6 - Resist his charm?

"Or we can...?" Suddenly, he was on her face, staring into her eyes. Then, his arms caged her to her seat, leaving her with not much room to move.

For an insane minute, she felt like she was drowning in his dark eyes as she looked closer into their depths.

For a crazy second, she parted her lips, believing he was about to kiss her.

Don't be stupid, Charlie.

Until reality set in, reminding her she might be setting herself up for another disappointment. As much as she wanted to act tough, she had never done anything without involving her heart.

But could she do it now, make her heart as hard as a stone, keep her emotions in check, and act like she did not care?

Damn the consequences.

"Hey! Why don't we stick to the drink?" She guessed not yet. She stopped him before he could suggest something else, believing he was going too fast.

Immediately, her hand pushed against his chest, forcing him to straighten in his seat and create a space between them.

"Ok, if that is what you want." He obliged, grinning at her as if he found her response amusing. Then, he turned his attention back to his drink.

"So, what brings you to this part of town?" She asked, raising her brows at him when her eyes raked his appearance.

From his impeccable suit to his commanding presence, she believed he did not seem the guy to hang out in such a crappy place like this club.

"I don't think I've seen you here before." She thought he stuck out like a sore thumb among this crowd. "I don't think this place is the kind of place you frequent."

"What made you think that?" He asked, glancing at her face before roaming his eyes around. "But you're right. It is my first time in this bar."

"Well, your suit is visibly tailor-made for you." She touched the sleeves of his coat. Then, she let her fingers glide over its silky texture. "Your watch is a limited edition, the expensive kind."

Ironically, she recognized it. It was a similar piece she was supposed to give to her fiancé. Unfortunately, she could not afford such a priceless gift since it was way out of her budget.

Eventually, she had to settle for the cheaper one.

"What a waste!" She silently mumbled more to herself, remembering her gift.

Of course, she thought that dumbass did not deserve it.

"And you order the most expensive scotch on the top shelf." She continued, turning to watch his Adam's apple move up and down as he swallowed his drink.

She believed those bottles were collecting dust in their hiding place. Typically, most customers of this bar settled for the cheap brand of whiskey, tequila, or a bottle of beer, just like her.

But for tonight, she was treating herself to an expensive cocktail.

After all, it was his treat.

"Oh, is that so?" He smiled, showing off his boyish grin. "Fair enough. Then, let us say I'm here for business." He shrugged his shoulders, gesturing to the men on the other side of the floor.

"...and I guess pleasure." He added, appearing amused before raising his glass to her while his eyes unabashedly studied her.

She supposed that explained his presence in this lowly club where she and her friends loved to hang out. However, she recalled that Collin would not get caught dead in such a place like this.

Her ex-fiancé had adamantly refused to join her and her friends, citing that this place was a dump. Therefore, she had stopped coming to this place, inevitably avoiding seeing her friends.

Stupid!

She should never have listened to him. But there was no room for regret. She had made the mistake of believing in his promises. But she had learned her lesson.

What an asshole!

She suddenly thought as she grabbed her freshly served drink and took a large gulp. "Ahhh!" That was refreshing. It was indeed what she needed.

"I hope you don't mind, but I noticed your necklace. It is beautiful. I think it is far more expensive than my watch." He stated while eyeing the pendant that dangled between the exposed cleavage of her breast.

"Oh! This?" Instinctively, her other hand flew to her chest, clasping the necklace between her fingers. "Yeah, it is gorgeous."

She suspected it was expensive, probably more than she could afford in this lifetime. However, the price was not what had made it valuable to her.

She loved it because it reminded her that there were still people left in this world who were kind and generous, just like the sweet gentleman she met the other day.

"So, how come a woman who could buy such luxury wants to hang out in a place like this?" He countered.

"No... No!" She quickly replied. "I could not afford something as precious as this." She corrected him.

"A friend gave it to me." She answered his unspoken question when he looked at her with quizzical eyes.

"Then, you must be a special friend for him to give you such an exquisite gift." He spoke as if his words had an implicit meaning.

"Anyway, what do you do?" He suddenly changed the topic as he swirled the ice in his glass, making it clink on the side.

She wondered how he knew that her necklace was expensive. But she guessed wealthy people must have an eye on genuine pieces.

Nonetheless, she did not mind talking about something else.

"I'm a model." She nonchalantly answered. It was not as if it was something she could brag about.

She might have a shoot here and there, but it was nothing big or glamorous. She was still waiting for that big break where she could be the star, not just the extra that people barely noticed.

"What about you? Are you some high executive?" She curiously asked, judging him by his clothing. After all, he did mention he was here for business.

"Something like that." He vaguely responded. "I was here to close a deal." He added.

"Did you... I mean, close your deal?" She nosily asked. Usually, she would not care about other people's business, but the alcohol had finally loosened her tongue.

Probably, her brain, too.

"I'm not particularly sure. You distracted me before we could come up with an agreement." He shifted his gaze to the people laughing and discernibly having a good time on the other side of the floor.

"Oh, what now? Shouldn't you go back and..." She felt alarmed, afraid he might get in trouble if he failed his task.

"Don't worry. I think my partner could handle it for me." He informed her, pointing to the man he was with earlier. "For now, you have my undivided attention."

Only this time, he pulled her fingers off the counter and wrapped them around his. Then, he brought them to his lips, kissing her knuckles while his eyes watched hers.

"I understand now why your boss sent you to do the job." She believed he was indeed a charming man. "You just knew your way around words."

"Do I? Maybe I should take that as a compliment." He raised his glass to her.

"Then, let us drink to that." She followed his lead, downing her drink until her glass was empty.

"More?" He asked.

He immediately tapped his knuckles on the bar counter when she nodded, catching the bartender's attention again.

"I suppose you're not too bad, Isaac." She admitted. She could not deny that she found his company enjoyable.

As she already suspected, he was fascinating, quite a lady's man. She suddenly wondered how many women had fallen into his bed with his sweet words and dazzling smile.

Was she about to become one of them?

Did she even want to?

"I can say the same thing with you, Charlie." He countered while turning to face her.

Suddenly, his fingers grazed the side of her cheeks, creating a pattern of warmth on her skin that readily spread to the rest of her body like a small wildfire.

Damn! It felt nice and fucking hot.

Surprisingly, she thought his touch felt familiar. It suddenly reminded her of their first encounter at the elevator, when his strong, firm arms wrapped around her petite body.

However, nothing happened that night. She reminded herself. They walked their separate ways when the elevator doors opened on the ground floor.

Yet, she thought those few minutes were enough to make a lasting impression. To her bewilderment, she believed she could not push this man out of her mind even if she forced herself to.

"Why don't we get out of here?"

Could she still resist his charm?