Page 5 of Let Me Win You

I waved a hand at his perfect hair, stunning eyes, and the expensive clothes that hugged his wide shoulders and muscular arms ever so handsomely.

“You know… The hot, cocky type. The guys who look for an arm candy rather than a life partner in a woman.” I lifted my wine glass to my lips to signal that this conversation was over and he was free to leave.

Invi failed to read the signal, however.

“An arm candy?” he asked, staying put.

“Exactly.” I set my glass back down after just one sip. “That’s not what Jess is. She’s a sweet girl, with many layers that would take time for the right guy to peel back and discover her gentle, loyal, beautiful soul. You see? Jessica isn’t candy, she’s a pastry, kind of like our signature stuffed croissants. Only no one cares to dig that deep and peel off her layers. Most men are just happy to remove her clothes.”

“And you decided I’m one of those men too?” he asked with a bitter smile. “You gathered that based on nothing but my appearance because, clearly, you’re not listening to my words. I keep telling you I’m not interested in your friend.” He leaned over the table, resting his hands on it. A large ring with a pale-blue stone graced one of his long fingers. “But appearance is not more important than clothes. To really get to know a person, one should spend some time with them.”

“And you’re saying you want to spend some time withme?” I cocked an eyebrow, not hiding my sarcasm. This one might just turn out to be the most persistent of them all.

“Yes.” He held my stare. “I’m very interested in peeling back all your layers in search of your beautiful soul and your gentle heart.”

I took another sip of wine to hide the effect his words had on me. No one had spoken like that to me before, ever.

“Alright. Let’s pretend for a moment that you came here because you were really interested inme.”

“I am.” He nodded. “There is no need to pretend. What do you want me to do to make you believe that I’m very interested in you as my potential eternal love?”

I choked on my wine, putting the glass on the table hard.

“What?” I coughed.

Holy doughnuts.

It all started to feel like a movie. One of those cheesy romantic movies, with a green-eyed hero, who said stuff that would normally make me laugh so hard I’d risk choking on my popcorn. Except that Invi wasn’t looking at me from a movie screen. He was right here, reaching across the table to take my hand in his. And for some reason, with him, it stopped being cheesy. Instead, it felt…sweet.

His long, warm fingers wrapped around mine. Light flickered in the blue stone of his ring. Hope shone in his eyes that staredat me so intently, it made my heart flutter like a butterfly and my bones turn to marshmallows.

“If your heart is free, Nicole, please give me a chance. Spend tonight with me,” he pleaded.

“Why me?” was all I could muster, trapped by his gaze and enthralled by his touch.

“Because I like you,” he said sincerely. “And I hope there is a chance you’ll like me too.”

My mind told me to play it safe and run. From Jess’s dating woes and from my own limited experience, I knew that guys who looked like him meant nothing but trouble and heartache for the girls like me.

But…

‘Appearance is not more important than clothes,’his words echoed in my head.

Had I been too judgmental about Invi? Had I jumped to conclusions too quickly when assigning him to “a type?” So far, he hadn’t said or done anything inappropriate or even slightly unlikable, aside from that joke. I had to admit I’d judged him mostly based on his looks.

Jessica returned from the bathroom but didn’t sit down.

“Should we go?” She glanced at Invi’s hand covering mine on the table.

He didn’t look like he saw her, keeping his extraordinary eyes on me while waiting for my reply.

“Well… I…” I blinked, breaking the spell of his stare. “I can’t promise you the whole night, Invi, but I suppose you can have a dance or two if you want.” I turned to Jessica. “He asked for a chance to get to know me.”

“Please, join us.” Invi got up from the table and moved Jessica’s chair for her to sit down.

“Actually, I’m ready to leave,” she said, giving him a probing look, then turned back to me. “Or do you want me to stay, Nic?”

“No, you can leave if you want. I know you’re tired. I won’t be long, either. I’ll grab an Uber back to the hotel in a little while.”

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