She teased and delighted without even trying. When he’d first walked into the suite, it had been all he could do not to pull her into his arms and start kissing her. He adored her for caring enough to want to do this for him, and he was determined to respond exactly the way she wanted him to.
“You’re not listening,” she complained and pouted. The lipstick made her mouth look full and lush.
“Of course I am. You were talking about the power behind the power,” he said.
“Lucky guess.”
It wasn’t at all. Not only had he heard her, but he’d read that exact article last week, along with the rest of the magazine, then had left the periodical in the suite living room. Obviously Heidi had picked it up and read it as well. Was she trying to impress him with her business acumen? He would much rather talk about something more personal.
“How do you like El Bahar?” he asked.
“It’s lovely. I haven’t had a chance to see all that I would like, but it’s very beautiful. The contrast of the sea and the desert, not to mention the combination of old and new in the city. I especially like the financial district and how elegant yet functional that area turned out to be.”
She made her last statement while staring at him from under her lashes. He nearly laughed. As Honey, she was simply being a tourist. As Heidi, she knew very well he’d had a large hand in the development of El Bahar as a financial power in the Middle East and the world.
“I’m glad you’re impressed,” he said. “Do you travel much?”
“Oh, not too much,” she said without thinking. “I’ve been pretty busy with…” Her voice trailed off, as if she remembered who she was supposed to be. “That is to say I do travel a lot. I adore being in different places at different times of the year. Paris, London, Los Angeles.” She offered a quick smile, then dived for her glass of soda and clutched it as if it were a lifeline.
Jamal nodded. “I see. Your family must miss you when you’re gone.”
“Some,” she agreed. “But my brothers are home.”
“Are they married?”
She swallowed. “Do you really want to talk about my family?” she asked, her voice low and sultry. She often forgot she was supposed to keep it that way, so the tone varied from seductive to normal and back. “Wouldn’t you rather talk about…us?”
“There’s an us?” he asked before he could stop himself.
She sat on the sofa across from his. Now she set her drink back on the table and shifted forward until her knees were pressed against the glass coffee table. “Wouldn’t you like there to be?”
“Actually I would,” he said sincerely. “Although I think we need to get to know each other a little better first. Perhaps if you told me about the kind of man you prefer.”
She blinked several times. “Kind of man?”
“Yes. Do you have a physical preference? Height, coloring, that sort of thing?” He stretched out his arms along the back of the sofa. “Tell me, Honey, what do you look for in a lover?”
“What do I look for?” She bit her lower lip, then slipped back on the sofa and folded her arms over her chest. “Gee, I don’t think there’s any one thing that matters more than another. Someone nice, of course.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Nice?”
“Is that bad?”
“I don’t know. They’re your lovers.”
“Okay. Nice and well—” She made a vague gesture with her hand. “You know.”
“Actually, I don’t.” He paused. “Maybe the question is too general. Why don’t you tell me about your last lover. Or do you have one now?”
“No, I’m really sorta between men,” she said, her voice a little strained.
Jamal didn’t want to push her too far, but he couldn’t help teasing her. Besides, he wouldn’t mind knowing what she liked in a man.
“Good,” he said meaningfully. “I’m very pleased you’re unattached.”
“Oh, yeah, me, too,” she muttered, then sighed. “Okay, my last lover. He was Italian. His name is Jacque.”
“Jacque? Isn’t that French?”
“Yes.” She paused. “Did I say he was Italian?”
He nodded.
“Oh. I mean, good. I meant that. His mother is French, though, and he’s named after her side of the family. An uncle, I believe.”
“Where did you meet?”
She paused again. “Skiing. Jacque is a ski instructor.” She shrugged. “It was one of those vacation flings.”
“Ah, Gstaad?”
“Who?”
“The skiing town. Did you meet in Gstaad?”
“Oh, sure.Where else?”
She bounced to her feet and motioned to the bottle of wine sitting in an ice bucket by the set table. “Room service sure is slow,” she said brightly. “Should I open the wine, or maybe call them and see what’s taking so long?”
This time Jamal didn’t hide his smile. “They’re not taking too long. I asked them to delay serving us our lunch so that we could have a chance to…talk.”
“Ah. I see.” She blinked again. “So your family can drink liquor, huh? That’s nice.”
He nodded. “El Bahar is a country of many faiths, and all of those religions are respected.”
“Great.”