Captivated- An Isla De Fuego Prequel (Erotic-Romance, Short Story)

First Meeting

"SIR, YOU'RE needed in Manila, po."

Richard rolled his eyes before facing his assistant, Mr. Cruz, with a condescending look. "Gusto mo ba akin bawasan sweldo mo?"

His assistant zipped his lip together, afraid to make further mistakes to offend the man.

They were both standing in the middle of the construction site. There are hazards everywhere and Richard knew the dangers of the place. It is why he's been wearing his engineer's spare helmet.

But the chaos of the place—the loud shouting of workers and the sounds of carpentry materials and mechanical machines—slowly disappeared right in front of him because of the sudden appearance of someone.

A woman—no, a deity. A goddess.

Her long, brown curls danced like the ocean waves under the humid, summer day. Her creamy complexion glowed under the sunlight. The woman's lips pursed together as her eyes searched the place looking for something—or someone?

"Ate Alessa!" The new recruit called the woman while he was busy holding the power drill. The man went outside with visible sweat on his tanned body.

The gorgeous woman spotted the new recruit and waved, showing him the basket she'd been holding.

"Sir, kapatid po 'yan ni Lex. Lagi po talagang pumupunta 'yan dito ta's naghahatid ng tanghalian ng kapatid niya."

He gulped when the woman sensed something odd about the place, then her searching gaze landed on his.

His heart rammed like the devil against his chest. Richard looked the other way.

It's silly for him to act like a schoolboy because of a random stranger. Richard Chang is a wealthy man who has seen numerous attractive women in his years as a wealthy Filipino-Chinese businessman. Women practically throw themselves at him.

Yeah. Why is he acting like a lovesick fool, then?

His assistant, Mr. Cruz, whispered, "Ser, ang ganda po ni Alessa, ano?"

He knotted his brows. "Yes, and stop your mouth before she could hear you."

"I already heard it, though." A woman's voice interrupted.

Liquid fire scattered in his veins as his heart palpitated. Oh, she's so close!

When he turned his face to look at the woman who spoke, she beamed a smile that seemed to brush the gloom inside of him.

She's so beautiful. The term he used is an understatement.

"Sir, can you understand Tagalog?"

He swallowed...hard. "Y-Yes," he struggled to respond.

"May dala po akong kakanin. Baka gusto niyo po?" And then, she handed a banana leaf that served as a container for the sweetened brown sticky-rice on it in a shape of a box.

He immediately took the food, intentionally brushing his skin against hers in the process.

She smiled at him...again. "Thank you for agreeing that I'm beautiful."

He decided right there that he just found the woman of his dreams.

Richard Chang relaxed at the notion. His years of hard work led him to her. His gut tells him so, just like how it guided him to take risks that made him a wealthy man today.