The Sheik’s Embrace (The Billionaire’s Club #12)

Chapter 3

Tara stared at the cell phone where it sat in the middle of Zayed’s desk, waiting for him to return. She sat in the extra chair, her hands folded primly on her lap. Memories of other conversations, painful, humiliating, stern lectures in front of a different desk, flashed through her mind, but she closed her eyes and banished them. Zayed wasn’t him ! Looking around, Tara reminded herself that HE couldn’t get to her if she stayed inside the palace. She was safe here! She’d overreacted earlier, but she was safe. Looking around, she reminded herself of the layers of security both inside and out of the palace. She was safe. Perfectly safe!

Even if her sister's message held an ominous accuracy — Kaia was always right, though Tara could never fathom how Kaia unearthed the schemes of those malicious individuals — the gravity of the situation loomed. The idea that he could not find her here, despite Kaia's purported insight, injected a surge of tension into the air. Tara grappled with the dual weight of her sister's warning and the realization that, perhaps this time, even Kaia's foresight might not be enough to shield her from the impending threat that inched closer, threatening to shatter the fragile semblance of safety Tara had sought to carve out for herself.

The awareness of her own posture struck like a cruel revelation — the submissive pose, the bowed head, a grotesque echo of her past training. A jolt of panic surged through her veins, propelling her abruptly to her feet as if the chair itself had scorched her. The rapid retreat was a desperate attempt to distance herself from the haunting remnants of her past self. She fervently hoped that Zayed, the observer of her involuntary regression, remained oblivious to that stark display of vulnerability. In the silent aftermath, the room held the lingering tension of a suppressed history threatening to unravel.

He had witnessed her hurried exit from the meeting just moments ago. Moreover, he'd seen her huddled in a broom closet. "Good grief!" she whispered, a self-directed exclamation filled with frustration. Closing her eyes in an attempt to gather composure, Tara began pacing, seething with anger for two distinct reasons. First, she had succumbed to fear at the mere hint of her tormentor finding her. Second, she had bared her vulnerabilities to her boss, an uncharacteristic lapse that fueled her fury even further. The weight of embarrassment and self-reproach hung heavily in the air as Tara grappled with the repercussions of her actions.

Zayed was big and strong and never cowered! There wasn’t a gosh-darn thing that scared him!

No, that wasn’t right. He hated spiders. Tara smiled as she remembered the man leaping out of his chair one day while in the middle of giving her instructions. When she’d walked around to the other side of the desk, thinking to find a woman hiding under there, she found, instead, a tiny spider crawling on the floor.

That moment had been her big show of bravery. The one and only time she’d been brave, she thought miserably. Point of fact, Zayed had run away from a tiny spider only that one moment in his life. She’d been running from her monsters for years.

Correction, she’d been cowering, terrified of her monsters her whole life!

The door to Zayed’s office opened and Tara’s head swiveled. She never denied herself that moment of pleasure. Watching Zayed step into a room was truly a magnificent sight! His strength and confidence were a palpable force. Plus, the man was gorgeous! She even liked the tiny bump on his nose, a telltale sign that someone had broken his nose at some point.

She’d like to know that story. No, that wasn’t true. Tara wanted to find out who had broken her… the …man’s nose, and hurt them in return for wounding someone as wonderful as Zayed.

The man in question stopped midstride and looked at her. His sudden lack of movement confused her. Tara was used to him barreling through every moment of his day. The man worked long hours, often seven days a week. He worked eighteen to twenty hours and never had a full day off. Of course, she worked right alongside him and reveled in every moment. He made her feel alive! The work and his presence motivated her more than anything else. Plus, she felt as if she sparkled with every new accomplishment.

“Have you had your fill yet?” his deep voice asked.

Tara was stunned for a moment, not sure what he meant. Then she jumped in surprise, her startled eyes lifting to look into his darker gaze.

