by Leslie North
Tanya gasped. “Girl, it's never good to leave on bad terms and go to bed angry.”
“I know but it happened so fast,” Rene replied. “Tanya, this whole situation is proving to be a bad idea.”
“Are you having regrets?”
“I don't know. It's frustrating. He is never around because he works so much. I mean when we first met, he was stressed and needed rest. So obviously, the workload gets to him, so why does he insist on working so much? I am so frustrated! He left me here in the palace alone. Again.” Rene ran her hand through her hair.
“While I completely understand how you feel, you have to understand that he is a prince and he runs a multi-billion dollar company. You need to cut him some slack. This is new to him too.”
Rene narrowed her gaze into the camera. “Tanya that is not helping,” she said as Tanya laughed.
“I am just saying,” she replied. “When does he come back?”
“In a few days, I think. I hope they can hurry up and get the contract renewed already.”
“When he does return, you should work your magic,” Tanya suggested as she winked at her.
“Oh, Tanya,” Rene started laughing. “What magic?”
“You're a woman, and you know what makes guys tick.”
“You're crazy,” she told her as she shook her head.
“Seriously. It will work. He'll be dying to spend time with you instead of those stuffy business men.”
“I wish that were the case,” Rene pouted. “He seems to spend more time with them than me.” Muna came outside to summon Rene for dinner.
“Excuse me, Miss Rene, sorry to disturb you,” Muna said softly.
“No, it's fine.”
“Shall we serve your dinner?”
“Oh, it’s already that time? Yes, please.”
“Yes, Miss,” Muna bowed her head and returned inside.
“Look at you with respectful maids,” Tanya said to Rene as she smiled.
“They're so nice.”
“Lucky you. Well, go have your dinner and make sure to work your magic,” Tanya laughed mischievously.
“I will,” Rene replied and wiggled her eyebrows. She waved and ended the call before walking back inside. She put the laptop on the table and made her way to the dining room. Even though she would be the only one eating, the table was laden with a variety of delectable choices. One thing that she could not complain about in the palace was the food. It was delicious and plentiful.
Rene pulled out her chair and sat down. “Why don't you guys join me?” she asked Muna and Maria.
“Miss Rene, we cannot do that!” Maria said and bowed her head. Muna was standing next to her with her slim, long fingers laced together.
“You might as well. There is a lot of food here and I do not want to eat alone,” Rene said as she batted her eyelashes at them and grinned. They both smiled and agreed to sit with her. Rene was glad that she had convinced them so quickly because she was feeling lonely, even after talking to Tanya, and wanted some company.
Chapter 10
Joshua woke early and got ready for their meeting with the Russians. As he was tying his tie, he started thinking about Rene. Usually he liked business trips; they gave him a chance to get away and to concentrate on work. This was why he never committed to a woman before. It was easier to leave or stay late at the office without worrying about someone else.
This was the first business trip where he was looking forward to returning home.
The king had intentionally groomed both sons to be business-minded, which Joshua did not mind. He was ambitious, hard-working and dedicated. Work had always come first in his life. Even though he cared deeply for Rene, it was hard for him to change a part of himself that had been ingrained in him since childhood.
Slipping into his dark grey suit jacket, he checked his tie before exiting the presidential suite and heading to the limo.
When he arrived at the meeting site, he went straight to the conference room to begin setting up. He usually never walked into a room first preferring to wait for his business partners; however this contract was important to him. He was going to do whatever it took to see it renewed. The Russians were being offered a better contract by another competitor and they were seriously considering it. Joshua and James were not going to let them take that deal.
Joshua strode into the air-conditioned room. Even with the amount of business meetings he had been in, he had to admit this room was impressive. The room had unobstructed panoramic views, allowing the sun to shine brightly in the room. There was long Brazilian mahogany table in the middle of the room with black leather chairs around it. A computer and a projector were already set up for his presentation. Joshua went over to the computer to load the slides and set it at the beginning.
James walked into the room a few minutes later dressed just as smartly in a black suit and a light blue shirt.
“Of course you are here first,” James said to him.
“Good morning, brother,” Joshua answered. He was leaning against the conference table with his hands deep in his pockets.
“Sleep well?”
“Of course, why?” Joshua stared at him expressionless, wondering why his brother would randomly ask him that.
“Being that you are away from Ren-”
“I am not going to lose sleep over her,” Joshua snapped with a frown on his face.
“You are not thinking about her?”
“No. The only thing that is on my mind is this contract. And you should be the same.”
Before James could reply, two directors who worked for the Tazeem Petroleum Company walked into the conference room. They bowed their heads and greeted James and Joshua formally. The Russians walked into the room not long after. They were all grey-haired and stone-faced men, and seemed to all shop at the same tailor.
