But now that he knew the source of her agitation and aversion, he had the perfect solution in mind.
Feeling secure next morning would break the cycle of her daily withdrawal, he snuggled with her and closed his eyes, contentment blanketing him.
“You can’t mean that!”
Fareed watched Gwen bolt up in bed, sighed. “Here we go again.”
Gwen groaned. “Don’t you start again, you know what I mean. But you still can’t mean that!”
He stroked the gleaming tresses that rained over the peaked perfection of her breasts. “I can and I do.”
She moaned as she caught his hands. “Don’t, Fareed. This is out of the question.”
“No, it’s not. You’re ideal, to say the least.”
Exasperation rose in her eyes again. “You’re just saying that because…”
And he turned serious. “Because I’m lucky beyond measure that the woman who blinds me with lust also arouses my utmost professional respect and satisfies my most demanding scientific standards.”
She gaped at him, then groaned, “Don’t exaggerate, please.”
He sighed again. “Do credit me with some professional integrity, ya roh galbi.”
“Don’t tell me you can’t find anyone better to be the head of R & D in your new multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical department. A job that seems to have just become available now.”
He shrugged. “It’s been available for a while and no one satisfied all my criteria. You do. Your narrow field of expertise, your body of work and future research plans, all which made me attend your presentation those years ago, fit the closest with my own practice’s best interests, and the center’s overall focus.” He ran a finger down her neck, between her breasts and lower. “What would you have me do? Look for someone less well-suited because you happen to be my specific libido trigger, too?”
She fidgeted in response to his words and touch. “Many would consider that a conflict of interest.”
“I’d consider it a conflagration of interest. Beside this…” He caught her against his chest, groaned his delight as her lush breasts flattened against him, as her breath caught and her body heated again. “I’d get the most innovative and intrepid researcher in the field I’m interested in, while you fulfill your professional aspirations. Think what you can achieve, for your own career, for me and the center, for the world, with all the resources I’ll put at your fingertips.”
She still shook her head. “I—I can’t stay here, Fareed.”
He chalked one point up to his cause. She was no longer contesting the position itself, was down to the next worry.
“I know some aspects of the kingdom and culture are alien to you, maybe even disturbing. But many aspects delight you, too, and you’ve assimilated into much of your surroundings. And then I will never let anything negative affect you, or Ryan or Rose, in any way.”
She bit her lip. He restrained his desire to replace them with his—he had to let her air her doubts so he could pulverize them.
She finally exhaled. “Nothing is really negative as much as it’s different. But you and your family… I just can’t get my head around how much power you wield here.”
He’d been right. She was disturbed by the extent of his and his family’s influence. She had seen the evidence of their almost absolute power in every aspect of life in the kingdom. “No one, including me and my family, will ever wield any power over you. You’ll always be free to make your own decisions, personally and professionally.”
“As evidenced by how I ended up doing everything you unilaterally thought was the only thing to be done?”
He cocked one eyebrow at her. “You’re saying I coerced you?”
“I’m saying free will and you are mutually exclusive.”
“I had to take charge of Ryan’s care. Then I had to make you act on our shared desire. But if I ever feel that being with me is no longer your priority or good for Ryan, if you ever have a better offer professionally, I won’t try to make you stay. This I promise you. On my honor.”
She looked as if she’d burst into tears.
Before he rushed to add something, anything, she choked out, “Oh, God, Fareed…you’re being so unfair. You’re…deluging me with so much. But I have to say no. I never dreamed it would go this far, but if you’re too blinded to care about your best interest, and ours, to end it now, I have to do it.”
He wanted to kick himself. He hadn’t considered those reasons for her reticence. That she believed he was compromising himself, and her, for something that would end. She was calculating the damages, to him, to her and Ryan, after such a finite, even if prolonged and powerful, interlude ended.
But he couldn’t make it clear he had no intention of ending this. Before he discussed permanence, he had to first resolve all her issues, about her and Ryan’s future here, give her more than offers and promises, show her how it would work in practice.
His cell phone rang. He ignored it, began, “Gwen, galbi…”
She grabbed his forearm. “Won’t you answer?”
“No.” He glared his annoyance at the phone on the dresser, tugged her nearer. “Now, Gwen…”
Her grip tightened. “That’s Emad’s ringtone.”
He shrugged. “He’ll call later. Gwen…”
“But he’s not hanging up,” she persisted. “It might be Ryan or Rose and my own phone is dead or something.”
She scrambled to get out of bed, and he stopped her, resigned that the moment was ruined.
“I’ll answer him.” He jumped out of bed, reveling in her hungry eyes on his aroused nakedness, despite her alarm. “And it’s not about Ryan or Rose, I’m sure, so you stay right there. I’m coming back as soon as I blast Emad to the farthest kingdom in the region.”
He felt steam rising from his skin as he snatched up the phone and put it to his ear.
Emad preempted his frustration. “I need to speak to you.”
“You couldn’t have picked a worse time,” he hissed.
Emad’s exhalation was weary. “That’s true, if not for the reason you mean. I am waiting downstairs in your office.”
“I’ll come down in an hour. Maybe two.”
“No, Somow’wak.” Emad sounded like never before. Blunt, brooking no arguments. “You’ll come down now.”