Ali stepped behind the bar area in the kitchen.
“Care for a drink?” he asked.
Mei was shaken from her trance. “Sure. Do you have gin?”
Ali pulled out a bottle of gin and Mei stepped behind the bar, taking it from his hands.
“No, no,” she said. “Let me pour it. This is what I do for a living.”
Ali watched as Mei poured herself a glass of gin and added some ice with a hint of lemon. She took a sip then turned to him.
“Can I make something for you?”
“Just pour me some Johnnie Walker Blue,” he said.
Mei laughed as she poured him the drink.
“You and your scotch.”
Ali watched Mei so casually and effortlessly make him his drink. She handed it to him and they clinked their glasses together, taking a sip as their eye contact lingered.
“Your face is a beautiful mosaic,” he said to her.
“I love how many origins are present.”
Mei blushed. She didn’t want him to see she was flattered.
“Thank you, Ali. I appreciate. I think I am rather plain, though.”
“Nothing is plain about your extraordinary face.”
Ali leaned in close to Mei. She was frozen for a moment as she waited to see what he would do. He just stared into her eyes and she could feel his breath on her skin.
Just as Mei was beginning to lean into him as well and feel his lips, she remembered her late husband and the nightmare of a life she once had. She looked at Ali and feared the same outcome.
In order to save her world and his, she couldn’t be with him. She couldn’t allow her life to crumble like that again.
Ali tried to kiss her, and Mei dodged him like he had poison on his lips.
“Stop, I can’t!” she said.
Ali pulled back, ashamed and confused. He was under the impression Mei was beginning to have a chance of heart and couldn’t understand why she was still resisting his efforts.
“I don’t understand,” he said, sounding half defeated.
“Do I repulse you? Why can’t you kiss me? You seemed like you wanted to?”
Mei fumbled over her words. She’d start a sentence then stop. She wanted to tell him but knew she couldn’t.
“Do you find me attractive?” Ali asked. The pushback from Mei, the only woman in the world to have turned him down, made him want her even more.
Mei swallowed her fear.
“Yes, I do find you attractive, Ali.”
“Then what is the problem?”
Mei imagined her two best friends being swept off by the billionaire brothers, leaving her behind to suffer in her own catastrophe and never speak to her again. She imagined her late husband and the moment she discovered his infidelity, then again remembering the phone call she received the night he passed.
It was all too real, and affection from the Sheikh would only make her world crumble around her, quickly and with no discretion. It didn’t change, however, how very badly she wanted to reach out and touch his skin.
“I can’t tell you,” said Mei between chokes.
She feared telling Ali would make her sound like she was victimizing herself or that he would ignore her story and continue on with his efforts. He couldn’t know.
Ali sighed. He felt he was never going to know. He finished off his drink and set the empty glass back on the counter.
“Fine. I’m going to step out for a bit. Please feel free to stay here, though. My offer still stands for you. Make yourself at home.”
Mei watched Ali grab his jacket and head out the door. She stood alone in the quiet loft after he departed, still holding her drink, and trembling.
Resisting men had always been relatively easy before, but Ali was different. She wanted him so badly. As she stood alone, forlorn and confused, she began to cry softly.
Ali fled his loft and hit the Strip. His plan was to drink, gamble, meet a few women, and forget all about his attraction to Mei. He walked from casino to casino all night long, drinking and playing Blackjack.
As he continued to win money, women began surrounding him. He’d walk to the next casino with a woman on each arm, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness.
None of the women sounded like Mei. None looked like her. He imagined her asleep in his loft alone, and wanted so badly to just lay next to her.
Chapter 4
Mei awoke the next morning to the sound of Ali’s phone ringing. She sat up realizing she’d fallen asleep alone in his room and adjusted her sleepy vision to find his phone. It was vibrating across the room on his desk, and she stood up to get it.
She saw the name “Ibrahim” lighting up on the screen, and she answered it.
“Hello?” her raspy voice squeaked into the microphone.
“Hello? Who is this?” asked Ibrahim, clearly confused by the female voice.
“My name is Mei. Ali is not here. Who is this?”
Ibrahim sighed into the phone. “I am Ali’s brother. Where is he? Why are you answering the phone on behalf of him?”
