Wrapped In Pleasure - Brenda Jackson [80]
The only other neighboring country that could claim such growth was Mowaiti, which was benefiting largely due to the revenues from petroleum and natural gas. She didn’t want to think about Mowaiti since that country’s prince was the man she was to marry.
Her curiosity was piqued, so she felt now was a good time to ask, “And what type of business are you in, Monty?”
“I’m a business negotiator, representing several wealthy Americans wanting to do business abroad. I visit the country, scope out the land, so to speak, and help them make decisions as to whether they should invest their capital in such ventures.”
She nodded. “And Dubai? What interest do you have there?”
“A group of the men I represent are building a hotel there.” His eyebrows arched upward and he said, “I thought you wanted to dance.”
She wondered if that was his way of saying he had answered enough of her questions, as many as he intended in order to appease her curiosity. She tilted her head back and smiled up at him. “I do and you have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you and I will take you to the balcony now.”
She followed as he escorted her from the living room through several other spacious rooms. Each one had wall-to-wall windows that provided a beautiful view of New York City’s skyline. She couldn’t help but admire the decor and when he opened a pair of French doors that led to a huge balcony, she almost lost her breath when she stepped out onto the mosaic tile floor.
There were several huge balconies surrounding the palace in Tahran where she’d lived, but what was so spectacular about this particular one was that it stretched out to include a lap pool. And just like Monty had said, there was a miniature dance floor that opened to a covered minicourt.
She looked upward, to see the beautiful June sky and then leveled her gaze to see beyond in the distance the glistening waters of the Hudson River. City lights lining Central Park beckoned below. Every single element combined with a magnificent force to provide such a majestic and panoramic view.
She turned to Monty to find he was looking at her. Her skin felt heated from the intense look she saw in his eyes. But his piercing gaze did not scare her. She actually felt safe with him.
“It’s beautiful, Monty,” she said simply. Truthfully.
The smile that touched his lips stirred something within her stomach. “Thank you. Because I travel quite a bit, I don’t get to spend as much time here as I’d like.”
“And the dance floor? Is there a story behind it?”
He shrugged. “I’m told that this place was once owned by a world-renowned ballerina who had the dance floor installed. I considered removing it several times but never got around to doing so. Now I’m glad I didn’t.”
He took a step toward her. “Enough about this place,” he said, bestowing a charming smile on her once again; one that had her heart literally pounding in her chest. “I brought you here to dance, so excuse me while I put on some music. Anything in particular you’d like to dance to?”
She shook her head. “A mixture of tunes would be nice.”
“All right.”
He then excused himself to walk the few feet to where a console had been built into the wall. With the press of a button the lights dimmed and music began playing. A fast song with an electrifying beat. Automatically Johari began tapping her feet as she felt the energy flow through her body. She loved dancing and unbeknownst to her parents, some of the young girls who lived on the grounds of the palace had taught her how to belly dance. And on more than one occasion she would join them when they rehearsed for their upcoming performances for her parents.
She closed her eyes as she kicked off her shoes, thinking there was just something about dancing that she found totally exhilarating, mystifying. She imagined herself back in her homeland, surrounded by the jewel-colored walls in the palace while dancing. In a room that was her private sanctuary, where she would dance to the rhythm for hours