She had to run, to get out of here before he spoke. She didn’t want to hear his voice, didn’t want to be controlled by this man again. She looked right and left, her eyes latching onto the exit door on the side wall, then back to him. And that was her mistake. The man stood there staring at her, daring her to leave. How had he known what she was thinking? How could he read her mind and her actions so clearly?
The shivering increased and she leaned back against the chair, wanting to hide behind the person next to her. Wanting a break from those eyes and that look that told her he could read her thoughts.
And then he started speaking.
Her whole body immediately began trembling. And that horrible man smiled when he caught her eyes again, as if he knew exactly what kind of an impact he had on her.
That voice! The deep, baritone voice spoke with an accent that sent additional thrills throughout her body. How was this possible? Men simply didn’t affect her in this way. She’d been around handsome men in college, and there were several teachers in her school who were physically attractive. But none of them compared to this man. None of them warranted even a second look, unlike this man whom she couldn’t look away from.
He wasn’t exactly like a male model, but more of…a lion, she thought, startled. Yes, this man reminded her of a lion: stalking his prey, watching, waiting, closing in. He never relented. As he spoke, he showered her body with sensuous shivers, alerted her mind to his masculinity and left her trembling. Even while he answered the other reporters’ questions, he would glance over at her as if to tell her that he was still in charge, that she needed to stay in her seat.
Suddenly, he stopped and signaled to someone to his right. His aide stepped forward and the sheik-guy whispered something in the aide’s ear who immediately nodded, then disappeared.
With that small action, Nikki resented the sheik guy instantly. He acted like the whole world was here to do his bidding. And perhaps he was used to people bowing and scraping, but she wasn’t like the others with whom he surrounded himself. She didn’t like to be controlled. She did the controlling. She went her own way, traveled her own path in life, and woe be to anyone who tried to stop her.
She stuffed all this shivering and nervousness away, determined to turn the tables on this man. Standing up at his next pause, she asked, “How do you think the markets are going to react to your latest project?” pretending like her knees weren’t wobbling. She watched him carefully, saw his eyes narrow and knew she’d scored a point. Unfortunately, she wasn’t completely sure what that point meant. But it was there in his eyes, and she reveled in her power. Would he discuss his latest market manipulations? She knew she hadn’t phrased the question well enough, which irritated her further. Her whole life was words and teaching people the power of words. But here she stood, fumbling for the words that would pierce his confidence and would somehow give her back control.
The odd, mincing man who had spoken first stepped forward. “Can you state your name for the record, please?” he asserted.
The sheik-guy put a hand on the shorter man’s shoulder, as if silently letting him know that he could handle this latest question.
When the aide stepped back, those dark eyes once again pierced through her bravado. Nikki and her stomach clenched, her trembling increased and she had trouble taking a deep breath.
“Markets are not in my control, although we work hard to make the markets work for us, within the confines of the law, of course.” All the other reporters laughed and some looked at her curiously. “I appreciate your question though.” With that, he once again turned and faced the rest of the crowd, taking a question from another reporter.
Nikki sat down in her chair, feeling like a fool but still not willing to relinquish the subject. She’d seen something in his eyes! It wasn’t just an issue with the light – there had definitely been something there.
Was this man involved in Brianna’s disappearance? Had he done something to her friend? Perhaps that’s why her senses were spinning out of control…maybe her gut was telling her that this man was at the bottom of everything.
Darn it, she wished she could talk to Rachel! Rachel was the voice of reason; she could get Nikki to approach this more rationally. But even as she thought this, the press conference was ending. The reporters around her stood up and rushed the platform, eager to try and get one more question answered. But the dark man ignored all of them. He bent down to whisper something else in his aide’s ear – Nikki felt deep down inside of her that he was talking about her. And then he disappeared.
As soon as he was gone, the air particles settled down. The electric current that had stimulated her senses so dramatically slowed and she felt an almost crazy sense of let-down.
Nikki glared at the now-empty platform, her mind reeling with all the horrible things that might be happening to her friend. Brianna was too kind and gentle and she trusted everyone. If she’d come across something that this man was doing wrong….
“Excuse me,” someone said from behind her.
Nikki swung around, her mind already in fight mode. But when she realized it was just a kind-looking gentleman, she relaxed her shoulders and forced her lips to form a smile. “Can I help you?” she asked.
The man bowed slightly. “His Highness requested a private interview with you,” he explained.
Nikki stared at him, not sure what he was saying. “Who in the world is “His Highness”?” she asked, blinking as if the man were slightly insane.
The look Nikki received in return was almost humorous. The stranger’s eyes widened and his mouth just about fell open. He gestured oddly behind him in the general direction of the platform. “His Highness,” he repeated as if the words themselves should explain everything.
Nikki glanced back to where he was gesturing, trying to connect the dots in the odd, if short, conversation. “You mean….” She gestured, not exactly sure how to address the sheik. She didn’t think “jerk” or “arrogant man” would go over very well with someone who looked like little more than a servant.
The man in front of her nodded weakly and Nikki suppressed a shiver. “Why does he want to talk to me?” she asked nervously, feeling her stomach quake at the possibility. And more importantly, she mentally chided herself, why was she standing here chatting about the issue? This was her opportunity to confront him, see if he would reveal anything else. But the aide simply stood there, staring at her blankly as if to indicate that no one questioned “His Highness’” motives.