“Please, take a seat, gentlemen,” Joshua said to them, motioning to the seats around the table. The Russians sat down, and suddenly all eyes were on him. He’d given hundreds of presentations before, but this one was big. When the original contract was signed, it was King Tazeem who set the whole thing in motion. It was obvious that the Russians preferred to work with a king, not princes.
“This is more than just a contract for my brother and me,” Joshua began. “Our father helped establish a legacy between our two countries long ago and it is our hope to honour that legacy.”
Joshua talked about the importance of the relationship between the two companies. The Russian company was the biggest in Europe and they wanted to align themselves with the best. He reminded the Russians of loyalty while James outlined the agreement and how it would be beneficial for both companies.
As Joshua stepped up to conclude the presentation, he made sure to summarise the key points as everyone nodded in agreement. He was very good at commanding attention and being heard while James was the one who handled the details of the negotiations. Together, no one could say no to them.
Mirena, Joshua’s secretary, walked into the room with paper copies of their presentation. Joshua paused for a second, as her purple blouse caught his attention. Thoughts of Rene and her love of purple roses rushed into his mind as he tried to blink the thoughts away. He was in the middle of a business meeting. He carried on speaking and hoped to forget about Rene but he was finding it difficult. He poured himself a glass of water and took a sip. Come on, Joshua, focus.
He swallowed and then started speaking again. He tapped a button on the computer to continue the presentation on the projector, but as he spoke, thoughts of Rene surfaced again. He missed her silky, soft skin and sweet scent. Focus, Joshua.
The meeting was very important and deserved his complete attention. He hated that simply seeing a purple blouse shattered his resolve and made him miss Rene. Earlier that morning, he was glad that he had some space from her but now he was struggling to focus on a meeting that meant billions in revenue.
Joshua cleared his throat and executed his presentation perfectly despite havin
g Rene on his mind. The businessmen seemed pleased with everything the brothers had to say and he introduced new terms that he and James wanted to add to the contract. The Russians had softened up, and this was where James came in to close the deal. The twins were a perfect team together.
“Gentlemen, I appreciate your time and attention. Our team will be in touch to discuss availability for a final meeting,” Joshua said as they concluded.
After the meeting, the twins headed outside together with a spring in their steps.
“We nailed it!”
“When I first saw them walk in, I was sure they were going to refuse, but that was one hell of a pitch.” James agreed. “Let’s grab some food to celebrate.”
“Okay. And of course it went well,” Joshua said confidently as James laughed.
“My brother, over confident as always.”
“I always give my work my best, so of course I am confident,” Joshua replied as he smiled. He was feeling good about the meeting. Even though he would never admit it to anyone, it was important that they succeed because he wanted to impress his father.
Walking to a café, James strode onto the patio, “The weather is good, let’s grab some food outside,” he told his brother as he sat down at a table and motioned to a waiter. Joshua nodded as he sat down and leaned back in his seat. “You need to relax and enjoy the small things in life,” James commented as Joshua narrowed his gaze as his brother burst out laughing.
“Like that joke,” he replied as Joshua let out a small laugh. The wait staff brought them grilled lamb, freshly baked na’an and Mediterranean salad.
“Is there anything else I can get you, your highnesses?” the server asked.
“That is all,” James replied as the server bowed to them both before leaving. James hunched over and tucked into his food while Joshua remained sitting up straight as he ate.
“You won't talk about Rene and you won’t meet with the lady mother has in mind for you,” James said.
Joshua grunted before he responded, “Surely there is something better to discuss,” he replied.
“Last time I saw the two of you together, she was on your lap and you were loved up.”
“What about Ambra?”
“Okay, you win. Let us not discuss her.”
Joshua laughed. “Why not?” he asked even though he knew why.
“Let us enjoy this meal,” James said and shoved a fork full of salad in his mouth. Joshua smiled and shook his head.
“You give me so much grief for not wanting to settle down but you have not settled down either,” Joshua admonished.
“I am not as against it as you are.”
“If you say so.”
James laughed and the subject quickly changed. The two of them enjoyed the rest of the meal together before they headed off their separate ways. James had personal matters to attend to, and Joshua headed back to his hotel room.
Chapter 11
Muna and Maria surprised Rene by taking her for a walk in the palace gardens. They wanted to cheer her up and it worked. The gardens were huge, and filled with every imaginable flower. There was a small waterfall and butterflies fluttered from place to place. The grass was so green and neatly cut that Rene thought it had to be fake. It was the perfect place to relax.
“This place is unreal! I feel like I walked into paradise,” Rene said.
The two maids laughed. “We thought this would help you relax,” Muna said.
“Thank you both for thinking of me.”
“You are welcome.”
“How is it possible that there is a waterfall here?”