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness,” she gasped, bowing her head as she’d seen the servants do when they’d addressed him. She’d never gone all submissive on him like this before. But then, she’d never made such an egregious mistake like ogling the man before.

His soft, husky laughter soothed her in an odd way. He proceeded to his desk, then did a little shake of his head, almost as if he’d changed his mind. And even that was an odd reaction. Sheik Zayed el Mastrion was a perpetually decisive man! He was able to absorb massive amounts of information, evaluate everything, and issue instructions immediately.

His decision making abilities had fascinated Tara from the moment she’d started working for him.

“Come sit with me, Tara,” he commanded, his voice soft, but that bite of authority was there.

She almost rebelled against that tone, but then she remembered how kind and generous he was. So instead of snapping at him, or taking a swing at him, she moved jerkily towards the sofa and chairs. He patted the leather cushion next to him, but she chose one of the leather chairs, perching primly on the edge. Then she opened her notebook, slipped the pen out of its leather loop, and looked at him, waiting for instructions.

Immediately, he shook his head. “This isn’t about work, Tara. And you know it.” He shifted, leaning forward with his elbows propped on his knees, his long, lean fingers dangling between them. “I want you to explain that message you received during the council meeting and why it scared you so badly.”

Darn it. She lifted her eyebrows questioningly. “The message?” she queried. "Fake it," she reminded herself silently. She and Kaia had mastered the art of feigning innocence, confusion, contriteness—whatever emotion the situation demanded for a swift escape. Since their escape, the sisters had become adept at wearing masks, skillfully diverting unwanted questions and shielding the secrets they preferred to keep buried.

“I don’t know why someone would deliver hamburgers to me.”

His lips pressed together for a moment and Tara suspected that he was trying not to laugh.

Tara shifted on her chair, her pen poised over her notebook. “I imagine the message was meant for someone else. Nothing to be concerned about.”

“Except for the fact that, whatever that message meant, the coded warning sent you into a closet, Tara,” he argued. “Which begs the question, why are you hiding your fear from me?” He leaned closer. “You know that I’ll protect you from whatever might harm you, right? You know that I will never let anyone hurt you.”

She smiled, warmed by his words as well as the kindness he always showed her. Not many people got to see this side of Zayed. He had to be strong and fearless in front of his people and his advisors. The political machinations within the palace were constantly shifting and changing. Zayed rose above the manipulations, letting some plots move forward while squashing others if they didn’t serve his purposes.

It was yet another nuance of the man that she…respected. Tara needed to stop thinking about her feelings for him. They were pointless and could put him in danger if…well, that wouldn’t happen! It couldn’t!

“Your Highness, I am here to serve you . It is my duty to protect you as much as possible.” She tapped her pen against her notebook. “Not the other way around.”

“I beg to differ, Tara. You are…,” he paused, searching for a word.

Tara filled in the silence for him. “I’m an employee.”

He tilted his head slightly. “Do you really think that’s all you are to me?”

She shrugged and looked down, praying that her longing wouldn’t show in her eyes. Longing for this man, for who he was behind the world leader facade. She longed for the strength and the gentleness he rarely allowed anyone to see. Zayed adeptly hid that aspect of his personality, but she felt privileged to have seen it. She knew it was there, influencing his decisions.

“I’m merely your personal assistant, Your Highness. That’s all.”

“You think so?” he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s not all you are to me, Tara. And you’re going to understand that very soon.” He stood up and walked over to his desk, Tara following, her pen at the ready. He spouted off a list of instructions and she wrote them all down, adding her own notes on the side. Then he finished, “And I’ll need you to take notes over dinner tonight as well.”

She added that to her growing list as well. “Who will be at dinner tonight?” she asked, mentally reviewing his calendar. There wasn’t an official dinner tonight, but that often changed during his meetings. Sometimes, he’d issue instructions to one of his directors, then invite them to dinner so that they could discuss the situation further.

“You,” was all he said. “What’s next on my agenda?”