“To be honest, I don’t know where he is, or why I answered his phone. I apologize. He left last night and I don’t think he’s here now.”
There was a silence; Mei almost assumed Ibrahim had hung up on her.
Finally he said, “Fine, fine. This is typical of my brother. Always difficult to track down. Can you tell him to call me when you see him? Or better yet, just give him this message. Tell him Ibrahim called, let him know he better have the business up and moving and he needs to knock it off with the dilly-dallying.”
Mei cleared her throat.
“Sure, yeah… I can tell him.”
“Thank you, strange woman. Also, some advice to you… be careful around my brother. He is a hunter, you know. Women cling to him like magnets. Just a little warning, you sound like a nice girl.”
She wasn’t sure what to say.
“Have a nice day, young lady. Don’t forget to give the message to my brother!”
He hung up, and Mei just stood there with Ali’s phone in her hand. She heard the door open, and Ali stumbled inside his loft. His shirt was untucked and his eyes were puffy.
She clearly saw he had been drinking and had no sleep the night before.
“Where did you go?” she asked as he slowly trudged to his bed.
“I was out,” he managed to squeak.
He took his shoes off and tossed them individually to the corner of his room before collapsing onto his bed flat on his back. All he wanted in the world was sleep.
“Your brother called,” said Mei.
“He told me to give you a message.”
Ali sat right up again. “You answered my phone to my brother? Why? What did he say?”
“He just said you need to get the business running sooner rather than later. That’s all.”
Ali sighed and collapsed back into the bed, disgruntled and annoyed.
“He needs to just let it happen the way it will happen.”
The phone rang again. Mei heard it buzzing and handed it to Ali. It was an unknown number calling.
He looked at the number and answered it.
“Hello? Yes, this is me. Magazine interview? Where and when? Okay… okay… Yes I can be there. Goodbye.”
Ali hung up and stood up from his bed. He hobbled to his closet and threw on a blazer.
“Where are you going?” asked Mei.
“There is a gentleman from The New Yorker in town who wants to interview me at noon. It’s going to go in an article with another interview with a famous entrepreneur. I guess I have to go without sleep.”
Mei suddenly felt bad for Ali as she watched him struggling to clothe himself. She ran to get him some water and some food from his kitchen.
“Here, at least drink this and eat something before you go,” she said.
Ali took the glass and chugged the water and took a croissant from Mei’s hand. He couldn’t understand why she was still sticking around the
loft and why she was being so kind to him.
“Thank you, Mei. Please wish me luck. I need to have a good interview on very little energy.”
She smiled at him, and without realizing what she was doing, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
As soon as her lips touched his skin, she recoiled and her heart began to race.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “That was an accident.”
Ali stared at the embarrassed Mei. He licked his lips and touched her hand gently before locking lips with hers. She wanted to fight, but her body stayed put. She didn’t push away the kiss.
Chapter 5
Mei left as soon as Ali did, and her whole body was shaking. She needed to stay away from him, she thought.
There was no way she could fall into the trap of a billionaire again. She couldn’t do that to herself, and she couldn’t allow that kind of baggage to seep onto Ali. It was the best for her world and for his to stay away.
She had to return to work that night, and she feared he would show up again after his interview.
The entire first two hours of her shift she was skittishly looking over at the door whenever someone walked in, and jumping slightly when a new customer sat down at the bar and began ordering a drink. If Ali walked in, she wasn’t sure what she would do.
She was pouring shots of Fireball to a group of men at a bachelor party when she thought she was in the clear. It was after midnight and she only had a few hours left in her shift.
She was handing out the drinks when she heard someone softly calling her name. As she turned around, her heart skipped a beat. It was Ali slouching at the bar with bags under his eyes.
“Hi…” she said awkwardly.
“How was your interview?”
He shrugged. “I think it went well. I called Ibrahim after to tell him about it… and to tell him I am going to start working tomorrow as requested.”
Mei nodded and softly said, “That’s good.”
She continued to serve other customers and Ali stayed behind, admiring her beauty and her smile at customers.
She had a grace about her he enjoyed, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. He wanted her so very badly.
Mei turned back around to him. “Are you planning on getting a drink?”
