Her Improper Desire, page 13
What the hell?
He nudged the box aside, and he cursed under his breath when he saw the kitten underneath.
Walk away, Ilyas.
Just walk the fuck away.
But when the kitten let out another miserable little cry, Ilyas found himself bending down...only to get himself scratched.
Fuck!
The kitten was obviously traumatized, but Ilyas was patient, and his soft, coaxing voice eventually won the little thing over, and Ilyas was able to gently scoop its body off the cold, hard tiles.
Beware a kitten that cries, for life as you know it will never be the same once its claws find their way to your heart.
Johanna, the fortune teller, had said those very words to him earlier, but Ilyas refused to believe the older woman's reading had anything to do with this scraggly little thing.
Once inside his office, Ilyas was surprised to see that all the lights were on—-
"Oh, it's you."
It was his secretary Ember, and he remembered belatedly that she had asked for his permission to sleep in the office for a fortnight.
"Oh my God, is that a kitten?"
Ember came running to him, and Ilyas found himself blinking. The secretary he was used to seeing always had her hair pinned up, a pair of dorky glasses perched over her nose, and her body hidden under some oversized blazer and a baggy pair of pants.
This girl, however...
"Poor, poor kitty."
As Ember took the kitten off his hands, Ilyas caught a glimpse of her tits jiggling behind the thin fabric of her night shirt. And those tits...were very, very big...just the way he liked it.
The End
Bullied by the Sheikh
Ember
Ember was born in a small American town that used to be this insignificant dot in the map until one of their locals, Harper, ended up marrying her childhood friend...who also happened to be the devastatingly gorgeous Emir Sheikh of the Kingdom of Ramil.
Their whirlwind romance was stuff that dreams were made of, and although Harper was now one of the world's most beloved royals, the former librarian hadn't forgotten her roots.
One of her first acts as Ramil's newly crowned queen was to set up an employment center in her hometown, and it was through this that an orphaned farm girl like Ember, fresh out of vocational college, had ended up working for Sheikh Ilyas Al-Masri.
At first, she had walked on eggshells around him, but when this only made Ilyas bully her even more and more, she had finally snapped and yelled at his face.
'Quit bullying me, you demon prince!'
It had been a moment of insanity that left Ember shaken and appalled. She had expected to be terminated on the spot, but the sheikh had given her a nod of approval instead.
'That's better,' she remembered him drawling. 'Having you jump around me all the time like a nervous kitten was getting on my nerves.'
And then there was that night when they were both working overtime.
Ember had always been careful in observing the boundaries between her and her royal bosshole, but when she had asked permission to have dinner in the pantry, the sheikh had irritably waved her to sit back down.
'Am I fucking contagious or something? Just eat your goddamn meal here.'
The sheikh had not been the type to mince words, and he would rake her over the coals for even the smallest mistake. It used to make her wish the sky would fall on him, and while she still wished that every once in a while, Ember could now appreciate in hindsight that his bosshole tactics turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
She had stuck around to prove him wrong, and before she knew it, over a year had already passed, and Ember had now perfected her working persona around the sheikh. His frequent flashes of temper were but storms in a teacup, and Ember could now effortlessly gauge his mood to know if the demon prince required her defiance or obedience.
If someone had asked Ember a year ago where she saw herself in the future, she wouldn't have known how to answer it. Now, however, Ember knew exactly what she wanted, and that was to find her forever home in the demon prince's employ.
It was what she prayed for every night, never mind if come morning she only had to be an hour in at work, and she'd already find herself wishing instead that she could send the sheikh back to Hell, where royal bossholes like him were surely spawned.
Today was one of those days unfortunately, and Ember had to mentally count imaginary Huznan camels while Ilyas did his best to twist her arm into doing his bidding.
"You're my secretary," her royal bosshole snarled. "Have you forgotten that?"
"No, of course not."
"Then why the hell did you say yes to assisting the Crown Prince's fiancée?"
"Because she's the Crown Prince's fiancée?"
"Like fuck that's true."
"Why would you think I'm lying?" Ember's expression was one of hurt, and her tone chiding, but this only earned her a scowl in return.
"Because I know you," the demon prince snarled, "so quit faking it."
"I'm not faking it." But actually, she was.
"Titles have never impressed you," Ilyas derided, "and you're the kind of person who would rather shove your foot in your ass than kiss someone else's."
Ember made a face at the sheikh's words. Did he have to be so graphic, just because he was right? In any case, what he was asking for was impossible, since she had already given her word to the Crown Prince.
"I honestly didn't realize you'd have a need for me." Lie. "But as much as I wish to be of service to you—-" Another lie. "—-there's this thing called the law, and it's, you know, a Huznan criminal offense to break one's word to a member of the royal family."
Ember was quite proud of the excuse she had made up, which to her sounded quite plausible, but the demon prince didn't appear to share her sentiments.
"You break your word to me all the time, so don't feed me that kind of bull."
Eep.
He had a point there, darnit.
The sheikh's golden eyes glinted as he studied her, and even though Ember should be well used to it by now, being the subject of his gaze still made her want to squirm.
