Lara tried to rein in her excitement as the plane ran along the runway to take off.
It was her first time on a plane. She could never have anticipated being on a plane, let alone thinking of traveling overseas on it.
She balled her hands into fists, biting down hard on her lips as the plane gained ascent off the ground.
Shane looked amused as he watched her. "You will bleed your lips if you bite down that hard on it."
If she needed help biting harder on it, he would gladly fulfill her request if she did.
She flattened her lips, a deep flush painting her cheeks. She heaved a relieved sigh as the plane finally gained altitude. She wheezed out an exhale.
"There," she breathed, and she swept her tongue over her lips.
"Bravo!" Shane clapped, an amused smile on his face.
Lara resisted the urge to roll her eyes, clicking her tongue noisily in her mouth instead.
The takeoff had been terrific. With her life left at the mercy of a towering mass of metal ascending into the air, there was little she could do to keep her heart from jumping to her throat.
She felt embarrassed, however, that her fear had been so obvious. She bit her lips, pinched her nose, and hit her head against the head rest. Her eyes closed tightly.
"You don't have to be embarrassed about it. It's your first time, after all. And you're lucky your reaction to being on a plane for the first time is just take-off fright and not flight sickness."
"It's still embarrassing," She muttered under her breath, her eyes still shut, and her head leaned against the headrest.
Silence settled briefly between the two before Shane asked, "Is there any place you would love to see in Paris?"
"Pardon?" She sat up and looked at him, and then the question he asked registered in her head. "Oh!" She said this and leaned back against the seat. "I've not had the time to consider that, really. I've been occupied." She twitched her lips.
Shane nodded in understanding. "Occupied," he repeated. "Indeed." He nodded in agreement with her diction, inhaled, and let out an exhale. "We still have a few days ahead before our meeting. What do you say to exploring Paris?"
She looked at him, blinking twice, as she considered taking up his offer. She would love to explore the world in Paris with him, but she feared he might be trying to charm her.
And if he truly was, he was gradually worming his way through the barricades she had raised around her heart.
It was hard for her not to appreciate him. She couldn't have circumvented her growing attraction for him. As opposed to the rumors she had heard of him and her consequent evaluation of him as a bad man, he was sweet, genial, and attractive.
He was thorough and humble. She admired that about him. He made it seem effortless for everyone to relate to him, although he was on an entirely different level from her and his staff.
Her heartbeat accelerated as she realized what was happening to her. She was giving in to his charms.
Hell no, Lara. Take a hold of yourself. Keep a clear head.
She muttered repeatedly in her mind.
Shane could see the hesitation in her face. He sighed.
"Lara. My offer to explore Paris with you is not for personal reasons, if that's what you are scared of. Still business, but mixed with pleasure and fun. More like field research. It's an avenue to get to know more about the locals and the market we are targeting based on their opinions and expectations of the product we would be launching."
She seemed to relax at that. She nodded, sucking in her lip ring. "Okay."
Shane looked at her, noticing how she avoided making eye contact with him. "I'm sure you are aware that it's not professional to avoid eye contact."
She huffed subtly through her nose and apologized quickly. Her heart thudded loudly against her chest as she forcefully summoned her will to hold his gaze.
She apologized, flustered, "I'm sorry."
"What exactly is going on, Lara?" He knew what exactly was off with her, but he needed to aim his target well before he fired his shot.
He never made mistakes when it came to charming women, but with Lara, he knew he needed to tread more carefully.
She wasn't like any of the other women he had been involved with in the past. He only cared about getting into their pants, nothing more.
But with Lara, he wanted more than that. He wanted not just a part of her; he wanted all of her, but he would have to earn her trust to gain that.
However, Lara didn't appear ready at the moment to grant him his wish. She was particularly guarded around him, and no matter how hard he tried to make her let down her walls, she cemented them higher and stronger.
He was like fire to her. A compelling fire she mustn't get in contact with, or else she risks being burned; it would leave an indelible scar on her.
"What do you mean?" She feigned ignorance.
"I thought we were friends now, Lara. Do I make you uncomfortable?"
She choked out a laugh. "No." She shook her head. "Of course you don't. I apologize if I've acted in a way to make you think that way. I'm sure... uh, exploring Paris is a wonderful idea." She swept her tongue briefly over her lip.
"And stop doing that, please," he snapped.
"Uh, right," Lara breathed.
He realized what he had done as he watched the withdrawn look on her face. "I didn't mean to snap at you."
She twitched her lips and smiled flatly. "I understand. It's fine."
