In a Heartbeat

Chapter 10: Running Into My Princess

*Noah POV*

I just got out of a meeting where I talked to my investment banking associate and my analyst about the transactions made this past year. Our capital loss was $38,658. My company is slowly going down. I stand firm, more angry than ever, but more determined to find someone who can help me piece this all together. Facing the facts, I am desperate. I was walking out of my car into another building, when suddenly someone bumped into me.

"Hmph," I grunt.

"Sorry" I heard a quiet voice.

I hold her arm to keep her from falling, and I help her gain a steady footing before asking if she is okay.

I look down and see a girl who has soft brown hair the shade of amber. It lay on her shoulders like a waterfall flowing mildly; flaming as bright as a sunrise. When I meet her gaze, I feel drawn into her eyes. The icy blueness generates a feeling as if I am being pulled into a lake of frozen emotions. It is like all the myriad shades of blue swirled together to form a whirlpool. Below them are a button nose and a pair of lips that are like a poisonous rose, dangerous but beautiful. Looking at her as a whole, I realize that she isn't plastic. She doesn't cake her face with make-up, instead, a natural aura surrounded her.

Noticing that I was checking her out, her cheeks turn pink like a spring rose and she looks away. Knowing I made her blush, a smirk made its way on my face.

I lean in to ask, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," she says. Her body language gives it away that she is nervous.

"Mind if I get to know the girl I just bumped into?" I asked.

She scrunches up her face and looks as if she is contemplating whether or not to tell me about herself.

"No."

What? No girl ever refuses their information to me. But she was not like other girls. I genuinely wanted to get to know her, so I give her my name, hoping she will realize I am not just another guy on the street. I want to show her I was a respectable young man who has enough money and is capable of taking care of her— taking care of her?  Wow. I sure was falling for her already.

"Well, I'm Noah. Noah Dawson. Maybe you have heard of or seen me?"

"Sorry, haven't heard of you—"

I gasp. She doesn't know me, a billionaire! So I add, "—yet."

"You know I hate you people." She spits. I was flabbergasted. Oh women and their mood swings.

"Who is included in this 'people'?"

"You are so stuck-up. You think you are the best at everything. You look and seem rich, which makes you feel powerful on the outside, however deep within, I know what you really are like."

She can read me inside and out, but playing coy I add, "Oh yeah, and what is that?"

"You keep your guard up day by day, but I bet I can crack your walls to discover a soft, lost boy on the inside."

"—Let us not forget that I am a billionaire. I run BorderBanks Inc. and I can ruin you."

Her mouth opens at this and keeps opening and closing like a fish. She looks up at me with wide eyes, but then says the unexpected,

"—my point exactly. You have to include how famous and rich you are in every conversation to threaten the other person, so they will agree with you, but not this time, Mister. Not this time."