Aaliyah and the Billionaire's Lamp Read online

  BOOKS BY CATELYN MEADOWS

  ONCE UPON A BILLIONAIRE SERIES

  Goldie and the Billionaire Bear

  Aaliyah and the Billionaire’s Lamp

  Ella and the Billionaire’s Ball

  Alice and the Billionaire’s Wonderland

  THE LOST ROYAL SERIES

  Princess Lost

  Princess Found

  Princess Forever

  MAGIC VALLEY ROMANCE

  Billionaires and Big Deals

  CLEAN CHRISTMAS ROMANCE

  Second Chance Christmas

  Copyright © 2019 Cortney Pearson

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, printing, recording, or otherwise—without the prior permission of the author, except for use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, incidents, or events are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Beta Read by Scarlett West

  Copy Edited/Proofread by Sara Olds with Salt & Sage Books

  Proofread by Lisa Lee

  Cover Design & Interior Formatting by Qamber Designs and Media

  Author Photo by Clayton Photo + Design

  www.catelynmeadows.blogspot.com

  CHAPTER ONE

  Aaliyah Elir stared with nervous anticipation at the designs on her desk. She’d spent weeks learning AutoCAD to bring her ideas to life, to prove to Papa she was more than just a pretty face or the business degree she’d never been allowed to use.

  The architectural sketches evolved in her mind every time she glanced at them. She’d been able to picture each facility fully landscaped and thriving with vitality; but now, in the heat of the moment, doubt began creeping in. She wasn’t sure they were anywhere near good enough to impress her father.

  Papa’s long-standing partner and chief executive officer was retiring, which left the position wide open. Upper management would shuffle spots. Partners would be vying for a chance, and she knew if she wanted a shot at the job, it had to be now. While uncertainty made a racetrack of her pulse, she wanted to prove she was competent to handle her family’s billion-dollar resort line. Would these designs convince him the position should belong to her?

  She needed only three years’ experience in a full-time managerial role, and she would be eligible to apply for a distance-learning MBA. Surely, overseeing a project like this would qualify her. CEO was, granted, a long-shot, but this was a family company. Her parents started it, and it should continue on with an Elir at the helm.

  However, Papa had never taken her seriously. Not really. Still, all she could do was try.

  Nerves zinging straight through to her fingertips, Aaliyah exhaled and skimmed over her suggested marketing plan once again. She was tired of being a tagalong. She’d gotten her degree just for this reason, for this moment.

  Not as father and daughter, but as potential business associates. The idea filled her with fireflies, making her glow one minute with determination and want to hide in the shadows the next.

  It wasn’t that she was scared of her father. He was as gentle and kind as they came. But tradition was his lifeblood. He’d ignored her many attempts to convince him she was qualified to be more than his heir. She could handle the many facets of the company he oversaw. She was a woman, yes, but she could be a businesswoman, and a successful one at that.

  In an attempt to set the correct tone, Aaliyah opted to use one of the resort’s conference rooms for this meeting instead of gathering in her suite or his. She wore her favorite suit, white with gold pinstripes, and a coral pink shirt with the collar out over the jacket’s lapels. She smoothed a hand over her stomach, wishing there was some way to iron out the nerves rattling inside of her as easily.

  A knock sounded, and a blonde woman in a dark pantsuit entered without being invited in. Aaliyah was relieved at the sight of Papa’s assistant, Lisa. She hugged a clipboard under one arm and offered Aaliyah the cup of coffee in her other.

  “Are you ready?” Lisa asked. “Your father is waiting in the hall.”

  Aaliyah took the warm cup with an exhale and an irresolute smile. “Yes, please see him in.”

  Lisa crossed to the door, opened it, and Aaliyah’s father stepped through. A short man, Ahmed Elir appeared sophisticated and businesslike in his black suit. His graying hair was combed behind his ears.

  His dark eyes glinted with delight the instant his gaze landed on her. She recognized the gleaming expression of pride, a look he always cast on her whenever she entered a room. If her father ever lost the ability to speak, she would always know just how much he loved her because of that look.

  “Good morning, my beautiful daughter.” He spoke with his native Arabic accent, a sound which had both reprimanded and soothed her on many occasions. Like his expression, that voice was a healing balm. He’d always been so kind, so good, and yet so exacting as well.

  She strode to kiss him on the cheek but thought better of it. While that was their usual greeting, this was a business meeting. She remained standing by the table instead.

  “Good morning, sir. Thanks for coming. Please, have a seat. Can Lisa get you a drink of something?”

  “Coffee, please, Lisa,” Papa said, nodding in the other woman’s direction.

  Ignoring Aaliyah’s reticence, her father strode to her side and kissed her temple anyway. Aaliyah supposed even in family business meetings intimate greetings could be allowed. She smiled at him as Lisa placed a fresh cup of coffee at Papa’s place on the table. Tendrils of steam rose from it.

