Her smile fell as a blank look entered her expression. She obviously hadn’t been expecting me to make that request.
In all honesty, I hadn’t been expecting to do it.
But I knew I wanted to keep talking to her—and not in a crowded room where people could distract us.
I wanted it to be just the two of us.
I wanted to look at her beautiful face and watch her stare back at me. I wanted to know everything about her life, everything about her daughter. I wanted to see her in tight clothing, see the way her waist still curved in so sexily. She didn’t look like a forty-two-year-old mother exactly the way I didn’t look like a fifty-six-year-old man.
I’d been with the most beautiful models in the world.
But they didn’t hold a candle to Scarlet Blackwood.
She was more than a pretty face.
She was a pretty soul—a soul that had pierced through my armor and touched mine.
Finally, she answered, “I’d love to.”
I rose from my chair when she reached the table, and I greeted her with a kiss on the cheek just as I did last night.
She leaned into it, expecting it this time.
I pulled out the chair for her then sat down.
She did the same.
She wore a black blouse with large shiny buttons down the front and a tropical blue scarf. Her hair was in curls that day, and the strands floating around her shoulders. She was in black jeans, and the dark colors made her look even thinner than she did last night. She wore a few rings, rose gold and sparkly.
I realized I hadn’t said anything to her yet. “Thanks for meeting me.”
“Happy to be here.” She smiled at me, immediately bringing a sense of comfort to the table. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dressed in anything but a suit before.”
Since it was Saturday, I was in dark jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt. The bulk of my wardrobe consisted of suits because that’s what I wore most of the time. It was nice to wear something casual on the weekends. A lot more comfortable than the thick material that had been measured to fit my frame perfectly. It was always constricting, no matter how soft the fabric was.
“You look nice,” she added.
“Thanks. You look nice as well.”
She smiled then looked down at her menu.
The waiter came over and took our drink orders. Since we were ready, we made our entrée selections too. We were sitting right against the window, people passing back and forth outside on the sidewalk.
“Did you stay late last night?” I’d met up with some acquaintances, and we’d watched the fashion show from one of the closer rows. I connected with Connor Suede later, and he introduced me to Ms. Alexander. She was a highly intelligent scientist who had changed the entire landscape of energy. Then Thorn stepped into the conversation. It seemed tense at the time, but I wasn’t sure if that was real or just my overactive intuition.
“Later than I wanted to. But I did have fun. What about you?”
“I left shortly after the show. After I had a few words with Connor, I left.”
“He’s a fascinating man. He really has a talent when it comes to fashion. It’s truly incredible. I bought a few of his jackets years ago, and I still wear them regularly. To him, the fabric is more important than the design. His simple approach to wardrobe is what I like the most. Sometimes you see designers debut these loud outfits that just don’t seem practical.”
I nodded in agreement even though I couldn’t relate. The same woman had been picking out my clothes for years. She knew what I liked and what I despised. Fashion had never been important to me—only money.
She looked down and chuckled. “I’m sorry. I could ramble on about fashion forever…”
“No need to apologize. You know what you love.”
“And what do you love, Vincent?”
I led a very simple life despite my wealth. There were only a few things I cared about. “My sons. I’m very lucky that they’ve transitioned from sons to friends. I love sports. I love to golf. My favorite hobby is to sail through the Mediterranean on my yacht. An excellent wine paired with the right cheese is something I look forward to every time I’m in the South of France. And once in a while, I allow myself the luxury of freshly baked bread.”
She hung on my every word, like she was imagining all the sights in my mind.
“Those are the things I’m passionate about.”
“I liked how you didn’t mention work at all.”
I didn’t realize that until now. “I’ve accomplished everything I’ve wanted to do in the business world. I’m proud of my achievements, but I’m no longer passionate about it. There’s more to life than work.”
“Well said. It sounds like you do an excellent job of balancing work and pleasure.”
“I work hard so I can play hard.” Alessia and I took a trip to Greece together just a few months ago. We explored Santorini from my yacht, and I fed her grapes while she lay around in her bikini. Those quiet moments of beauty wouldn’t be possible if I didn’t hustle at the office.
She nodded. “Well said again.”
“Have you traveled much?”
“I’ve been to Italy and France many times for work. In fact, I’m there regularly. Both are beautiful countries. I love every moment when I’m there. I haven’t sailed in a yacht, but the view from land is still wonderful.”
“Have you taken your daughter along?”
“No. She’s very involved in her own life. She’s always wanted to be a nurse, so she’s volunteered at the hospital for a long time. And now that she’s in school, she’s very
