The Taste Of Passionate Love

Aisha’s POV

AS Company, New York, USA

“Ma’am, you have a meeting with the marketing department at 9. It’s about the new campaign strategy, so they’ll need your input on final adjustments, ” says my third temporary assistant, Natasha, since my permanent one is on maternity leave. This one has lasted the longest, which is a miracle in itself.

Hearing her, I nod and motion for her to continue, “And then at 12, you have a meeting and lunch with S&S groups. It is scheduled at their Belmont branch. They’ll be expecting you there for our company’s Project proposal.”

I press my fingers against the skin of my neck, feeling a slight tension there as I wonder if I am even ready with that one or not? Logically, I know that I can do this considering my success in the company from the ground up that made it reach greater heights over the past few years, but still, the nervousness and the self-doubt make it bad at times.

I don’t show my overthinker side to anyone since it’s a vulnerability, but sometimes it gets too much.

I am a bit nervous with this since S&S groups is a huge name like a H-U-G-E one in the business world. They are ruthless, manipulative, and powerful.

Getting my proposal accepted from them is a huge thing.

A huge responsibility as the CEO of my company.

Although coming to the business world, owning a company and making it reach greater heights was all my idea, hard work, and success, but sometimes the pressure, the nervousness, and the self-doubt get too overbearing.

I need a cup of coffee now.

“Ok.....You may go but please bring me a cup of cappuccino with no sugar.”

Hearing me, she nods and goes.

Coffee is my solution to every problem.

It is the only thing that can keep me sane, alive, and functioning.

After some time she comes up with a cup of coffee and hands it over to me. The moment the liquid touches my tongue, I choke on it.

What.The.Fuck.

Is this even coffee?

She makes the worst coffee.

She hastily hands me a napkin and a glass of water as I reach over for it.

After composing and cleaning myself, I look up at her to find her frowning and pouting a bit. I dismiss her soon with a wave of my hand, making her stomp and leave the room. I forgot for a while that she makes the worst coffees, considering the steward mostly serves coffees to me(Today he was on a leave), and so she gets the free pass every day to not make me a coffee.

But that pouting and stomping couldn’t get me. What the fuck?

And here I thought that she was a sane and responsible one.

Guess I underestimate things a lot.

Wearing my shades, I come out of the car, the door opened by the guards. My assistant Natasha trails behind me, and also a few of my team members from the car beside mine.

Showtime, baby.

Entering the building, we reach the reception where the receptionist contacts someone through the intercom to inform about our arrival.

Soon, several bulky men dressed in black suits and sunglasses with walkie-talkies clipped to their belts come to escort us. They lead us through the hallways to an elevator and press the button to the 47th floor.

When we reach the floor, the door opens to a sophisticated hallway with a sign at the far end.

‘S-GUEST’ is the sign engraved on the wall with golden artificial lights enhancing the text on the wall.

Regal. Modern.Powerful.

Heading towards the right from the sign on the wall, we were led to a huge black double door.

The door led to an opulent lounge room. The whole room had the shades of black, grey, and golden with a bit of white to fit the whole regal yet modern vibe, giving the room a perfect blend of elegance and authority.

One of the men turns to me and speaks in a deep Irish-accented voice.

“Boss will arrive in two minutes. Please be seated.”

Hearing him, my team and I patiently waited, and then, exactly two minutes after the clock struck on my digital watch, the elevator dings and the sounds of calculated, powerful, and unrushed footsteps could be heard.

Impressive punctuality.

With that soon I stand, removing my sunglasses and straightening my blazer jacket with my team behind me.

My eyes meet three men who stride into the room with their powerful presence like they are kings entering their kingdom. Behind them were their bodyguards who moved in sync, their eyes scanning the room like hawks.

But it was them whose presence held my attention.

Damn they were hot as fuck like Greek gods. I guess the beauty runs in genes considering the body, the facial features, and everything, which was perfect. If power had a face then it would be theirs.

Wait did I just-

“Miss Singh, ” A smooth yet authoritative voice, which held a tone that demands respect, cut through my thoughts. The first and the oldest of the men, yet undeniably breathtaking, who was now standing in front of me, was the one who just muttered those words.

Sebastian Smith.

A legend in the business world.

The Chairman of S&S groups.

A man who could make industries rise or fall with a flick of his wrist.

