“Sorry,” he said this time.
“So am I.” She offered a shrug.. “I’m guessing we’re headed to the same place.”
He brushed a hand behind his neck. “Yeah, Mr. Elir invited me to his suite. Since you’re here on this level, I’m guessing you’re—”
She held out her hand. “His daughter. Aaliyah Elir, pleased to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure.” His hand slid into hers, and she was gratified to feel his firm grasp. Too often men who shook her hand never really shook her hand. She disliked being babied or thought of as fragile just because she was female. He gripped and shook, and she had the craziest urge not to let go.
He had the same urge, apparently. He held her hand milliseconds longer than was customary. Aaliyah couldn’t say she minded. She was momentarily captured in the burnished gold of his eyes. She’d never seen eyes that color.
All at once, pieces began to connect in her mind. She managed to pull her hand free before her functions froze.
“You’re him, aren’t you?” Her voice was barely audible.
“Him?”
If this was Zayn Hassan, the man vying for her CEO position, she couldn’t feel this pull of attraction for him. She couldn’t. He was supposed to be pompous. Wasn’t he? A cutthroat entrepreneur who only cared about money and the position he was stealing from her. He wasn’t supposed to wrap her around his fingers at the first meeting.
Plus, this man was in jeans and a regular shirt. He was down to earth. Even his dark hair was rebellious as it fell into his eyes instead of staying where it’d been slicked back.
“I’m River,” he said. “Your dad invited me to his suite this morning.”
His name sounded mysterious. It made her instantly more interested. Regardless, her anticipation took a nosedive. “My father did?”
Why would Papa do that? He couldn’t possibly have forgotten the nature of this particular meeting. Unless he was adding another man into the mix, someone for her to choose between.
Aaliyah shuddered. Papa couldn’t be doing that. This was medieval enough.
She didn’t realize she’d asked why out loud until River answered her.
“I’ve been wondering that myself,” he said.
Aaliyah took a steadying breath. Still, her heart hammered. “Guess we’d better get in there, then. He’s expecting me, too.”
“Ladies first.” River gestured to the door.
Aaliyah stepped forward, sensing the heat of him beside her. She tapped three short knocks, and Lisa answered. She wore a light blue pantsuit this morning. Her lips lifted into a smile that managed to calm Aaliyah’s nerves, if only briefly. Lisa was her friend, Aaliyah reminded herself. She wasn’t alone in this.
“Aaliyah, you’re here,” Lisa said. “And Mr. Yevin. Good morning. Any sign of your boss?”
The clouds in Aaliyah’s mind parted. His boss? River must work for Zayn. That made sense, she supposed, to have her father invite his assistant as well. A wedding implied scheduling and plans, the very same reason Lisa had been invited.
The suite had been transformed from being like others in the building for a comfortable, temporary stay—with a living room and a sleeping area in a separate, but connected room—to a pleasant office and waiting area. Where couches were arranged in front of a television in other similar suites in the resort, here, they were settled in the center of the room around a coffee table.
Papa entered through the door separating this seating area from his personal office. He wore a cream, button-up shirt with dark slacks and offered his hands in a wide, cordial invitation.
“Aaliyah, you’re here. Perfect.” She stepped toward him and kissed him on the cheek. He beamed at her before turning to River and offering a hand.
“You must be River. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”
“And you, sir,” River said with a charming grin. Her nerves were addled enough around him as it was. He didn’t need to go around smiling and making things worse. The air around him was already supercharged and sizzling with energy.
“Zayn will be here any minute,” River added, answering the question in her father’s glance. “Thanks again for inviting me here. Your resort is stunning.”
“It was my pleasure,” Papa replied.
“I wasn’t sure I had the right room,” River went on. “Luckily, I bumped into your daughter outside.”
“There you go with luck again,” Aaliyah said, tucking her hair behind her ear. Ugh, was she flirting? She was flirting.
River shrugged, tweaking that grin again. “I told you, I have it in spades.”
