DESIGNED FOR HIS PLEASURE

Chapter 8

She was still a guest in Tariq's palace. And she loved it there. It had all the amenities she needed for business purposes, excellent high speed internet access, as well as access to state of the art architectural facilities at her disposal, efficient and courteous staff. Tariq had placed four administrative and secretarial staff at her disposal.

It was early evening and Sidney decided to walk along the shore, like she did every evening. The vast palace grounds itself was a hiker's paradise. A long winding sand road led up to a cliff that provided access to the beach. She spent an hour or two every evening just mentally offloading, soaking in the scenic surroundings. She was not emotionally offloading.

She had felt a knife twist in her heart when she was scanning a London newspaper, while enjoying breakfast two days ago and saw a picture of Chase with a gorgeous model who was a household name back home.

So he'd moved on.

It was three months since they'd split up. And every night she still went to bed longing to be in his arms, dreaming of him making love to her. The one night, her dream had been so vivid, as if their naked bodies were entwined together and she had heard herself call his name. She got up only to find herself in a cold bed, alone. It was easy for men to move on. They loved with their bodies, not with their hearts, and as long as there was another warm body to love, nothing was lost to the pleasure  of a man.

Sidney burst into Tariq's office ignoring Amir's attempt to stop her.

'How dare you be so beguiling?' she yelled at him ignoring the man seated opposite Tariq, whom she knew to be the Minister of Finance.

'Sidney,' Tariq spoke calmly.

Not Habibti this time.

'Withholding information is tantamount to dishonesty,' she screamed at him, waving the contract in front of him.

'Perhaps we can reschedule our budget meeting,' Tariq dismissed his minister. It was more an instruction, as the minister scrambled his documents together and scurried out.

'Habibti, we can have a rational conversation eh__'

'Don't you call me that!' she pointed her finger at him accusingly. 'I cannot believe you are involved in such shrewd, unethical, low handed tactics Tariq.'

'Be careful Habibti, you have just insulted my honour. People pay with their lives for such insolence,' he warned her.

'Oh yes. Where is my manners' She tapped her forehead for effect. 'How stupid of me not to remember where I am. An insignificant female like me dare not rant and rave before His Majesty__.'

His shook her shoulders in an effort to get her to shut up.

'We will talk. I will not be insulted.'

He dumped her unceremoniously on the settee and sat next to her.

'Now Habibti, I take it your attack on my character is due to your awareness that our beloved friend is the major investor in your project,' he smiled awkwardly.

"Beloved friend," she stood up, 'Speak for yourself Tariq, and might I add, your unwavering loyalty is highly appreciated.' 

He winced uncomfortably, feeling helplessly caught between her and his esteemed  friend.

'How could you not have informed me that Chase will be my bloody client? You know I wanted Chase to have nothing to do with this project,' she reminded him.

'Habibti, you said, "you don't want him to be the developer."

'Semantics Tariq!' She screamed. 'Don't hide behind semantics. No wonder he gave me carte blanche to choose the developer.'