  “I see you are well prepared. Show me what you have.” Papa gestured to the table before him, but he didn’t sit. It was a courtesy, plain and simple, to not sit until she did.

  Aaliyah attempted to slow her galloping pulse and drifted with slow, controlled movements into her chair across from him. Her father took his seat as well. Air conditioning usually did a superb job of keeping the humid, Florida heat outside where it belonged, but Aaliyah was steaming inside like a sauna.

  “You know that many of the older Elir resort hotels lack the amenities that are built into its newer buildings,” she said. “We have always held onto a sleek, modern design. You know I love our Clearwater Resort here in Florida, and it does hold itself to its own standard, apart from the other locations lining the beach. But I wonder if it’s time we consider standing out from other resorts just a little bit more. With this new line, we have the opportunity to make a statement, to call ourselves out as the most exquisite, exotic destination any vacationer could possibly take.”

  Several of the original Elir resort buildings were less than satisfactory. They contained outdated features and didn’t exactly offer the upscale paradise Elir resorts boasted of: promises to pamper guests like royalty, lobbies that seemed more like a fairy tale than an actual location. Couple that with individual guest rooms which were less than modern, and these older resorts’ money intake was far below that of their newer establishments.

  Her parents had created an impeccable reputation over the years, and the renovations she was suggesting would only add to the resort line’s quality.

  Papa had built an international hotel chain brick by brick, determined to establish an Elir resort wherever people decided to travel. He’d set out to become a household name, and with several different brands hosted all across the world over the past thirty years, he’d done it. Aaliyah doubted there was a city on a map without an E
lir name on one of its hotels.

  Taking a quick breath to steady her uneasiness, Aaliyah presented the first of her designs. It highlighted their Middle-Eastern heritage, using bubbled turrets and the Arabian style found in palaces spreading from Dubai to Bangalore.

  “People want to feel as though they’re traveling to a new place, to somewhere otherworldly, to somewhere they can escape and enjoy themselves,” she said. “This new line of resorts will feel exotic no matter where they’re located.”

  Papa removed his glasses from his inner jacket pocket and settled them onto his nose, then took a few moments to analyze her digital sketches, tracing the details with a ringed finger. He flipped from one page to the next, inspecting the setup of lobbies, rooms, and restaurants, along with the exteriors.

  Her insides tied themselves into tiny little knots with every passing second.

  Finally, he lowered the papers to the table. “This is very well done,” he said, “but our resorts always fit in with the locale. If you were to put a resort like this in a rustic setting, say the western United States, for example, it would stand out like a sore thumb.”

  Aaliyah soldiered on. “That might be true, or it might be worth taking the chance to build an exotic jewel. Something that will show our consistency, that Elir resorts are the Taj Mahal of hotels. Guests will find quintessential luxury, relaxation, and breathtaking views with every visit, no matter where they are. Even for the older destinations.”

  “And how do you suppose we incorporate this consistent new look?” he asked.

  She slid a different set of papers forward. “I did a budget on the repairs of some of our older establishments. I’ve contacted the hotel managers and even traveled to several myself to see what needs to be done in each location. There are currently four hotels which are in the most need of attention, so I thought we could start there.

  “Take the San Diego location. With this plan in mind, we could move the current guests into another building while the repairs on the main building are being made. The investment would be worth it because many of the rooms currently not in use would be fixed. In the interim, we could expand the lobby to include the restaurant and dining area, with the addition of a Starbucks for busy customers who don’t have time for a sit-down meal.”

  There. She’d done it. She’d said everything she intended to say. Now, she waited with bated breath while he examined her proposal.

  “I’m impressed,” Papa said while lowering his glasses. “You’ve obviously done a lot of work on this.”

  She beamed. Now for the real reason she’d made this proposal. It took a conscious effort to keep her hands where they were, to maintain her current semi-confident posture instead of wiping her clammy palms on her suit pants.

  “I would like to be the frontrunner in carrying this out, sir.”

  His brows drew together. The edges of his eyes thinned. For several agonizing seconds, he said nothing, leaving Aaliyah a bundle of nerves and pulsing heartbeats.

  Finally, he shuffled the papers on the desk.

  “Sit down, Aaliyah. Please.”

  She was standing again? When did that happen?

  Their age-old argument began to echo in her mind. Requests she’d made to branch out, start her own business or even just live on her own. His insistence she had everything she already needed right where she was. He’d continually claimed she knew nothing about business in the first place. In an effort to prove herself—and with her mother’s encouragement—she’d gone to business school, only to be put off by him yet again once she finished.

  Mama had died while she was away, making Aaliyah’s requests to move, to do things for herself, moot because her father claimed he needed her with him.

  When she asked if she could work on his staff, he claimed she wasn’t familiar enough with the behind-the-scenes running of a corporation as expansive as theirs.

  Only recently, she’d convinced him to allow her to travel from resort to resort, to familiarize herself with each one’s needs. She’d put in the time, hoping just this once, he might hear what she had to say. He might take her seriously.

