by Leslie North
Hussain was having orange juice with his eggs. As he was chewing, he stared at her. She noticed him staring and frowned. “What?” she asked him.
“Do you have any clothes that are suitable for work at all?” he asked her.
“Not really,” Cassie answered as she shrugged her shoulders.
“That is so odd to me. Why would you come to work for me without bringing any suitable clothes?”
“I wish I had an answer to that question. I wish I had answers to a lot of questions.”
Hussain reached into his pocket and fished out a black leather wallet. He opened it and pulled out a wad of cash and placed it on the table next to her. Her eyes widened when she saw it and she looked back at him.
“Buy yourself some decent work clothes,” he said to her.
“What?”
“After breakfast, the driver will take you to the Al-Huddah boutique. They have impeccable clothing and you should be able to find something suitable to wear.”
Cassie frowned as she remembered Adilah’s warning. “You are telling me which shop to go to?”
Sighing, he looked at her, “I did not think that you would be familiar with any of the shops here given your amnesia. Besides, Adilah shops there and I heard you comment on her dresses. I am sure that you will find something appropriate.”
Cassie nodded her head reluctantly before picking up her fork to resume her breakfast. Moments later, Hussain told her that he was leaving for the office. He stopped speaking and just stared at her.
“What?” she asked.
“Your lipstick is smudged,” he replied. Cassie rolled her eyes.
“Well I can sort that out when I am done eating.”
Hussain made a sound as he got up from his seat and approached Cassie. Leaning down, he used his thumb to clean the smudge off her face as she blushed.
“I could have done that,” she told him hoping she did not sound breathless.
“Well, it’s all taken care of now.”
Cassie took small breaths as he continued to stare at her. It was growing increasingly difficult to keep from touching her face where he rubbed the smudge off as it felt hot and she wanted to be sure it was not. It amazed her that an innocent touch could so easily ignite her. She could not think straight when he was so close to her especially when his gaze shifted from stern to lustful.
Even though Cassie was sure that the smudge was long gone, Hussain had yet to take his hand away as he continued to caress her cheek.
Hussain grunted. “These lips.”
“What? What about them?”
“They are intoxicating,” he answered right before he leaned in to press a small kiss on her lips. He pulled back and searched her eyes. Cassie pressed her knees together and waited for him to kiss her again but he did not. Standing up straight, he nodded to her before walking out of the room. Cassie stared at the door long after he left.
After she finished what was left of breakfast, she took her purse and the money and headed out. There was a driver already waiting for her and he drove her to the boutique that Hussain had mentioned. Cassie felt like rebelling and buying clothes from a different shop but knowing Hussain, he would probably notice the difference. She sighed and walked into the classy boutique.
Cassie did not take too long shopping as she stepped out of the boutique an hour later with shopping bags. She still had some money leftover and on impulse, headed to the shop next door. Just before Cassie walked into the shop, a random man placed a phone in her hand and rushed off.
“Excuse me!” Cassie called after him but he did not stop. She gasped when the phone started ringing. She checked her surroundings to see if there was any possible clues as to who had given her the phone or who was calling. Unfortunately, there were none. She swallowed nervously.
“Hello?” she answered cautiously.
“What are you doing? You are not meant to get that close to him!” a deep unfriendly voice on the phone spoke.
“Who is this?”
“Don't play dumb with me.”
“What the heck is going on? Who are you?”
“It's Jacob, your boss.”
“My boss?”
“Yes, your boss. The one paying you one hundred thousand dollars to-”
Before he finished the sentence, Cassie cut him off and finished it for him. “To sabotage Hussain Tazeem,” she said softly. She closed her eyes. “That's my job,” she said quietly. She felt her stomach plummet and her chest tighten as all the memories she had been struggling to get back came flooding in.
“So why aren't you doing it?” the voice said, growing impatient. “We are on a deadline here while you play house!”
“I...I-” Cassie struggled to find the words but Jacob cut her off and told her that there was pressure from the company. She was taking too long to give them the information. Everything made sense to her now.
She was to represent a private collector interested in purchasing some of his antiques. Hussain was well known as a perfectionist and he often took his work home with him. She had hoped to seduce him and then gain access to his files. It was an easy plan, she knew enough about antiquities to put on a good show and if she did not, well then she was prepared to put her physical assets to work. The very thought made Cassie's stomach churn as she fought her rising nausea. Jacob told her that she needed to download information from Hussain's server onto a USB and hand it over to him at the next meeting.
