The staff were all smiles as they welcomed her return, and Fleur could only smile and nod, not wanting them to accidentally catch a whiff of her onion-scented breath.
Fleur took her phone out as soon as she was inside one of the elevators. Charlotte of Heart's Match had finally replied to her email, and Fleur wanted to send one back before the night was over.
Hi Charlotte,
Thank you for the quick reply, and yes, I know you specialize in brides, and I totally don't mind that I'll end up being your guinea pig in the world of mail-order husbands. BUT...I do need to make a few clarifications.
I don't actually need a husband. Rather, what I do need is a guy who can dedicate his time to me for twelve consecutive days (December 1-12 to be exact). He'll be primarily responsible for taking my virgini—-
Fleur was momentarily distracted when the elevator doors slid open, and she glanced up absently as a man dressed austerely and entirely in black joined her inside.
Oh!
The man had ebony-black hair and eyes that were a stunning shade of gold. His beauty was more devilish than princely while his sex appeal was so visceral it had Fleur gulping involuntarily. Infernally handsome men like him had always been a secret weakness of hers, but...
Remember Operation Yuletide!
The stranger was staring at her quite openly, and Fleur's stomach clenched in awareness. While Philippe's gaze on her earlier had only made Fleur feel self-conscious and nervous, this man's gaze elicited a startlingly different reaction from her body. She had no idea why, but this man's stare...
It actually tempted her into raising her head so she could stare back at him, and that was so...not...good!
Operation Yuletide, Fleur! Remember Operation Yuletide!
Fleur forced her attention back on her yet-to-be-sent email.
He'll be primarily responsible for taking my virginity, and he must also possess sufficient sexual expertise to teach me the ropes and turn me into a sex goddess. I know I'm asking a lot given the timeframe and my unorthodox requests, but there is no one else I can—-
The elevator suddenly screeched into a stop, and all thoughts of finishing her email flew out of Fleur's head as everything went completely dark.
Chapter Two
Fleur de Konigh. Her name leapt out from his memories as soon as he entered the elevator and found it occupied by a stunningly beautiful, familiar-looking blonde. She was like both a nightmare and a youthful fantasy, a goddess who turned out to have feet of clay.
He remembered getting his first glimpse of her two years ago at a business function: she had been in another little black dress similar to what she was currently wearing, her hair up, and her shapely long legs on display. He remembered how the sight of her had his cock springing up like Jack in a fucking box. Remembered how his pulse had leapt when he later on found out that she was a de Konigh.
He had the opportunity to work with her older sister Anneke once, and he also happened to know her cousin Farica because of the girl's unabashed pursuit of his friend Steel March. Both women had been...interesting, and as far as Julian was concerned, being interesting was the sexiest trait any woman could possess.
Those two had been interesting, but he had not wanted to fuck either of them.
Fleur, however...
He hadn't even been able to count the ways he wanted to fuck her.
He had wanted her that much.
He had wanted her ferociously and instantly, but after observing her from a distance, his attraction to her had just as instantly turned to disappointment. While he had not expected anything specific, he was damn sure what he saw in her was not what he had hoped for.
By the time the party ended, Julian had seen enough to conclude that she was exactly what the media made her out to be: a stuck-up bitch who was occasionally witty, a pretty face who had more boobs than brains.
Since then, he had not spared Fleur another thought...until tonight.
"Oh my God!"
The bright screen of Fleur's cellphone illuminated her face in the darkness. A frown momentarily creased his forehead at what he saw, but he was distracted soon enough by the way Fleur's lips were moving incredibly fast. She appeared to be silently reciting the Our Father...but with the intent of achieving a Guinness World Record while doing it. She also appeared frightened and just a breath away from hyperventilating, and cynical as Julian was, it only made him think that this was the most amount of emotion he had seen her beautiful face ever expressed.
Fleur struggled to keep her panic at bay even as terrifying scenes from the movie Devil flashed in her mind. Deep breaths, deep breaths-—
"Are you alright?"
Oh, thank God!
She had actually forgotten there was someone else in the elevator with her, and she could've cried in relief at hearing her companion's faintly accented voice. Now that she knew for certain she wasn't alone in her predicament, Fleur's mind started working again, and as Willem had always advised her to do when her back was against the wall—-