Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 49415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Goddammit, H.
What in the world have you gotten yourself into?
Five
Some things were easier said than done, and unfortunately for Hyacinth, making Rayyan Al-Atassi fall in love with her was exactly one of those things.
The sheikh looked up as soon as she entered his office. “You’re here, good. Let’s go.”
She waited for him to notice the change in her. She had curled the ends of her hair, and she had spent a good deal of money buying the fashion-forward abaya she was wearing. The very least he could do was say she looked nice, she thought crossly.
But no, of course not, that wasn’t going to happen, and before long they were already out of the department office, and Hyacinth was doing her best to keep pace with the sheikh’s powerful, long-legged stride.
What were you expecting, H?
That he’d take one look at you and realize what he’s been missing all this time?
The thought had her stomping her feet a little louder than usual, causing the sheikh to glance at her with a frown. “Everything alright?”
She bared her teeth in a smile. “Perfectly fine, alshaykh.”
But in reality, it was not fine at all.
It had been two months since she started working for the sheikh. Two months! And yet, despite seeing each other almost every day, nothing at all had changed between them. Her heart still skipped a beat at the damnably beautiful sight of him, while the sheikh –
Rayyan opened the car door for her when they reached the limousine parked by the palace steps. “In you go.”
“I’m not a child,” she muttered even as she did as asked and in she went, just like a good little girl.
“Nem, nem.” Yes, yes. The sheikh’s tone was full of good humor. “I keep forgetting you’re the grand old age of – what is it again?” he teased. “Seventeen?”
She started to stick her tongue out but thought better of it.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Despite the expressionless look on the sheikh’s gorgeous face, his eyes were blatantly laughing at her, and Hyacinth wanted to groan out loud.
What the hell, H?
She used to be the girl who always had it together, but ever since Rayyan Al-Atassi entered the picture, she had become like everyone else.
Crazy about one boy, Hyacinth thought gloomily, and unable to think of anything else.
“Come now,” the sheikh cajoled. “Don’t be mad.”
“Then fall in love with me NOW.”
Rayyan’s lips twitched. “You still haven’t given up on that?”
“Will I still be working for you if I had?” she retorted.
“And here I thought it was because you had fallen in love with me.”
A litany of curses rained down on him at the words, and Rayyan was no longer able to hide back a smile.
Life these days, he thought complacently, was incredibly good.
“Do you know you’re much cuter when you’re mad?”
Hyacinth groaned. “You’re such a flirt.”
“I’ve never said that to any other woman.” It was the truth.
“Yeah right.”
And the only reason why he was admitting to such a thing was because he knew Hyacinth would never believe him.
“Hyacinth...” The sheikh tried to ruffle Hyacinth’s hair and had his hand immediately slapped away.
“Stop it,” Hyacinth hissed. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not a kid, okay?”
But the sheikh only grinned in response and made another attempt to ruffle her hair.
Seated in front of the couple, Gadi and the sheikh’s long-term chauffeur, Salah, exchanged knowing looks as their normally aloof and terribly self-contained employer went on to display a rather impressive ability in riling the girl’s temper.
It was a completely immature thing to do really, and yet the two men had never seen the sheikh having so much fun. Looking at Salah, Gadi mouthed a question, asking, ‘Don’t you think the sheikh’s smiles are different whenever he’s with her?’
The older man nodded. I think so, too. However... He drew an imaginary horizontal line over his throat. You’d be an idiot if you ever voice such thoughts out loud to the sheikh.
Gadi gulped. Understood. Salah was right. Some things were better left unspoken.
Upon arriving at their destination, Rayyan stepped out first before offering his hand to Hyacinth, who then pretended not to see it as she followed him out of the limousine.
And when she was standing right next to him, the triumphant look she shot him seemed to say, See? I’m not a little girl anymore!
Rayyan let out a polite cough.
Hyacinth’s gaze turned suspicious. Maybe she was being paranoid, but it seemed like the sheikh was laughing at her.
But if he were, she thought grumpily, it was nothing new.
“Yam Jamil, alshaykh.” A beautiful day, sheikh.
The bank president’s formal greeting seemed to flick an internal switch in the two, and when the sheikh and Hyacinth turned to face the other party, it was as if the fun and flirtatious exchange that Gadi had witnessed in the limousine was nothing but an illusion.