His nearly silver hair should have made him look aged, yet it only enhances his impossible allure. Like what the fuck? How can an old man look this handsome? Ok, I am not into older men at all ( And also he is the age of my dad), but I won’t deny that he looked impressively handsome, hot, and Greek god-like.

What the fuck is with that face and body?

I imagined him as some old sophisticated man with a huge belly and glasses to be honest.

His dark blue eyes, which were sharp and assessing—lock onto mine as he extends a hand suddenly towards me.

Composing myself, I immediately placed my hand in his, his grip, which was firm but not overbearing, ” Mr Smith, it’s an honor.”

He nods, releasing my hand before motioning to the three other handsome men whom I assume are his byproducts, standing slightly behind him. “Let me introduce you.”

The first man of the two steps forward. He was tall, elegant, with sharp features and the same piercing deep blue eyes as his father. He was poised and sophisticated and he had a composed look on his face as if assessing me. Refined. Sophisticated. The air around him was icy, unreadable, composed.

I don’t flinch nor do I refuse to meet his eyes.

“This is Adrian, my second son.“, says the old handsome man.

Adrian inclines his head slightly as he nods at me and says in a deep, cold yet unkind voice while he forwards his hand, “Heard a lot about you, Miss Singh. Hope you meet the expectations.”

“Likewise, it’s a pleasure.” I nod back as I place my hand on his, that’s when I notice that he has a ring, which indicates that he is committed.

All handsome and refined-looking men are always taken, I guess.

“And this is Aaron, my youngest one.“ The old man gestures towards the second man, who moves in, exuding a completely different energy. His presence was electric. He carried himself with a reckless confidence exuding a dangerous charm. He looks like my age or a bit older—but he carries himself with an effortless, almost careless kind of confidence.

The top buttons of his crisp white shirt are undone, his suit jacket slung over one shoulder, and his dark blue eyes hold a flicker of mischief. His perfectly tousled hair gives him a roguish charm, as if he belongs in both a high-powered boardroom and on the cover of a magazine.

Fact, I even saw him on the latest Vogue magazine’s front cover, I guess? Since now his face seems a bit familiar to me, slowly.

Aaron flashes a smirk, his handshake firmer than Adrian’s, laced with a teasing warmth. “Miss Singh, I have to say, you’re certainly far more interesting than the old men who usually sit in these meetings. I am impressed to see a different face, finally. Hope that even your deals go the same way. Best of luck.”

A soft chuckle escapes me, though I catch the sharp look Sebastian shoots his son. Aaron simply shrugs while winking at me.

After the introduction, Sebastian leads us to the boardroom of the lounge that was on its left side with a perfect skyline giving us a view of the outside sky along with other high-rise buildings.

Before we were about to sit on our respective assigned chairs, the boardroom door opened suddenly and a man entered making my breath hitch.

Sebastian and his sons nod at him acknowledging him, “Ah, Miss Singh, this man you see right here is my eldest son, Ryan. He will soon be the CEO of this empire of mine.”

I don’t know who he was, although I may have heard his name a lot of times in the business.

But I feel him at this moment.

He was tall—so tall that I had to tilt my chin up to meet his gaze. 6′4", maybe more. His hair was a flawless contradiction, part messy, part styled, as if he didn’t care yet still looked devastatingly perfect. His suit fitted him like a second skin, his broad shoulders stretching the fabric in a way that should be illegal. He had a heavily-built body compared to his siblings, which proved that he spent hours in the gym. His features were sharp, and sculpted, a vision of pure, unfiltered masculinity.

But his eyes.

They weren’t the same piercing blue as the others like his father. They were hazel-green. A shade I could drown in if I wasn’t careful.

For a long moment, he wasn’t even looking at me.

He kept his gaze just slightly away, jaw tight, as if this whole interaction was nothing but a formality to him.

But then—he finally lifted his gaze.

Time stopped.

Something crackles between us, something wordless and burning. The air thickens, the space between us shrinking even though neither of us moves. There’s something in his eyes—not hatred, not indifference, but something undeniably intense. As if he doesn’t understand why he’s still holding my gaze. As if he doesn’t want to look, yet he can’t stop.

I swallow, forcing my breathing to remain even, but the way his lips press together, the way his fingers flex at his sides—he feels it too.

Ryan.

Was the name seared into my mind, though I don’t dare say it out loud.

His handshake never comes. He simply gives me a slow, measured nod, the weight of his gaze still lingering.

