ROMANCE: THE SHEIKH'S GAMES: A Sheikh Romance (107 page)

“You can’t even sit next to me now?” His tone was incredulous but she’d just looked at him with clear brown eyes.

“Sure I can, I just need the room beside me for files. Not every decision I make has to do with you.”

“Fine.” And on it went. Zadir tried to make conversation with her but at every turn he was met with her stony silence. He gave up and they rode in silence until it killed him and he tried again. The entire day had been an exercise in frustration, so much so that he’d been happy to escape to his room the moment they’d entered the suite.

He wasn’t sure if she’d even eaten dinner that night because she hadn’t left her bedroom again until the next morning. Zadir couldn’t fathom that she was as upset as she was because he hadn’t come back to bed. Sure, it was a dick move, but he’d been kind and gentle in the moment. Didn’t that count for anything?

Today he was done worrying about Shala and whatever drama she was attempting to manufacture. He planned to have a little bit of fun and enjoy the fact that his time away from home had been so successful. He’d spent his morning outlining his plans for the new resorts and the solar company, so he would have a cohesive plan to present to his father. Or Sima, he conceded, if his father was still unconvinced.

After work was done, it was time to play. He made his way to the beach and within a few hours, his suite had become a giant party. There were pretty girls everywhere, wearing nothing but tiny bikinis and welcoming smiles. The music pumped and vibrated throughout the entire suite, which was warm thanks to the crush of hard bodies pushing the place to capacity.

He sat in a lounge on the balcony, dark brown frames hid his eyes and thoughts from curious eyes. The master of all he surveyed, the party provided him with no real relief from his tumultuous emotions. His gaze tracked the movements at the door, waiting for Shala to return to the suite. To talk to him, to anything, to
react
. The party had been going for hours and hours and Shala was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, this shindig yours?”

Zadir looked up at a stacked blonde with legs so long every man in the place was imagining how it would feel to have them wrapped around his waist as he thrust into that tight little body. He put on his sexiest, most charming smile. “You’re American. I
love
American women.”

Blondie stood with one leg on each side of his lounge chair and sat on his lap, rocking her hips back and forth against his hardening dick. “Well I’m from Minnesota, I’m as American as they come.” Her arms were casually slung over his shoulders in an almost intimate embrace.

Zadir’s hands rested on her hips, stroking up and down her thighs as her hips moved in small circles until his body responded. “What can I do for you?”

“You can do me, that’s what you can do.” She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “It would be even hotter if you do me right here.” Her hand disappeared behind her barely there white bikini bottom and the soft gasp told Zadir exactly what she was doing.

He stood with a growl and yanked her up behind him. He didn’t stop walking until they were both on the other side of his bedroom door. Blondie kissed his mouth, his neck, and down his chest as she pushed his shirt up. She stopped at his waist and smiled up at him, before yanking his shorts down and gripping his erection in her hands. He growled and twined his fingers into her hair when her lips sucked him into her mouth and down her throat. “Ah,” he groaned as his hips began to move in slow tight thrusts. His head was thrown back and an image came to him, of Shala on her knees before him, taking him in her mouth. It was so good until those brown eyes began to drip with tears. “Shit,” he grunted and pulled her head away. “Shit!” He stepped away, panting and angry that his dick had just checked out of the festivities.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

Her cooing voice was just icing on the cake. “I’m sorry, I’m just not into this,” he gestured to his no longer hard dick. “I’m really sorry, it’s just,” he didn’t know how to explain it or why he wanted to explain to a complete stranger.

“Another woman,” she asked with a smile.

She didn’t seem to be angry, almost amused. “How did you know?”

She took his hands and let him pull her up so she could straighten her bikini. “You’re hot and I know I’m hot. There are only two reasons a guy can’t perform. He’s gay and you’re not, or he’s in love with someone else.”

Zadir frowned and stepped away from her until he hit the wall. “Who said anything about love?” No way was he in love with her. He couldn’t be, he didn’t have time for love right now.

“Love waits for no one,” she mused with a knowing smile.

