The Arabian Billionaire, Book Two Read online

  “Do not ever speak to me like how you just did.”

  “If I do?”

  “Try it.” The sheikh moved closer to her. At this point, their chests were touching. Josie inhaled loudly. She had been trying her best to stay calm and not show him how much he intimidated her, but it was not working anymore. She was now visibly nervous. It was no longer intimidation that she felt, it was replaced with something. She had the urge to touch his chest. It was just so tempting.

  Even though Josie looked scruffy and untidy, she smelled nice. The sheikh was surprised when he smelled her sweet scent. He realized he had not meant to be this close to her, but he could not bring himself to move back. She was so much smaller than him. He just wanted to wrap his arms around her waist and scoop her up into them.

  Chapter 3

  A knocked sounded at the door startling both Josie and the sheikh. Josie jumped instantly and moved back from the sheikh. The sheikh composed himself and looked at the door. Tariq walked in. Tariq bowed his head and greeted the sheikh. The sheikh greeted Tariq back. He seemed normal, even though just ten seconds ago his chest was against hers and his breath in her face. Josie was still uncomfortable; she was still trying to regain composure. She was seriously confused as to what had just happened.

  Tariq was talking about some formal event that everyone had to attend to. Josie was barely listening. She was staring at the door. She just wanted to run for it. Unfortunately that option was taken away from her when Tariq engaged her in their conversation.

  “Josie!” Tariq called out after several attempts of trying to get her attention. Josie almost jumped out of her skin when she heard him.

  “Huh?” Josie answered. She turned to look Tariq and found both him and the sheikh looking at her. She blinked a couple of times. She could not look at the sheikh, not just yet.

  “Would you and your peers like to attend?” Tariq asked softly.

  “I think they would definitely be interested in going.”

  “And yourself?”

  Josie nodded and excused herself. It was way too intense in there. She just had to get out. She headed straight for the lodges. She stopped for a moment to really grasp what had just happened. Part of her liked the feel of his hard body against hers. Quickly, Josie pushed the idea out of her head.

  As soon as Josie walked into the lodge, she poured herself a glass of water and gulped it all down. Fiona walked in and found Josie in the kitchen. She noticed Josie was drinking a lot of water. Just from her drinking water, Fiona knew something was wrong or bothering her.

  “You're drinking water.” Fiona sat and stood next to Josie with her arms crossed over her chest.

  “Yes?” Josie was confused.

  “You don't drink water. What's up, chica?” Josie didn't drink much water because it was tasteless. She loved all types of drinks. She only ever drank water when she was really nervous, scared, stressed or upset. It was a weird thing that she did, but she did it.

  “I do,” Josie said and poured herself another glass. She drank the whole glass.

  “Not more than half a glass in one shot. What happened?”

  Josie put the glass down and turned to look to Fiona. “Fi, something weird just happened,” Josie said and placed her hands on her hips. She sighed heavily. “With the sheikh,” she added. Fiona's eyebrows rose.

  “What you mean, ‘with the sheikh?’ Are you in trouble? Jo, you lost your temper on him, didn't you.” Fiona sounded worried. Josie narrowed her eyes.

  “No, I didn't,” Josie defended herself. Fiona raised one eyebrow at her. “Okay maybe a little,” Josie added.

  “Jo!”

  “But that isn't the weird part. It's how he reacted.”

  “How? He was super mad, wasn't he? You are so getting kicked out now.”

  “No, relax yourself.” Josie started pacing. Just thinking about it made her nervous all over again. “He stood in front of me,” Josie said.

  “Okay?” Fiona was confused.

  “Like super close, chest to chest.” Josie was moving her hands as she spoke. She used them to show how little the distance between them was. Fiona's eyes widened. Josie nodded. “Really close,” she added.

  “My gosh, are you serious?” Fiona questioned.

  “Yes, he was that close to me and threatened me not to speak to him like I was,” Josie started speaking faster. “At first there was a little gap between us, and when he said I shouldn't speak to him like that ever, I asked what was he going to do to me if I did? Instead of using words, he pulled me closer to him.”

