Ch 5: Resisting Temptation

Recap:

For the second time that night, Cecilia was left standing in the middle of the ballroom floor, staring after Nicolas Freire, thinking murderous thoughts.

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Damn it! Nicolas walked away from the fiery-haired temptress, grinding his teeth in frustration. For God's sake! What was wrong with him? Where did that well-renowned self-control go? And what the hell was it to do with him even if she was prostituting herself?

I don't care. I was just trying to look out for Roger. Clearly he doesn't know what his daughter gets up to. She's blackening their family name. That's the ONLY reason. What other reason could there be?

Nic took a deep, calming breath, ignoring the incessant little voice inside his head telling him that there was something else... Something that was pushing him into behaving so irrationally... Something he had never felt before, ever...

He crushed the voice with brutal force. Nic was the one who ruled feelings - be they his or others' - not the other way around. To think, he, Nicolas Freire would be felled by a simple jade-eyed beauty! How ridiculous! Of course, there was something particular about this one that did resonate as unique... maybe, a certain look in the eyes? Or maybe the way she turned her nose up haughtily in anger, arching that delicate neck, eyes flaming hot, pouting that delectable rose-bud mouth...

NO! Nic closed his eyes in frustration, trying to erase the image. But all he succeeded in doing was flash different images through his mind, of how she looked when she first walked in to the ballroom, how she looked when their eyes met for the first time, how she looked when she rose up like a lioness, ready to claw his eyes out.

ENOUGH! That was enough. Nic was not weak. He had met dozens of beautiful women in his life, some gold-diggers, some liars, some cheaters; all manipulators. If he had understood one thing about women in his entire life, it was that none of them were to be trusted. Used, yes - for momentary pleasure or entertainment, or maybe even for financial gain - but never to be given access into the inner sanctum of his mind. His thoughts, feelings, emotions were not to be shared with anyone, but especially never with a member of the opposite sex. And his heart... Nic let out a bitter laugh. What heart? He didn't even think he had one. Maybe he had had one, at one point... But, no. Nic immediately shut the lid on those memories, unwilling even to venture there in his thoughts. She didn't deserve to even be in his thoughts. She didn't deserve for Nic to remember her, to think of her. The only thing he needed to remember was the lesson he had learnt from her betrayal: that there hadn't been a woman ever created that was worth trusting - let alone loving.

Suddenly, he was startled out of his thoughts. "Hello! I don't think we've met," a young man smiled at him. "I'm Cole, Roger Knight's son. And I believe you are Mr. Nicolas Freire?.."

"Yes, I am," Nic forced a smile, shaking Cole's outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you."

"So!" Cole laughed, clapping Nic on the back. "I've been hearing a lot about you from Dad - I hear you're about to make him a billionaire ten times over!" He chuckled.

Nic found himself smiling for real this time. Dry wit was something he could appreciate. "Well, I have it from the sources that he's already a billionaire ten times over. This is just a small deal, that will ensure both Mr Knight and I mutually benefit."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, man," Cole recalled his father's exuberance when describing Nic. "My father couldn't stop singing your praises last time I saw him! Anyway, come let me introduce you to a few people..." Cole led Nic away, an arm around his shoulders with the familiarity of an old friend.

Cecilia watched the interaction from afar, gnashing her teeth. What a traitor! Granted, her brother didn't exactly know that the man he was speaking so nicely to, was her new number one enemy... but still! He was her brother! Surely, he must have seen the fraught interactions between Cecelia and that man? And, even if he hadn't... well, Cecelia was still angry with him! Cecelia refused to acknowledge the gaping hole in her logic, as she burned holes into the back of the laughing men. After all, being rational had never exactly been her forte - she tended to leave that to her father and brother.

And then all her anger drained away, as she caught the eyes of her hopeful beau, shame flooding her insides. Feeling guilty, she smiled back at Tomas, waiting as he made his way over to her. She figured that this was the least she owed him, since she had been about to use him so shamelessly.

"Cess! Finally! Whenever I look at you, you've always got someone around you. I was beginning to think I would never get you alone. After your father's speech and the banquet, you're still having the dance, aren't you?"

"Yes," Cess frowned, concerned. It was true that she had arranged the spacious ballroom in such a way that all the tables were placed along the edges, so there was an empty space in the centre that could act as a dance floor for those that were so inclined. Her father's welcome speech, on the other hand, would be conducted up on the large wooden podium towards the front of the ballroom, that Cecilia had had made especially for the evening. But why was Tom asking this? Was there something wrong? Was the floor not proper for dancing on? She looked at the floor in confusion. Where was Tom going with this?

"Then, may I have the pleasure of being the first one to dance with you tonight?"

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AN: Hey! Sorry for the delay in uploading, but I was very busy there for a while! Anyway, I'm back now. Please vote, comment and share if you like this story! Thanks :)

P.s. I love this song... just been singing it all the time recently! If any of you have favourite songs you want mentioned, please let me know in comments, and I'll do my best to put it up with a chapter! (otherwise, you'll just keep getting treated to my favourites ;) )! Happy reading! xoxo