Alinard five

His breath hitched as he stared into her eyes, even if he tries he wasn't sure he could look away. Taking a sniff, he loves the way she smells like fresh spring flowers. Her presence carried vibrance and left him exhilarated.

"And drop the formal tone. Just call me by my name." He said coolly.

"This is business. We are bound to be formal and I don't appreciate the proximity, Mr. Leonardo." Her heart was beating faster than normal.

"Leonardo not Mr. Leonardo. I promise you that I won't leave you easily if you call me Mr. title. You are still my friend for a day so drop all formalities."

She kept quiet and she stepped backward she saw his smirk and smacked herself in her head seven times.

Now he thinks she was affected by him, "You should blush more. It suits you," He admitted causing her to be thoroughly flushed.

Leaving, they walked to the door Alison saw her driver and went to meet him.

"Mr. you can take the car by to the hotel. I don't need your services now."

"Also, go for a break. You must be hungry and tired." She handed him a note from her bag.

"Okay Miss," he appreciated.

Smiling briefly at him, she turned and saw Leonardo leaning on a shining sleek car, she would admit Leonardo looked more handsome and sleek in his three-piece expensive suite his hair gelled backward, he had his sunglasses on.

She wasn't sure that that was the right attire for the site but who was she to say.

He do looked dreamy. She shook her head of silly thoughts

Checking out the car it looks really expensive. She was never good in cars and did not know the manufacturer's name on

Walking towards him, He smiled at her briefly something about that smile made her knees weak.

He made his way to her in an attempt to open the door for her but she hurriedly got in before he could help her.

So much trying to be a gentleman.

He started his car and drove out of the building premises.

He can't wait to spend the remainder of the day with her in the guise of visiting the site.

Turning the knob to increase the volume of the melody playing in the car, he watched as she puffed in annoyance and glued her face to the window.

Sitting comfortably in the car of the client she is working for, she noticed he had this inscrutable expression on his face. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts or maybe that was simply the way his face was whenever he is driving.

She drops her gaze to her phone and smiled at the content displaying as she poured her undivided attention to the entertainment source she could not help but let out a little chuckle.

Unknown to her she drew the attention of the man beside her, who wondered the reason for her sudden loosened behavior.

His first thought when he saw her at the elevator area, was how intimidating she looks and her possession of such an aura she wasn't aware she emitted.

For some factors he was not aware of, he blamed them for her uptight nature. Seeing her reacting to something other than work makes him think 'this woman is human'

Not some robotic work element stuck in a woman's body he was starting to have a crush on, even at the restaurant she was just too reserved for his own good.

For his sanity.

Feeling intimidated by her unnecessary questions and glare, he felt his title as the drool-worthy Leonardo Adriano dropped a bit when he met her.

He unnerved girls, not the other way around. After his fiancee's death, he has not found someone who challenged him like her.

Until Alison.

Even the air they both breathed was filled with unseen tension.

He watched her from the corner of his eyes again trying to catch on to what was causing the sudden change of reaction in her attitude.

For someone he only met yesterday, he wondered how much  his curiosity piqued up in such little time.

She slightly closed her eyes and placed her palm on her face, her body jerking unusually.

Was she convulsing? His thought doubting such occurrence.

Listening harder he heard her soft mirthful laughter, it sounded so carefree.

A part of him wished he could make her laugh like that.

So full of life and rainbow-like vibrance.

A thought ran across his mind.

He was so sure in his foundation-less theory that Alison doesn't have a husband or partner simply because her relationship status in her profile wasn't ticked as married or in a relationship.

Well, she is not married... He queried his contradicting mind.

But, that doesn't mean she doesn't have a boyfriend.

He recalled how Isabella a female cousin of his last summer lay all day on the dark couch that stayed outside near the pool in his father's popular resort and smiled all day just from staring at her phone.

Her unexpected laughter shocked anyone that walked around the pool environs during her stay on the couch. One would think she was possessed, unknown to them she laughed because her newly found boyfriend always sent her memes of himself and videos of him acting all ridiculous and stupid.

It wasn't that hilarious when he saw it but he saw the gleam in her eyes when she laughs and concluded she was lovestruck.

A bit of him sank further into his sea of doubts.

What if Alison is already taken? A new feeling of dread washed across his back in an unkind manner.

Her mirthful laughter reduced a lot but she still had this huge grin on her face, he had the urge of yanking the phone out of her hands and throwing it out to the road.

He lost his concentration for a while as his driving became reckless, he swerved right sharply to avoid an incoming car she let out a little yelp and hit hard on the passenger door.

Cursing softly under his breath, concern washed him as he thought she must be terrified a bit for the 'almost accident incident'.

She was more terrified more than he thought, she looked pale white with her hand clutching on her chest, her eyes kept widening like someone watching a horror film.

"I am so sorry! I was lost a bit for a second... he was such a reckless driver he could have steered away from our lane, or honked at least," he apologized trying to shift the blame on the poor driver that went past him cursing at Leonardo's bad driving.

He could not blame himself,

Her expression changed into something more different from fear.

It turned to anger, stoic blazing anger, "Next time you want to get yourself killed, please! inform me earlier so I won't have to board the same vehicle as you."

Huffing in annoyance she turned her gaze to the tinted glass windows.

It was then Leonardo knew it wasn't his fault or the old driver's fault for a close collision but, it was her fault and her distracting beautiful smile.

Reaching their destination, he parked his car facing a little shrub, turning off the ignition he turned to Alison whose expression was indifferent. She gently ruffled her bag and brought out a drawing pad and an electronic note pad.

Zipping her bag he waited for her to properly hold on to all the items she held on her arm.

Expecting her to get down the car, he noticed her fallen expression.

What is the problem now?

He followed her gaze as it was downcast towards her bosom.

Why was she staring there?

Noticing his look, Alison frowned, "You pervert, what are you looking at?"

"What... are you referring to me?" he stumbled on his words.

She raised her eyebrow demanding an explanation.

"I wasn't staring... there just because I want to. I stared because you also directed your gaze there and I could not help but wonder what the problem might be?" This is so embarrassing he scratched his neck feeling flushed.

"It is the seat belt," she announced still frowning.

Oh! the seat belt was still on, he missed that.

He felt like a pervert now.

"Could you hold this so I can remove it" She requested but she felt she was being ignored?

He came close to her and faced her,

His left hand crossed around her waist she almost gasped at his proximity, his face inched closer to the left side of her face his breath burning hard on her face.

What is he doing? The turmoil happening in her stomach was to be blamed to a thousand butterflies dancing salsa in her.

He looked handsome so upclose, she took hitched breath noticing his features look softer when you see it so much closer.

She drowned more in his grey eyes.

His irises had the sprinkle of brown speckles in them, she was momentarily swooned and smitten by his closeness to her, she could hear his breathing.

"It is done now," he announced shifting a little away from her.

"Hmm," she muttered her gaze still lingering on his face.

"The seat belt," he said a quizzical look came across his face.

"Oh!... Yes, yes" She exclaimed clearing her throat in a haste manner.

"Thank you," she said her voice low.

"Why are you blushing?" He pointed to her blood-red cheeks, his question induced more blushing.

"What...No, no! I am not blushing. I need fresh air!" She announced quickly opening the door clumsily.

A full-blown grin came across Leonardo's face, For the first time, he has smitten her. Hope shimmered within him.