  Fiona couldn't help but laugh.

  “Not funny, Fi!” Josie yelled out.

  “No, it's kind of hot.”

  Josie stopped pacing and stared at Fiona with a grimace on her face. “I could feel his breath on my face,” Josie said. Fiona growled. Before Josie could react to Fiona's unwanted response, Caroline and Jasmine walked in. Josie looked at Fiona and shook her head. She did not want to tell them about it. She didn't want this trivial matter to be blown up and become a rumor. Anyway it was a one-off, she decided. It was nothing really. Already forgotten.

  * * * *

  The sheikh had his brothers over for dinner in his home. It had been a while since the Zahid brothers were together. Jamal was always busy. His youngest brother, Amir, had managed to convince him to have them over. Amir also invited Tariq, since he was practically part of the family. He had grown up with the sheikh, and they were close friends. The three Zahid brothers and Tariq had their dinner outside on the marbled veranda. It was nice to eat outside on a cool, summer night. The maids carried out trays full of traditional Arabic foods and began to serve them to the sheikh and the others.

  Malik was the second-eldest Zahid son. He began to complain about his brother's absence. Jamal was simply too involved in his work, and he was too serious about everything. Jamal left no time to enjoy himself or what life had to offer. Amir agreed with him. Jamal was always the dark cloud and needed to loosen up a bit.

  “At this rate we are not going to have a sister-in-law,” Amir teased. He knew Jamal disliked speaking about that matter. Everyone was always on his case as if they had nothing better to do. Jamal carried on eating and refusing to respond. Tariq was laughing.

  “I love my wife,” Tariq said. Jamal narrowed his eyes at him. “Best choice I made in life,” he added.

  Jamal sighed before he replied. “What woman would be able to play my wife? What woman can possibly suit me?” he said.

  “You are high maintenance,” Amir said.

  “I am Jamal Zahid. If I have to settle then it would have to be with the best,” Jamal replied.

  “There are lots of good women in the world, Jamal,” Tariq said.

  “What are the criteria?” Malik asked.

  “That should be interesting,” Tariq said and looked at Jamal.

  Jamal sighed before saying anything. They were all looking at him. There was no escaping this. “Well, she has to be well-mannered, well-poised, intelligent—” Before Jamal finished his list, Amir cut in.

  “Very boring” Amir said.

  “What?”

  “Your perfect woman would be very plain and boring.”

  Jamal started laughing. “Well, those are the qualities she has to portray,” he said.

  “Really, you just want a wife that will agree with on you on everything you say, do what you tell her to do, respect your space, never try to control you and fulfill your unusual hungers?” Tariq said.

  “That would not be so bad,” Jamal said. Tariq laughed and shook his head. “My hungers are very usual; every man has them.” he added.

  “Not like yours,” Amir said.

  “Wouldn't one woman bore you?” Malik asked plainly. He knew his brother. He was not one to stick to the same woman for so long or to be committed. Monogamous—that word simply did not exist in his vocabulary.

  “Probably,” Jamal answered lazily and took a sip of his wine.

  “I would love to see you wit
h a woman that challenges you, one that does not jump whenever you order it,” Amir said sardonically.

  “She may already be here,” Tariq said jokingly and poking at the sheikh. Jamal shot him a glare. Then he realized that his friend was talking about Josie. The little woman that didn't know how to address him in a proper manner. The only woman to have raised her voice at him. He had to keep it in check before she did it again. She had to know it was not okay, that she could not get away with.

  Jamal said nothing. He continued to drink his wine. He found himself unwillingly reminiscing of the last time he was with Josie. He furrowed his brows as he remembered the feeling of her chest against his. He liked it. Her scent was stuck in his memory. He wanted to inhale her once more. That mocha skin of hers—he wanted to caress it with his long fingers. Those lips—they drove him crazy.