“Oh… no, no. Not tonight. I need sleep tonight. I have to start working tomorrow. Do you have any coffee?”
“Yes, but it’s not very good,” Mei said with a giggle.
“I don’t care. I’d like some coffee, please.”
Mei poured Ali a cup of coffee and handed it to him. He looked weary and defeated and didn’t lock eyes with her as he handed her a five-dollar bill.
“Well, I wish you luck at work tomorrow,” she said.
“Mei… is the power still off at your apartment?”
She sighed. “Yes, it is. Unfortunately.”
“My offer still stands for you to stay with me as long as you’d like until things are normal again. I have a hot shower and clean sheets.”
She wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea or not, now that she understood she indeed had feelings for Ali. She could see his predatory hunt for her was dying slightly, and she thought perhaps his offer was out of kindness, not lust.
His pupils were not as dilated and focused when he looked at her anymore. Perhaps her urge to kiss him and touch him could be controlled since he seemed to have settled. She decided to go with him. It was worth the risk.
Ali took Mei back to his loft and he started a hot bath for her in his large, ivory tub. He provided her with a robe and warm oatmeal and tea after she bathed and dressed into clean clothing.
He sat on his bed and drank hot green tea with her.
“Thank you again,” she said. “I really appreciate this.”
“It’s no trouble at all.”
The two looked at one another on the bed. As Mei examined Ali’s face closely, she didn’t quite see her late husband. She saw a handsome, successful, kind man that treated her well.
She’d never seen someone as mesmerizing or good looking as Ali, and she fantasized about kissing him again.
“Ali, what draws you to me?”
He paused as he tried to think of the best collection of words to describe how he felt about Mei. He looked at her and his heart filled with warmth as his eyes danced around her face. She had such soft eyes and lips and skin, it was something he didn’t feel like he would ever grow tired of looking at.
“Mei… you are just so stubborn. Yet so sweet and fascinating. I’ve never before had a woman turn me down so much, it made me want you even more. I was so curious why I couldn’t have you. But now, I don’t care about why anymore. If you don’t wish to tell me, don’t tell me.”
Mei dropped the robe off her shoulder, exposing her right breast on the bed. She picked up Ali’s hand and gently placed it on her breast.
“I want you, I’m just scared.”
He couldn’t contain it anymore. Ali lunged at Mei and their hungry mouths met one another.
He gently pushed her onto the bed and pulled her robe away. Her body was entirely naked in a matter of moments, and Ali grew hard.
“I want you to touch me like you mean it,” said Mei.
Ali’s hands explored over Mei’s soft skin and body. She grew wet from his touch and he unzipped his pants.
Mei cupped her hands gently around Ali’s member and began to rub firmly.
He closed his eyes in ecstasy.
“That feels amazing, but it’s not what I want.”
Ali released Mei’s hands from him and he pushed inside her, slowly making his way to the deepest part of her core. Mei let out a cry as she felt him sink deep into her body.
“I want you to make me come,” she whispered to him.
Ali thrust deep into Mei as they built to their grand finale together. His knees sunk into the bed, she moaned and breathed heavily until Ali made her come.
He finished inside her shortly after, and he pulled out of her sticky and sweaty from their bodies being formed together. As he bent down to lay next to her, he kissed her forehead softly.
“Why are you scared?” he asked as he brushed her hair with his fingers.
“I am afraid of falling in love with someone rich like you, like my late husband. I was married, Ali. I didn’t want your world or mine to crumble because of my past demons.”
He placed his finger on her mouth.
“I am a grown man, Mei. I can take care of my own world. I just know I want you in that world. I want you a part of my new life here, starting tomorrow when I begin my work.”
She seemed stunned at his reaction.
“You want me in your life?”
“Of course,” he said and kissed her.
“I am alone here. I am scared. But I’m here to make my family proud, to keep our business going and growing. That makes me want to do well. I want you as my partner by my side. Do you think you would want to do that?”
Mei was still afraid, but something told her she could trust Ali. She was so wildly attracted to this interesting man, and she felt the risk was worth it.
He was not her late husband. He was his own person. And he was a person she was willing to get to know and grow with.
“Yes,” she said.
“Let us see where this takes us.”
Romance: Bad Boss: Billionaire Romance Boxed Set Page 10