Sebastian’s voice remains steady as he turns to his sons. “This is Aisha Singh, CEO of AS Company. A rising name in the industry.”

For a second, I could swear I see something flicker in Ryan’s eyes. But then it’s gone, replaced by the unreadable mask he wears so effortlessly.

The meeting starts.

And he said nothing.

But he was still looking at me and I could still feel it.

Damn.

But then I knew I had to concentrate so I composed myself and asked my team to deliver the proposal while I backed them up too for delivering the proposal for the project of our company, since this meeting was important and I couldn’t afford distractions despite all the masculine beauty in front of me.

(A/N: Check the character aesthetics to understand how handsome these men looked *evil smirks*)

After my team members were done presenting, the NEGOTIATION PROCESS STARTS.

Ryan flips open the document but doesn’t look at it. Instead, his gaze remains fixed on me. Studying. Assessing.

I ignore the way my pulse ticks up a notch. Meanwhile, his father Sebastian was busy examining the documents as if trying to catch any slight mistake, after he had put his glasses on while examining.

“As you’ll see on page four,” I continue, “our approach ensures maximum ROI while maintaining an eco-friendly production chain. This not only boosts brand reputation but also sets a new industry standard.”

Adrian nods slightly, ever the composed businessman. Aaron? He was more entertained by my presence and a Rubik’s cube while he listened, but I didn’t let it distract me.

(A/N: Aaron can absorb words while listening without taking notes. Rubix’s cube was just a means for his concentration. Not a distraction.)

And then there’s Ryan.

He finally looks down at the proposal, flipping through the pages with deliberate slowness.

Silence stretches as he reads.

One second.

Two.

Three.

Then, without looking up, he speaks.

“This is ambitious.”

I don’t falter. “That’s what it takes to stay ahead of the competition.”

His beautiful hazel-green eyes lift to mine, sharp and unreadable. “And if it fails?”

I tilt my head slightly, a confident smirk tugging at my lips. “It won’t.”

A muscle ticks in his jaw. His fingers drum against the table again. “Bold claim.”

“I don’t make claims, Mr. Smith,” I counter smoothly. “I deliver results.”

A beat of silence.

Then—

Aaron whistles low. “Well, damn. I like her.”

Adrian shoots his younger brother a warning glance, while Sebastian suppresses a knowing smirk.

Ryan?

He simply watches me.

And for the first time, something flickers in his gaze.

Interest.

Not just in the business proposal.

In me.

I hold his stare, refusing to back down, although I can’t understand if this is my delusion or anything since, well, we’ve just met, so how can he have interest in me?

After much negotiation for the next few hours, finally, Sebastian nods, ” We accept your deal then, Ms.Singh.” With that, he takes my palm in his hand as we seal the bond with a handshake.

Finally.

I knew it would go right. I was overthinking and getting nervous in the morning for no reason.

Soon Adrian too shakes my hand and says, “You did meet the expectations, Ms.Singh. They weren’t lying about you in the world of business.”

Leaving his hand, my hand meets Aaron who smirks leaning closer a bit as he speaks in a low voice, “I knew you wouldn’t be a beauty without a brain but a beauty with a brain indeed. My predictions are always true. Good work, sweetheart.”

" ‘Aisha Singh’, not ‘sweetheart’." I correct him, smiling while I continue, “But, I am glad Mr Aaron Smith that my negotiations and dealings met your expectations and predictions.”

Hearing me, he chuckles and shakes his head, and leaves my hand.

When I now focused on Ryan, expecting something from him. A handshake or an eye contact, but he didn’t look; he was still seated like a king, but his jaw was clenched and there was something in his eyes that looked like something was burning in those eyes, anger, rage, or jealousy or something?

Wait jealousy?

Of course not. I am delusional to say all that stuff.

He and jealousy?

I have just met him now.

Why will there be any jealousy?

Or maybe it’s just the male ego considering when I negotiated with him, I made him speechless.

But then soon he stands up and moves closer with a cold gaze, but his eyes holding an intense look, as he finally extends his hand towards me.

There was no warmth in his expression, no smugness, just something unreadable in those hazel-green eyes.

I take his hand but the moment our skin touches a jolt of electricity passes through me and something undeniable crackles between us, making my breath hitch and his eyes dark.

“Welcome to the game, Ms.Singh.” With that, he releases my hand and walks away striding towards the exit.