  Jamal quickly started talking about Tariq's little, five-year-old girl. He had to change the subject. He had to stop thinking about her like that. Once he felt that kind of desire, it was hard to stop it from growing. The only way would be to take the woman. Unusual hungers. They really were unusual.

  Chapter 4

  It had been two days since Josie had seen the sheikh. It had been good. She had time to recover from what that situation was. She had done her best to keep herself busy and not thinking about it. She convinced herself it was nothing and was never going to happen again. She did not want to have deal with the awkwardness between the sheikh and herself.

  She almost preferred the awkwardness over the shopping trip Caroline had scheduled for them. When Tariq had told them about the event, Caroline's eyes immediately sparkled. She had to look her best, and therefore a shopping spree was a must. Josie hated shopping. She would rather not spend a whole day walking from shop to shop looking at dresses that would not look good on her anyways. To make matters worse, it was really hot. So she was going to walk from shop to shop looking at dresses that would not look good on her while sweating.

  Macy decided to join them. She too needs a new dress for the event. She had to be stunning. Maybe she would scoop up a husband. She was reaching that age where a husband was imperative. Even though Caroline was still in her prime years, she did not mind the thought of a rich husband. Josie and Fiona always told her she was a gold-digger, but that did not bother her. She always wanted a rich husband but never actively looked for one. Now she had a golden opportunity; she wasn't going to throw herself at them, but she was definitely going to stand out and not mess it up if she was approached.

  They walked into an extravagant-looking boutique when they reached town. They had to ring the doorbell to get in. Josie reluctantly walked in last.

  “Why do you have to ring the doorbell?” Fiona asked. It was strange to her.

  “Obviously because there are a lot of expensive items in here. It's a high-profile boutique,” Caroline answered. The sales lady smiled politely. Josie and Fiona looked at each other. They both wanted to frown, but instead they forced themselves to smile at her.

  “Is there anything you are looking for in particular?” The saleslady asked.

  “Dresses,” Caroline and Macy said at the same time.

  “Like ball gowns,” Macy added.

  “They're made for each other,” Jasmine said to Fiona and Josie. The three of them started laughing.

  “It's true. Caroline and Macy are too similar,” Fiona agreed.

  “Creepy,” Josie said observing the two women. Macy and Caroline were both really enthusiastic about finding the perfect dresses.

  “I'm thirsty,” Josie complained. She had wanted a frappuccino but those were not very common in El-Safar. They drank iced tea instead, which she hated.

  “Me too,” Jasmine said.

  “And I'm hungry.”

  “You're always hungry,” Fiona replied and rubbed Josie's head.

  “Come see these gowns,” Caroline called out. She loved almost everything in there. If they were not too pricy, she would have bought most of them. She commented on every dress she came across. Josie was already bored and wanting to get out of there. A simple dress was all she needed. She definitely was not going to find one in there.

  After a while they finally left the shop. Josie and Fiona complained. They had spent too much time in there only to come out without anything. They all went to a different shop.

  Caroline kept picking up dresses and holding them up against Josie. Josie just stood there lifeless. Maybe the process would be less painful and end quicker if she just agreed to any dress. She was wrong. Caroline could not make up her mind.

  “Too plain, too dull, too bright, too short, too much fabric,” Caroline said as she went through the dresses. Josie rolled her eyes.

  “I can pick my own garments you know,” Josie said. Even Fiona looked at her like she was crazy.

  “Judging from the dresses you have looked at, I don't think so,” Caroline said.

  “You know what? I will pick my own stuff. You concentrate on yourself,” Josie narrowed at her eyes at Caroline then walked off.

  “Fine, I tried to help,” Caroline said.

  “She'll be fine, leave her,” Jasmine said, but she wasn't too convinced.

  Josie was so glad when they finally reached the lodges. They had spent the whole day shopping. It was a nightmare for her. She had managed to buy herself clothes and shoes without the help of know-it-all Caroline though. Josie threw herself on the bed. She had missed her bed.

