Nursing his whiskey neat up on the VIP section of his club Les Insatiables, Henri had the perfect view of his new found obsession without her noticing him.

She was exquisite. Every man's dream and she either didn't know about it, or did and absolutely hated it.

She looked up at his direction as if sensing his gaze, and for a brief moment his breath was caught in his throat, and he stopped swiveling his glass.

But it looked like she was just looking around.

For good reasons too. It was a Friday night and the place was just hosting couples...just couples.

It was an absolutely demented move. He was a business man and loved money just as much as the next guy. But right now, he had instructed his bouncers outside to only let couples in.

Tonight, no way in hell will he watch her use his club to get laid by anyone else but him.

He scratches the back his hair with his free hand and shake his head at himself.

What has gotten into him. He was Mr. Control. He prides himself of being always the logical, level headed one in every room he walked in.

And yet here he was.

There was something about her that more than intrigued him.

Besides her obvious beauty, it was the look in her eyes as she walked into the club. The way she would sigh as she sat down at the bar as if she was here to complete a chore. It was the fact that in all the weeks she had been coming here, not once as she bought or let anyone buy her any alcoholic beverages... But tonight she asked for one.

She'd usually just drink her club soda, pick a guy and leave.

He got to talk to a couple of those guys, those bastards had no qualms about describing their exploits.

Yes they got off, but one thing they all had in common was the wished that she'd let them touch her beyond just fucking her.

There was no foreplay, kissing or touching involved. And if they didn't follow her rules they paid the consequences. As one of them cried to him with a broken nose and sore balls.

She really nailed him.

He had fondled her breasts in the middle of the act and she just reacted instantly by punching him in the nose and kick him in his balls.

She was a mystery, a broken masterpiece he was determined to figure out.

He gestured to one of his servers and asked him to go down and offer her to come up here to the vip section.

He watched the interaction from above.

She looked perplexed for a bit. Looked around, sighed and nodded yes.

As she ascended the stairs, his heart started pounding in his chest startling him. He is not a man used to getting nervous. It was both thrilling yet terrifying.

He pulls out his phone pretending to be real busy while sipping on his drink.

She reached her destination, and he could feel her hesitation. Perhaps she wasn't expecting anyone to be up here. The server had told her after all that it was empty and she could just relax up there.

The ambiance up here was definitely more...grown up she thought.

She quickly noticed in one of the couches sat a man...

And oh my, what.A.Man he was!

He looked like he was just unwinding after a long day of work.

His tie was loose around his neck, his jacket neatly placed on the armchair of the couch he was sitting on. Broad shoulders, chiseled jaw, his jet black hair slick back. It was long but tied up, resting on the nape of his neck, his forehead kissed by a rebellious loose curl.

And she suddenly felt the need to pass her fingers through his hair and fix it for him.

She shook her head trying to get herself together, but it was hard not to notice his shirt sleeves all rolled up to his elbows, exposing his big veiny forearms, his big hands and elongated fingers.

She bites her lips suddenly wondering how would they feel all over her.

He had his legs crossed with his right ankle on top of his left knee and he seemed to be doing something really important in that phone of his.

Maybe I should g...

But before she could finish her thought, he looked up and flashed her the most beautiful smile she had ever seen paired with some amazing emerald globes.

And oh my God!

DIMPLES?... Dimples.

He is already perfect, why did he need dimples?

She had to dig her nails into the palm of her hands to keep herself from strolling there and just lick those danm dimples.

Oh.... He was still looking.

"Um.. I... Um... Sorry, didn't mean to intrude. I'll just go back down..."

"Oh please non mademoiselle, I'm alone up here, please I don't mind. Join me. Get comfortable."

He says with a really cute not too thick French accent gesturing to the same couch as him.

She nodded and made her way toward him, but decided to sit on the opposite end crossing her legs.

She took a sip of her drink and grimaced.

How the hell can people like this?

Then the deep sultry French voice spoke again.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked pointing at the cart next to him filled with all kind of drinks.

Was he expecting a lot of people? Didn't they show up? Somehow it was hard to believe anyone would stand this man up.

"No thank you... I'm all set" she said showing her glass of whiskey still virtually untouched.

"You don't seen to be enjoying it much."

"Not a big drinker."

"Ah.. Well you are in luck... I've got... Um... Oh I've got some club soda here if you'd prefer that."

He was internally grinning to himself like he had accomplished a huge task when he saw what looked like a fleeting smile on her lips.

But in fact it was huge. This was the most he'd ever seen her speak to anyone.

From when he observed her in the past—not creepy—she'd just let the guys babble on to try and impress her.

"I can make you a bubbly lemonade... If that would be more your preference."

She took one last look at her drink, put it down on the little round table next to her armchair.

"I would like that very much thank you."

He grinned from ear to ear.

"Rocks?"

"Just two please."

