“Now you are being impertinent.”

“Touch a nerve, have I?” Sora chuckled. “Take me to the Vixen, I’ll demonstrate all of its amazing features.”

“You may tell me how to start it.”

“Not in million years – “ Sora stopped herself from calling him Omar. She no longer felt any need to insult him. Far from it; she realized what she really wanted was his outright admiration for the beautiful machine she had created. Yet not one thing this man had said or done had shown her outright that he wanted the Vixen 2016-2. But she knew he did.

He lusted after the damn plane even though he did a magnificent job of not revealing a single emotion.

A smile crease Sora’s face as she pictured him sitting in the cockpit, thwarted, frustrated, the controls in his hands and the machine valiantly unresponsive. He could only wish he had the little lady airborne. Sort of the way she was doing, sitting on this fine couch, drinking fabulous coffee and not daring to move close enough to touch him.

“Where is the operations manual?”

“I told you. It is with my father in Al Kuwait.”

Leeteuk frowned. These were not the answers that he wanted to hear. He gave one last search to the unimportant assortment of papers. Nothing in it would make the airplane fly. He rested his elbow on the back of the sofa, turned toward her, his hand over his mouth while he thought this out.

All at once she smiled, then laughed, deeply amused. “You wish me to believe you are the Vixen’s designer?”

“Don’t judge me by the color of my hair,” she snapped. She didn’t like the way his smiled spread to his eyes, either.

“I understand. You wish to play games, to be induced into telling me where the manual is, to be forced?”

“Right, bring on the whips and chains.”

“Perhaps the keys you left on the plane are not the correct keys. They open the locks and fit the ignition, but that is all.”

“If you think my key will help, take it. It is in my wallet. Help yourself. You’ll get nowhere.”

“I will contact your company in Texas and request another manual to be sent immediately by air express.”

“By all means do so, Sheik Leeteuk. Have you had occasions to meet my brothers? Matthew runs the company in my father’s absence. Tom pitched in a pinch. Both will suggest you request my assistance to access the computers. In fact, at the moment, no one on earth other than me can start the Vixen 2016-2. I made certain of that before I left it sitting on your Saudi tarmac. At Kang Industries, we employ a state-of-the-art lockout. That way, no one has to worry about bandits strolling up and saying “Open sesame” and steal one of our planes. I too, have read the Arabian Nights.”

“Now you are being impudent.”

“Am I?” Sora drawled totally unaffected by his glare. Nor did she feel the slightest worry about retribution. His hands were absolutely tied. “You know, you’ve antagonized me, big time. You’re flat out of luck, sir. I won’t help you.”