Chapter 4: Life Turned Upside Down

**Celia Bennett's POV: **

I can not believe how this day has gone so far. I started my day off like any other as my father's personal assistant, being at his beck and call, letting him know about his meetings and all. Now, I've received the most disturbing news, one that told me I'm going to go from the life I've always known, ever since I was little. To a whole new life where I was about to become the wife of someone I'd never met before. And if that isn't too much to bear already, this will all take place before the end of the month if finished, no less. How could it possibly get any worse?!

When I walked in between the men, there was no doubt that I was full of sass. I did not care what these other two men thought about me, nor did I consider it to be my problem. Hell, it was the furthest thing on my to-do list of things to care about. The only thing I cared about was the fact that my father was practically selling me off to the highest bidder.

I only wanted him to hear my side of this entire thing. And that was why did he set me up like this in the first place? I had at least hoped that my eyes would make the difference and plead my case more, to appeal to his better side of nature. He told me that my safety meant more to him than anything in this entire world. If this was actually happening, his words meant nothing to me anymore.

He did not really look at me, but was instead looking at his watch when he said, "You're a bit early, aren't you?"

"You know me, that is the one thing I am not," said the mysterious French man.

I turned around, looking over my shoulder and still filled full of sass. I eye-balled him, and proudly said, "What's your name again, Pierre?" I even furrowed my brows as I continued, "You are a bit early for your meeting, so you know what that means. You may not know me all that well, but I do not take kindly to those who let themselves in unannounced while there is another meeting currently being conducted."

The look on that man's face said it all. He took my words as a challenge and even leaned forward closer to me. He then shocked me further when he started taking a few steps as he spoke softly enough for me only to hear. "You are certainly in need of a good spanking, dear miss. I can honestly say that I would be honored to do it, personally, to make sure you have learned your lesson about unchecked attitudes."

The audacity! I huffed as I swished my hips toward the man behind me, turning back around to face my father once again. Take that, I thought to myself. I wasn't sure what to think about him honestly. I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them up, hoping that my father would sway to my side, but he seemed to stand firm in his current position.

"Celia, we will discuss this later," he said, placing his hands on the sides of my shoulders and whispering into my ear before kissing the side of my head. Then he turned past me and walked to stand beside me, finally taking Pierre's hand in his and shaking it firmly. I swallowed my pride for now as I turned around to face them all as my father greeted his new guests.

"My sincere apologies Pierre," my father said as he turned to gesture for them all to follow him over to his desk. "My daughter simply does not seem to know her place at this very moment."

"Your daughter?!" Pierre asked, with the sound of real shock being evident in his voice. Was there a hint of delight in there as well? Now, why would he be delighted to know that? What more did this man know about me? "Don't tell me this is the wee thing I saw on my last trip here all those years ago?"

"Indeed she is," my father responded as he placed his hands on the front edge of his desk before he sat down, turning to face me and smiling like nothing had previously happened.

When they looked at me this time, I was standing beside my father's desk and I forced a smile in return before looking back at my father. Did he care that little about me? First he tells me I am practically sold and now he acts like nothing happened. Is there any more he could do to add shame to himself?!

At that moment, the air in my father's office kicked on at the moment I was about to speak. "Father, I appreciate your sentiment, but I simply, ..."

I'm not sure what happened. All of a sudden, I was in the middle of my sentence when I was hit with this strange and ever so attractive whiff of fragrance. It was quite strong, and ever so attractive. When I looked back at Pierre this time, I could not mistake his features now.

What was coming over me? And what on earth is that smell?! Where is that strange scent coming from?! It couldn't be coming from him, could it? I was close to him before, but this, this is new. I had to look away as I played with the slit in the top of my blouse just barely covering my cleavage. The more I breathed lightly, the more I could smell this strange scent that was becoming more and more apparent in the air.

It had to be originating from him, it just had to be. I have never smelled anything like that before in my life. I stood there as I tried to control myself as my father started speaking with the men in his office. I had to remain calm. What is coming over me? It was like I was a wild animal and was about to jump the first thing that moved. I was still a virgin after all and the more I breathed, the more I wanted to feel the touch of a man.

Why?! Why was I feeling this way? I had to know what the answer was going to be. When Pierre responded to my father, I looked at him with desire. This was not like me. I was in shock at everything he said. The movement of his lips, the way his jaw appeared before he pressed his lips together, the way his hair laid in front of his forehead.

Get a grip girl! What is going on with you? He was a man with a strange scented cologne. That's all it is. There is nothing more it could be. Oh, but why did I want to be closer to it? Why was it driving me mad? Just then, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to retrieve the good stuff for this particular meeting. Then I could get a fresh breath of air, maybe enough to clear my head.

I interrupted my father when I said, "If you will excuse me, I simply must retrieve the items you had previously requested for this meeting, as I was not prepared for it to start a few minutes early."

"Very well," my father said before looking back at the men still seated.

However, when I started walking, I purposely walked closer to Pierre's chair, so I could tell if this scent was in fact coming from him. When I say that it was a bigger mistake to do that, that is a serious understatement.