Beauty (Fated Encounters) Read Free

strode across
the room to the coat rack in the corner by the doorway. He put on his long,
black coat, then stalked over to open the door to his office.
    “What? Wait...you’re leaving?”
    He looked at her with that
penetrating gaze of his and simply said, “Come.”

 
    ***
    CHAPTER TWO
     
    Tessa stared after Drake with her
jaw hanging open as he walked out of his office. What the hell? Did he
just—well, crap. Hurrying after him, she sputtered, “Mr. Vidal—”
    “Amanda, Ms. Campbell’s coat.”
    The young assistant popped up
from behind her desk as if her feet had springs, and she raced to retrieve
Tessa’s coat from the closet.
    “Mrs. Potts, cancel my one
o’clock.”
    “Of course, Mr. Vidal.”
    Completely baffled, Tessa
murmured her thanks to the pretty blonde who helped her put her coat on. She
called out to Drake, but he ignored her. Muttering under her breath, she hurried
down the long corridor, struggling to catch up to Drake’s long strides as he
moved toward the elevators. Her heavy bag banged against her hip making her
curse as she trotted after him. She was aware of all the curious stares cast
her way from the other employees at their desks, but kept her focus on the
infuriating man in front of her.
    The elevator doors opened like
magic as soon as Drake pressed the button. Of course, Tessa thought
sardonically. It seemed that even things didn’t dare disobey him. He was a rude,
horrible man, but she got into the elevator with him anyways. When the doors closed,
she turned to him, ready to blast him with her ire, but lost her train of
thought as she saw amusement shimmering in his blue eyes.
    Sweet Jesus, the man was hot.
    Even if he was sort of an ass.
No, not sort of. He was...completely.
    But a hot ass.
    Damn, that just sounds
weird...and now I’m talking to myself. Focus!
    “Where are we going?”
    “I’m hungry, so we’ll continue
this conversation over lunch.”
    Drake could feel the irritation radiating
off her, but she remained silent as the elevator car stopped on another floor
to let other passengers on. The men that boarded avoided eye contact with him as
they murmured their greetings. He wasn’t bothered by their fear of him. He was
used to it. However, he did find himself irritated by the appreciative glances
the men cast Tessa’s way, and he took a slight step forward to block her from
their view.
    He was acting out of the
ordinary, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. Drake didn’t give a damn about
throwing some party. Honestly, he could give a shit about his own reputation,
but if her plan allowed his company to get some good press and salvage the
situation without destroying her father, then he was willing to hear her out.
    Hell, who was he kidding?
    Drake was already prepared to
agree to her idea without seeing her plans...on his terms, of course. Insisting
she have lunch with him had simply been a way to spend more time with her. He’d
never felt such instant attraction toward a woman before. Something about her
intrigued him, and he wanted to know more. A scientist at heart, he liked to
study things, and once something caught his interest, he was hooked.
    Tessa Campbell had certainly
caught his interest.
    Now, he just had to figure out
what the hell to do about it.
    Most of the women he was
acquainted with would have tried to use seduction to convince him. Actually, most
of the women he knew would’ve never even bothered to try to explain the
situation in the first place. Tessa had honor, and she obviously cared for her
father enough to humble herself to beg on his behalf.
    He’d caught when she’d said her
father’s work was his number one priority. Since he was a biomedical engineer
himself, Drake knew how consuming the work could be. It could take over his
entire world if he let it. Thankfully, he had good people who took care of most
of the day-to-day operational matters when he was in the zone, but it made him
wonder who Tessa had looking out for her if