Unexpectedly Expecting the Sheik's Baby - Elizabeth Lennox Page 0,5
her fingers tightly together.
He cocked an eyebrow as he accepted two filled plates from his assistant. “You are divorced?” he asked, handing her a china plate filled with the kinds of foods one would expect in a gourmet, high end restaurant. She’d definitely never participated in a meeting where food of this quality was served. Cassy wished she had the strength to turn down the offering, thinking it would be more appropriate if she got her own. But she hadn’t eaten breakfast this morning since she’d been running late so she took the plate, feeling silly since her hands were still shaking.
It wasn’t because of this man’s nearness, she told herself. She was simply intimidated by the power surrounding her. She hadn’t understood at the beginning of the meeting, but now that she’d been listening in for several hours, she grasped that these three men were sheiks, rulers of their countries, and were setting the stage for tricky trade deals between their three countries.
She appreciated the historic nature of these talks and was awed by the scope, amazed that the three leaders seemed to be truly eager to forge a deal and thrilled to be a part of such an historic moment.
Regardless, her excitement at being a part of this conversation didn’t diminish her sense of danger when this man looked at her. There was just…just something about him. Something she didn’t understand, something that tugged at her senses even as her instincts screamed to keep him at a distance.
As she looked up at him, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to control this man like she controlled the men she’d dated in the past. She would be vulnerable to him in ways she didn’t completely understand.
Cassy nervously accepted the offered plate, looking down at the food as her stomach warned her that it wouldn’t be patient. “No. I go by Ms. and not Miss.”
He shifted, almost as if he was trying to isolate them from the others in the conference room. Cassy looked around, but the man was so tall and his shoulders so broad, she couldn’t really see around him without being obvious.
“I don’t understand. I thought the appropriate greeting was ‘Miss’ for unmarried women, ‘Mrs.’ for married, and ‘Ms.’ for those who are divorced. Am I incorrect?”
Cassy flushed and looked down again. “In a few industries, that is still correct, but women in the corporate world have taken over the ‘Ms.’ and use it interchangeably. Our marital status should not be brought up in the workplace. It isn’t relevant to anyone but ourselves.”
Was that amusement she saw in his eyes? She bristled slightly, thinking that the man was humoring her. She didn’t like that, especially when discussing such an important issue that provided a necessary, psychological equalizer.
“Ah, but a woman should be proud of her marital state,” he countered, putting a hand to her elbow to lead her towards the opposite end of the table, where they could eat in relative privacy.
Cassy shook her head, and sank into the leather chair gratefully because she wasn’t sure how much longer her legs would hold her up. Not with him so close and with that warm hand on her arm.
She tried to scoot her chair further away, but he followed so that their legs remained perilously close together. If she shifted in any way, she was in danger of her knee touching his thigh. She couldn’t allow that!
Shifting her focus away from the proximity of their legs and back to his dark, too-knowing eyes, she realized that he was fully aware of her maneuvering. Instead of telling him off, and possibly getting herself fired for that telling-off, she focused instead on his question.
“I disagree. A woman should be proud of how she contributes to the world and her community,” she argued. “Her marital status is a private matter between herself and her husband. It isn’t anyone else’s business.”
Nasir was having a great deal of fun. He could see the anger in her eyes and enjoyed the sparkle. Her cheeks were pink with her fire as well. He actually had three women in his cabinet and they were a strong part of his group of advisors. Those women worked hard to promote gender equality in his country, although he was the first to acknowledge that there was still a long way to go. Which could also be said of her country, but admitting that wouldn’t be nearly as fun.