"Lara," he persisted.
"Shane." She held his gaze. "It's a habit I have. I've always been told by my boyfriend that it's unsettling when I do that."
An alarm set off within him at her words; his nose flared, and his eyes widened. "You have a boyfriend?" He spat.
She furrowed her brows. "Yes. A friend of mine who is a male."
He relaxed. "Oh." He paused. "We should get to know each other since we've agreed to be friends, and maybe that would help with your unease around me."
"I'm not at unease around you," she denied, the words rolling off her tongue rapidly.
"You're sure?" He teased, a smirk cupping a corner of his mouth.
She looked at him. "Of course. I'm not."
"So, do I have your pardon?"
"For what?" She recalled what. "It's fine. You are free to express your disapproval."
"I don't disapprove of the action itself."
She gave a then-what look. "You are not pleased to see me biting down on my lips. I get it."
Absentmindedly, she bit down on her lip again.
"I warned you."
With a low growl under his breath and propelled by his desires, Shane leaped off his seat, covered the distance to hers with a long, powerful stride, and slammed his lips roughly against hers.
Lara hadn't seen it coming. Her mouth parted wordlessly as he swooped down to meet her face, swallowing her gasp with his mouth.
Heat burned through her as his lips touched hers, tasting, seeking, and exploring all of her. She shivered as a rush of pleasure she had never known existed coursed sharply through her.
She held on to him and purred into his mouth, all her body itching to be seared with his hot kisses.
He pulled her to her feet, gripping her hair while he kissed her.
A combination of thrill and pleasure raced through her, her mind fogged by the onslaught of desire that washed over her.
Stop. Stop! A distant, still voice protested in her mind as he took her down into the throes of passion with his passionate and erogenous kisses.
His hands captured the contours of her waist from her lower back to her hips; his fingers trailed feather-light touches over her skin.
She moaned.
Stop!!!
She jerked back, pushing him away from her. "No!"
She gasped.
What the hell was she doing? She pressed a palm to her forehead, gasping and panting, averting his gaze.
"I'm so sorry, Lara," Shane rasped quickly, retreating back a step. He apologized repeatedly, mentally beating himself up for losing his self-control.
He had messed up big-time. He puffed out an irritated exhale at himself through his mouth.
"Lara.."
"It's fine. Just stay away from me, please." She held out her palm to him. "I need a moment," she said
breathlessly, her hand planted on her heaving chest.
He paused, deciding it was better to obey her demand.
He moved back to his seat, silently cursing under his breath for losing control of himself. He feared greatly that he had lost Lara's trust in his intentions before he gained it.
His balls ached as he sat back in his seat. His body was still on fire from the kiss he had shared with her.
Thank goodness she stopped him when she did, or else he would have done things he might never get forgiven for.
With the other women he had had, he could care less, but with Lara, he couldn't make up his mind to do anything that would hurt her and make her hate him.
With passion.
The rest of the flight was spent in painstaking silence. They each kept to themselves until they lodged in the hotel they had booked for their stay.
It was a luxurious hotel built in a grand style and offered elegant rooms and suites with stunning views of the city.
"Lara," Shane tried to reach out to her again. Guilt spread through him as he noticed how immediately she walled up at the sight of him, flinching subtly.
"Please. I know I've acted out of character. I really admire my friendship with you, Lara. I don't want to lose this priceless connection with you."
"I'm not annoyed with you, Shane."
He arched an eyebrow at her response. He wasn't fooled into believing she wasn't annoyed at him, as she had said. Not after how she had balked at the sight of him.
"I'm not trying to play with you. I really am sorry," he apologized, feeling contrite about his actions.
She looked at him. "Please. You are making me uncomfortable and feel bad about myself with your apologies. Don't make this any more awkward. I've overlooked it. It was a mistake. We got carried away."
She sucked in a deep breath, her chest heaving. " Alright?" She released her breath.
Shane looked so emotional at the moment, it unnerved her. She resisted the urge to pull him into her arms, embrace him, cuddle him...
"Oh, God!" She moaned as she took note of the direction her thoughts were taking.
How would she forge through the years she had to work with him and pay her debts if she couldn't keep a hold on her desires?
She wished she could run. He was a turn-on. She needed to get away from him as fast as possible.
He was a danger to her resolve. All sense of reasoning appeared to flee her mind and brain within proximity to him.
"When does our field excursion start?" She changed the subject of the conversation quickly, giving a light shrug.