Badly.
No squirm, no squirm, no squirm, no squirm!
Ember had this awful habit of talking in her mind like a two-year-old Buddhist monk wannabe
when uncontrollably nervous or excited, and she was still silently intonating 'no squirm' like the words were for an exorcism ritual when the sheikh suddenly cursed in Huznan.
What had she done now?
"Fine then."
Her royal bosshole was making it sound like she had been begging him in the past five seconds, when she actually hadn't said a peep?
I'll give you a chance to get out of this," the demon prince snarled.
Ember bit her lip hard to keep herself from smiling. She would never tell this to any living soul, but the truth was, Sheikh Ilyas usually let her have her way...as long as she was able to play her cards right.
"Tell me the real reason why you said yes to Saif," Ilyas said finally, "and if it's valid, I'll let this one go."
"I was very happy about the Crown Prince's engagement." That much was true. "And helping out was my way of expressing it?"
The sheikh's expression turned bland. "Is that so?"
"Um...yes?"
"Mm..."
Ember had a feeling she had somehow said something she wasn't supposed to. This was the sheikh, after all, and nothing slipped past the demon prince when he was out to make her life hell.
"Enlighten me, please."
Brace for it, Ember!
"Why is my secretary very happy about the Crown Prince's engagement?"
Shit!
How was she going to get out of this?
One one hand, his question was terribly easy to answer, but at the same time, it wasn't easy at all.
With the Crown Prince now engaged, Huzna's king no longer required Ilyas and his other sons to hunt for a bride, and that mattered to Ember because...she was scared if her royal bosshole did marry, his future wife might take exception to her, and she would be out of a job (and her forever home) in a flash.
And that was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help her God.
Ilyas' lips tightened. "Well?"
No squirm, no squirm, no squirm, no squirm!
Impatience flashed in the sheikh's gaze. "If you won't answer, then I'll have no choice but to—-"
"I'm, um, a hopeless romantic?"
"Bullshit."
Ember didn't know whether to feel insulted or amused. "Um...ouch?"
The demon prince glared at her. "I'm not fucking around here."
"I know that—-"
"Saif coerced you into saying yes, didn't he?"
She stared at him, stupefied. Did he just say 'coerce'? How in the world had her royal bosshole come up with that?
"I know how persuasive Saif can be."
And why was he suddenly sounding so...testy?
"You never hesitate to say 'no' to me, your own fucking boss, but don't think I haven't noticed how you're always on your best behavior around my older brother."
Okaaaay.
Was he questioning her loyalty or something?
Ember cleared her throat, but hearing this only seemed to piss her royal bosshole even more.
"Don't bother lying," the sheikh snarled. "Just show up tonight and forget about whatever help you promised Saif. I'm going to call him now and let him know you're unavailable."
Ember could feel herself starting to panic. If there was anyone more astute than Ilyas, it would be the Crown Prince, and she was painfully certain it wouldn't take Saif long to add one and one together and come up with an answer that would have Ember fleeing America - maybe even Earth itself - in acute embarrassment.
Her gaze swung back to the demon prince, and when she saw Ilyas about to hit the Call button—-
Oh, shit!
She couldn't let him call Saif, no matter what the cost.
"What the hell?"
Ember gulped.
You've really done it this time, you idiot.
She had just swiped the sheikh's iPhone out of his hold, and since she had already done something that unthinkable—-
Might as well do my worst, Ember thought as she dropped his phone in the inner pocket of her blazer.
The demon prince stared at her as if she had lost her mind. "Are you fucking serious?"
No, Ember thought. She was more desperate than serious, but since that was another sliver of truth she didn't want to say out loud—-
Ember cautiously took a step back from the sheikh. "I'll give it back if you promise me you won't call the Crown Prince."
"Goddammit, Ember!"
Oh, if only she could yell that back at him.
Goddammit, Demon Prince!
If only.
But she absolutely could not do that, since Ember also knew the sheikh wasn't paying her four thousand dollars a month to answer him back all the time. Ilyas might have said he liked her better when she stood up to him, but they both knew Ember was only allowed to show her temper when it suited him.
And since now definitely wasn't one of those moments—-
"Oh, I almost forgot." Ember covered her mouth in a gesture of surprise. "Fresh beans from your favorite cafe was just delivered this morning. How about we have some coffee—-"
"How about you give me back my fucking phone?"
Ember ignored this and instead gave her royal bosshole a coaxing smile. "Shall I make you some now?"
"No, you fucking shan't."
"Hot or iced?"
"Goddammit, Ember."
Ember let out a sigh. "Oh, Your Highness. How my heart skips a beat every time you swear at me."
Ilyas looked as if he was about to fire her at any moment. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing," the sheikh snarled. ""You only address me as Your Fucking Highness when you're trying to distract me."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Ilyas swore, and Ember saw that losing her job was now the least of her worries, with how the demon prince was currently eyeing her throat like he was dying to squeeze the life out of it.
"Don't fuck with me, Ms. Hallman."
