Chapter 2 Drawn to her...

...

Good morning sir and ma'am. I believe you must be the CEO of Soter Group, please come with me, they've been expecting you in the conference room, said a tall, slim, woman.

She must be the receptionist, Soter thought.

Good Morning ma'am, he said, smiling at her.

She stood still for a moment, he saw colour rise to her cheek, her look of surprise was barely concealed.

It's not every day she gets greeted by a renowned, handsome CEO, he thought to himself smiling.

Yhh... umm, ii..tt's this way, follow me, she said quickly collecting herself.

She walked with long graceful strides, he could tell she was professional and well-trained for her job.

Here it is, she said, pointing to a room with its door left ajar.

Soter and Bakhita walked in.

The conference room was cozy, and comfortably filled with bright and welcoming faces.

They all stood to welcome him and Khita as they walked in.

Good day, I'm Raina, the CEO of Rayted, and beside me is my co-founder Theodore, and my assistant.... Soter wasn't listening anymore, he was stunned by the woman in front of him.

She was definitely the woman he saw at the elevator.

He had always thought Khita was the most beautiful woman he had seen, but staring at the woman in front of him, he knew he had been very wrong.

She was tall, slim, fair, and graceful, with a heart-shaped face, and long curly brown hair that fell across her back perfectly.

Her eyes were the colour of the ocean on a stormy day, he was sure if he stared too close he would lose himself in them.

She had the elegance and grace of a model. But beneath that calm, confident, and welcoming dimpled smile he could see the pain that was carefully hidden. And suddenly he had the strange urge to protect her, to hold her, and keep her whole.

She's yours, the voice in his head said, startling him out of his thoughts.

Raina, smiled at him, please have a seat while we run you through the site's information.

He could hear his heart beating fast. What's wrong with me he thought. She's just a woman Soe, you've seen many women in your life, get a grip, he said to himself.

No one has made you feel this vulnerable, his inner voice said with a chuckle.

He sighed, there were times when he really hated that voice and now was one of those times.

He looked up and cut Khita staring at him with a look of amusement and curiosity, he stared back blankly trying to conceal the emotions ranging inside him. But he knew she could see right through him.

He tuned out his thoughts, sat up straight and professional-like, and focused on the meeting at hand.

He was going to show this stunning woman that her charms could not work on every man, that he was different.

Are you? His inner voice asked, chuckling.

...

Raina stood up as gracefully as she could and walked to the front of the room. She had been feeling very comfortable and confident earlier but now she was not so sure.

She would have asked her secretary, Damien to do this presentation, but it was the Soter Group they were dealing with and they expected only the best.

She had done a little research on them in the last few weeks and they were well-known for their promptness, professionalism, sternness, and ability to close deals.

She knew Damien would have done a good job, but she wasn't sure he would have been confident enough to close this deal, and that was what she was going to do... close the deal with the biggest steel company in London, and a billionaire to add to the check.

Closing a deal with him would not just send clients running to her doorstep, it would look super impressive on her resume.

Raina stared at the two professional faces scrutinizing her.

The lady's name she found out was Bakhita, a unique name indeed. It meant to be fortunate, and this woman indeed looked fortunate. She was beautiful with an aura that seemed to draw people to her.

Right now she was staring at Raina with a smile on her face, her nature-green, eyes shining brightly, Raina wondered what she was thinking.

According to her background, Bakhita was 32 years old, she was a graduate of Harvard, and she has also worked with some of the United States and United Kingdom's major firms.

She was a legend in the financial industry.

Raina hoped to be like her soon.

Soter, the extremely handsome CEO and founder of Soter Group, recently turned 30 years old.

It was quite an occasion as the popular billionaire was named by Forbes as one of the thirty-under-thirty young men and women revolutionizing the financial world.

His company, Soter Group also topped the Inc 5000 list for the 6th time in a row.

According to his background, he started as a lonely beggar on the streets of London.

She wondered how he managed to achieve this much at a very young age, all alone. And for a moment she felt an urge to hold and comfort him.

She wondered why she was having such thoughts.

She glanced at him and she saw him staring back at her with fierce hazel eyes that looked cold, mysterious, and searching. He had an impatient and irritated expression on his beautiful face, and she felt her heart sink. He thought her incompetent.

She smiled, feeling both hurt and indignant. She straightened her skirt and assumed a confident stance, looked him in the eyes, and started her presentation.