“Do you want to go back to living in poverty? We pulled you from the streets and we can easily put you back. Or better yet, those charges for burglary might suddenly reappear on your record and you might find yourself facing a prison sentence,” he threatened.
“I understand,” Cassie replied before she hung up. She had vowed a long time ago that she would never return to the life of poverty she once had. Growing up, her family had no money and they continually struggled to make ends meet often resorting to theft to fill in the gaps.
At the age of eight, little Cassie had to walk five miles just to get to school. And on her walk, every day she walked past a jewellery shop. Every time, she would see rich happy people buying expensive things. Since that time, she associated money with happiness and she had to admit, when she had money, she was happy.
She could not risk going back to where she fought so hard to get away from. Not now. She had to squash her feelings for Hussain and Adilah if she had any hope of succeeding. She turned on her heel and headed back to the car just as the driver stepped out to hand her a phone.
“Hello?”
“Cassie.” It was Adilah on the phone.
“What's wrong?” Cassie asked. Adilah was crying.
“Hussain has been in an accident.”
Chapter 11
Hussain was sitting impatiently in the hospital bed as he stared around the room in annoyance. It had only been a minor accident and certainly not worth all this trouble, as he looked at the monitors hooked up to him making beeping noises
“Stop crying,” Hussain told his sister who stood by the bed holding his hand.
“You have just been in an accident. Of course I would cry,” Adilah replied.
Squeezing her hand, “I am fine. Please stop crying.”
“Am I not allowed to cry for my brother?”
Hussain laughed, “You are overreacting. These are minor scratches,” he told her as Adilah frowned and wiped her tears.
“Then why do you have bandages on your ribs and why is the doctor keeping you here?” she asked him as she sniffed.
“He wants me to rest,” he replied hoping that she would not cry again. Although he felt that he could rest at home or in his office far more easily than he could here without his laptop or phone.
Cassie rushed into the room and over to the bed. She looked at Hussain as she scanned his body, checking every inch of him. She gasped when she saw the bandages. “Are you alright?” she asked him.
“Don't you start overreacting too, I am fine,” Hussain told her.
“That is what I said,” Adilah replied between sniffles.
“I am fine,” Hussain said calmly. Cassie stared at his bruised and naked torso for a moment “The only thing that is not fine is the fact that I have a meeting. I was meant to close the deal with Eastern Mountain Herbs today. However the doctor will not let me out,” he added. There was clear frustration in his voice.
“Is that even important right now?” Adilah shouted at him.
“Yes, it is very important to me,” Hussain said. Both Cassie and Adilah shook their heads as Hussain grunted in frustration. He always attended every meeting involving Tazeem Spices and he was especially anxious to conclude this business with his rival. He worked hard to get everyone on board with this purchase and he was looking forward to having the signed contracts in hand.
“It can wait,” Adilah told him.
“Yes, Hussain, I agree. You should focus on getting better,” Cassie replied as she looked at him with concern. Hussain looked at her as he remembered their night of passion together. While part of him regretted his behaviour at taking advantage of a woman with amnesia, he found that he could not get her off his mind. He was simply glad that he did not hit his head, because he would hate to forget about her. She was as passionate as she was beautiful and feisty.
“Why don't you let Cassie handle the meeting then?” Adilah suggested. Both Hussain and Cassie whipped their heads in her direction. “What?” she asked.
“Are you crazy?” Hussain asked her.
“Why not?” Adilah asked.
“Just no!”
“Hussain you are unable to go and you won't stop worrying about the meeting. So you might as well let Cassie go in your stead. The hard work is already done, isn’t it? This would be just to sign the contracts.”
“I never let anyone do anything in my stead.”
“It's about time you do so. You’re always so controlling.”
“Adilah, no.”
“Hussain!”
“He is so stubborn. You cannot do everything and it's okay. You might as well let it go and rest,” Cassie told him consolingly. Hussain sighed heavily. He could never let a business deal just go. He always had to have control; however, Cassie had a point. He could not do everything. He had to learn to relinquish some control and the negotiations were all done, this was only a formality.
“Fine,” he said quietly.
“What?” Adilah asked.
“Cassie can go in my stead.” Hussain turned to look at her. “I am trusting you to get this done,” he said to her. Both Adilah and Cassie raised their eyebrows. They were even more shocked when Hussain gave Cassie his password, and told her how to access the files needed on the server. After the past few days, his suspicions of Cassie had died down and Kalik was still unable to find anything out about her.