He didn't look entirely convinced that she had put the kiss behind her. He knew he had ruined the brief progress he had made to get through the cages of her heart. He swallowed. "Yes. We leave whenever you are ready tomorrow morning."
"K. Good night." She went into her room, feeling his gaze hot on her back.
She slammed the door shut and fell back against it, holding her thudding chest with her hands.
"Breathe in, Lara," she instructed herself, slowly following her guide. "And out." She exhaled, her shoulders sagging. She walked to the king-sized bed and plopped down flat on it with her arms spread wide.
"You can do this," she whispered encouragingly to herself.
All she had to do was keep up a wall between them. Nothing would stop her from exploring the world of Paris tomorrow.
The days went by in a rush and were regrettably short-lived. She wished she could have extended the days before they had to meet with the distributor company to negotiate the contract.
She had so much fun visiting iconic places like the Eiffel Tower, which offered a breathtaking view of the city. There was the Jardin du Luxembourg, a beautiful park with manicured gardens and a pond for sailing miniature boats.
And, of course, her favorite, Disneyland. She had so much fun riding Space Mountain, and she had such a good laugh—her stomach hurt—that Shane had shown fear as she had been frightened on the roller coaster.
They each shook hands with the company's representatives and took their seats.
Shane began, "Good morning. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. I'm interested in discussing the possibility of forging an alliance between our companies."
"Good morning, Mr. Williams. It's a pleasure to meet with you as well," the man replied, his gaze lingering unnecessarily on Lara as he spoke. He introduced himself as Raphael Dupont. "We're certainly open to exploring opportunities for collaboration.
We've been following the success of your beauty products and are excited about the potential of working together with you. Shall we proceed with the contract negotiations? What specifically do you have in mind?"
Shane launched into the proposal. The conversation extended over a few minutes, with Mr. Dupont's gaze constantly moving in Lara's direction while they talked.
Lara swallowed dryly and tried not to show her unease at Raphael's gaze. She twitched her lips and willed herself to follow the conversation instead.
"Alright, that all sounds good. We've prepared a draft contract that outlines our initial proposals."
The contract was handed over to Lara by his assistant, a young lady who had been introduced as Felicia Durham.
"We look forward to your input and suggestions to ensure a mutually beneficial agreement that sets the stage for a prosperous business relationship," he said.
"Thank you, Mr. Dupont. I appreciate your proactive approach. I will review the draft contract and provide our feedback within the agreed-upon timeline," Shane said.
"Absolutely, Mr. Williams."
"Thank you for your time today, and I'm looking forward to finalizing this contract soon."
"Thank you, Mr. Williams. I share your enthusiasm and look forward to our ongoing collaboration. Have a safe journey back."
Shane nodded in acknowledgment. "And you too, Mr. Dupont. Let's keep in touch. Until we meet again." He shook hands with him.
Mr. Dupont shook hands with Lara as well, and Shane shook hands with Miss Felicia. "She wears the product well. She will make a perfect model."
"She's an executive assistant." Mine. "Not a model, Mr. Dupont," Shane stated firmly, giving the hint that he was trying not to get offended by how he had been leering at his assistant all through the conversation.
"Of course." He flashed a smile at both of them and bid them goodbye again until their next meeting.
"How do you feel?" He inquired as they sat in the car.
She looked at him, reaching out to sweep her tongue over her lips, then, recollecting the consequence that could have, shut her mouth and swallowed. She nodded in reply, twitching her lips. "I'm good."
She laughed.
"What's funny?"
"Technically, I was at the meeting as a model. You didn't have to react that way to his statement."
"I will accept that if you tell me you were not at unease with his leers. His gaze was virtually on you all through the meeting." His voice rose to a pitch of smoldering annoyance.
She watched him silently, a ghost of a smile on her lips.
"What?" He asked, and his inflection changed.
"Thank you, Shane. For everything. Being here is such a huge blessing and an unmerited opportunity for me."
"Lara, you deserve every second of it all. You deserve more than this."
"I.."
He spread his arms. "Give me a hug?"
She arched an eyebrow.
"Not as your boss. Your friend." He held his arms open. "Come on, Lara," he urged. "I won't bite."
She flattened her lips, inclined to lean for the hug, but she remembered her resolve.
"I will pass," she refused politely. "Thanks, buddy."
A twinkle lit in Shane's eyes at the endearment she had given him. She might have denied him a hug, but she had granted him something more valuable.
She had acknowledged him.
"You are welcome, mate." He smiled.
.......
How's it going, everyone? Happy New Month to you all. I wish you all the best.
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