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Chapter 1
Aldric
I'mdonehere.
“Waiter,” I called, and my date blinked, surprised. As the waiter approached our table with half-finished meals, I sighed. “Yes, sir?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“May I have the check?” My voice was flat and bored as I inquired.
“Is there a problem, sir?” He appeared to be genuinely concerned.
“My date is a bore,” I said, waving my hand. “However, the food was fantastic.”
I smiled and dropped a wad of cash that was more than enough to cover the bill plus an overly generous tip on the table, no longer willing to wait for a check. While she sat there stunned, I grabbed my coat. I forced a smile through my pursed lips.
There is something about the women I have met recently. They were dull, shallow, and greedy. I have more money than I could ever need, which seems to attract skin-deep women who are after my money and name. One look at me convinces these women that I have the means to spoil them. I am convinced this is why the woman who sat across from me, with all her sparkles and pretty makeup, looked at me as if I were a fish and she was a shark. She had hungry eyes.
And I’m so sick of the same trivial conversations.
“Close your mouth, honey. It’s not a good look. I wish you a good evening.” I walked out the door without looking back, eager to get in my car.
I'd rather go home and imagine myself on the podium of the Club Quarter Hotel, than waste time on an airhead woman who would rather cling to my status. I’ll be in San Francisco in two days for the International Conference on Biochemical Engineering, and I always love to give a great speech.
All these lectures were the same. I knew my content inside and out, but I had to dumb it down for the layperson and investors in the audience. Fighting the boredom tugging at my mind, I was determined to get to the exciting parts of my speech to show these people how groundbreaking this research was.
My gaze scanned the crowd, a mix of older and younger people. And there she sat, an outlier among them all. Her strawberry blond curls stood out among the brown, black, grey, and platinum blond hair of the crowd. I found it difficult to look elsewhere at this point. She was lovely, enough beauty to make my blood boil as I droned on about science and biology.
I just knew I needed to talk to her. Aside from her beauty, she was a young woman. Young women in this field were uncommon, which heightened my excitement. I drew myself up taller, afraid that everyone watching would notice my excitement. Like a rooster preening before a hen. I noticed her shift under my steady gaze, but I couldn’t stop staring. It’s incredible how I managed to get through the critical part of my speech.
When I saw her at the after-party, my heart skipped a beat. I decided to concentrate on those who were exchanging pleasantries and business cards. This distraction lasted only a few seconds because I found myself watching her again. She took my breath away. I noticed her struggle to fit into this stuffy crowd that marginalized youths. I wanted to step in and help, but I smiled, a wave of nostalgia washing over me because I had once been in her shoes. I remembered how painful it had been to be brushed aside. She would have to earn their respect.
Now that I was off the stage, I took her in completely. I took in her slight curves, soft face, and plump lips. My eyes were mesmerized by her tiny freckles that dotted her nose, pale green eyes, and hair that was more than two shades. Her hair color was complex, filled with coppery browns and light reds. It was impossible to ignore her. The aura she presented was confident even though she was in a world that didn’t welcome her. She pushed herself into conversations, laughed beautifully, and shook hands. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t captivated.
“Dr. Haile!” an older woman called. Suddenly, my attention was drawn to someone I had met before rather than the breathtaking young woman. I made appointments with investors for follow-up conversations and promised to call soon. I moved around the room as expected by the patrons and future investors, just long enough to satisfy each one.
The smile plastered to my lips lingered as my thoughts wandered back to the stranger I’d left behind in the crowd.
The person I hadn’t even met yet.
Chapter 2
Roseline
Thecrowdfellsilentafter Doctor Aldric Haile took the stage.
I didn’t blame them; he stole my breath too. Though perhaps it was for a different reason than the others surrounding me.
His presence was demanding, and it claimed the attention of every attendee in the room. However, I could not help but be distracted by his eyes. By the hidden strength behind his suit, by the darkened bronze tone of his skin, and by his thick black hair.
He was gorgeous, and he had no right to be so. I came here to learn, not to be distracted by brown eyes shattered with golden rays of inner sunlight.
As he looked into the audience and skipped over me, I felt a connection that I couldn’t explain. Especially as his gaze tracked back to me for no reason, he narrowed in with a quirked brow, even as he continued his presentation.
I felt as if he was speaking only to me.
Not once did his attention move from me unless he was flicking from slide to slide along the tablet’s screen. I was only given a moment to breathe during those brief intervals. I could stop and clasp my trembling hands together.
What was wrong with me? Since when did I get so affected by a man? Someone I didn’t even know outside of his research papers?
