Nasir watched the woman walk away. He could sense her anger. His gaze took in her figure, irritated that he could see so little of it. The collar of her black, wool suit came up to her chin and the skirt ended a few inches below her knees. Her shoes were conservative and boring, but nothing could hide her elegant silhouette. As she walked, the suit moved with her, revealing the round curve of her bottom. Her breasts were a strange shape, he noticed, wondering why. He could tell that she was slender by the delicate bone structure in her face. Her high cheekbones enhanced her expressive dark eyes, which flashed with fire when she was angry, and also revealed exactly what she was feeling. The two of them had an interesting connection, a chemistry that would not only work into his plans perfectly, but would add an enjoyable spark into his future.
“Ah, here is Tarek,” Mikal said, speaking in English now. “I don’t believe he has made the same progress as you.”
Nasir watched as the introductions were made to the third, and final, member of their group. He nodded with satisfaction when the beautiful woman took Tarek’s hand. There was no spark there either, although Tarek immediately noticed the woman’s exceptional beauty beneath the hideous suit. The other men in the room had as well. He supposed he’d have to get used to other men looking at her. She really was startlingly lovely, even if she tried to hide her beauty.
He’d have to find out why, he mused as the three men took seats around the table. The extraneous people left the room, leaving only himself, Tarek, Mikal, and the two lawyers. A recorder in the center of the table was there to record the meeting, which would be transcribed later.
“Let’s get down to business,” he announced, starting the meeting.
Cassy turned to a fresh page in her notebook and began taking notes, while wondering what was going on with these three men. It seemed serious. They discussed historical borders, oil prices, real estate costs, and a slew of other issues. Occasionally, the debate became tense, but the three, speaking in English now, managed to calm down and find a compromise every time the conversation grew heated. And when they could, it felt as if all three were willing to concede key arguments. By the time lunch was brought in, the men appeared to be in good moods.
Cassy’s tension, on the other hand, had only increased throughout the morning. Between trying to interpret the legal issues and offer advice when requested, she could feel the intensity rise and fall in the room.
Occasionally, Mr. Ferocious glanced in her direction, his dark gaze reminding her that he was fully aware of her presence. Every time that happened, her heart stumbled slightly and she had to look away. And darn it, her hands refused to stop shaking! She pushed her chair back from the table and slid her notebook onto her lap, hiding her hands. Cassy definitely did not want him to realize how much he affected her. The other three seemed oblivious to the tension between them. Mr. Ferocious, on the other hand, was not only aware of the tension, he encouraged it. She could tell.
Thankfully, he was at an angle where no one noticed when he looked at her, but every time she felt his eyes, she would look up and feel the heat of his gaze emanating towards her. She didn’t understand how he could have this much of an impact on her. The other two men occasionally looked at her when they asked her a question or when she clarified a legal issue, but she didn’t feel that electric shock lance through her when they looked at her.
When the lunch cart was delivered, everyone stood up to stretch their legs and to speak with their staff members who had been delegated to the outside chairs against the walls. They hadn’t been allowed to speak during the negotiations, but they seemed to be frantically taking notes.
When the participants stood up, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to slip away and find a few moments of peace, a precious fifteen minutes to pull herself together. The man’s staff seemed to almost sprint towards him, eager to speak to him.
He lifted his hand, almost casually, and the staff members faded back against the wall. None disobeyed and Cassy’s stomach muscles tensed. She tried to get away, turning towards the door at the other end of the conference room. Regrettably, her attempts were foiled.
“Miss Flemming,” that voice called out from behind her.
Cassy’s shoulders tightened with that deep, rough voice and she turned around. Sure enough, it was him. He was so close, she took a step back and froze when he put a hand on her upper arm, holding her in place just as his touch had done earlier.
“Ms. Flemming,” she corrected, standing as calmly as possible with her hands folded in front of her. Because she wanted to reach out to touch him, to feel that heat once again, she curled her fingers tightly together.
He cocked an eyebrow as he accepted two filled plates from his assistant. “You are divorced?” he asked, handing her a china plate filled with the kinds of foods one would expect in a gourmet, high end restaurant. She’d definitely never participated in a meeting where food of this quality was served. Cassy wished she had the strength to turn down the offering, thinking it would be more appropriate if she got her own. But she hadn’t eaten breakfast this morning since she’d been running late so she took the plate, feeling silly since her hands were still shaking.
It wasn’t because of this man’s nearness, she told herself. She was simply intimidated by the power surrounding her. She hadn’t understood at the beginning of the meeting, but now that she’d been listening in for several hours, she grasped that these three men were sheiks, rulers of their countries, and were setting the stage for tricky trade deals between their three countries.
She appreciated the historic nature of these talks and was awed by the scope, amazed that the three leaders seemed to be truly eager to forge a deal and thrilled to be a part of such an historic moment.
Regardless, her excitement at being a part of this conversation didn’t diminish her sense of danger when this man looked at her. There was just…just something about him. Something she didn’t understand, something that tugged at her senses even as her instincts screamed to keep him at a distance.
