A Millionaire Saves a Woman From an Awkward Date. He Never Expected to Be the One Falling for Her
The Unexpected Rescue
Alara stared at the man sitting across from her, biting back the urge to cringe as he loudly slurped his soup. She had been on bad dates before, but this was a disaster.
“So Alara,” her blind date Jason drawled, leaning back in his chair with a self-satisfied grin.
“What do you bring to the table?”
She blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“You know,” he said, waving his spoon around carelessly, nearly splashing soup onto the pristine white tablecloth.
“What do you have to offer? I mean, I work in finance, I make good money, and I hit the gym five times a week. What about you?”
Alara inhaled sharply, gripping the edge of her napkin. She had been set up by her well-meaning friend, but this was beyond awkward.
Jason had spent the last twenty minutes talking about himself, his job, his workouts, and his expensive watch. Now he was treating her like some sort of business investment.
“I’m a graphic designer,” she said, forcing a polite smile.
Jason made a non-committal sound.
“Huh, not bad, I guess. But do you plan on staying in that field, or are you looking for a man to take care of you?”
Alara’s patience snapped. She was about to respond when a deep, velvety voice interrupted.
“Sorry to intrude, but I couldn’t help overhearing.”
Alara turned, startled, and her breath caught. The man standing beside their table was effortlessly handsome, tall with sharp cheekbones and piercing blue eyes.
His dark brown hair had just the right amount of tousle. Dressed in a tailored black suit and an expensive watch, he exuded power and confidence.
Jason scowled.
“Who the hell are you?”
The stranger ignored him and turned to Alara instead, his expression warm and amused.
“You looked like you needed saving.”
Alara blinked up at him, torn between mortification and relief.
“I…”
The man turned his attention back to Jason, his smile polite but firm.
“I think this date is over. She deserves better.”
Jason scoffed.
“And what, you’re going to swoop in and be her knight in shining armor?”
The man didn’t flinch.
“Something like that.”
Jason rolled his eyes and threw his napkin onto the table.
“Whatever. She’s not that great anyway.”
Alara bristled, but before she could say anything, the man at her side spoke again, his tone ice cold.
“Leave.”
Maybe it was the authority in his voice or the sheer presence he commanded, but Jason grabbed his coat and stomped off without another word.
Alara let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
“Wow, that was unexpected.”
The man smiled, pulling out the chair Jason had vacated and settling into it.
“You seemed like you needed an escape.”
She studied him, curiosity flickering in her gaze.
“And you just happen to be here?”
He leaned back, the corner of his lips curving up.
“I was having dinner a few tables away. Your date was impossible to ignore.”
Alara let out a short laugh.
“Yeah, he was something all right.”
The man extended his hand.
“Emerson Blackwood.”
She hesitated before shaking it. His grip was firm, warm, and entirely too steady for someone who had just barred into a stranger’s date.
“Alara Hayes. Nice to meet you.”
His gaze held hers, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. She tilted her head.
“So, do you make a habit of rescuing women from terrible dates?”
He chuckled.
“Not usually. But you looked like you were plotting an escape, and I figured I’d make things easier for you.”
Alara exhaled, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Well, thank you. I owe you one.”
His smile widened.
“How about letting me buy you dinner instead?”
She blinked.
“You want to have dinner with me?”
“Unless you’d rather cut the night short after that disaster.”
He gestured toward Jason’s now empty seat. Alara studied him, trying to figure out if this was some sort of joke.
He was charming and confident. He had just saved her from one of the worst dates of her life, and now he was offering an actually enjoyable evening.
She found herself nodding.
“Okay, why not?”
Emerson signaled for the waiter, effortlessly taking control of the situation.
“Let’s start fresh then.”
As the waiter approached, Alara couldn’t shake the feeling that her night had just taken a very unexpected turn.