He must’ve said that aloud. “No, you’re wrong. I like her, sure but I don’t love her.”

Blondie stood and patted his chest. “I hope you figure it out before you lose her. Good luck.” She walked out of his bedroom and he followed her, hands on her shoulders.

“Thank you,” he said and kissed her cheek. Watching her walk away, he instantly felt the skin on the back of his neck prickle and he turned just in time to see Shala look at him and then away, before ducking into her room.

Shit.

He waited a beat before he went after her, banging on her door until his fists began to ache. She didn’t answer, not that he could hear her if she did with the obnoxious music pounding a beat all around him. “Dammit, Shala!” He pounded on the door some more until his frustration mounted.

“Out! Everyone get out, please! The neighbors have been complaining so let’s take it back to the pool.” He tried to be nice, but the terseness in his voice could not be mistaken. He herded everyone through the doors, waving goodbye to Blondie as she whispered an ‘I’m sorry,” on her way out. He pressed his back against the door when it was shut and slid down to the floor. Sabrina and Blondie were right, he was in love with her. Only he’d figured it out too late and she would probably never speak to him again.

They still had two days in Florence. He would use it to make her remember how much fun they had together. Zadir stood, picked up his phone and began to make plans.

Tomorrow, everything would be different.

* * *

He awoke late the next morning after a fitful sleep and went for a run to clear his head. His dreams had been a combination of erotic images of Shala’s naked body in the most erotic poses he could imagine, and those deep brown eyes filled with tears. It was torture to be so hard and aching and not having the heart to do anything about it. The moment his alarm sounded he popped up, slid into his shoes and running shorts.

After he’d exhausted his mind, if not his body, he made his way back to the suite, determined to talk to Shala. It was time to clear the air…as soon as he had a shower. Things had to be okay with Shala, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Freshly showered and dressed, he knocked on her door and waited but there was no answer. “Dammit, Shala open up!” When she didn’t answer he turned the knob and pushed the door open. Empty. Her bags, her bed, the open drawers and closet door told his eyes what his heart couldn’t consider. Shala was gone.

“Dammit,” he roared into the empty room. She was gone, where, he had no idea, and he still had two days’ worth of business to finish up before he could leave Florence. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he tried to call her but she sent him straight to voicemail. “Shala, please. Call me back, tell me to go to hell but let me know you’re okay. Please. Bye.”

He threw the phone on the sofa and plopped down, running his hands up and down his face. This day was not going how he’d planned.

Not at all.

He would finish up his business today and tomorrow and head home in time for the dinner. Then he would confront Shala.

Ready or not.

Shala was not ready for tonight, not by a long shot. She’d been home for two full days, back to her old job for one and slowly her life was getting back on track. She sat in her car, waiting in line to enter the palace. The one time she didn’t want to be a part of the extended circle of royal friends, she was invited to the palace for a special dinner celebration. She hadn’t wanted to attend, but her parents had insisted she show her support to their close friends and her bosses.

Shala couldn’t argue with that, so she’d bought a new dress and shoes so she wouldn’t look as awful as she felt. Several fortifying breaths later, she stepped from the open door the valet held open for her and shot him a grateful smile. She’d chosen a wine colored dress that cupped her breasts and fell in silky waves to the floor. It was a pretty dress and she felt as good one would expect.

Her parents had left for the party hours ago to chat with the Alzari family before the dinner began so Shala stood in the front entrance with about two dozen other guests, waiting patiently. The hall and the staircases were decorated in white and gold. It was all very coordinated, and she suspected this was more than the regular dinner party at the palace.

She hadn’t wanted to come at all so the longer she had to wait to get this thing started, the better it was for her. The loud buzz of the crowd died down and Shala looked up to see what had caught everyone’s attention.

“Excuse me, everyone.”

Zadir.
She looked at him, looking like he’d stepped right off the pages of a fashion magazine. Why did he have to look so good in that modern, Western tux? She didn’t need to be reminded of his handsome face, that effortless charm or how well his hard body felt under her delicate touch. The only thing she needed to think about was that he
didn’t like her
and had quickly recovered from the bout of lust that had gripped him in Spain.

