Against the Sun

Rina laughed. “Fun, though.”

Jake almost smiled. He was beginning to like the saucy little redhead. And she seemed like a good friend to Sage. There was no heat in the flirty looks she cast his way. It was just to tease her friend.

They reached the restaurant and Linc drove theEscalade up in front. Jake helped the women out, then escorted them both inside the brick building.

Gravitas was hip and modern, the food upscale and interesting. The maître d’ approached Sage smiling, a short guy in his thirties with brown hair thinning on top.

“We have your table ready, Ms. Dumont.”

“Thank you, Ned.”

He flicked a glance at Jake. “Will there be three in your party?”

“No,” Jake answered.

The man seated the ladies, then returned. “One for lunch, sir?”

“I’m Ms. Dumont’s personal security. I need to make a sweep of the restaurant, make sure it’s safe. Then seat me someplace where I can watch her table, and bring me a sandwich—it doesn’t matter what kind.”

“Of course, sir. Over the weekend, I read something in the newspaper about the protests at Marine Drilling. I hope there isn’t any trouble.”

“Just a lot of noise so far. Let’s hope it stays that way.”

But Jake didn’t like the different factions milling around together. It was like putting them in a pressure cooker and turning up the heat.

The maître d’ seated him at a discrete table not too close to Sage. She deserved some privacy. And since she wasn’t having lunch with Phillip…

The evil demon was back, making him inwardly smile. For whatever reason, his dislike for Stanton hadn’t lessened. Jake was damned glad the guy had left the country.

Which returned his thoughts to Sage and how much he wanted her. What would it take, he wondered, to get her into his bed?

He took a long swallow of the iced tea the waiter delivered. What happened Sunday night had been accidental. He knew women. Sage wasn’t the kind who slept with men other than the one she was pledged to.

Still, the attraction between them hadn’t diminished. He felt it every time he looked at her. Every time she looked at him. Just sitting next to her in the car had left him hard and wanting. He wondered how it had affected Sage.

He had a feeling the desire that sparked between them was new to her, not something she felt with Phillip.

It didn’t matter. Jake didn’t date married women because he didn’t want to think of them in another man’s bed. He felt the same way about Sage. She was available or she wasn’t.

And clearly, she wasn’t.

He made another slow, sweeping perusal of the restaurant, saw that everything was as it should be, picked up his sandwich and dug in.

The delicious pastrami on rye tasted like sawdust in his mouth.

* * *

“Your neck isn’t getting stiff, is it?”

Sage kept her eyes straight ahead. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s okay if you look at him once in a while,” Rina said. “He’s very easy on the eyes.”

“I don’t want to look at him. I don’t want to think about him. I just want this whole thing to be over.”

Rina ate a few bites of her salad. Sage mostly pushed the lettuce around on her plate.

“You know, I’ve known you for years,” her friend said. “I’ve never seen you this way.”

“What way is that?”

“Fascinated by a man.”

The bite of tomato stuck in Sage’s throat. “I’m not fascinated with Jake. He’s smarter than I thought and maybe not so much of a jerk. He’s good at what he does and I admire that. But he’s just a man. More virile that most, I’ll admit, but still only a man.”

“He’s not just virile, the guy is the ultimate stud. Your female anatomy recognizes that, responds to it. You want him, Sage. I’ve never seen you in lust before, until now. It’s as simple as that.”

Her insides tightened. “You think that’s simple? I’m engaged, Rina. I’m getting married to Phillip. Surely you don’t think I should cheat on him.”

“I think maybe you should consider talking to Phillip, telling him you need some time to think things over. Tell him you want to postpone your engagement for a while.”

“For God’s sake, Rina, just because I’m attracted to my bodyguard doesn’t mean I want to give up the future Phillip and I have planned.”

“It isn’t just that. From the start, you’ve been hesitant—and don’t tell me I’m wrong. I know you. I know Phillip embodies all the things you think you want out of life, the things you think you need to accomplish your goals. But maybe that isn’t so. Maybe you deserve more than an arranged marriage—because that’s exactly what it is.”

Sage set her fork down on the table. “My grandfather has nothing to do with this.”

“Pleasing him does.”

