Vincent couldn't help but think of fate when her ring rolled in, coming to a halt only once it hit his foot. Well, it was also the information in that file that helped him find her here, but that's beside the point. He swiftly reached down and grabbed it, preparing himself for the chance to woo her. Having listened to the entirety of the conversation between her and Freya, he knew it wouldn't be that easy. He got up and walked towards her booth before she could take the initiative, wanting to come off as a well-mannered gentleman, which totally seemed to be her type.
He gingerly reached out for her hand and gently laid the ring at the center of her palm. He noted how soft her hands were, as if she bathed them in lotion daily. If she was anyone else, he would've flirtatiously slipped the ring onto her finger himself, but he knew that wouldn't have worked with her. Neither would it have been classy.
"Thank you." She expressed her relief, briskly getting up from her seat after slipping the ring on.
He gave her a breathtaking smile, "No need!"
"But still... You see, this ring is kind of very important, and well..." Rose stopped herself.
Dropping the ring left her flustered, allowing her to lose her cool composure, even if for a few seconds.
"A-anyway, have a nice day." She muttered, attempting to walk past the man.
She couldn't help but smell the pleasant fragrance drifting from his body, which was her all-time favorite cologne. In fact, Eli always wore it on their dates together. This man was very fit, but lean, not bulky. He was also very tall, and his shoulders were wide, which explains the difficulty she had squeezing past him. He let out a deep chuckle as she stopped at the exit to shuffle through her handbag, only to find that she left her umbrella at the office.
Taking this as his cue, he pulled out his own umbrella and opened the door for her, "Allow me."
She gave him a small smile, "I must seem like a ditz to you."
He shrugged, "I'd say this isn't you."
Amazed by how accurately he read her, she replied, "Yeah, you're right. I also hate being indebted to people, so please, you can be on your way. It's just a little rain after all."
Just then, a gust of wind blew the rain horizontally, causing Vincent to angle the umbrella so Rose didn't get wet. Of course, she noticed this small gesture and smiled.
"This is just a little rain to you? Did you grow up in the middle of a hurricane?" He joked, causing her to laugh.
"No, born and raised in this city, actually." She answered.
"That makes the both of us."
"Well, my car's parked over there." She said, stopping in front of the parking garage.
"Right. Um... since you feel indebted, how about buying me a coffee next week, same time?"
Rose looked at him curiously before flashing him her ring, "I'm engaged."
"Can't friends share some coffee?"
Her cheeks tinged with blush for jumping to conclusions, "Oh, I-I'm sorry, I just assumed..."
The young man laughed, "Well, I'm sure someone as pretty as you gets hit on all the time, regardless of your relationship status, so it's all good."
She looked down with a shy smile. That, she did. But she never once found it flattering like some of her colleagues seemed to. Any uninvited male attention disgusted her.
"So? Next Friday, same time and place?" He asked with a hopeful look.
Rose nodded, "Sure."
"You're even more beautiful when you genuinely smile." He commented, causing her cheeks to darken another shade of red.
She was appalled. People hardly ever saw through her fake smile, a pull of the lips she always musters out of obligation. Could he see through her that easily?
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were flirting with someone else's fiancée." She playfully countered.
Vincent flashed her another one of his perfect smiles, "Well, good thing you know better."
"I have to go. I'll see you later." She answered before turning and walking to her car.
"Bye! Remember, same place, same time!" He bellowed as she walked away.
"Of course, I never miss an appointment!" She yelled back, right before getting in the car.
Mr. Bridger saw it all. In the two months he's been in Rose's company, he's never seen her so full of expressions. Who was that good-looking young man that evoked such reactions from her? He knew better than to ask, though, knowing that stranger was not her betrothed.
"Did you have a good time, Ms. Farrington?" He asked, noticing the small smile on her face from the rearview mirror.
"Yes, I did." She answered, the smile not faltering.
What was his name?
Vincent was already around the corner by the time her car pulled out, exuding confidence with every step. That had gone much better than he imagined. She wasn't as cold as she made herself out to be in the media. Still, he wasn't going to push his luck. He was going to take it slow, very slow. He had to earn her trust. He knew she had doubts about the marriage and a bad history with relationships, judging from her conversation with Freya. He was going to wait until she told him about these doubts directly before making a move. These doubts are precisely what he could prey on to put an end to the merger.
There was something about her smile though... it was different than the ones he saw during her talk with Freya. The way her lips curled to reveal those cute dimples, that caught his interest. He wanted to see that smile again, but sooner than in a week. After getting in his sleek black Audi R8, he pulled out a copy of her schedule. Much to his distaste, her days always started early in the morning. She started her mornings off with a daily jog through Greenacre Park at 7:00 AM.
7:00 AM. That was closer to Vincent's bedtime than his wakeup call. He leaned back in his seat, groaning at the thought of having to wake up that early.
"Do it for the company, Vincent." He silently chanted.
Doing it for that smile isn't too bad either, he thought to himself.
- - - -
ČTEŠ
Seducing His Fiancée
Romance**COMPLETED, UNDERGOING EDITING** When a billionaire's company is at risk due to a merger via marriage from competing tycoons, he enlists the help of his heir to break the engagement. Vincent Sinclair, a quintessential playboy socialite, has always...