He couldn't believe she was talking to him. Her voice was smooth like butter, and he just wanted to keep finding things to talk about.

As he was done, she gently approached him to take the glass from him and quickly went back to her corner.

It was a quick handover, but enough for his senses to get engulfed with the sweet strawberry smell of her shampoo from her big beautiful hair which he couldn't wait to bury his face in.

She thanked him and took a big gulp of her new drink and sank a little lower on her seat, relaxing a bit more.

She was now looking at downstairs wich was starting to get crowded again now that he had signaled to his people to let them in.

Before he lost her attention again. He got up and sat on the chair placed directly in front of her.

The fact that he was no longer sitting on the same couch made her feel a bit easier, but at the same time now he was right in front of her and capable of seeing all of her.

Which meant that it will be harder to hide her blushing from now on, because that was all she had been doing since she sat down up here tonight.

Thank goodness for the low lighting and her caramel skin tone.

She nervously passed her fingers through her hair in an attempt to get them out of her face, but they rudely bounced right back down.

She looked up and see he was looking at her with a fleeting look in his eyes that she didn't know him well enough to understand yet.

"Do you come here often?"

She winced as the words slipped out of her mouth.

It's one of the most common pickup lines she heard all the time and hated. And here she was repeating it verbatim.

She was horrible at small talk that didn't involve her job. In that area she will out talk and out sell any competition.

He smiled sweetly but didn't answer. Instead he reached across the table and offered his hand.

"Where are my manners? The name is Henri Beauséjour..."

He waited for a few seconds and watched the emotions dancing in her eyes before she hunched forward, which gave him a better view at her chest, and took his hand in hers.

As soon as they touched, he felt a jolt of electricity running through his arm, and by the sudden red tint in her cheeks with the quick stunned look plastered on her face, he knew she felt it too.

She tried to withdraw her hand, but he gently but firmly held on until she said her name.

"Natalia... Charles"

"Really wonderful to meet you Ms Natalia Charles."

"Likewise"

His heart almost leaped out of his chest when she actually fully smiled at him. And all of a sudden his new life goal was to make this woman smile and laugh until her cheeks hurt and begs for him to stop.

"May I ask mademoiselle Natalia..."

He paused dramatically captivating and demanding for her attention.

She didn't know why she was still sitting here across from this man. Usually she'd already be trying to quench her incessant thirst...

But he was... Something.

Her brain was telling her to run, he is too much, he is too dangerous. But her traitorous body and heart had her frozen in this very spot.

That terrified her.

He continued.

"If you don't really like to drink, why the whiskey?"

"Wanted to try something different... Tonight."

Another reason she didn't like to drink was the fear of losing control. The need to constantly be on guard and ready to strike to protect herself, never leaves her... It was exhausting.

She shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. But he caught how she lowered her tone saying 'tonight', almost like she didn't want him to hear that part.

Why was tonight different for her?

He was suddenly worried that perhaps she was dealing with something, and the urge to protect her almost drowned him out.

As nonchalant as he possibly could, he asked her what was it about tonight.

She twirled and played her fingers a bit, biting her lower lip.

He'd have to do that for her instead later.

He stayed quiet not pushing her, watching her fight with her inner self as to whether tell him or not.

He was almost sure she'd changed the subject, but she surprised them both.

"It's my birthday."

He was suddenly sitting upright to attention.

Her birthday?

'It's my baby's birthday today and she is here alone? '

Baby?

DANM it get a grip. If some of his long time friends saw him right now they'd forever make fun of him.

Merde! (fuck!)

But he really didn't care.

She already got him, hence the little ploy to get her up here tonight. No woman has ever had that effect on him before, and he's had his fill.

"Well I am honored to have met you tonight to wish you a really happy and blessed birthday Miss Natalia."

She smiled, but it didn't go unnoticed that it didn't reach her eyes.

Hearing someone else other than herself wishing her a happy birthday after so many years hit her harder than she thought it would.

The sudden realization of how much she'd closed herself off to the world smacked her in the face hard.

With her trust issues, she never even allowed herself to make a simple friend in the fear that they would hurt or reject her. She was truly alone in the world, and being so used to it she'd convinced herself that she was OK.

For as early as she could remember, she'd have to take care herself. It was a small miracle she wasn't laying down in a fetus position sobbing her eyes out most night.

"Merci beaucoup." (Thank you very much) she answered him softly, thanking whomever was up there for keeping her voice from cracking.

She downed the rest of her lemonade and was getting ready to find the strength to leave when he exclaimed.

"You are most welcome ma belle...

Let's celebrate!"

Yea, he saw her fight her unshed tears, and if he wasn't watching her like a hawk, he would have missed it.

No way he was going to let her walk out of here looking like she had just run over a litter of puppies.

Even if she was currently looking at him as if he had two heads.

Besides, he didn't even talk to her about his offer yet.