It was never a good thing when the demon prince called her that, and she had to will herself not to tremble.
Have courage, Woman-Who-Is-Now-Being-Called-Miss-Hallman!
If she had been able to defuse the sheikh's temper in the past, she could do so again.
Right?
Ember let her lower lip out in her best woe-is-me look, which she had painstakingly worked hard on when she was still living in the orphanage, and Christmas with Our Beloved Sponsors meant doing what they could to encourage rich people to donate for their upkeeping.
"Please, Your Highness." Ember spoke softly and soothingly. "Can't we just relax and have coffee?"
"No, damn you."
Ember, however, pretended to hear the opposite. "Very good, Your Highness. Would you like your coffee hot or iced?"
A few moments passed in tense silence, and Ember held her breath.
"Fuck."
Ember nearly sagged with relief. That was the loveliest F-bomb she had ever heard, if she did say so herself, and all because it meant she had played her cards right, and the demon prince had finally decided to let this one go.
She smiled up at him, and the sheikh glowered back at her.
"Fuck."
Ember's expression turned quizzical. "Is that the Huznan word for hot, Your Highness?"
"How fucking smart of you."
Ember simply let the sheikh's sarcasm go through fly over her head and bowed as if receiving a royal command. "One hot coffee coming right up, Your Highness."
"Goddammit, Ember!"
Ember pretended not to hear anything as she walked away. The sheikh might be acting like coffee wasn't going to make things better, but it always did. While her royal bosshole didn't care much about food, he was exceptionally picky with his coffee, and it was why Ember had also secretly taken a barista course in her spare time.
The scent of fresh coffee beans filled the suite as Ember poured them into the grinder.
Note to self: Ask Slade or Farica if she could reserve their cafe for a day, just in case she ended up pissing the demon prince off yet again, and she would need to bring out the big guns to keep him from firing her.
Ember hummed to herself while working on the the demon prince's coffee. Although the sheikh's suite came with its own kitchen and coffee maker, Ember always made it a point to have with them the demon prince's custom-designed espresso machine no matter where they traveled.
Ilyas still wore a hardened expression when she returned to the living room, but Ember knew him well enough to recognize that the worst had passed, and this was simply the demon prince being grumpy.
The sheikh liked to be all bark and no bite just to make it seem like his secretary hadn't gotten the upper hand, and it was why Ember was careful to keep her expression courteous as she carefully lowered the tray to the coffee table.
"Your coffee, Your Highness." Ember held out the sheikh's monogrammed cup...but quickly took a step back the moment he reached for it.
Ilyas cursed up a storm, but Ember simply waited for him to run out of expletives before smiling sweetly at the sheikh. "Your promise, Your Highness?"
"Damn you."
"That's not a promise."
"Yes, damn you," the sheikh growled. "I fucking promise."
Ember handed him the cup with flourish and breathed a sigh of relief when the sheikh's frown cleared after taking a sip.
As expected.
Now, there was only one thing left to do, and after taking his phone out of her pocket, Ember bowed deep as she offered his iPhone back with both hands.
"Your phone, O Great One."
"Stow it." Ilyas snatched the device out of her hold and shoved it back to his pocket.
Ember straightened up. "Do you need anything else, Your Highness?"
"Just drink your damn coffee."
Ember couldn't help grinning. "Yes, Your Highness."
"And stop grinning."
"Yes, Your Highness." Ember took a seat and worked hard to keep her expression blank as she watched her royal bosshole enjoy his coffee like he was modeling for a Starbucks Reserve ad.
Since the demon prince was notorious for being a workaholic and constantly on the move, it was rare to see him perfectly still like this, and just long enough to leave anyone staring at him mesmerized.
Anyone including her, unfortunately.
You are such an idiot, Ember Hallman!
Ember had never wanted to see the sheikh as a man. But the first time she had come to work for him, his dark good looks had left her brain-dead, and there were still instances even to this day that the sheikh's sheer gorgeousness made Ember catch her breath.
Unlike his brothers, whose silky black curls were rarely tamed, Ilyas was so much the controlling sort that even his own hair had to be bent to his will. Or in this case, slicked back and regularly trimmed for zero fuss.
Just looking at his hair could make her fingers itch, and whenever Ember's heart was being more idiotic than usual, she would find herself wondering if the day would ever come that she could just reach out and mess with his hair in any way—-
"Why are you staring at me?"
Ilyas' words had Ember crashing back to reality, and the wary look on her royal bosshole's face had her wanting to laugh and grimace even as she quickly thought up an excuse. "Um..." She pointed to the corner of his mouth. "You missed a drop."
The demon prince licked it off with his tongue, and Ember found herself wishing she could've been the one to lick it off—-
Stop thinking dirty thoughts about your boss, you fool!
Hours later, and Ember still wanted to kick herself in the head as she finished recounting the entire mortifying incident over a late-night Zoom call with her friend.
Francesca, however, simply couldn't stop laughing. "I warned you, didn't I?"
"Did I tell you how much I hate being told 'I told you so'?"
"But I didn't say—-"