Papa frowned at the two of them. He checked his watch, then flicked a glance at River. “You said he was coming? I have to say, I dislike being kept waiting.”
Aaliyah’s unease increased. River fidgeted. He claimed not to know why he and Zayn were there, but was that true?
She decided conversation was the best course. Distraction was the key to easing tension. “So you work for Zayn Hassan?” she asked.
“I do. I keep his schedule and tag along with him on the occasional business trip.”
In spite of herself, Aaliyah stung at the implication. “Is this a business trip?”
Nice, to be considered business.
He spoke with hesitation. “I…don’t actually know the nature of this trip. I came at your father’s invitation. This resort is awesome. It’s probably one of the best I’ve been in.”
The words from the description she’d written for the website pealed in her mind. Fine food unrivaled, quintessential luxury unsurpassed, guests can expect the epitome of peace and tranquility in any Elir resort.
His admission relaxed the clench in her ribs, if only slightly. “Thank you. My father and I take great pride in making our establishments as comfortable as possible.”
“So you work with him quite a bit, I take it?”
“I do.” She lifted her chin. Not as much as she was hoping to. She wasn’t sure her father understood or realized how much she worked on the sidelines in his company. If he did, she probably wouldn’t be in this situation. She tried learning what she could, that was all. Too bad it didn’t total three years in a managerial position.
The night before, sleep wouldn’t let her settle in. She’d been too agitated, too hurt by her father’s mistrust and lack of belief that she could manage his company. Wasn’t that his expectation all along?
An unspoken agreement existed between them: she would one day inherit his company. Or so she’d thought. It was why she’d chosen to go to business school instead of studying architecture the way she’d wanted.
Now they were here to meet Papa’s actual, chosen CEO candidate. That would be one thing, but add nuptials into the mix, and she was set like a racehorse waiting in the gate. She had to prove herself in whatever way she could.
Aaliyah shot a discreet glance toward Papa and straightened her shoulders. “In fact, I just returned from a tour of our North American hotels. I checked the management and upkeep of several locations. It’s important to keep close surveillance, so each individual resort’s needs are being met.”
“Very impressive,” River said with hesitation and questions in his tone.
Papa laughed and clapped River’s shoulder before reaching for her hand. “Now, now, daughter, this isn’t the man we’re trying to impress.”
Heat pooled in her cheeks. How she wished he was in that moment. Too bad her father, again, missed the real target for her boasting.
A knock sounded, interrupting them. Aaliyah recognized the frustrated knit of her father’s brow. Here he’d been hoping for whoever this Zayn was to make an impression on her, and the man had the gall to show up late.
She couldn’t say she minded. She fluffed her hair and put her game face on. Though she hadn’t been permitted to enter the business world as planned, she’d wrangled conversationally with a few hard-headed students while getting her degree. She could do this. She could. She had to.
Lisa ag
ain got the door and another man walked in. He wasn’t quite as tall as River, but he wore a dress shirt and tie with black slacks. His black hair was cut in a military-style.
Aaliyah recognized his face after all. Wide-set eyes, thick brows, rigid jawline, and tanned skin. He wore the severe, no-nonsense suit well. Unlike River, he didn’t grin at her father’s approach.
“You’re late, Hassan,” said Papa.
Hassan. That meant this was Zayn. This was the man her dad wanted her to marry.
“My apologies. The elevator was jammed and I couldn’t make my way up.”
The resort had twenty floors, true, but what was that when he had an appointment to keep? Aaliyah herself didn’t mind as much as she knew her father did, and she knew Papa well enough that his thoughts were somewhere along those lines. If you make an appointment at ten am, you were there at 9:55.
“Don’t go blaming the elevator now,” River said, smirking.
“River.” Zayn’s tone was relieved. He clasped hands with his assistant. “You made it.”
“Yeah, no thanks to you.”
They both laughed as if at some inside joke. The knot in Aaliyah’s chest loosened a single thread. At least Zayn finally proved he knew how to smile.
