Read Online Sheikh's Unlikely Desire by Sophia Lynn - Free Book Online
Authors: Sophia Lynn
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monk than a would-be media mogul, and his watery blue eyes flickered over her like the wings of a particularly loathsome gnat. She had never heard very much about Scholl one way or the other, but she was forming an impression with alarming quickness.
“Why don't you tell me what I'm supposed to have done to make such a pretty girl so mad?”
She didn't rise to the bait. Instead, she pointed at the folder. “So the moment we file a cease and desist against you, you make a move to cement your rights? Did you really think that if you just got things started fast enough that we might decide to let all of this slide?”
He shrugged one shoulder, never taking his eyes off of her body. She wasn't sure he had met her eyes once since she walked in the room.
“Hey, in this business, it is far better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”
She laughed acidly. “Try that in a court of law and you'll have an assault charge or two waiting for you. I'm not here to argue with you. I'm here to let you know that whatever you are planning right now isn't going to work.”
He shook his head, looking irritatingly amused at her. “And what do you think I'm trying to do, sweetheart?”
Leah let some of the revulsion she felt at his words show on her face. To her grim amusement, it seemed to surprise him. She wondered if he had been making movies long enough that he was simply used to attractive young women falling over themselves to please him. Well, given how this meeting was going, he was going to fall into a world of surprises.
“I think that you are trying to take advantage of a country that welcomed you with open arms,” she said shortly. “I think that you are taking a matter of some cultural importance to an entire nation and running it through your cheese grater of a company until you have some kind of racist pap that you're going to try to sell.”
Scholl shook his head. “You're all worked up over Almira? Listen, you've gotta know that they're not even the game. Sure, they're rich, but most of their movies don't come from the US, right? What they don't know won't hurt them.”
“Are you serious? You're talking as if they're some kind of backwater with no access to the Internet or the greater world. Terzei, one of their biggest cities—”
To her fury, Scholl made a tsking sound, waving his hand for her silence. “Look, you might be all about the law, honey, but I know movies, and Almira, it's not a problem. No one cares about them, and they don't give a damn about the rest of the world.”
“And if that is what you have learned about coming to my country, then I am even more certain of my course here.”
Both Scholl and Leah wheeled around in shock. Standing in the doorway behind them was none other than Zayn himself. Today, he was dressed in a sharply cut black suit, as severe and sharp as a sword. A part of Leah purred at how good he looked, but she made herself focus on the task at hand.
“Sheik Zayn,” she said, hiding her surprise at his presence. “I didn't think you would be at this meeting.”
“I decided to come and see if my instincts and yours were correct,” he said, striding across the office to join her. He seemed to dwarf the space, coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with her as they both faced Scholl.
“Instincts?” asked Scholl warily. For the first time since this meeting started, he looked apprehensive
“Yes. When I told my story to Ms. Montgomery, she confirmed that my suspicions were right. She told me that you have no right to a story about my family or my country, and that if you do not stop, the consequences for you could be quite dire.”
“Now, I'm sure that we can come to some kind of—”
“We cannot,” Leah said sharply. “This is not a negotiation. This is not something that you can purchase or bribe. You will stop production on this movie. Be grateful that you are stopping it at this early stage and that you didn't waste more money on it, because believe me,
“Why don't you tell me what I'm supposed to have done to make such a pretty girl so mad?”
She didn't rise to the bait. Instead, she pointed at the folder. “So the moment we file a cease and desist against you, you make a move to cement your rights? Did you really think that if you just got things started fast enough that we might decide to let all of this slide?”
He shrugged one shoulder, never taking his eyes off of her body. She wasn't sure he had met her eyes once since she walked in the room.
“Hey, in this business, it is far better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”
She laughed acidly. “Try that in a court of law and you'll have an assault charge or two waiting for you. I'm not here to argue with you. I'm here to let you know that whatever you are planning right now isn't going to work.”
He shook his head, looking irritatingly amused at her. “And what do you think I'm trying to do, sweetheart?”
Leah let some of the revulsion she felt at his words show on her face. To her grim amusement, it seemed to surprise him. She wondered if he had been making movies long enough that he was simply used to attractive young women falling over themselves to please him. Well, given how this meeting was going, he was going to fall into a world of surprises.
“I think that you are trying to take advantage of a country that welcomed you with open arms,” she said shortly. “I think that you are taking a matter of some cultural importance to an entire nation and running it through your cheese grater of a company until you have some kind of racist pap that you're going to try to sell.”
Scholl shook his head. “You're all worked up over Almira? Listen, you've gotta know that they're not even the game. Sure, they're rich, but most of their movies don't come from the US, right? What they don't know won't hurt them.”
“Are you serious? You're talking as if they're some kind of backwater with no access to the Internet or the greater world. Terzei, one of their biggest cities—”
To her fury, Scholl made a tsking sound, waving his hand for her silence. “Look, you might be all about the law, honey, but I know movies, and Almira, it's not a problem. No one cares about them, and they don't give a damn about the rest of the world.”
“And if that is what you have learned about coming to my country, then I am even more certain of my course here.”
Both Scholl and Leah wheeled around in shock. Standing in the doorway behind them was none other than Zayn himself. Today, he was dressed in a sharply cut black suit, as severe and sharp as a sword. A part of Leah purred at how good he looked, but she made herself focus on the task at hand.
“Sheik Zayn,” she said, hiding her surprise at his presence. “I didn't think you would be at this meeting.”
“I decided to come and see if my instincts and yours were correct,” he said, striding across the office to join her. He seemed to dwarf the space, coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with her as they both faced Scholl.
“Instincts?” asked Scholl warily. For the first time since this meeting started, he looked apprehensive
“Yes. When I told my story to Ms. Montgomery, she confirmed that my suspicions were right. She told me that you have no right to a story about my family or my country, and that if you do not stop, the consequences for you could be quite dire.”
“Now, I'm sure that we can come to some kind of—”
“We cannot,” Leah said sharply. “This is not a negotiation. This is not something that you can purchase or bribe. You will stop production on this movie. Be grateful that you are stopping it at this early stage and that you didn't waste more money on it, because believe me,
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