Oddly Similar (Complete)

Chapter I

Hands on her waist, he pulled her close to his face, eyes scorching her skin, breath running warm and when their breath clashed it sent surge of sparks through her body. She could hardly breathe; a gulp would have been disrespecting his presence. His masculinity commanding her to obey and she defenselessly melting under the heat emanating from his body.

Who the hell is this guy? What's he doing in my office?

Why does he look familiar? And why, oh lord, is he so tempting?

The fire smoldering in his warm chocolate brown eyes made her gasp and feel parched at the same time. She could only imagine what his lips would feel like if she took them into hers.

He spoke tersely, "The tender is mine. Stay out of it."

And so am I, screamed every nerve of her body.

Take me and I am ready to stay out of everything. Where did that come from?

He let go of her, shaking the very roots of self-discipline that she was raised with. Her body had never been so crazy and abiding at the same time.

He had left, but, but....the room still heavy with his presence and musk gave her thoughts of what could have been had he stayed there any longer.

With knees of cotton, she sat with a thump on the sofa.

Her secretary, Tara, came rushing in immediately after he had left, apologizing profusely for letting him enter sans appointment without her permission.

She excused her after treating her to her infamous glare and cancelled all appointments for the day.

Once the fog over her senses lifted Rose recalled she had heard of him before, Matt Flinthart, the billionaire business tycoon, with businesses and stakes ranging from Asia to America. He was a huge entity, correction, he is a huge entity.

The youngest entrepreneur known for his phenomenal rise to more riches. He had never known rags. Son of an economist, he certainly had business acumen in his genes but the handsomeness and fierce individuality were an inheritance from his mother, a royal who had left behind everything for love.

Business tycoon, my ass!!

He'd behaved more like some majestic beast in mating season, marking territory. She'd die before letting anyone walk over her like that.

She drove home crazily, almost running a light, something she had never done before. She simply barged in to her home, threw her shoes, purse and ran upstairs to her room, banging the door behind her.

Her room could be better described as the whole floor of the lavish bungalow which was converted for the CEO of Helena Developers Inc. She practically tore out of her official attire and slipped into her night gown to help her soothe and calm down.

Downstairs the servants were in a bit of a shock because the same woman who reprimanded servants at the slightest opportunity for causing any unnecessary sound had herself created a din. The change of clothes hadn't helped. Heat was coursing through her, oh! It had been since he had held her.

She could imagine herself screaming any moment now. It was as if he had branded her.

She rushed into the en-suite bathroom, turned on the shower, cold water cascaded over her body. She stood for full five minutes before she could think straight. She sat down with a slump holding herself together like a kid who had been scolded in front of the whole class for a slight error.

She had never allowed herself to go weak and this was not to be treated as an exception. Feelings were something she had abhorred since- the incident. Even thinking of it made her sick to the core and she couldn't free herself for days.

Don't bring that up!! It really was a long time ago and she'd now come across someone who made her contemplate.

Her professionalism and strong grip over herself were talked about in the corporate world. There had been quite a few instances where she had shown her remarkable control of situation. Men hardly featured anywhere in her life, except, of course, her father, the one she owed her life and achievements to but everywhere else it truly seemed like she hated men. Even her security comprised of the best female security staff money could provide.

Said security felt over-priced today!! Maybe they too were floored by what they saw.

Rumors of her being a lesbian floated around. Her looks were another attribute fuelling the rumor mills. At 5'7", she had a slim, graceful body that couldn't be flawed. Dark jet black hair tied into a bun stirred the fantasy of men she came across in the corporate world. They didn't have to say, their eyes said it all, which razed her body and worse of all; she could feel it and not do anything about it.

Except avoid them unless absolutely needed!!

Her work had been a game played by men and she was out to beat them at it. Some of her female employees had dropped hints now and then but had known the moment they looked into her eyes, only a man could please her and the female company she kept was only a shield to prevent her from falling into troubles she showed such promise of causing had she been close to a man.

Free rein had done it to her once and she'd be damned before letting history repeat itself even though it translated to dying alone. Somehow she didn't equate being alone to being unhappy. She'd been a lone fortress since the incident and not regretted it, till today.

Correction! It wasn't regret she felt.

It was a stark, ignored reminder of some alarm she's repressed since then. She felt like tumbling up contents of the obscured attic today. His touch, the warmth from his caress dragged back the traces of memories she always thought were better forgotten. And suddenly she missed all that with a desperate hunger and wanted it with an erupting need.

Helena Developers Inc. had its beginning in the garage of her father's two-room home. After moving to Boston as a drifting construction worker, he'd chanced upon love when he came across her mum at a pub one fortunate evening and he'd never gone back to his rootless life.

Toiling endless hours together to make Helena Developers what it was today, ten years after they'd both lost the light of their lives to heart stroke, was what kept Rose and her father going.

Transforming and restoring old dilapidated at times crumbling buildings was what they specialized and had made their name in. The profits were always consciously just enough to never sully their name retaining Helena Developers' autonomy and spirit.

Taking minimally from the environment had been something her dad practiced way before it became a fad. Frugality in utilizing resources was something every project had to do whether it was renovating a single room to whole complexes, they didn't compromise ever.

The "tender" in question was the development of Regalia; a derelict 1880 mansion on a two-acre property which was converted to an inn by the Smiths when they'd inherited it in 1940. Steep competition and no offspring to inherit the property had landed it in the hands of the State. Termed a historic gem its restoration project was being auctioned to help in replenishing state coffers. Helena Developers Inc. had been a front-runner and clear choice for the project as the prices they always quoted were hardly refused by concerned parties ever. What drew undue attention to a routine auction was the intent shown for the project by Matt Flinthart's conglomerate, Kronos.

Multimillion dollar residential complexes, stadiums, high-rises and undertakings of international tie-ups were what his empire was synonymous with. This tender was nowhere near their alley forget it being up it. There were murmurs of it being an attention-drawing gimmick, a result of the proximity that Matt had with the Mayor, Ryan Rutherford, having attended university together and frequently seen socializing.

But this surprise visit had confused Rose, almost confounded her. What could be the reason for Matt's interest in a project which maybe wasn't even worth their refreshments bill?

Not maybe, definitely...

Intrigued, she knew she had to partake of Matt's hospitality as he had of her today...

To all the shy readers out there, a vote speaks volumes...

And to the bold ones, your words are most welcome....