[Invitation to Eden 24.0] How to Tempt a Tycoon by Daire StDenis Page A

in witness protection now and I have no idea where he is. No way of contacting him. For some reason, it's made it next to impossible for me to move on.
    Until now.
    Until Christophe.
    I guess it’s a good sign.
    The old Tessa, the one who loves as much and often as possible, who isn’t afraid to make new and wonderful acquaintances, is making a comeback and that makes me happy.
    I swirl my wine and bring it to just beneath my nose, breathing deeply.
    Instead of currants and oak, I smell Christophe’s aftershave.
    I swivel, half-expecting to see him standing there with that cocky grin of his. But he’s not.
    “Ms. Savage?”
    A blonde woman approaches, wearing a tailored skirt and jacket, smiling shyly. A Princess Diana smile.
    This must be Noelle Davis.
    I stand and we shake hands. Her hand is warm and soft in mine and a scent of vanilla and strawberries wafts across the table as she sits.
    From the moment we meet, I feel this strange kinship with her. It’s like I’m looking at a younger version of myself. We’re about the same height, both fair, with blonde, shoulder length hair. Noelle’s curvier than I am. She’s got the kind of figure that may not be portrayed in the pages of fashion magazines but that men go completely gaga over. Noelle’s also got an air of innocence about her, though I’m not sure if it’s put on or legitimate. When her gaze meets mine, I feel some strange, latent sisterly gene kick in, like I’ve got an urge to protect her or something.
    “It’s funny,” she says as she opens her purse and withdraws her cell phone. “On the way over here I had the strangest feeling that you weren’t going to show.”
    “I’ll be honest with you, Noelle, I’d completely forgotten about the interview. Thank God for smart phones and reminder apps."
    "No kidding." She nudges her phone. "I don't know what I'd do without mine."
    The server comes by and takes Noelle’s drink order and after he’s gone, she points at her phone. “Do you mind if I record this?”
    Yes .
    “No.”
    “Good. I’ll send you a copy of the recording and the article before it goes to print. Does that work for you?”
    “Sure.” I take a sip of wine to cover the fact that I’m not sure at all. For some reason, this young, sweet-looking girl is making me nervous.
    When the server returns with her white wine, we order. Salad for Noelle and a croissant with cheese and meat for me. We make small talk, I mention an article of hers I’d recently read (like last night as I looked her up) on the pressure of female body image on models/actresses.
    Once our food arrives, she taps the screen on her phone and starts the recording app. “Do you mind if we get started?”
    “Not at all.”
    She recites the date and my name, then says, “The Most Influential Woman in Business Who You’ve Never Heard Of.”
    “Tell me that’s not the name of the piece,” I say, cringing.
    She shrugs and smiles. “It’s a working title. I like it though.”
    “So, that’s the angle you’re going with?”
    “Every story needs an angle.”
    “Okay, well, if no one’s heard of me, how did you hear about me?”
    “Eli Kent. CEO of Kent International.”
    I nod as I cut a piece of cheese. I did some work for Eli a couple of years ago, helping him restructure his European offices.
    “Do you want to know what he said about you?”
    “I don’t know, do I?”
    Our gazes meet and I see something in Noelle’s eyes. A flash like a hard, steely edge. It’s there and then it’s gone. Hmmm. Maybe the innocent aura is a ploy. Or maybe not. I guess I’m about to find out.
    She laughs and flips open a notebook I hadn’t noticed sitting on the table. Using her manicured nail, she points to a page. “Based on Tessa Savage’s business acumen, she could be successfully running her own corporation. She’s the biggest thing in business that never happened.”
    I laugh. “I don’t even know what that means.”
    “It means he respects you and thinks