Seducing My Fiancé

Seducing My Fiancé: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Hello, Ms. Archibald."

I freeze in the entryway. Panic flutters in me, beholding the gorgeous bundles of white magnolias and sprigs of sage contouring the Skylight Lounge. The dusty theme of an old executive meeting ground was unrecognizable while decorated in sense-tingling nature. On an ordinary day, the place clangs with glass, cutlery, and elevated conversations. Now, he is the only person here, standing in front of a table for two.

It's been two years since I last saw Gayle Fox. He smiles the moment my eyes meet his. Gayle lifts his chin and rolls his muscular shoulders twice, a quick gesture of his brawn. I gripped the silver locket around my neck. My fingers flirt with the chain, and he tilts his head down, giving me a confident once over. Did my shock translate? He's smiling.

He looks clean cut in a starched white shirt and navy pants. I admire his appearance, though my face doesn't express reverence. Releasing my chain, I adjust the strap to my old emerald off-the-shoulder wrap dress. I hadn't planned to accessorize with beads of sweat, but– with or without them–I feel underdressed for the occasion. Whatever the occasion is.

"It's good to see you again." His smile grows and wrinkles the skin around his hazel eyes.

As I approach him with uncertainty, my attention scales over him. "Hi, Gayle. I have to ask... what is all of this?"

"A welcome back. More extravagant than my first gesture, I think."

If I read his tone and the atmosphere one way, I'd think that this was more than the email invite lunch meeting it's supposed to be. Wait...

"No!" My eyes open wide. "You sent me the magnolias and sage three months ago?"

"So, you received 'em."

My mouth runs a mile a minute. "Yes, but I thought it was from my cousin, Gloria! We got into this fight the day before, then there were these gorgeous flowers on my desk with a card from 'G' with no message. I was already crying before I got to my office—don't ask—so when I called my now conniving cousin, she must've claimed the bouquet to make peace. I'm so sorry."

"Darn you, Gloria," he says, jokingly raising his fist. "Well, she can't take credit for this now, can she?"

I shake my head, covering a small laugh with my hand.

Gayle lowers his voice. "Tell me you like it."

Surveying the room again, I tuck hair behind my ear. I'm readying an honest answer, when the breath snags in my throat. Was it the notes of cologne on his wrist or the heat of his fingertips that caught my attention first? My sudden awareness doesn't rush his hand ushering more hair behind my ear. This close, I can't shush my inner self from complimenting him. His lips are handsome and curved, unlike many of our old money peers with thin, cruel slashes for mouths.

"I love it. Just like the wake arrangement from two years ago, it was a kind gesture." I wave my brows together and smile. A prickling heat warms my face. "Unforgettable really."

"Did I go too far?" He bends to match my level. Gayle rounds his eyes, while anticipation turns him a little pale.

"No, this is the most beautiful welcome back ever." I say, and press the pads of my middle and ring fingers into the corner of my glistening eyes. "Of course, I choose today to leave my phone and purse in coat check to avoid distractions."

Straightening himself, he sighs with a smile. "So much of me appreciates that."

Again, I rub the warm locket between my fingers and loll my head sideways. "And please... call me Angela."

Gayle spreads his arms, and I dissolve into his snug hold. I don't think twice about positioning my head against the firm column of his throat. I smell the woodsy notes trailing into a soft floral. A groan purrs from within him.

I pull back at the first pulse between my thighs, but it's not up to one second when I sensed the disappointing sensation of withdrawal. I take a mental note to remember how my hands feel secure on his firm back. There remains a debris of enchantment as I speak with hopeful trigger words. "Plus, it's nice to see a familiar face... with a smile."

"Who wouldn't smile at you, Angela?" There it was, his toothy grin.

"Oh plenty. Just walk into the twenty-eighth floor of the Michelin Tower. I'm not my father. Nobody trusts me. "

His study of me darkens and his lips lose their friendly shape the longer he regards me. "I don't enjoy hearing that."

"Me neither." I snort.

Gayle's frown tells me he's wrestling over my confession. He glares into the distance before lowering his head and readjusting his shirt cuffs. His attention remains at bay until I clear my throat. "Gayle?"

He returns in a split second of shock.

"My apologies," he says. "Why don't we sit?"

His hand rests at the center of my back, and he leads me to the table for two. Meanwhile, I realize the masculine touch triggering an old, but familiar, all over body heat. Gayle pulls my chair out, and I can't restrain my imagination. The thought of being on a date with him wasn't the worst idea, and it wasn't the first time I'd imagined it. But I was told he had a 'penchant for pussy' and the questionable gossip rags, he regularly appears in,  confirm his flirtations with chaos. While he's gorgeous, sharp, and wealthy... he isn't my type.

I rest my elbows on the table and stroke my chin, feeling eager. "So... you do this for all your colleagues when they come back from around the world?"

He settles into his seat and laughs. "Mmm, definitely not."

There was something about that grunt I like. I'll never tell him, though. "Then why for me?"

"Because I have a business proposal for you." He looks behind me, raising his chin for service.

I know there's more to this extraordinary welcome home. Gayle Fox and I weren't friends, and this wasn't a date. What does he want?

I unfurl my cutlery and spread the napkin over my lap. "Is this for a special business offer?"

"Yes. I also want to celebrate."

I wrinkle my nose. "But it's not my birthday or a holiday."

"What's amazing is that we can make any day one to remember. No?" He grabs both glasses of champagne approaching the table.

He hands me a flute, and I crank up a smile. But behind my expression, I feel the ascension towards panic. Something tells me I'm missing a clue. Something obvious.

Looking into me, Gayle flashes his brows and wears his grin again. Waiting. He's sending a message, and it's that I won't get a straight answer. He tangles with my uncertainty too well. "Cheers!"

I turn my head to the side, smirking yet suspicious. We clink our glasses, and I lift the drink to my lips just to freeze... again. I blink hard, twice, to confirm my vision. In my glass, bubbles float and gather around a diamond ring. "What's this in my drink?!?"

"A proposal," Gayle says. "I want you to marry me."