She couldn’t help the way her attention was drawn to River. He seemed the exact opposite of his boss. Cool and relaxed, not only in his jeans and tee but in his very demeanor. She supposed Zayn did need to look the part, and for all she knew, he was as nervous as she was.
If the situation was reversed, and she was meeting with a client or potential employer, she would have dressed to the nines, too. She probably would have been apprehensive and on edge, more so than he seemed to be.
Papa opened his mouth, ready to retort, when River went on, turning to Mr. Elir. “All joking aside, my boss here is as punctual as they come in every other circumstance. If he’s late, trust me, it’s not habitual.”
“Glad to hear it,” Papa said, visibly relaxing. “We have worked together for many years, but this is our first meeting in person.” He clapped River on the back before taking Zayn by the arm and leading him away from the suite’s entryway.
If only River hadn’t spoken up in Zayn’s defense. Then maybe Papa would dismiss them all and forget this had ever happened. Wishful thinking. Instead, she waited for the minute her father would drop the proverbial bomb.
CHAPTER FOUR
Aaliyah wasn’t sure what to do. Standing there while the men were essentially presented to her was the epitome of embarrassing.
“Come here, where we can all sit a little more comfortably,” her father said, gesturing to her near the gathered white couches around a single coffee table. Each seat was speckled with silver throw pillows. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve invited you here.”
River waited for Zayn to sit first before taking the single, padded chair across from him…and right next to Aaliyah. His proximity was like a live wire on full charge. It raised the hair on her arms and sent discreet signals to a previously dormant pit in her stomach.
She clenched, instantly self-conscious. How she sat. How she held her hands in her lap. The way her foot couldn’t seem to stop jiggling.
“We’ve spoken of visiting your resort for a while now,” said Zayn. “I’m only sorry we didn’t make it here sooner.”
“Yes, well, now is the perfect time,” Papa said. “I’d like you to meet my daughter, Aaliyah.”
Zayn smiled at her. “Hey there.” He inclined his head.
Papa went on. “Aaliyah and I have a proposition to make with you.”
The fidget in her foot increased its pace. Why did he have to make it sound like this was her idea?
Lisa wove between her father and Zayn with a silver tray in her hands. Gingerly, she bent and placed the tray on the coffee table between them. Appetizing smells of pastries and bowls of freshly assembled fruit added color to the scene, making Aaliyah’s mouth water. Zayn reached for one of the crystal clear glasses of what appeared to be lemonade.
A desert was in Aaliyah’s mouth, but she didn’t dare reach for a glass of her own. She doubted she could keep it steady.
“I wouldn’t be a man if I didn’t believe in tradition,” her father said. “And as others in our family line have had an arranged marriage, it wouldn’t be in keeping with tradition if I didn’t do the same for my daughter’s future happiness.”
Zayn coughed into his glass, nearly spitting the contents from his lips.
River’s brow furrowed, and while Zayn was staring at her father as though he was growing horns, she distinctly felt River’s gaze cemented to her. It was calculating, confused, and oozing with the question he didn’t voice.
Did she really want this?
She wished she could stand up, dismiss both men, and tell her father exactly how she felt and what her plans were. She wished she could answer the question in River’s scrutiny with the truth. She wished she were anywhere but here.
Her father flattened his palms together and continued speaking. “I will not be around forever, and I need to ensure my company and resorts are in good hands. Many thousands of employees’ livelihoods are in my hands, and thus will fall into the hands of whoever takes control of my company. Aaliyah is my heir, but I don’t wish for her to tackle such a burden alone.
“It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but my CEO is retiring. I need someone capable of filling his position. Someone I can trust, someone who knows how to handle opinionated partners, obnoxious executives, and picky financial officers.” Papa chuckled at some personal bit of humor.
Zayn cleared his throat. “Just so we’re clear, it sounds like you’re offering me the CEO position?”