“It was actually put in three years ago.”
“This is gorgeous. I love it.” Rene rushed over to the waterfall and dipped her hand in the cool water. She wanted to jump in and swim but with palace guards patrolling and the potential for the queen to walk by, she decided against it. Rene hated the lack of privacy in the palace.
“It was my idea to build the waterfall,” Rene heard a voice from behind her. She recognised the elegant, crisp tone immediately. She turned to see the queen sitting on a large boulder hidden between some bushes. Rene wished she had seen her beforehand. If she had, she would have run before she was seen. Rene bowed her head to her.
“It's truly beautiful,” Rene said to her. The queen stood up and approached.
“Yes, it is.” The queen studied her for a moment while Rene rubbed the back of her neck, trying to think of something to say. Her gaze was not a friendly one. She did not know what the queen would ask her. Rene was not happy with Joshua leaving, but it was not the right time to discuss him.
“Well, I shall take my leave. Please stay and enjoy the garden. It is quite peaceful,” the queen said to her before walking off. Rene bowed her head as she left and sighed with relief when she was gone.
“I thought she would question me some more,” Rene said to her maids.
“So did we,” Maria replied.
Rene wondered why she had left so quickly. If positions were reversed, her mother would be questioning Joshua any chance she had and he did not stand a chance around Tanya, she thought as she smiled to herself. Shaking her head, “Let's go see the rest of this place.”
*****
Rene stepped out of her shower for the second time that day. She loved the shower here, there were multiple sprayers that massaged her body and she loved all the different lotions and shampoos. She towel dried herself off and slipped on her purple silk robe before padding into her bedroom.
She fell back on the big plush bed and contemplated moisturising. Before she could even come to a conclusion, she heard her bedroom door open. She quickly turned to see who it was. Her eyes flew open when she saw Joshua standing in the doorway. Suddenly she was overwhelmed with emotion as their eyes met.
“Joshua,” Rene said as she stood up. “What are you doing here?”
She was surprised to see him back so soon, especially after how they had left things. Joshua's dark gaze fixed on her. Shutting the door behind him, he walked toward her. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her toward him as Rene gasped in surprise.
“I missed you.”
Joshua dipped his head and kissed her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She had missed him much more than she had anticipated. He ripped her robe off and carried her to the bed.
“What has gotten into you?” she asked him as he laid her down on the bed.
“It has been too long,” he said to her. His voice was low and dangerous, which aroused her as she squirmed under his gaze. Taking his jacket off, he tossed it on a bench as he reached for his tie. Not breaking eye contact, he stared at her as he continued to undress. Overcome with shyness, Rene blushed, as his eyes roved over her body.
“I love how you blush when I look at you,” he told her as he joined her on the bed. Sliding over to give him more room, he reached for her and pulled her back against him. Opening her mouth in surprise, she had little chance to speak before he captured her lips. His kiss was demanding as he explored her mouth. Moaning, Rene’s hands found their way around his neck and tangled in his hair as she pulled his head closer. Growling, he held her tightly against him, as he possessed her making her toes curl as she wiggled her feet.
Breaking the kiss, he tangled his fingers in her hair as he tilted her head up. Looking down at her, he could not understand the power she had over him, but he found that he could not stop thinking about her. Searching her face, he was again taken in by her beauty and innocence as he buried his face in her neck and nibbled his way down her collarbone. Sliding her arms around him, she stroked his back marvelling at how strong he was. Once again, she could not figure out how someone who worked as much as he did could be in such fantastic shape.
Rolling onto his back, he pulled Rene into a sitting position as she yelped in surprise. “Ride me,” he commanded as his hands roamed over her body. He wanted to watch her passion. Blushing, she lifted her leg, as he guided his erection toward her
. His sudden demand had her wet with desire as she easily mounted him. Sliding down slowly, he was completely sheathed within her welcoming folds as they both groaned with lust.
Grabbing her hips, he encouraged her to begin moving as she began to rise and drop. Remembering what it felt like to ride him when they were at the hotel, she shifted her hips and began moving in a figure-eight pattern as the tip of his shaft bumped into her more sensitive spots. Moaning, she clutched at him as she moved loving the feel of him as he slid in and out.
Panting, she dug her nails into his sides as she could feel the tendrils of pleasure uncoil and spread throughout her body. Flexing her feet, she felt more tingles as she reflexively stretched her curling toes. As the pleasure built, Joshua could feel her body begin to shake as her excitement grew. Holding her hips, he encouraged her to move faster as his own need began to clutch at him. Tossing her head back, Rene cried out as her orgasm hit. As her body spasmed, he groaned as her muscles squeezed around him and his own orgasm struck. Arching his hips, he held her tightly to him as he emptied himself deep inside her.