Shawn had met Aurora a few times before. Sure, she was beautiful, but in his eyes, she simply didn''t have the same allure as Ste.
The woman sitting across from him now was something else entirely. Her features were striking-elegant but not cold, radiant yet never gaudy. There was a confidence to her beauty that never tipped into vulgarity, a kind of maic femininity that felt both refined and intoxicating. It was the sort of beauty that felt almost dangerous, the kind that made a man want to possess her.<fn8bc6> Fresh chapters posted on f?ndnovel</fn8bc6>
He''d met his fair share of attractive women, but he''d never encountered anyone quite like Ste. She was alluring without being cheap, enchanting without being overbearing. She made his heart race with a desire that was hard to ignore. Just as he was admiring her, a sudden chill crept up Shawn''s spine.
His body tensed instinctively, every nerve on edge. Even the hairs on his arms stood up, as if warning him of imminent danger.
He looked up, only to meet a pair of pitch-dark eyes, cold as a winter storm.
For a split second, Shawn froze. Then it clicked-he recognized the man.
Right. He was the guy Ste had brought with her. Maybe her kept boy? No, wait —a bodyguard, that seemed more likely.
Shawn regained hisposure and forced a smile. "I already checked everything thest time. No need to go over it all again today."
Ste took out the contract, her tone polite but distant. "If there''s nothing else, Mr. Pearce, perhaps you could sign the contract now?"
Shawn epted the paperwork, barely ncing at it before setting it aside.
"This is my first time meeting you, Ms. Cameron. I was hoping we could get to know each other a little, maybe be friends. As for the contract, I''ll sign it, no need to worry. There''s no rush."
Ste nced at her watch, her lips curving in a faint, courteous smile. "I''m sorry, Mr. Pearce, but I have a lot of work waiting for me back at the office. Once the contract is signed, I''ll need to return right away."
A flicker of annoyance crossed Shawn''s face, though he quickly masked it. He''d heard stories about this woman-rumors of her so-called wild side, her string of flings after her divorce, the way she''d supposedly kept a young lover.
Now, she was pretending to y hard to get? Was this some kind of seduction tactic?
Shawn put on a regretful expression. "If you''re busy, I wouldn''t dream of keeping you. But since fate brought us together, how about a toast? Would you do me the honor, Ms. Cameron?"
He picked up a ss of wine and offered it to her.
His words were smooth, making it almost impossible to refuse without seeming rude.
Ste looked at the ss and gave a polite, distant smile. "I''m sorry, I don''t drink."
Shawn had expected as much. Unfazed, he set the wine down. "If you don''t like alcohol, how about a soft drink instead? Surely that won''t be a problem."
He snapped his fingers. A nearby server immediately stepped forward, opened a fresh bottle of sparkling water in front of them, demonstrating there''d been no chance to tamper with it. s
Ste watched the scene unfold, inwardly amused.
The server poured a ss and handed it to Shawn with practiced deference.
Shawn held out the drink. "Ms. Cameron, surely this is okay now?"
At this point, most people would have feltpelled to ept. Refusing again woulde off as almost insulting.
Still, Ste neither reached for the ss nor answered.
Shawn coaxed, his tone soft and persuasive. “Ms. Cameron, if you'' Just have this drink with me
me I''ll sig
the contract right now. You''ll be free to get back to work." s
Ste looked at him, then suddenly broke into a dazzling smile.
"Mr. Pearce, you''re not nning to slip anything into this drink, are you?"
Her smile was so enchanting it was almost blinding, her eyes sparkling like starlight.
Shawn nearly forgot himself,
swallowing hard. "Of course not! It''s
a brand new
opened justle-you saw it
now. There''s absolutely
nothing in there." s
Ste raised an eyebrow, her tone yful. "Is that so?"