Papa leaned in Zayn’s direction and rested his forearms on his thighs. “That isn’t all I’m offering, Zayn. Family is the most important thing young people can have. Family and marriage. My Aaliyah needs to be as secure as she can be. She needs someone who can help her as she oversees my company.”
“And you think I’m the man for the job?” Zayn said, continuing to stare, dumbstruck.
The job? The implication was a puncture. Marriage to her was nothing more than that, apparently. She hated this entire situation. Her cheeks were flaming. She wanted to melt and seep under the rug, to dissolve then and there and cease to exist.
River continued to frown at her as though he could sense her discomfort.
Papa straightened. “I think that is what you and Aaliyah need to determine. After the time you and I’ve spent working together as you’ve helped me settle my affairs, seeing how you keep your cool under pressure, how composed you are, I think you are a good man, Zayn. I think she could be happy with you. We have invited you here today to determine if yours and Aaliyah’s mutual happiness might be possible.”
Her father’s pitch had all the bells and whistles of a business proposition, and if he’d been talking about anything else, Aaliyah might have been impressed. But the same uncomfortable quicksand she’d been sinking in since River and Zayn arrived seemed to be spreading. From the expression on each of the men’s faces, she wasn’t the only one hoping someone would throw a rope.
Zayn returned his glass to the tray. “With all due respect, sir, I have my own billion-dollar business, and my hands are quite full with it. Maybe you should consider River instead.” He cast out a smirk as though waiting for the room at large to laugh.
River didn’t laugh. Neither did Ahmed Elir. If anything, the crease between his brows deepened.
“I wouldn’t have offered such a thing if I didn’t think it was a good idea. My daughter is a lovely person. She is kind and considerate of others. She is a hard worker. She has a beautiful spirit, a remarkable soul, and I want to make sure she is married to a good man who can match her in character. Are you not up to the task?”
Patches of red blotted Zayn’s cheeks. “I—no, of course, I’m sure she’s a great person, I just—”
Aaliyah couldn’t take this a moment longer. She stood.
Her father rose in response, ever the gentleman, and after skewering the other two men with a glance so obvious it was almost pitiful, River and Zayn stood as well.
“Excuse me, but I dislike sitting here while you discuss me as though I’m not in the room,” Aaliyah said. “My father thinks it’s a good idea, Mr. Hassan, and I have told him I am willing to give it a try and at least see if we’re compatible. If you aren’t, then you don’t have any more business being here.”
There. Rope thrown. Hopefully, Zayn would take her invitation and leave. Then this whole nightmare could end.
Her father’s eyes twinkled at her. He offered his hands to the two men. “I’ll leave the two of you to discuss this, shall I? Aaliyah will tell me what you’ve decided.”
Papa gave her an adoring smile that she couldn’t return. Then he bent for one of the glasses and exited the room.
A certain amount of tension seeped out with him. The air thinned, becoming easier to breathe. Aaliyah drew in a long, cleansing breath, letting it expand her lungs more than they had all morning.
River rested a hand on his hip. “I think I’ll leave as well. Miss Elir, I apologize. I received a direct invitation from your father to come to your resort. If I’d had any idea what he had in mind, I never would have imposed.”
Aaliyah inclined her head. This was embarrassing enough for her. She could only imagine what it must be like for him to sit in on what was essentially a bride-winning meeting.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry you were caught in the middle of all of this. I thought my father would have clued you both into his intentions before arranging this.”
“I understand. It’s hard for me to think of everything, too,” River said in a conciliatory sort of way. He was trying to comfort her. That meant a lot.
“Thanks, River,” Zayn said. He took a step and then seemed to think better of it. Chances were, he wanted to leave as well. She couldn’t say she blamed him, but she had given him an opening to do just that. Why hadn’t he taken it? “I’ll catch up with you later.”
River began making his way across the carpet. Fear struck her in the most irrational way with every step he took. Her ribcage shrank. She couldn’t breathe. All at once, she was five years old and being left with a new sitter. She did not want to be left alone with her future husband.
Aaliyah and the Billionaire's Lamp Page 3