marry Macee? Mrs LeBlanc closed her eyes. She was not sure she had heard right. “Pardon me, but why? Francesca is much more suitable,” she said.
“I have taken more interest in the other one, more than Francesca.”
For goodness sake, he did not even know her name, Mrs LeBlanc thought to herself. This was a disaster. Macee would embarrass the family.
“Yo
ur highness, she has not been trained for this and we do not have sufficient time to do so before the wedding,” Colonel LeBlanc added.
“Is Macee your youngest?” the queen asked.
“We’ve never met her,” Bridgette added. She looked at her nephew. “You met her at their house?”
“Sort of. She came in as I was leaving.” The prince laughed. “The girl was soaked in paint.”
“And that is whom you wish to marry?”
“Yes.” The prince had not stopped thinking about her since he saw her. She may have been scruffy and covered in paint but underneath all that was a lively woman. He could tell by the way her eyes sparkled. He knew that she would be more fun than Francesca would be.
“We will have to meet her first,” the queen said.
“As you wish, your majesty,” Colonel LeBlanc said. His wife was still in shock. She thought that maybe it was some sort of joke but the prince was very serious. He wanted to marry Macee. It did not make sense to her, as he had barely spent a minute with her.
“We’ll meet her and get to know her before making a decision about marrying her,” Bridgette said.
“You may meet her,” Prince Louis replied, “But I intend to marry her.”
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Copyright © 2014 by Leslie North
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