  * * * *

  Josie was starting to go crazy. She had been cooked up in the lodge all day. Tariq had conveyed some work from the sheikh to her early in the morning. There were new areas that were suspected to have oil. Josie studied the landscape maps. She read about the land and surrounding areas. She had to be thorough and not miss anything. She even anticipated all risks and made a risk assessment. She typed up a report on all the research she had done. She got herself ready and headed for the sheikh's office.

  The sheikh was in his office speaking with his two brothers and Tariq. The project on the new land they had found was a big project. They needed all hands on deck. No mistakes could be made. They discussed all the information they had acquired. They needed to come up with a solid plan. A knock sounded at the door. Josie walked in. The sheikh was a little bit surprised to see her. Amir and Malik looked at each other with confusion. They did not recognize the little woman.

  Josie was not expecting to see the office full. “Hello,” she said awkwardly looking at everyone.

  “What do you want?” The sheikh asked. The Josie frowned slightly. He just had to speak to her that way.

  “Here.” She handed him the folder containing her typed up report. “It's a report on the stuff you sent me,” she added. The sheikh looked at Josie blankly. Josie hated that; it made it hard for her to guess what he was thinking.

  “You are finished already?” Tariq asked her. Josie nodded. He looked impressed. It was the right decision to have her work with them. “Okay, explain your thoughts on the land,” he added.

  “Okay.” Just before she started speaking, she looked at the two unfamiliar faces. “I am Josie by the way.” Amir and Malik both greeted her and introduced themselves.

  “The sheikh's younger brothers,” Tariq said. Josie looked shocked. She quickly reeled it in and began to explain her report. All four men listened to her. The sheikh was impressed even though he swore to himself to never say it out loud. She was actually intelligent. She had completed all the work he had given her and done more. She knew her stuff.

  “Very impressive,” Malik said.

  “Thank you.” Josie had a big smile on her face. It felt like he had just given her a small pat on the back. Tariq suggested that they brought her along to the inspections. The sheikh looked at him like he was crazy. Even Josie was looking at Tariq like he had said something out of the ordinary.

  “I am not that qualified,” Josie said.

  “It is a splendid idea,” Malik said.

  “Well, this is your report, an
d you're contributing a lot. You should come,” Amir added. Josie looked at the sheikh. It seemed like he didn't want her there. She wanted to annoy him further. So she agreed to go. The sheikh looked at her, and she smirked at him.

  “One visit,” the sheikh said, not taking his eyes off her.

  “Sorry you were outvoted,” Josie could not help but gloat. Seeing him not get his own way made her smile. It seemed like he was not used to it. Amir and Malik were shocked by her words. They looked at the sheikh and waited for his response. His face remained expressionless.

  “Watch your mouth,” he said. That mouth he found himself once again wanting to claim. This feeling kept resurfacing, and it was bothering him. Even though he tried to shut it down, he was never successful.

  Josie bowed and left the room. This was the first time she had ever bowed to him. He could not help but think that it was an act of mimicry. Now he was dreading the aftermath. His brothers definitely had something to say.

  “You might as well say it,” the sheikh said to his brothers. Tariq was laughing. He could not hide his amusement.

  “Say what?” Amir asked.

  “Whatever it is you are thinking,” Jamal clarified and sat on the edge of the table.

  “You must be boiling inside. No woman ever speaks to you like that,” Malik said. Jamal said nothing.

  “She's interesting. Who is she?” Amir asked.

  “One of the foreign students that will be interning here for a couple of weeks,” Tariq said.

  “She's smart and speaks to my brother informally with sarcasm too. Very intriguing,” Amir said with a smirk on his face. He had longed to see the day a woman did not fall at Jamal's feet.

  “Small but fierce,” Tariq said.

  Fierce. The word echoed in the sheikh's head. She definitely was fierce. She did not fear him; most people did, but she didn't. She felt free to speak her mind in his presence. She had the audacity. It made him wonder what she was like. What made her so brave? Was she not intimidated by him? If she was issuing a challenge, he gladly accepted. He would make her speak to him in a proper manner, and he would tame her. She would succumb to him.