“Are you sure you want me to do this?” Cassie asked him.
“Yes. Now go before I change my mind! There is only half an hour until the meeting is meant to start,” he said to her. Cassie nodded and scrambled out of the room. Hussain turned and found Adilah standing with her arms crossed over her chest and a cheeky smile on her face.
“Don't you say a word,” he growled at her. He knew that his sister would definitely have something to say, the look on her face spelled it out.
“You guys would make such a good couple!” she replied.
“You have lost your mind.”
Adilah laughed. “Deny it all you want but you and Cassie suit each other. She is beautiful and such a sweet woman. And you trust her! Hussain you only trust me, Kalik and the twins. No one else,” she said.
It was true. Hussain rarely trusted people. He only trusted his immediate family members. Kalik was the only non-family member that he trusted and he had been working for him for so long he might as well be family. He had surprised himself when he realised that he trusted Cassie.
He was loath to admit his growing feelings for her because he had never felt for another woman the way he felt for her and it bothered him. He could not understand why she was so different or how he had come to rely on having her around so quickly. Particularly since, she was not a very good assistant. But every time he looked at her, his feelings for her grew.
“Let the matter go,” Hussain said to Adilah as she laughed. He was not willing to discuss it.
“I wish you could see how perfect you are together.”
“I get your point.”
“It has been a while since you were in a committed relationship.” Adilah sat on the bed next to him.
“You are blocking the television,” he said to her.
“As if you watch anything other than news, and there is no news right now.”
“Seems like I am changing my mind about a lot of things today,” Hussain said and pressed the buttons on the remote. He was going to do anything to change the subject, but his sister was not letting it go. She was like a dog with a juicy bone.
“I really like her for you,” she said.
“You barely know her.”
“I like what I have witnessed so far. Did you see how worried she looked when she rushed in?”
Hussain shrugged his shoulders. He had seen concern in her eyes but he was not going to tell his sister that she was right. “Never mind it all,” he said.
“Cassie and Hussain sitting in a tree. K I S S I N G!” Adilah started singing.
“How old are you?” Hussain asked her. Adilah laughed.
“Deny it all you want brother, but you and Cassie are perfect together.”
Hussain shook his head and ignored her as he flipped through the channels. She was not the first to say it as both Rene and Tanya brought it up at dinner. Even Joshua had said that she suited him. His phone vibrated. He picked it up and swiped it to unlock it.
How are things with Miss Milton? said a message from James.
Hussain had not told the twins about the accident and he had forbid Adilah from doing so as he did not want them to worry.
What things? Hussain messaged back.
“Is that James?” Adilah asked. Hussain furrowed his brow. “You message him fifty times a day,” she said. The phone vibrated again.
James had messaged; Well, she is a very attractive woman.
Hussain replied, What does that have to do with anything?
I could see the two of you looking uncomfortable around each other at dinner. Is there something you wish to share?
James you are so immature.
You did! Didn't you?
Focus on Tanya.
Stop avoiding the topic.
I have a business deal to work on.
So it was that good huh?
Goodbye, James.
Hussain locked his phone and put it back on the table next to his bed. James was right, it was that good. He was still thinking about how Cassie felt, how she smelled, the sounds she made. However he was not going to tell James any of that.
Chapter 12
Cassie left the hospital and climbed into the car telling the driver to bring her to the office. It surprised her that Hussain had agreed to let her handle finalising the deal since this meant so much to him. He had been working on this acquisition for months and now that it was finally here, he could not be at the office himself to see the contracts signed. Hussain was a control freak and yet here he was letting her be in control of something this important.
I trust you. The words echoed in her head. When she had heard Hussain say that to her, her heart thumped heavily against her chest. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair.
Fortunately for Cassie, she had gone shopping for clothes and still had the bags in the car, so she made sure to change into more suitable business attire when she arrived at the office. Changing into a navy blue high waist skirt, crisp white shirt and a navy blue blazer, she pinned her hair up. Hussain would approve of the way she was dressed today; she thought to herself. It was crazy that she was thinking of what he would think a
bout her outfit and yet he was not there.
On her way to the conference room, she could not help but think of Hussain. She hated how she had last seen him all bandaged up and bruised. Thinking about it made her chest tighten. She remembered the day they spent together sightseeing and how he almost kissed her at Adilah’s bakery.