As she looked up at him, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to control this man like she controlled the men she’d dated in the past. She would be vulnerable to him in ways she didn’t completely understand.
Cassy nervously accepted the offered plate, looking down at the food as her stomach warned her that it wouldn’t be patient. “No. I go by Ms. and not Miss.”
He shifted, almost as if he was trying to isolate them from the others in the conference room. Cassy looked around, but the man was so tall and his shoulders so broad, she couldn’t really see around him without being obvious.
“I don’t understand. I thought the appropriate greeting was ‘Miss’ for unmarried women, ‘Mrs.’ for married, and ‘Ms.’ for those who are divorced. Am I incorrect?”
Cassy flushed and looked down again. “In a few industries, that is still correct, but women in the corporate world have taken over the ‘Ms.’ and use it interchangeably. Our marital status should not be brought up in the workplace. It isn’t relevant to anyone but ourselves.”
Was that amusement she saw in his eyes? She bristled slightly, thinking that the man was humoring her. She didn’t like that, especially when discussing such an important issue that provided a necessary, psychological equalizer.
“Ah, but a woman should be proud of her marital state,” he countered, putting a hand to her elbow to lead her towards the opposite end of the table, where they could eat in relative privacy.
Cassy shook her head, and sank into the leather chair gratefully because she wasn’t sure how much longer her legs would hold her up. Not with him so close and with that warm hand on her arm.
She tried to scoot her chair further away, but he followed so that their legs remained perilously close together. If she shifted in any way, she was in danger of her knee touching his thigh. She couldn’t allow that!
Shifting her focus away from the proximity of their legs and back to his dark, too-knowing eyes, she realized that he was fully
aware of her maneuvering. Instead of telling him off, and possibly getting herself fired for that telling-off, she focused instead on his question.
“I disagree. A woman should be proud of how she contributes to the world and her community,” she argued. “Her marital status is a private matter between herself and her husband. It isn’t anyone else’s business.”
Nasir was having a great deal of fun. He could see the anger in her eyes and enjoyed the sparkle. Her cheeks were pink with her fire as well. He actually had three women in his cabinet and they were a strong part of his group of advisors. Those women worked hard to promote gender equality in his country, although he was the first to acknowledge that there was still a long way to go. Which could also be said of her country, but admitting that wouldn’t be nearly as fun.
“Isn’t marriage a woman’s ultimate goal?”
Cassy rolled her eyes. “Absolutely not! A woman can contribute just as much as a man.” Her lips pressed together and she dropped her gaze to her hands folded in her lap. Well, not exactly folded. Her fingers were gripping each other in an effort to not gesture wildly. “But perhaps we will just have to agree to disagree on this subject.”
“And where do you stand on the question of marriage? Do you reject marriage completely or are you just against anyone in your professional realm knowing about your marital status?”
Nasir watched her mouth, fascinated and intrigued. She was such a sensuous beauty and yet, she tried to hide it behind a stiff, starched suit. The contrast between her pale skin, full mouth, and sparkling eyes compared to that hideous suit was fascinating. She probably had no idea that her efforts at minimizing her femininity only enhanced it.
Cassy laughed, finally understanding that he was teasing her. With that laughter, her irritation over his sexist comments dissipated. How could he do that so easily? One moment, she was ready to kick him and the next, she could read the teasing glint in his eyes. It was oddly flattering that he would tease her.
Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. “I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but why do you care about my opinion on marriage? It really isn’t relevant.”
Nasir leaned back, shrugging one shoulder. “It might be more relevant than you think.”
He took a bite of his lunch and changed the subject. Once they were on more neutral subjects, Nasir noticed she relaxed and he enjoyed the way she laughed occasionally, and how her eyes sparkled when she became irritated. He appreciated that she wasn’t afraid to argue with him, that she challenged him. That was a good sign. It was rare that someone in her position felt comfortable enough to make a point and speak openly. She was refreshing. Even more so since his interest was obvious and yet, she didn’t throw herself at him, or drop hints that she was his for the taking. Even more of a challenge, he thought with growing interest.
They conversed throughout the rest of the meal, but too soon, the lunch break was over and he needed to consult with his aides before resuming the meeting for their afternoon session.
Lifting her hand, he kissed her fingertips, then turned her hand over and placed another kiss on the delicate skin of her wrist, tightening his grip when he felt her shiver and try to pull away. Cassandra must have understood the look in his eyes. He felt the trembling and noticed that she held her breath for a long moment. She wasn’t sure how to react and that gave him a slight pause. She wasn’t as experienced as his previous lovers, Nasir realized. Ms. Cassandra Flemming was a beautiful mixture of innocence and experience.
Cassy was starting to hate the effect that deep, masculine voice had on her. And he kissed her wrist! Who did that? She’d seen it in the movies, but…in real life?
“I enjoyed our meal together, Ms. Flemming. Thank you for a delightful respite from the tense negotiations today.” With that, he stepped back, bowed ever so slightly and then moved off to discuss something with his aides who were waiting patiently by one of the large windows of the conference room.