Her mouth felt dry. Rina was her best friend. If anyone else dared to talk to her this way, she would walk away and never look back. “If you really believe that, why did you wait so long to say it?”

“I said all this before, Sage. You just weren’t listening. That you’re listening to me now ought to tell you something. Even if you don’t give in to your attraction to Jake, give what I said some thought. Give yourself a chance to find out what you really want out of life. Maybe you’ll find out it isn’t Phillip Stanton.”

Sage took a long drink of her tea and realized her hand was trembling. She respected Sabrina Eckhart, and she trusted her. Rina would never do anything to hurt her.

And yet hearing those things did hurt. And they made her wonder… .

“I’ll think about it—when all this Saudi business is over. Right now, I just don’t have the time.”

“Fair enough.” Rina reached out and caught her hand. “I didn’t intend to bring any of this up. It’s just that when you look at Jake, there’s something in your eyes I’ve never seen there before.”

Sage pulled her hand away. “It’s exactly what you said it was. It’s lust, Rina. I may not have felt anything quite like it before, but I’m smart enough to recognize it now. And I’m not going to let it ruin my life.”

Seven

The Saudis arrived right on schedule. Tuesday afternoon, Sheik Khalid’s Boeing 727 landed at Bush International Airport and taxied to the executive terminal.

Jake was there with Sage to greet them, along with her assistant, Will Bailey, and a man named Red Williams. Her assistant was a string bean of a kid in his mid-twenties, with dark hair and big horn-rimmed glasses. Will looked efficient, which Jake was sure he was, or he wouldn’t be working for Sage.

Red Williams was the man Sage had chosen to bring with her into the negotiations, the one she considered her best purchasing agent, and apparently someone she respected.

Red had reached the top of his profession by working his way up from the bottom. According to Sage, he was a hard-driving, hardworking man, and he had the calluses to prove it. It was Red’s job to fend off the minions willing to do just about anything, no matter how shady or underhanded, to sell goods to Marine Drilling. He had to ignore the tempting offers of all-expense-paid trips to the Caribbean, the bribes, booze and women, and actually buy the products that would serve the company best. Apparently, he did.

Yesterday, after they returned from lunch, Sage had brought him into the office. Jake had worked with him the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, teaching him the basic protocols he would need to know to negotiate with the Saudis.

Aside from asking questions and giving advice when it was needed, Red would remain in the background as much as possible. He seemed to have no problem with that.

Jake liked him right away.

The plane taxied up to the executive terminal and the jet engines shut down. A ladder rolled across the tarmac toward the door, and a few minutes later, the heavy portal swung open. The Saudi entourage descended the steps, crossed the asphalt and entered the building through a private entrance.

Jake stood just behind Sage, Alex Justice beside him.

Jake had brought his friend in mostly for appearances. Though everyone involved in the negotiations knew Sage Dumont was in charge, she was a woman and would therefore be seen as less important. Having two personal bodyguards left no doubt of her status.

The greeting was perfectly executed, all the protocols followed. Sage had done her homework, and so had everyone else.

“As-salam-alaikum,” she said, using the standard Saudi greeting. Peace be upon you. “Welcome to America.”

The sheik seemed pleased. “Wa alaikum as-salam,” he replied. And upon you be peace. “We appreciate your hospitality,” he added in perfect English.

His Highness Sheik Khalid Al Kahzaz was a tall, lean man with high cheekbones, olive skin and black eyes, dignified with his gray-speckled black beard and flowing white thobe. He wore the traditional Saudi headdress, as did his son, Roshan, the cousins, Quadim and Yasar, and their four male bodyguards. Dressed in black suits, the guards were all tall, silent and forbidding, giving the exact impression the sheik wanted.

His daughter, A’lia, walked behind him in a loose-fitting caftan that fell around her ankles. Instead of white cotton, the robe was made of delicate embroidered rose silk. A matching scarf covered her neck, head and shoulders and most of her face, but it couldn’t hide the girl’s stunning beauty—her fine, perfect features, delicate nose and small white teeth. Just before she was introduced, she pulled a thin black veil over the lower portion of her face. Her cousin Zahra, taller and blunt-featured, was even more fully covered, and though her garment was also embroidered, it was completely black. Zahra was a few years older, maybe twenty-four or twenty-five, brought along, Jake was certain, to make sure A’lia stayed in line.

