34 Femme Fatale

[ Chapter 34 ]

The melodious symphony shimmied through all over the grandeur hall as the lights flashed indicating that the second act was about to begin.

It's only when the lights dimmed down and the curtain slid open did Cassandra and Julian return their attention back to the unfolding stage.

Julian had that lingering smile spilling out his lips as he had his gorgeous eyes glittering from the sparks of the classic opera, unable to focus on what he's watching.

As much as he enjoyed the splendor performance of the opera, he just couldn't get into it as the thought of exquisite lady next to him kept making a better show in the back of his mind.

In the first intermission where she responded well to his attempt on getting her into intimate talking he realised how much he longed for her voice. Her accent, every of her syllables was both refined and alluring as he remembered.

Cassandra has always been the vision of his wildest longing in the past five weeks but tonight was different. He just couldn't get his mind straight.

It might be because of her scent that he got himself intoxicated with. She smelled like sweet ambrosia, and honey. Earthly, almost spiced but with an underlying scent he couldn't quite identify.

Honestly, he found it's a bit frustrating to be around her as he seemed to have lost what he deemed as impeccable self-possession. It's out of his character to have no absolute possession of himself.

He could call himself a womanizer yes but he had never been a man of such a pathetic self-restraint. You wouldn't survive as a heir of the most loathed household with countless eyeing to knife your neck by giving in the second someone tries to seduce you.

Throughout the years, though Julian had plenty of casual relationships, but not a single one of them managed to advance to the phase where he got himself badly infatuated with them.

He perfectly knew that for a man like him, a slightest mistake could lead to his absolute demise that's why he knew how to set the line for himself. It had always been him and his total control of his amorous relationships.

Therefore, it's the first time, in some sense, that he found it hard to preserve himself from losing his absolute possession over his male hormones.

He knew he shouldn't give in but he couldn't, not when the very woman he desired flashing her wiles to seduce him. He took a mental note that he should be more cautious on how to handle himself around her.

The opera went on, the accompanying orchestra was passionate and the performance was marvelous enough to entertain him, usually. However, it's just a matter of minutes when Julian found his eyes drifting back to her.

There, sitting next to him with such a refined elegance was an ideal woman. His eyes marveled at her seemingly impregnable grace, she's simply breathtaking even with the darkness surrounding her.

Julian took in the sight of a thin diamond choker set off her long neck. Her mauve satin suit wasn't only thin and showcasing every of her womanly curve, it's also sparse and left little to his imagination. A part of his mind wondered what kept those enormous globes from spilling out though.

The suit ended just above her knees, which were crossed and his eyes were constantly assaulted by the shiny material of the nylon that wrapped enticingly around her impossibly long legs.

He couldn't help but notice the stiletto heel on her right foot as she moved it back and forth. An obvious sign to him that her motor was running and there's a lot of energy stored up in that gorgeous body.

Julian found great appeal in the way she carried herself, she exuded more sensuality than it's possible to describe. Her every motion emphasized her sensuous wiles and she sure knew how to use those advantages.

In a word, she's what one could say; brilliance, strength and grace, all rolled into one. The qualities of her beauty and sexiness were enhanced by her extreme intelligence and regal demeanor.

She was gorgeous, but she's much more than a sensual visual. She had the ability to get men into sway for her favor without exerting much effort. She's much more clever than what she seemed. He knew once men completely fell for her charm that's the moment where they're at her mercy.

He knew that beneath a thin veneer of that feminine charm or at least savoir faire, lay a very epitome of what they called as femme fatale. She's a complicated, beautiful and seductive woman whose charms could ensnare people to achieve her goals.

He knew that rationally speaking, she's the very woman he should've distanced himself from, yet her daunting temptation was just as irresistible as her enchanting smile.

He realised that he found that her wicked threats are irresistibly attractive and one of the reasons why she had so enthralled him. In his world, he's used to being in total control of everything. He had never allowed anything or something to influence him.

Fascinating. It's the first time of him getting on something he didn't hold total possession of. She's all temptation he's willing to take the risk.

As the igniting blast of notes from the orchestra continued, Julian felt it ran through every bone in his body, a strong melody of strings that reminded him of a certain memory, but he didn't have the power to avert his attention from Cassandra.

Julian couldn't get enough of the sight as his eyes went down. The memory of those toned legs wrapped around his hips filled his mind. He shifted in his seat as he felt the uncomfortable growing expansion in his loins, closing his eyes against the memory.

His body stirred again and he nearly groaned at the thought that it would be a long night as he didn't have intention to move on her, at least for tonight. Tonight was the brief opening to get to know more about her as he would take things slowly.

Determined to get a hold of himself and not to show her his bad side Julian turned his attention back to the stage, but all too soon as he found he's watching her again.

How her gorgeous eyes sparkled when she was entertained, the way the corners of her lips lifted when she's amused, the soft rise and fall of her swelling breasts as she breathed.

Naturally sitting by his side, all of his ardent attention wasn't lost on Cassandra as she kept on enjoying the opera. It's every once in a while when she turned her head, giving him a sidelong glance and then foxy smile.

It's half an hour later when the lights came up and the second act ended. They looked over at each other and smiled. If she only knew some of the thoughts going through his mind, she would eyed him with disgust and probably slap him for real. He chuckled at the thought.

Julian turned around and reached out the bottle of vintage champagne as he noticed her empty glass. He leaned in to his side and served her a glass full of it.

