Make Me Yours

Chapter 6

Xen had a black belt in martial arts. Not to mention that he beat his master in Taekwondo. You see, the thing with these fights was, they weren’t just about strength. They were about so much more. Endurance, patience, perseverance. They taught deeper life lessons than how to protect yourself in an alley fight or win a tournament. That was why for many Asians, they were considered a necessary part of life; very necessary.

Those lessons had helped Xen. On many occasions. Yet, in that room that evening, he struggled more than he had ever had to in his entire life to keep his calm. To act as though he was not bothered, unaffected by the presence of that woman. After letting his shock show earlier, he had vowed that he would remain in control for the rest of the meeting. And, he had. At least, he thought he had.

Why was he so obsessed with control? Well, the answer was simple. No one could achieve anything without control. No one. It was one lesson his father had always drummed into him. The moment you lose control is the moment you lose. He had lost in that game of poker because he hadn’t been able to control his libido. He wasn’t planning on losing to Miss Martins again. He had meant what he said.

Who would have thought, though? He had simply imagined that St Martins was being run by a man – his bad. He shouldn’t have been so quick or sexist – as his mother would put it – with his assumption. No, he shouldn’t have been. At least, he had learned the error in that, the hard way.

He had arrived really early. He liked doing that. Being the first person in the room gave some sort of power; one that he relished holding. Then, she had walked in and he had found himself lost, flailing, and desperately trying to hold on to something.

Christ. Why did she have such an effect on him? Why?

For a moment, he had been at a loss for words. Thank God for Aunt Lu, who had taken charge and began the introductions. His only consolation was that she had been just as shocked to see him. Who would have thought? After that day in the elevator where he had rudely brushed her off, he had assumed he would never see her again.

In all honesty, it had been amusing to him and he had simply wanted to play around a little bit; get on her nerves. However, on his flight to Colorado, when he couldn’t stop thinking about her, he had reflected upon that moment and had concluded that he could have handled things in a better way, not like some classic teenager, trying too hard to be an asshole to get the girl he was crushing on.

He was thirty-eight for Christ sake, not eighteen. Yet, what had he done today? The same thing; intimidated her with his affluence and implied that he didn’t consider her a worthy opponent. Oh well, way to go.

Sighing, he brushed his hands over his face and fell on his bed. This woman was driving him crazy. Whether it was in a sinful black dress, a simple jean and white top, or a very proper suit and skirt, she still made his blood boil. Xen hadn’t felt attraction like this in a long while and that was exactly what was messing with his head. The fact that in some way, despite his best attempts, this woman made him lose control without even trying too hard. He doubted she even tried at all.

She wasn’t just beautiful. By God, she was fierce. And intelligent. And apparently, kind at heart. She had stood up to him, barely reaching his shoulder in those shoes, and stared at him right in the eyes. Then, she had taken on his challenge.

What woman did that? The only women who knew who he was and were still so bold with him were his mother, Aunt Lu and his niece, Yuri. His sister had been on that list before that tragic crash had taken her away from them.

It had been ten years but Xen still felt an ache in his heart whenever he thought of it. It made him understand what loss was.

Maybe that was why he was able to understand Miss Martins’ stand. She was right; thousands of people would be displaced. They might not be losing a family member, but they would be losing their homes and their stability for a while.

He really wanted Belmont. It was in the perfect spot, and the best place they could get for Li Tech’s establishment. Nevertheless, he wasn’t a cruel man. A hard man, yes. But never cruel. He had empathy and a bigger heart than most people knew about. He cared about the less privileged, though he would never show it. The thousands of millions in charity that could never be traced back to him was proof of just how much he did care.

Would he really put those people on the streets, for Li Tech? Yes, he would be creating jobs too, doing a seemingly greater look, but Miss Martins had been intelligent with her question. Would the beneficiaries be residents of the Belmont property or not?

As a business man who knew his beans, he knew that the answer was most likely not. So, they were at a cross road, and he needed to figure out which way to go. Real soon. Li Tech or Belmont. Which one?

His phone rang then, drawing him out of his thoughts. A quick look at the caller ID told him that it was Yun at the other end. With one swipe, he picked and placed the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

“What’s up, man? I was thinking it would be a good night to go grab some drinks, just chill. I actually haven’t seen this city. What do you say we take a spin? Also, Charles just got in from Alabama. All three of us haven’t been together in a while. It’d be good to have fun, just like old times.”

Xen smiled at the thought of seeing Colorado with his two best friends. Yun Tan might be his attorney, but he was also the number one friend in Xen’s life. They had been together since they were babies, and had been almost mixed up for another due to a striking resemblance.