As a former Saudi minister there to negotiate the sale, Sheik Khalid and his family had diplomatic immunity. They whisked through customs and outside into the bright Texas heat, pouring into the line of black SUVs Linc had waiting. The cars sped away while their vast array of Louis Vuitton luggage was loaded into more SUVs.

Riding in the lead car, Alex sat next to the driver, Jake behind them next to Sage, and Will and Red in the rear seat as Linc maneuvered the vehicle through traffic. The sheik rode in the second car with his son and daughter and two bodyguards. Zahra rode with the cousins and two more bodyguards in the third vehicle.

The cars reached the Four Seasons, the timing fairly close together and without incident. The Saudi group was welcomed by hotel staff and escorted up to the twentieth floor.

Sage accompanied them, walking into the entry of the elegant, richly appointed presidential suite, Jake taking a position behind her and to the right, Alex behind and to her left.

She smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from the front of her pale yellow business suit. Jake’s gaze ran over her. Though the skirt reached well below her knees and the cream silk blouse was buttoned to the throat, she still made him think of sex. His pulse quickened and his loins began to fill. The fertility gods were definitely working overtime.

“I hope you find the hotel accommodations satisfactory, Your Highness,” Sage said.

He smiled. “The suite is quite lovely.”

“I’ve planned an itinerary I hope will meet with your approval and you will find interesting. While you’re here, if there is anything at all you need, please feel free to call my assistant or me and let us know.” She handed him their business cards, carefully prepared with the information on the front also printed in Arabic on the back.

The sheik looked down at the cards. “I am certain everything will be fine.”

Sage smiled. She was doing everything just right, Jake thought, oddly proud of her.

“Then rest and recover from your journey,” she said. “Take a look at the schedule, and if it is suitable, I’ll see you again on Thursday.”

The sheik gazed at the paper she handed him. “My daughter wishes very much to go shopping here in America, and my son would enjoy the IMAX. There is one at the science dome in Al-Khobar, but I have not been there. I understand the screen is several stories high.”

Sage’s smile widened. “That’s right. It’s amazing. There’s a movie showing at the IMAX here in Houston, a climb up Mount Everest. It’s quite an exciting film.”

“Yes, I would like to see that.”

Sage made her farewells and stepped out into the hall. As soon as the door closed behind her, she sagged against the wall. “Thank God that’s over.”

Jake smiled, relieved it had gone so well.

Alex grinned, flashing those damned dimples women seemed to love. “I hate to point this out,” he said, “but this is only the beginning.”

She gave him the first real smile Jake had seen on her face all day. “True, but I made it this far without doing anything stupid. That’s a start in the right direction.”

“You did great, Sage,” Alex said.

When her smile widened and Alex’s damn dimples showed up again, Jake sliced him a hard look, but Alex just laughed.

“Let’s get out of here,” Jake said grimly, suddenly wishing he’d brought in someone besides his good-looking friend.

The three of them headed back down to the lobby. Red and Will had already left for their respective jobs. Linc waited in the SUV, which was parked in front, and the three climbed inside.

They were quiet on the drive back to the office, silently preparing themselves for the scene they would be facing when they got there.

“What’s the time frame for the shopping trip on Thursday?” Alex asked.

“The mall opens at ten,” Jake said. “We’ll pick up A’lia and her escorts a little before then. That evening, we’ll take the sheik and his party to the IMAX. I’ve got a private showing arranged.”

Alex nodded. The Escalade reached Louisiana Street and pulled into the executive lot. Unfortunately, the group in back of the building had swelled to the size of the group out front.

“Fuck,” Jake whispered, too low for Sage to hear, and thought that pretty well summed things up.

* * *

Sage hurried along behind Jake as he forged a path through the media toward the back door. Alex followed close behind her, fending off the hordes that tried to get too close.

“Ms. Dumont!” a reporter shouted, shoving a microphone in her face. “What do you have to say about what’s going on here?”

“No comment,” she muttered, as Jake shouldered the man aside.

“The students are here to show their support for democracy in the Middle East,” shouted a female reporter wearing a KTRK TV badge. “Are you sympathetic to their cause?”