“It looks like dinner is going to be postponed by about an hour,” he looked at his watch and flicked his gaze back out to the crowd. “Apparently this friends and family dinner is going to be a reception.” The crowd clapped and the hum picked back up. “But first, you all are invited to the wedding. It will be held in the Petite Ballroom, so follow me.”

Shala lost herself in the crowd, hoping to avoid any personal interaction with Zadir. She took a seat near the back, between two older couples. She shot them each a polite smile and focused her attention on returning emails until she heard the traditional Jovanbar wedding march begin.

Sabrina looked beautiful in her simple lace dress that was a perfect complement to her dark features and pale skin. Her smile was bright and engaging as she stared up into Rashid’s eyes, and the way he looked at her made Shala choke on the tears she tried in vain to suppress. Rashid looked like Sabrina was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Tears trickled down her cheek at the beauty of this special, private moment.

As soon as the bride and groom, and their small wedding party, exited the ballroom, Shala slipped out and went in the opposite direction in search of the valet. If she could get out now, while they were transitioning from wedding ceremony glee to post-ceremony party mode, it would be a clean break. She would get them something nice as a wedding gift since Sabrina was American, mostly, and send her apologies later.

She’d given her ticket to the valet and waited.
Come on, come on, come on!
She willed the valet to come back before anyone noticed her.

“Leaving so soon?”

She gasped at the sound of Zadir’s deep voice behind her and whirled on him. Her hand covered her thundering heart. “Shouldn’t you be inside, performing best man duties?”

“It will be some time before Rashid and Sabrina are ready for the reception. We have time.”

She nodded and turned. “I don’t. I have to get going.” She walked a few feet away, looking in the distance for her car.

“Running again?”

With an exasperated sigh she spoke. “No, I’m just trying to mitigate disaster at the workplace.”

He scoffed. “Is that really what you think, Shala?”

She shrugged. “I think it doesn’t matter what I think.” He hadn’t cared when he shouted that he didn’t like her and he didn’t give a damn that she’d seen him after he’d had sex with another woman. He didn’t care about her or what she thought.

He came closer, suppressing his anger that she wouldn’t look at him. “You know that isn’t true.”

Her stiff posture weakened and her shoulders slumped. “What do you want Zadir? We have nothing to talk about.”

Grasping her upper arm he spun her around. “We have plenty to talk about. You left Italy without a word.”

“Of course I did!” Her teeth clenched and she balled her fists as anger rolled off her in waves.

“You are an employee of Alzari Holdings,” he began with that smarmy smile that he used when he needed to get his way. “And as such,”

She cut him off. “Fine, Zadir, I quit. Have a nice life!” She yanked out of his grasp and walked around her car—finally!—and slid in.

Zadir grabbed the door handle. “I don’t think so, Shala. It’s time we had that talk.” He ducked low to look her in her eyes. “So either come back inside or I’m coming in.”

Shala rolled her eyes. “I’m
not
going back inside. If you want to talk, meet me at the edge of the driveway or don’t. I don’t care.” She put the car in gear and drove to the end of the long drive, hoping he’d decided she wasn’t worth it and rejoined the party.

Her hopes were soon dashed. “Shala, I’m sorry, okay?”

She nodded, squeezing her teeth against a small strip of skin inside her mouth to keep from responding. “Okay, apology accepted.”

“Is that it?” Fingers tunneled through his hair in anger and frustration and defeat.

“What would you like me to say? I’ve accepted your apology, do I need to massage your ego too?”

“Unbelievable! I guess you really don’t care.” He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned down at her.

“I guess that makes two of us.” Her head tilted defiantly.

“I don’t believe this!” He began to pace just a few feet in front of her. “Here I am, thinking we were on the same page and you…you!” He was speechless.

“I heard you.” He continued to rant and Shala’s anger was starting to show. “I heard you,” she said again, this time with more force until she got his attention. “I heard you say you didn’t even like me, and a day later you slept with someone else.” She turned and stepped into the car. “Goodbye, Zadir.”