His eyes held a strange mischief in them which I couldn't pinpoint but I knew he was acting somewhat different today.

"Hello to you too. I know I look gorgeous today," Alex chirped from beside us as Ace held my confused and awed gaze after the peck on my cheek.

"Piss off, man," Mr. Rhodes replied and rolled his eyes as he let go of me, leaning on the counter he ordered a tonic for himself.

I felt so different and...confident standing between these two men whom half the party was staring at, like damn bitch, who's the queen now?

"I've gotta meet someone real quick," Alex said and took off to the center table where an old man was sitting with a grin on his wrinkled face as Alex approached him and I turned my eyes sideways where Mr. Rhodes was standing.

"You look stunning," he whispered just as I caught his eyes and I bit my lip and smiled.

"You too," I murmured and he smirked, leaning a bit closer so that he could wrap a lose strand of my hair that somehow escaped my tight bun.

"Ace Rhodes?" a woman in about her late twenties called from behind and I could've sworn I heard Mr. Rhodes groan.

He turned around with a forced smile on his face, "Francesca. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Mr. Rhodes was clearly irritated by this woman, whoever she was, and I could tell that she just couldn't take the hint.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here. What a pleasant surprise! Come on, daddy has been asking for you," the woman wrapped her hand around his arm, absolutely ignoring my presence and I tried not to show my discomfort at how she was throwing all of herself on Mr. Rhodes.

I wasn't supposed to feel this way anyway, I was Alex's date and I couldn't care less about who Mr. Rhodes chose to hang out with. But this feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watched her practically grinding against him made me want to rip her head off.

"I'm sorry, I'll be back in a minute," Mr. Rhodes turned to me with an embarrassed and guilty look on his face and I forced a smile.

"It's fine," I said and looked the other way as Francesca dragged him away from me and my eyes searched the hall for Alex.

I couldn't spot him anywhere so I decided to give up and sat down on the chair closest to me, pulling out the phone out of my bag.

"I don't think I've had the honor to meet you before," a voice said from behind me with a slight Spanish accent and I closed my eyes and tried to put up a fake smile.

Socialising with rich people was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

The man took a seat beside me and I turned to look at him with a forced smile on my face. I took in his face and my smile almost dropped.

Great, the only person I was supposed to stay away from came to hit on me.

"I'm Kevin," Kevin Grace extended his hand out for me to take. Like I didn't know already.

"Yeah...I know. I'm Isabelle," I took his hand and he brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of my hand.

"Fancy meeting you, Isabelle," his voice was so velvety that if I didn't know better, I'd say he was a keeper.

Kevin was in his early thirtees and still single from what I had gathered so far from all the gossips and articles about him.

He was the literal definition of a rich spoilt womanizer.

"Likewise," I mumbled and smiled looking around for either of the boys to come to my rescue.

I couldn't basically tell Kevin to shove it because I was practically at a party hosted by him so I was bound to play nice.

"Can I get you a drink, Carino?" he asked in an attempt to make a conversation as his eyes took in each inch of my body and I tried not to slap him across the face.

"No thanks a lot. I don't drink much," I kept giving him hints that I wasn't interested in the least and he could just leave me alone now but voila was this guy consistent.

"I believe you're here with Alexander Kingston, girlfriend I suppose?" he asked.

Stalker much?

"Um actually no. I work for him. For Ace Rhodes precisely," I told him and he nodded his head and leaned back on the chair with an expression I couldn't quiet put.

"Isabelle, there you are, my darling," Mr. Rhodes popped out of the blue and took a seat on my left, inching his chair near to mine, he snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me a little bit closer to him.

I'm sorry your what, again?

"Oh Mr. Grace, pleasure to meet you again," Mr. Rhodes casually added as I tried not to drown myself in his scent.

Kevin's eyes followed his every move, how his arm was securely around my waist, how I was actually quite comfortable that he was there beside me now and probably how the blush was creeping up my cheeks because of our intimacy.

"The pleasure is mine Ace, I appreciate you joining us today," Kevin said and stood up from his chair, he nodded his head at us and walked away.

I turned around and saw Mr. Rhodes so close to my face that if I would lean up a bit, our lips would touch.

"Thank you....." I trailed, not sure how to thank him for saving my ass from that pervert when he was this close to me.

His gaze fell to my lips and he looked at me with hooded eyes, I took in his expressions as his eyes drank every inch of my face.

The music in the background changed and a woman announced that it was time for a slow dance.

🎶I am not the only traveler

Who has not repaid his debt

A smile made its way on Ace's face as he held me close to him, "Would you like to have this dance with me?" he asked and I bit my lips harder.

I've been searching for a trail to follow again

Take me back to the night we met

Who knew Ace Rhodes, a self made egoistic multi millionaire who was known to never have given two shits about anyone would ask me a dance.

"Of course," I smiled as he stood up and took my hand in his, guiding me towards the dance floor where couples were already dancing.

He led me to the middle of the dance floor and I put my hand on his shoulder and he snaked his arm around my waist.

And then I can tell myself

What the hell I'm supposed to do

We swayed with the music for a little while in silence, enjoying each others company until he spoke up, "You look stunning, Isabelle."

His voice was merely above a whisper and the husky tone in which he spoke sent chills down my spine. He hardly said my name, but whenever he did, it looked so beautiful coming out of his lips that an involuntary smile always made its way on my face.

And then I can tell myself

Not to ride along with you

"You don't look half bad yourself," I joked and regretted the second it came out of my mouth. Knowing Mr. Rhodes. he'd probably get angry at me for joking around with him.

But to my surprise, a smile crept up on his lips and my insides relaxed. Seeing him smiling, dancing with me and talking like I was the center of the universe right now made butterflies occur in my stomach.

I wish it would last but I knew that this side of him would go away as soon as it came.

I had all and then most of you

Some and now none of you

Take me back to the night we met

He spun me around and I collided right back into his chest. My one hand was on his chest and the on his shoulder. His deep blue eyes held a ocean one could get lost in.

I was lost in his eyes, not aware of anything happening around, it seemed like the rest of the world ceased to exist.

I knew people were staring and everyone's attention was our way but I didn't care. As long as I was laughing and smiling with this stranger in front of me, I didn't want this moment to end.

I don't know what I'm supposed to do

Haunted by the ghost of you

Oh, take me back to the night we met 🎶

***********