“No comment.” Sage kept moving, Jake clearing the way, Alex backing him up.

“Ms. Dumont!” The first reporter caught up with her again and shoved the mic back into her face. “Some of these people are protesting the business you’re doing with a country they feel is oppressive. How do you feel about Marine Drilling spending American money in the Middle East?”

Jake grabbed the device out of the newsman’s hands, nearly knocking him off his feet. “The lady told you she has no comment.” Then he shoved the mic at him, so hard the man jerked backward. Tentatively, the reporter reached out and took hold of it, and they continued toward the door.

Jake stepped inside and hauled Sage in after him. Alex followed, and the security guard closed the door.

“You okay?” Jake asked her.

She nodded, but she was trembling, her mouth dry as cotton. “I hate this.”

“Maybe you should call off the deal and let the Saudis go back home.”

She shook her head, wishing she could do just that. It wasn’t going to happen. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I invited the sheik and his family to Texas. I’m not going to abandon them.”

Approval shone in his face. “I didn’t really figure you would.” Catching hold of her arm, he urged her toward the bank of elevators in the lobby. Through the thick, mirrored-glass walls of the building, she could hear the demonstrators outside, arguing and shouting back and forth.

“Unless you need me,” Alex said, “I’ll see you Thursday.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Jake said, and Alex headed out to his car.

Sage stepped into the elevator and Jake followed. “It’s getting worse instead of better,” she said.

Jake pushed the button to the twelfth floor. “It still may cool down.”

“Or they may start killing each other.”

His mouth quirked. “There’s always that chance.”

Sage stood beside him in the elevator. Even in her high heels, he towered above her. She felt feminine and safe in a way she never had before.

She thought of the sheik’s daughter, A’lia, beautiful and sheltered. Living in a gilded prison. As lovely as she was, there was a sadness in her dark, exotic eyes, something that seemed to reach out to Sage in some way. In the cousin, Zahra, Sage had sensed no underlying disquiet. It made her wonder if she could be wrong, and A’lia was happy.

Whatever the truth, it was none of her business. She was determined to make a multimillion-dollar deal, save a boatload of money for Marine Drilling and prove to her grandfather she was capable of running the company when Michael Curtis retired next year.

She entered her office, accidentally brushing against Jake’s thick chest as he held open the door, and his eyes locked with hers. A jolt of electricity shot through her, making her legs feel weak. It was ridiculous. He probably had the same effect on every woman in the building.

Except she had never seen him look at another woman the way he was looking at her.

Another little curl of heat slipped through her. There was no question Jake wanted her. Every time he glanced at her, it was boldly there in his eyes. And yet she couldn’t accuse him of overstepping the boundary between them.

What she couldn’t understand was this burning desire she felt for him. It had never happened before, not even in her more carefree days in college. She’d had boyfriends. She had even slept with a couple of them. But there was none of the gnawing hunger she felt when she looked at Jake.

It wasn’t like her. She was serious and dedicated. She didn’t lust for a man.

Sage amended that. She had never lusted for a man before. It appalled her to realize how much she desired Jake.

“If you keep looking at me that way, I might break my rule.”

Her face went warm. She knew exactly what he meant. He wanted her, but he wouldn’t touch her unless she was free.

She turned away from him, forced her feet to carry her over to her desk.

“It went well today, I thought,” she said, forcing her mind toward business.

“You did great,” he said, and there was none of the heat she had heard in his voice before. “The sheik is well-educated. Speaks English like a native. The son, as well. Makes everything easier.”

“Khalid and Roshan were both schooled at Oxford.”

He nodded. “I’ll be coaching Red a little more this afternoon. I noticed he has a habit of crossing his ankle over his knee when he sits too long. I’ve warned him it’s a major insult to show a Saudi the bottom of his shoe.”

“Red may not have a university degree, but he’s smart. He’ll remember what you tell him.”

“He seems like a good man to have on your team.”

“He’s a very good man. I considered asking one of the VPs, either Charles Denton or Jonathan Hunter, but they’re both very busy with their own jobs, and extremely competitive. I wasn’t sure how much I could trust them. Red worked for Ian for years before he started working for me. He’s loyal to a fault.”

“That was my take on the guy.”