Tara was startled for a moment, but quickly looked down at the day’s schedule she kept pinned to her notebook. “You are speaking with the finance minister in,” she glanced at the time, “three minutes to go over last quarter’s employment numbers. After that, Ambassador Chillan asked for time with you.”

“That’s fine.” He moved towards the door, heading to the conference room. “What are we having for dinner?”

Tara was stumped. He’d never asked that question before. “I don’t know, Your Highness, but I’ll find out at once. I’ll let you know by the end of your finance meeting.”

He nodded his approval, stopping with his hand on the knob to the conference room. “What’s your favorite meal?”

Tara stopped, her mouth falling open. “My…?” she halted, shaking her head to try and dislodge her confusion. “I don’t think I have one.”

He stared at her for a moment and Tara could tell he knew she was lying.

Zayed’s grin sent her heart racing all over again.

“I’m going to find out, eazizi ,” he told her, leaning in so she could smell the spicy scent of his cologne as well as the scent that was his alone. There was something intriguing about the way Zayed smelled. It was almost…no, there were no words. He just smelled…unique. And enticing.

“You’re going to find out what?” she asked, breathless as she tried to concentrate. When he was close like this, it was difficult. Then his meaning hit her and panic reared its nasty head again. “Find out” he’d said…about…the message? The coded message on her phone? He couldn’t know! Impossible! That code was completely random, known only by her and one other person!

“What your favorite meal is,” he replied, then winked at her before stepping into the meeting.

It took Tara a few moments of stunned surprise before she followed him in and settled in a chair along the wall. There were several people in the room and the meeting would be recorded, but Tara attended most of his meetings to take notes on issues Zayed, or Tara, needed to follow up on.

Normally, she was attentive in these meetings, knowledgeable on every issue because she read all of the contracts and reports before they reached Zayed’s desk. She’d taught herself how to speed read and take shorthand notes. She’d taught herself to type over one hundred words a minute. She’d read up on all of the latest technology so that she could apply various apps to do her job better, faster, and more accurately.

But in this moment, she was too stunned by his words, by the possibility that he might care about her preferences, to take notes.

He must have realized that she was confused because he lifted a hand. “Just a moment ladies and gentlemen. Tara needs a moment.”

She jerked her head upwards and glared at him. The dratted man only chuckled, then turned back to the table. “Okay, she’s ready. Proceed.”

Tara wasn’t “ready”, she mentally grumbled, but she started scratching on her notebook. The notes she’d written had nothing to do with the conversation and everything to do with coming up with retribution for that embarrassing moment.

That only lasted for perhaps one, maybe two minutes, before she brought her concentration back to the discussion. And darn it, he knew the exact moment that she’d re-focused. The man turned and winked at her! How…rude! How inappropriate!

Three hours later, Tara fought to hide her exhaustion. It had been another chaotic day with everyone wanting “just five minutes” of Zayed’s time. It was her job to determine who truly needed time with him, and who needed to speak with someone else. Thankfully, he went into a security briefing around five o’clock, giving her a breather. She took that time to transcribe her notes and code them into a database that she’d built. Later, once he was finished for the night, Tara would go back and read through tomorrow’s schedule and pull up any appropriate notes from past meetings that might be relevant.

Her stomach growled and she realized that she’d skipped lunch, but that wasn’t unusual. It was always a rush around the lunch hour. But knowing that Zayed would be in his security meeting for at least another hour, she considered heading down to the staff cafeteria to grab something to eat.

But before she could do that, she remembered the message. She needed to reply! Good grief, she closed her eyes, trying to remember the reply code. Slipping into Zayed’s office, she retrieved her cell phone and flipped it open.

“ Cereal for dinner tonight. ”

With a sigh of relief, she tucked the phone back into its secret pocket and straightened up. But after that message, she wasn’t hungry. In fact, her stomach twisted uneasily. So instead of grabbing a quick bite, she returned to her computer and started working again.