The Art of Persuasion

Prologue

The launch was a success.

His launches were always a success, and while he had made it that way, it made him feel proud to see his event flourishing when everyone told him that it wouldn't work.

The Book Palace had been about to close before Asher Ravenscroft showed up at their door to fix it. It took some swaying to get his way, but the owners eventually agreed to everything he said, had signed over 51% of their company in return for his money and his help and now he had, what was going to be, a thriving business to add to his books.

Usually, Asher stayed just long enough to make sure the event was success and then he'd head back to his London penthouse for a nightcap before bed, but a flash of golden had stopped him from leaving. He was suddenly filled with a heat, a heat he hadn't felt in years and it had frozen him in his tracks. He pushed through the crush of the crowd of mingling people until he could get a clearer view of what had grabbed his attention, the predator in him reacting immediately.

What he found stunned him because he had never seen a woman so beautiful before. Asher was usually considered handsome, with his chiselled jaw, perfectly quaffed black hair and his striking ice blue eyes, but this woman was on another level. In a tight black dress that hugged all her curves, her creamy skin a stark comparison, waves of liquid gold cascaded down her back. Just staring at her left him breathless, had him wanting to wrap cords of gold around his hand to tip her head back to ravish her fully.

Except she was on the arm of another man.

She turned her impossibly blue eyes finding him, like inviting pools of blue he wanted to jump into. She held his gaze for only a few seconds before turning away from him but it was enough. He was going to leave with that woman tonight, she may not have known it yet, but he was.

He left her only to get champagne. One flute for him and one for her, and by the time he turned back around, not only had she left the man she was with, she had found her way back to him.

As soon as he turned that flute of champagne was snatched out of his hand. "Why thank you," she whispered her eyes flickering from his face, down his expensive bespoke suit to his face Italian leather shoes and back up. She obviously liked what she saw because she turned a glittering smile up to him which was mirrored by his own victorious smirk.

"How do you like the event?" he asked.

She looked around at the venue, which was just the book store, and the decor of streamers and balloons, he had gone minimal on purpose to match the store, but the balloons were all color coordinated to the new colors on the walls and were in white, black and silver accents. She shrugged as if the change had never happened, as if it weren't such a big deal that he had knocked out a bunch of walls, fixed the cracks in the wall and the leak in the ceiling and the organizational scheme of the books.

"It's... quaint," she said once she was done surveying. "Don't know why anyone wants books on paper, when you can download them all online."

Ah, one of those. Asher had always preferred his books physical. He loved the smell of the paper, and the feel of the page against his fingers. But he could appreciate that this younger generation didn't appreciate the printed word in the same way as he did.

He took a sip of his champagne, the fizz mirroring the buzz that had taken space in his head. "Why come?" he asked.

"My date thought it would make for a fun night," she said. "I think he knows the owner or something so it was an obligation."

"Ah, wanted some eye-candy then," he mused which had her roll her eyes. So she didn't like that then. Time to change the topic. "And what does the lovely lady find fun then?"

"Real parties," she answered immediately. "Better alcohol, a dance floor."

A Party girl. Asher wasn't in the party phase, hadn't been for years, hadn't quite ever been in the party phase, but he could be if this girl needed him to be.

"And if I could take you to one of those?" he asked. "Would you go?"

She gasped as if horrified by the idea but the sparkle in her ocean blue eyes told him that she was anything but. "But I came with someone else..."

"We both know he's boring you, it's not your fault if you go looking for something more... entertaining."

"I don't even know your name."

"Asher. Asher Ravenscroft."

The name alone seemed to excite her which was fair. His family had a certain reputation for being rich and connected. Ravenscroft Enterprises was also well known as a powerful conglomerate. He could already tell that this girl was going to put a dent in his bank account, he could practically see the dollar signs in her eyes.

"It's very nice to meet you Asher Ravenscroft. I'm Aurelia Brown." Even her name was Golden.

Asher offered his arm which she took immediately. "Shall we find something more entertaining to do, Aurelia?"

"I'd love to."

As the two walked out into the warm London night Asher found himself smiling, certain for the first time ever that he had found the girl he wanted to spend all of his life with.