Page 28 of Out of Office Nights
The pencil was plucked from her fingers and tossed onto the table. Only then did she notice the cramp in her hand, the bites of discomfort in her back, hip joints and neck.
Redirecting her gaze, she winced as a spasm twitched in her shoulder. That earned her a raised brow.
‘It’s been four hours. It’s time for lunch.’
Her gaze darted to the window. The shadows cast by light through the windows had shifted significantly.
The scent of food then caught her attention. ‘You ordered food?’
‘If Farah’s influence is reaping results for you, I’m not going to hold back from it. My security picked up our order ten minutes ago. Time to eat,’ he insisted, his gaze raking her face for several seconds before shifting to the sketches.
Sabeen held her breath, her senses jumping as she waited for his verdict. He withheld it. Turning, he went over to the wicker basket covered with a folded chequered tablecloth, picked it up and headed for the small, walled courtyard outside the living room.
Throttling her disquiet, she followed, her surprise increasing when she saw the set table, complete with a small carafe of wine. He’d done all this while she’d been lost in her work.
It’s merely for expediency.
She stressed that to herself repeatedly as he pulled out a chair, saw her seated before taking his own and dished out another lavish meal.
Sabeen couldn’t fault the food, her appetite voracious as she ate.
But her gaze repeatedly strayed from Teo to the sketches she could see from where she sat.
Eventually, her frustration outed in a pent-up breath. ‘Are you going to keep me in suspense?’
Like last night, he took his time to answer, sipping his coffee. ‘Did you not agree on delayed gratification being a good thing?’
‘No. I didn’t,’ she said through clenched teeth. ‘Do you get off on riling me up?’ she blurted before she thought better of it.
‘Get off? Not entirely. But it makes a difference from that tiresome cloak of equanimity.’
So you like your women spirited?
She thanked heaven the question remained locked tight inside her. Why did she care how Teo liked his women?
‘Soorder through chaosis your mantra? Or are you more of the pressure-makes-diamonds school of thought?’
His eyes glinted. ‘Tell me what you’re feeling right now.’
She suspected he wanted another unbalanced admission. She wanted to scream because right in this moment, he held all the answers.
‘Like I have more to uncover.’ The state of panic and inadequacy had lessened but not dissipated. And her heart jumped at the thought of reclaiming her sketch-pad.
‘Deeper?’ he prompted.
Her heart flipped. For some absurd reason, her gaze dropped to his mouth. It wasn’t twisting with sardonicism. Or twitching with cruel mockery. It would always be intensely sensual, and she admitted she couldn’t look at it without remembering that torrid kiss.
But right now it was lightly pursed. Contemplative.Expectant.
‘Yes.’
‘Muy bien,’ he said then pushed a mouth-watering plate of honey-drizzled almond tarts towards her. ‘First, finish your dessert.’
Just to stop herself from growling her frustration at him and because they were simply divine, Sabeen ate the dessert.
‘Two? Are you kidding me?’
Fury sizzled over her skin. Consternation too.