"A champagne for your thoughts?" He smiled, it's that smile of a man who knew his sexiness.

Cassandra paused for a moment before curling up her lips in a smile, her smile was enticing, eyes brimming with coquettish glow as she drew off one of her gloves.

The sound of the sheer material against her skin and the way she did it was an artful seduction, making Julian shift in his seat as his eyes marveled at her womanly hands which looked sinfully sensuous that he just wanted to have them on him. On his mouth, on his body, between his legs.

Cassandra held the coupe glass in her naked right hand elegantly and lifted those smoky, appealing eyes of hers at him. "My thoughts?" She finally answered.

She turned her head to the stage. "I'd never been overly fond of watching the grandeur of the opera honestly but I couldn't say the same about this one. It's been years since the last time I found myself genuinely immersed in the opera."

Cassandra continued, "It's thrilling and engaging. Moreover, I've always been a fan of orchestras, especially Elizabeth Sofiola. Her otherworldly voice is always pleasure to hear."

Julian was delighted to hear her thoughts and he responded, "It's a pleasure indeed. I've watched this for a couple of times actually. A performance of this opera is always full of quotes. It's full of memorable tunes and soulful symphony."

He added, "Guan Liang performance is always engaging, entertaining and exhilarating. A cross between Huaxian culture and romance, and fatal attraction this opera has a lot; cultural theme, intrigue and deceit, smoldering passion, cynical cruelty and the unstoppable power of devotion."

Julian continued to brush up on his knowledge of Huaxian opera in general, especially about Guan Liang. He poured over his personal review, history of this opera and its meaning. Every syllable was drawled out with intensity and passion.

Cassandra quietly listened to his passionate explanation and was impressed by his immense knowledge about opera and Huaxian culture. She had to admit that such an intelligent and cultured man was exceptionally appealing.

It's well known to everyone that lady Isabella was a passionate person whose fondness of art and culture was illustrious. She just didn't expect that Julian inherited his grandmother's passion for art to such an extent.

Cassandra dragged her gaze to the glass in her hand as she brought it to her mouth. A small smile graced her face as she took an elegant sip of the amber liquor.

She praised low as her gaze found his eyes, "That's quite a knowledge for a businessman."

Julian downed a sip of his glass and curved up his lips. For a brief moment, just for a split second, Cassandra caught his eyes glowed with longing of the distant memory.

"It's natural to love arts when one was growing up with the influence of my grandmother, especially my mother," he began. "They started to bring me to these kind of events when I was too small to even remember."

"They taught me a lot and before I could even remember, I was growing up with the same passion in art myself." He twirled the glass in his hand and continued, "I used to believe that had it not been for a business that I've to inherit, I would've been someone who lives with passion as a career."

Listening to him, it would be a complete lie if Cassandra told herself that she wasn't intrigued to know more about him. Everything about him reflected what a passionate man he was. Surprisingly, she enjoyed his company more than she expected.

"That's impressive." Cassandra asked, "What are you passionate about?"

Julian answered in a beat, "I do have quite of passions, fiddling a violin for an exquisite, gorgeous lady is one of them for sure."

"I would love to play it for you if I was given a chance." He drawled in his sexy, soothing voice. The same one that would've made any woman shiver with need.

Cassandra pursed her luscious lips and smiled at his flirting. "Maybe sometime." It was a low, thrilling sound and at one time, it would have sent a jolt through him like nothing else in the universe.

By now looking at her heart stopping smile, captivated was understatement, he was smitten by her irresistible charm. He took a moment of silence just to appreciate her divine beauty and then drawled out with reverence, "Cassandra."

Cassandra paused and looked straight at him in the eye as Julian breathed low, "I would love to know more about you. Would you allow me to know you more?"

"What do you want to know about?" Cassandra responded as her fingers caressed the glass of champagne. "I didn't believe it's hard for you to get something you wanted. You could've done your complete research on me."

"All of you." Julian answered as he smiled, "And to answer your statement, I do like being thorough about everything but there's always exceptions to certain things."

"When I want to know more about you, I prefer to know it from you personally." Julian drawled out his honest statement.

It's true that he didn't do any deep research on her as in truth, he kind of enjoy unraveling woman he desired on an intimate level. For him, it provided him a different kind of pleasure and satisfaction when he got to unwrap everything about her himself.

Cassandra pursed her lips as she's quite surprised to be honest. It seemed she's still underestimating his well deserved arrogance. "That's very gentlemanly of you," she praised with a sarcastic undertone but the amusement was apparent in her hazel eyes.

For the next couple of minutes, they carried on and enjoyed each other's company as they got to know more about each other, and Julian was overwhelmed by her allure and sexy wiles as she told him more about her.

Between their intimate talking, Julian couldn't help but swallow when Cassandra toyed seductively with her glass. Her hands appeared so delicate, her fingers were long and sensual.

Spending more and more time with such a woman, he felt so uncomfortable with the tightening in his loins. A dull ache. He had to shuffle in his seat to relieve some of the pressure and reached into his pocket to adjust the expansion problem in his nether region.

It's challenging to get a hold of himself around such an enchanting woman. And as he finished easing some of his sexual stress, he caught a foxy glint in her eyes, he knew that his attempt at playing a quick game of pocket billiards hadn't gone unseen.

The time went by and when the third intermission came, Julian and Cassandra proceeded to attend his designated meeting. It's almost eleven when the meeting ended and Julian found himself being pinned against the wall inside the private elevator.