The Runaway Girl and The Billionaire

Chapter 8: Wine

Xyrus watched with interest as the red haired woman he'd been lusting about knelt quickly to pick up each tomato from the floor. She was flustered from the sight of him, which he took as a good sign. After the way she had rejected him at the gym, he had feared he was losing his way with women. But the look on her face when her eyes had landed on him was the indication he needed to know that she was most certainly affected.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he started, hoping this would be a lengthier conversation than their last interaction.

"No-no, it's not your fault," she said, so softly Xyrus had to lean in to make out her words. Never did she look up to him, focusing more on the task than him.

"I was just shocked to see you again. You remember me, don't you?" Xyrus asked, with a tone that commanded her attention.

Those blue eyes were more remarkable every time he saw them. Filled with curiosity and a dangerous emotion he couldn't exactly place, Xy felt he could get lost in her beauty, delving deep into the rich blue of her eyes.

"Yes. From the gym," she admitted after a long pause, turning away as she stood.

"Yes, from the gym. My name is Xyrus," he extended his hand. She watched him closely, with a look of concern that made Xy slightly uneasy.

He couldn't begin to understand why she was so resistant to him. Nothing seemed to come easy with this woman who wanted nothing to do with him. She forced him to work for every inch, but in a torturous way, he enjoyed the fun of it all.

She shook his hand, and in that instant, knew that everything he'd felt had been real. There was an electricity between them, and her skin was the softest he had ever felt in in his life. "You have to let me take you out," Xyrus said, hating the desperation in his tone. He needed more time with her, and he could see she wasn't much more interested than she had been at the gym.

She shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other as she glanced over her shoulder as if waiting for someone to rescue her. Trying not to dominate the conversation, Xy waited silently for her to respond, pleading with his eyes for good news.

"I don't like to go out. I just moved here," she explained, her words rushed and forced.

"Well, you've got to eat. I mean, that's why you're here, right?" He holding his hands up as he looked around the market.

Winfair's was Xy's favorite market. In fact, it was the only place he ever shopped for groceries. The owner was one of his premiere clients, so he made a point to stop by regularly to show his face. Unlike any other grocery store in the city, Winfair's only sold locally sourced products and donated a portion of the proceeds to the community.