Shira chose a seat near the window, watching with interest as Kale spoke to the attendant in Arabic before joining her. “Rihana will bring you some refreshment as soon as we are airborne.”
Shira nodded, still trying to understand how the plans had changed so quickly. “Did Rick or Damon call you?”
Kale took the seat next to Shira, taking her hands in his and chafing them slightly. “No. It had already been decided that I would fly your team out in our private jet. When Rick and Damon explained the need for them to stay behind, along with the rest of the team, I offered to make myself available to you and help facilitate your work in Jawhara.”
Shira nodded, looking up into Kale’s eyes and quickly becoming lost in their warmth. Feeling herself sway towards him slightly, she fought the urge to lean against him. The feelings his hands were creating in her body were quickly becoming hard to ignore. She glanced down at their joined hands and was transported back to the last time his hands had touched her.
They had celebrated the end of the negotiations between her company and his country and had retired to his hotel room after several hours of dancing at local clubs. Shira had been full of energy and enthralled with Kale’s attention.
She had been secretly trying to attract his attention during the months of negotiations, but he had kept her at arm’s length. When she had walked into the banquet hall, he had immediately captured her attention and kept her close to his side the rest of the night.
They had just settled themselves upon a rug in front of the fireplace, sharing lingering kisses and touches when his phone had rung. Cursing, Kale had answered the phone, growing still and silent as he listened. Evidently, a major catastrophe was brewing in his country and he and his brother were needed to fly back immediately.
He had given her once last smoldering kiss, full of promise and longing, and then asked his driver to take her home. He had programmed her phone with his direct line and had called her almost every day since then. Talking to her for hours about his childhood, her upbringing and their dreams and hopes for the future. He had been amazed at how much they had in common and quickly become enamored of her.
When Kamal had instructed him to fly to America and escort the Addams Group team back to Jawhara, he had called Rick and Damon and made sure Shira was one of the team he would be escorting. Talks had quickly escalated from a visit to setting up another office in Jawhara. Rick and Damon had not missed his attraction to Shira, nor hers to him, and h
ad suggested that Shira might be a good candidate to stay on in Jawhara and manage their first international office.
Kale had kept his enthusiasm for the plan to himself, secretly rejoicing that his task of convincing Shira to remain in Jawhara long-term would not be that hard. Based upon her reaction only moments before in the airport terminal, the long-term plans for her employment hadn’t been discussed with her yet.
Kale would make sure that Rick and Damon corrected that as quickly as possible. He wanted Shira to grab hold of this adventure and start making plans to stay in Jawhara – permanently.
The Sheikh’s Troublesome Bride (The Jawhara Sheikhs Series Book 2) Download today!
Excerpt from ‘CEO’s Pregnant Lover’ (Download Instantly – Click here)
“HR, Janet speaking. How may I he-”
“Janet? Trent. I need you to send up a replacement for Pam. Her daughter was injured in an accident, and she just left to go take care of the children and such. I’ve no idea how long she will be gone, so send me someone that you weren’t planning on firing at the end of the week.” Trent said matter-of-factly. He didn’t really care if she fired twenty people each week; if they couldn’t do the job they could find somewhere else to work.
Janet Marshall worked as the head of HR for Coldwell Enterprises. She was not only a friend, she was the toughest woman Trent had working for him. She was also his second cousin and married to his best friend from college. While Janet didn’t have to work another day in her life, she enjoyed managing people and understood Trent in a way others didn’t. He was as alpha as they came, she’d never met a more dominating, arrogant man until Trent had come along.
“Oh dear! Which one of Pam’s daughters was hurt?” Janet asked with obvious concern in her voice. Pam had worked for the company for as long as she could remember, first as Trent’s father’s personal assistant, and now for Trent. She was one of the nicest women Janet had ever worked with and she only hoped that her daughter wasn’t too badly hurt.
“Susan,” Trent replied, thinly hiding his impatience.
The timing couldn’t be worse as Trent was in the process of acquiring a large production company in Europe and the contracts that had been drawn up by his European office were in chaos. He had been in the process of finalizing his corrections when Pam had announced that she must leave immediately. He needed these contracts fixed today!
“Oh, no. And she just delivered twins a few months back. That poor woman,” Janet commiserated over the phone. “Don’t worry about it; I have just the girl in mind. She’s only been working here for about six months, but her reviews are excellent.”
Janet was thinking of the young woman she had hired a little over six months back. Janet had interviewed her and been surprised at how mature she seemed for someone only twenty-four years old. Smiling to herself, she tried to envision how Trent would react to the young woman who wore her hair like a fifty year old, clothing that didn’t fit her body, or compliment her natural coloring, and honestly had no idea of just how attractive she could be. On top of all that, she was the most capable woman Janet had hired in months.
“Whatever - just send her up after lunch. I’m right in the middle of negotiations for that buyout in Germany, and Pam didn’t have time to make the corrections on the contract yet. I need them by 3 o’clock - if not sooner.”
“Not to worry. I’ll go tell her now and then send her to lunch. I assume that I can offer her the same benefits and salary that Pam was drawing?”
“Of course.” Trent started to hang up the phone when he heard Janet call him back. Sighing, he put the phone back to his ear and answered, “What?” Damn it, he had work to do. He didn’t have time to chitchat with Janet; that’s what her husband was for. He’d mention just that fact to Shawn next time he saw him.
Janet took a breath and thought about keeping this information to herself, but then she decided that Trent would want to know. “Shawn and I went to that symphony fundraiser last night.”
Trent waited for her to continue, and when she didn’t, he impatiently replied, “And? I assume it was a smashing success and all that.”
“It was, but that wasn’t my point.”
“Well, get to it. I have work to do and so do you.”
“I saw Marco Bresi there.” Janet said in a rush, holding her breath for the explosion she assumed was coming. When nothing happened, she paused, letting Trent digest what she had just told him. Marco Bresi was a very wealthy, and very influential businessman in Europe. He and Trent had a past marked with tragedy and Marco had stayed in Europe for the last three years because of it. Janet had been shocked to see him back in the States, especially in Denver.