Cassy watched, fascinated by the body language and the man. The others seemed to be offering him advice and the tall, dangerous man listened intently, but with a look about him that clearly conveyed that he wasn’t making any decisions just yet.
“Looks like you made a conquest,” Darren commented as he sauntered over to stand beside her. “Guess I wasn’t wealthy enough.” He snorted at his comment and Cassy looked over at the smoothly professional man just as he shook his head, glaring at their client.
“A conquest?” she asked, her shoulders stiffening at the insinuation.
Darren looked at her with an expression of…triumph? Maybe revulsion? Immediately, something shriveled up inside of her. Was he implying that she…that he…? Her eyes moved from Darren’s blue ones to the darker gaze watching them. She had no idea that her mouth had fallen open slightly in response to her co-worker’s awful comments. Nor did she realize that the taller man seemed to understand what was being said simply by the way her shoulders curled in slightly, as if protecting herself.
Darren understood Nasir’s furious glare and jerked to attention as Nasir whispered something to his aide. Cassy was completely unaware of the silent messages being sent and absorbed across the polished conference room table. But she definitely understood that Darren was implying that she had…that Nasir was sexually interested in her.
Okay, so that was pretty obvious, if not from the soft touches earlier, the kiss on her wrist was an obvious clue.
But Cassy knew she hadn’t done anything inappropriate. She’d done her best to avoid him without insulting him. He was an important client! Thinking over the morning’s interactions, she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong. Other than the soft kiss on her wrist, which still tingled, there had been nothing inappropriate about her interactions.
Of course, her thoughts had been another matter entirely! Cassy was fairly confident that none of the other people in the room were aware of those thoughts.
Which made Darren’s insinuations completely unfounded and rude! Was she going to have to say something? She glanced over at Nasir again, the man who was more powerful than she could even imagine. Had he perhaps said something to someone else that might have hurt her career? Had Darren…
A slight shake of his head told her to stop thinking along those lines. Cassy looked away, horrified that he could so easily read her mind.
Unfortunately, Darren’s comments gnawed at her. A conquest? What had she done wrong? And how could she fix it? She thought back over the morning, trying to figure out what she’d done and how she could have handled the situation differently. She couldn’t simply ignore the problem. Assumptions of this magnitude could destroy one’s career and she’d worked too hard for too long to let it go.
Unfortunately, the meeting was called back to order and she walked across the room, trying to keep her head held high, but she felt…dirty somehow. She’d done absolutely nothing wrong and yet, the men around her had sullied her reputation. Over an innocent conversation!
Granted, the subtle, non-verbal messages hadn’t been exactly innocent but…the others in the room couldn’t know that. Could they?
The meeting restarted and Cassy sat down, shaking again but this time for a completely different reason. For the rest of the afternoon, she refused to look at Nasir.
Had she done or said something to indicate that she was interested? Had Darren caught one of her glances?
If that were the case, then she would have to be extra careful during the afternoon session. She simply wouldn’t look at Nasir. When he asked her a question, she looked at her notes, pretending to verify the information written there.
Issue after issue was discussed in a seemingly never-ending meeting. Cassy wondered if anyone else needed a break. Unfortunately, as she glanced around the room, everyone seemed fresh and engaged.
Looking down at her paper, she tried to focus only on the words and not on Darren’s sneering presence beside her. When the meeting was finally over, she waited just long enough for the clients to leave before she hurri
ed out of the conference room. She didn’t want to wait around for Darren’s next comment or for someone to ask her what was going on between herself and an obviously important client. Cassy refused to even listen to such horrible insinuations, especially from Darren, who thought that women were his personal playthings. He had no respect for women and he was a married man! So how dare he imply that she’d behaved inappropriately towards a client!
With her head down, she rushed into her office, determined to get away and rebalance herself. Grabbing her gym bag and her black tote, she hurried out of the building, without stopping to talk to anyone. She didn’t check her e-mail, nor did she care if there was a stack of issues that needed her attention. She wanted out! She needed some breathing space!
When she was on the street, her cell phone rang. “Hey, where are you?” Ella asked. “Naya and I are in the lobby waiting for you.”
Cassy continued down the street, not looking around as she maintained her furious pace. “I’m on my way to the gym. I’ll meet you guys there.”
She was already warming up when her friends slipped into the large aerobics class area. “Okay, what’s going on?” Ella asked, dumping her bag by the doorway. “You never beat us to class. Usually, we have to text you to get your butt down here.”
Ella was the most direct of their trio. As a news reporter, she traveled all over the world, ferreting out the next scoop and revealing the bad guys and their illegal antics. It was pretty rare when Ella could meet them for class, but whenever Ella was home, the three of them made the most out of their time together.
Naya walked in next, breathless and tugging her shirt down over her hips. Naya was the most voluptuous of their group, and also the shyest. She fought her natural instincts to retreat into her own world, wanting to be more extroverted. Naya was brilliantly creative, and preferred her world of colors and subtle marketing tactics.
Unexpectedly Expecting the Sheik's Baby (The Ladies of The Burling School Book 6) Page 2