Chapter 3 Beautiful Distraction

SIMOUN'S POV

I flipped through my phone, checking my emails while my eyes darted to the clock on my phone. Not only was Kai in the fucking hospital with food poisoning all of a sudden, the woman he apparently hired to occupy my side was late. Kai's "bright idea" to seal this deal for me was fifteen minutes late. I hated it when others were late. I hated it more than not working. Punctuality ruled my world, and this sorry excuse for a woman already had me fifteen minutes behind schedule. A had a dozen different businesses I ran within a given day. I couldn't afford to wait hand and foot on a woman who spent too much time dousing on mascara and applying fake eyelashes.

I glanced out the window as I shot a text off to Kai. I didn't like that he was sick. Not only did that leave me down the only person I trusted in my world, but I couldn't stay behind to make sure he was okay. Kai was a bachelor like myself, so if the hospital staff weren't taking care of him, then he was in bed until things like this passed. I should've known things would go terribly wrong once he told me he was sick and not able to make it to Japan.

"Miss Villadoza?"

"Yes, Mr. Cardenas?"

"Go ahead and close the door. Apparently, my other passenger isn't going to be making it either," I said.

"Yes, Mr. Cardenas. We'll get you up in the air soon enough."

I watched my personal flight attendant walk over to the stairs to get them pulled up. I tried Kai's bright idea. It wasn't my fault the woman didn't know how to set an alarm. I tried it, and it didn't work. Which meant I was officially off the hook. Then, I heard the clicking of heels coming up the stairs.

"Sir?" the flight attendant asked.

"Yes?"

"I believe your party has arrived."

A woman came around the corner, and the second I saw her, two things happened. My cock stiffened against my pants, and my anger flew out of control. I gripped my phone tightly as the long-legged, brown-haired beauty came walking down the aisle with her head held high, her long neck accented with a dainty emerald necklace and her suitcase rolling behind her.

It was the beauty I told Kai not to hire.

When it rained in my world, it poured.

"Mr. Cardenas. I'm Amber. Your companion for the week."

She came close and held out her hand, and her scent blanketed me. Musky, with a slight hint of fruit. An expensive scent that forced all the veins in my groin to pulse. I looked down at her hand, at the dainty fingers decorated in the slimmest rings. Rose gold, a beautiful color that accented the lightly tanned nature of her softness. I was so distracted by her grace and her long, fluid legs that I'd almost forgotten to respond.

This was exactly what I didn't want to happen.

Exactly what I didn't need this week.

"Simoun Cardenas," I said as I took her hand. "But call me Sion. Or any other pet name you wish to regard me as for the week."

"I took a look at the file my boss put together on you. I thought something along the lines of 'honey' or 'darling' might suffice."

I whipped my gaze up to hers, and she graced me with the smallest grin. A sense of humor. A dry sense of humor.

My cock throbbed as I gazed into her hazel eyes.

Her long brown hair was set in natural waves that cascaded just beyond her shoulders. Her eyes were highlighted with a neutral eyeshadow and cat-winged eyeliner that drew me into her mysterious grace. Her shoulders were strong yet harnessed a delicacy that dripped into her voluptuous bosom. Her waist fell inward, beckoning to my hands as I took in the softness and warmth of her handshake. I released her, concerned that if I kept a grip on her I'd soon find my palms at her hips with my face between her thighs.

What I wouldn't give to toss those legs over my shoulders and fold her in half.

"Mr. Cardenas? Miss Amber? It's time to buckle up and take off."

I peeled my gaze away from her face and nodded toward my flight attendant.

"Of course, thank you, Miss Villadoza. Amber, won't you take a seat?"

"I'll get these for you," the flight attendant said as she took Amber's suitcase.

She sat down with ease into the leather seat across the aisle from me. Her deft fingers quickly buckled her body into the seat before she crossed one smooth leg over the other. My eyes drifted along her lines, along the long form she donned before taking in her heels-red-bottomed with a black, sleek outline. Saucy, but with a conservative cover. I felt the back of my neck heat as I cleared my throat.

I didn't have time for distractions. Not when a huge deal like Onel Satoh's partnership was on the line. I released the grip on my phone and opened up a text message to Kai. I had a very serious bone to pick with him.

To: Kai

What the hell is wrong with you? This was the woman I specifically asked you not to request.

He shot back with a response that made me chew on my inner cheek.

From: Kai

I did. Her name was Samara. But her passport was expired, and Amber was the only other woman with the necessary skills to pull this off. She'll be fine. Good luck.