  Clearly, nothing had changed. Head bowed, she dropped into her seat at the table.

  Papa tented his fingers. “Lift your head, my daughter. I know you have wanted this for quite a while. It is human nature to dream, and you’ve been brought up living in the finest hotels the world has to offer. Of course, you would want to make it your future.”

  She swallowed. This wasn’t his usual response.

  “I want it to be your future, too. But I already have a thriving line that offers a paradise to all who visit each destination. True, it will need to be properly looked after, and I can see you are putting yourself to the task.”

  Aaliyah’s heart began pumping. Was he saying what she thought he was? “So you approve of my presentation? You wish to have me manage your resorts?”

  “I do. I know you received top marks in your education. I know you are capable, my daughter. The Elir resort line has dotted the entire world, and with a company this size, it would, therefore, be more manageable with someone at your side.”

  She stiffened. She was asking for a chance at the CEO position—or any position, for that matter. What did that have to do with having someone at her side?

  It sounded more like a relationship reference than a business venture.

  “What are you saying?” she asked.

  Papa pulled his iPad from his briefcase and set it on top of her papers. He swiped and brought up a website, pinching with his fingers until the image of a handsome man took up the screen.

  Why was he showing her a picture of this man? This appeared to be a law firm’s website. Hassan and Stillman Law. Was he the owner? Was her father working with him and wanted her to present her marketing plan to him?

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand,” she said.

  “You are my heir, Aaliyah.”

  Aaliyah fisted her hands at her sides. “I want to be more than your heir. I don’t want to only inherit your fortune, Papa. I want to make sure I do it justice, the way you have.”

  His smile was of the twinkle-eyed variety, but instead of calming her, it rattled her. “You will, my angel, you will. But you know I’m battling cancer.”

  The thought pricked her. He’d talked about his impending death too many times for her liking. “You’ve been battling cancer for years, Papa. The doctor said it’s been in remission. It’s cleared from your body.” She suspected it was one reason Papa kept his hair longer. After he’d lost it and had it grow back, he hadn’t cropped it short like he used to. He probably wanted to remind himself he still had it. He still had his life.

  “Nothing is forever, Aaliyah. Should something happen to me, I want to know your future is secure.”

  Was he kidding? He would be leaving her a fortune of an inheritance. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him.

  “Money is not the only security there is.” His hand was still resting on the iPad. On the handsome stranger’s face.

  “For a few years, I’ve been getting to know the owner of Hassan and Stillman Law Firm as he has handled my affairs. As you know they’re a very prestigious law firm.” Papa went on. “His name is Zayn Hassan, and I have found him to have many admirable traits. He is kind and thoughtful with his employees. He is easy to talk to, and though I am no good judge, I believe women also find him to be good-looking.”

  “I still don’t get what you’re saying, Father. You want me to go into business with Zayn Hassan?” Was he saying he wanted to merge their businesses? How in the world would a law firm merger with a line of luxurious resorts be beneficial? And what did this man’s looks have to do with that?

  “I’m saying he would make a good husband for you.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  The floor dropped from beneath her.

  “You want me to marry someone?”

  “I have worked my entire life to build this company. Elir Resorts are the highest quality hotel peo
ple can visit, and that reputation must be maintained. It’s also a large amount of responsibility to suddenly bequeath to you when I die and expect you to handle everything on your own.”

  Suddenly bequeath it to her? It would be sudden if she hadn’t known he was sick, but she’d known for years. She’d been preparing for it just as long. “I can hire consultants, Papa. I can hire an accountant to help with finances. I got my degree, and once I get managerial experience, I can apply for my MBA. I know what to do.”

  He smiled with sympathy and something like pity in his eyes. She hated that look. It made her feel like a kitten pleading before a snarling bear. “Learning things on paper is far different from real-life application. The stress can be much harder than you imagine. Having someone at your side will make things easier. Zayn will make the perfect CEO for this company.”

  “You—” Her mouth went dry. She swallowed before continuing. “You want to offer Robert’s position to him? Papa, I’m trying to tell you—”

  Fear clenched her voice, holding her from speaking. She couldn’t get the words out. She reached for the coffee Lisa had brought her and took a long drink. It’d cooled during their discussion and held a gross tang instead of the soothing warmth she’d been hoping for.

  Aaliyah took a moment before speaking.

  “Papa, I don’t need to marry to have someone help me. I thought you might consider me as your CEO.”

  There it was again. The kitten look. “But you are always alone here,” Papa said. “You need to get out more. You need to experience life a little more before settling into such a demanding position.”

  The idea was so ironic, she nearly laughed. Experience life, sure. How could he think she would experience more of life by getting married? That sounded like the opposite. Wasn’t marriage jokingly referred to as a ball and chain? There had to be some truth to that, as there was with any cliché.

  Besides, what did he think she was trying to do here? How could she experience life when he wouldn’t let her leave his side? Sure, she’d just returned from visiting hotel sites, but he’d only allowed that because it was already his territory.