“So what about Thursday? Looks like the sheik is going to let his daughter go shopping with us. Probably her cousin Zahra will come with her.”

“She’s got to have a male relative along,” Jake said again. “I have a hunch we’ll have a small army going with us to the mall. I called yesterday and made arrangements with Saks and Neiman Marcus. They’re going to provide a private salon.”

Sage grinned up at him. “That’s a good start—considering you’re a man—but not nearly enough. I’ll have Will phone Cartier, Gucci and Tiffany’s. The sheik and his crew already own enough Vuitton to open their own shop, so we can probably leave them out.”

“Or that might be exactly the place they want to go.”

She sighed. “You’re right. They sell a lot more than just luggage. I’ll have Will let Vuitton know we’ll be in.”

“For that caliber of buyer, the boutiques may close the doors to the public while we’re in there.”

“I’m sure they will. Just think of all the money we’ll be bringing into the community.”

Jake grinned. “Maybe we ought to march around with a sign that says Marine Drilling—Spending Saudi Money in America.”

Sage laughed. “Maybe.” Her laughter slowly faded. “They’ll be safe, won’t they?”

His gaze shifted, darkened. “They’ll be fine. More importantly, you’ll be safe. I promise you that, Sage.”

And when she looked into those blue, blue eyes, she knew he would keep his word.

Knew that if he had to, Jake Cantrell would protect her with his life.

Eight

They left the office shortly after six that night. The heat outside was intense, but the sun was a little less vicious as the days marched through September. The crowd had thinned some and the media cameras were gone, which was a hopeful sign. Jake sat next to Sage in the backseat of the SUV, slightly more relaxed now that they were away from the building.

So far no one seemed to know the Saudis had arrived in Houston, or if they did, they were more interested in Marine Drilling’s involvement than they were in the Saudis themselves. Jake wasn’t sure if that was bad news or good.

The Escalade had traveled only a couple blocks through the office high-rise district when his cell phone rang. Pulling it out of the pocket of his suit coat, he checked the caller ID and saw it was Tanya Porter. Tanya was the mother of the boy he sponsored in the Big Brother program Linc had gotten him involved in when he’d first returned to Texas.

“Jake, I’m sorry to bother you,” she said, “but I’ve got a problem. I was wondering if you might be able to give Felix a ride home.”

“What happened?”

“He went to the show with his friend Desi, and Desi’s older brother, Bo. I guess they got to arguing and the boys ended up leaving him there. I know you’ve been working downtown. He’s in front of the AMC. Is there any way you could pick him and bring him home?”

“I’m on the job, Tanya. I can’t get to him for at least another hour.”

Sage reached over and caught his arm. “What is it?”

“Hold on.” He covered the phone. “A friend of mine’s got a problem, young kid named Felix Porter. I’m his Big Brother. He’s stuck at the AMC theatre and needs a ride home.”

“The theater isn’t that far. For heaven’s sake, pick him up.”

“You sure?”

“I’m done for the day. It isn’t a problem.”

Jake smiled. “Thanks. Felix is a good kid. Not the kind to make trouble. Some of his friends, however, are another story.” Jake spoke across the front seat to Linc. “You hear that?”

“On my way.”

Jake let Tanya know he would pick up Felix and bring him home. The theater was only a few blocks out of the way. When they got there, Felix was waiting on the corner, the cell phone Jake paid for in his hand. Jake rolled down the window and motioned him over. Linc opened the front door and the kid climbed in beside him.

Felix turned in the seat. “Thanks, Jake.” He was a lanky kid, with feet and hands still a little too big for his growing frame. Beneath his shiny black skin, his face looked tightly drawn.

“Felix, say hello to Ms. Dumont. She’s the one who’s giving you a ride.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Felix.”

“What happened?” Jake asked as Linc began to move the big SUV through traffic.

Felix shrugged, stared down at his hands. “Desi and me… We had a fight. It was no big deal.”

Jake knew it was probably Desi’s older brother, Bo, who was the troublemaker, but Felix wouldn’t snitch on the dumb-ass kid. As soon as Jake got the time, he’d have a little talk with Felix’s friends. “No big deal, huh? Seems like with those two, something’s always ‘no big deal.’”