I was tempted to shoot him a text message back to tell him to choke on his own vomit, but I resisted. The plane began to taxi on the tarmac, and I slipped my phone in my pocket. I needed to calm myself down. Take deep breaths and not think about the fact that the most beautiful woman alive was sitting across the damn aisle from me. I snuck a glance at her and watched her turn her head. That long, graceful neck swiveled, and her veins rolled underneath her glistening skin. I held back a groan as I watched her gaze out the window, losing herself in her own little world as she folded her hands in her lap.

She was perfect for the role. Even when she thought no one was looking at her, she held herself with a poise I only found in women raised with riches around them.

I wondered what her life was like outside of that website.

"Have you ever been to Japan before?"

Her voice caught me off guard as the plane leveled out in the air.

"I haven't," I said.

"It's a beautiful place. I enjoy walking around it at night. I went to see one of my favorite operas in the New National Theater Tokyo."

She turned her gaze to me, and I watched her eyes twinkle.

"You enjoy opera," I said.

"Very much so. My favorite Madama Butterfly , but Kurofune is a very close second. There's this bakery that sits not too far down from the opera house, actually. They make these wonderful apple strudels that make me salivate even before I turn the corner. And if you make your way to the 'snack market,' as they so accurately call it, there's this chocolate shop that has a small edible city that lines the wall of the shop. You can actually pay a small fee and choose what part of the city you want to devour and then watch them make a replacement in the back. It's incredible. One of my favorite places to go, by far."

I sat there, entranced by the look on her face. She talked as if she knew the place well. The sparkle in her lovely eyes pulled me in, but the lilt in her voice and the happiness she seemed to exude kept me hooked. She told me stories of strolling up and down the streets and the street performers that had pulled her into her acts.

I enjoyed listening to her talk.

"What do you do for fun?" she asked.

I drew in a deep breath as a small smile crossed her cheeks.

"I read," I said.

"Oh, so do I. Though I'm a sucker for my tried-and-true love stories. What do you read?"

"Technical manuals. Business books. Self-help things. I enjoy staying on top of my industry as well as my mental health."

"Mental health is very important," she said. "For many, it's a constant struggle. It's a facet of many people's lives that goes unchecked because of the stigma it comes with in this culture."

A sadness permeated her eyes for a split second, and I wanted to ask her about it. But she changed the subject before I could.

"What about movies? Do you enjoy any recent ones?"

"Not really a movie-goer," I said. "Don't own a television."

"Isn't technology your industry?"

"It is, but that doesn't mean I enjoy surrounding myself with it when I'm not working."

"Are you ever not working?" she asked with a grin.

I chuckled and shook my head. She was intuitive. Another facet of her I enjoyed.

This really wasn't good.

"Would either of you enjoy anything now that our flight has stabilized?" Miss Villadoza asked.

"I would love a mimosa, if it's possible," Amber said.

"I'll take one as well," I said.

"Anything to eat?" Miss Villadoza asked.

"I'm okay for now, but thank you," Amber said.

"Two mimosas will be all, thank you," I said.

I had every intention of ignoring the drink, but I needed to get into the habit of doing things alongside her. If she ordered something, then I needed to order something. That was how being a couple worked, right? I knew she was asking me questions and telling me stories so I had some so I had some sort of backstory on her, so I needed to make sure I got into the same groove-to learn the same kinds of things about her in case Onel started asking me things about my fiancée.

The flight attendant came back with the mimosas, and Amber reached for hers. And the second she did, her dress rode up her thigh. The soft skin came into view, riding up just beyond the middle of it, and suddenly I was reaching for my drink and taking it down in one gulp. My mouth felt dry. My cock screamed out in anger. She lowered herself back into her seat, but her dress stayed put, taunting me with its softness and direct trail to the place where a woman's body was always warm.

Before I knew it, I was on my third mimosa and feeling very mellow.

Damn it. This was the problem-the issue with women like Amber. I shoved my empty glass away and pulled out my phone, relegating myself to something else other than conversing with my call girl for the week.

"So, what exactly does your business-"

"I need to work," I said.

I felt her look over at me, and I forced myself not to look back.

"Then I suppose I'll take a nap," she said.

"Enjoy."

I started responding to emails and checking on certain things as Amber leaned herself back. I had no idea how long I was staring at my phone, but the second I heard soft, even breaths coming across the aisle, I could no longer keep my eyes away from her. I tried not to stare at her as the hours passed. I attempted to get as much work done as I could. But she was too damn beautiful, and I had way too much champagne in my empty stomach.

It was going to be a very long week.