"Miss Mills."

A calculated pause followed, and her body froze at the half-humoured voice trickling down her spine like a nuisance. She didn't dare turn towards the voice. Not until she schooled her expression into something less disdainful.

"You look rather ravishing tonight."

Charles Davenport. There was no way she could ever mistake the owner of such a deep, sensual drawl. It was a double-edged sword if there ever was one. Audrey hated how well she was able to recognise the man, even with her back turned.

His voice was clear above the live band and the hushed chattering of the crowd, much to Audrey's dismay. From her stance at the open bar, a wine flute clutched firmly in her hand, Audrey exhaled to relieve the pressure coming to a boil in her veins as she spun to face Charles Davenport.

No one in the world could mistake Charles Davenport for a non-threatening entity. The man had connections in the shadow world deeper than anyone could imagine. And no one dared to. Despite the rumours, people held him in high regard. Even her father had an affliction for the man that Audrey found despicable.

Although the men in their circles admired him, none would welcome him to date their daughters. The enormous expanse of his chest initially stonewalled her until she consciously elevated her eyes to meet his. Audrey craned her neck to look up at him despite the assistance of five-inch heels, which infuriated her further.

Despite how dangerously gorgeous Charles appeared in his black tailored suit, Audrey couldn't suppress her disdain for the man.

"Mr Davenport," she hissed through the rows of teeth she forced into a semblance of a smile.

"How very kind of you to notice. I wake up every morning with a keen sense of motivation to impress you." She rejoiced bitterly with a cynical smile, undisturbed by his lips parting as a prelude to his hearty laughter ringing in her ears.

Her knees buckled beneath her at his rich baritone. Traitorous limbs! She downed her wine in the most inelegant fashion to distract herself from her body's infuriating reactions. It was not the wisest decision for someone who barely drank. Her alcohol tolerance was non-existent.

Audrey's head buzzed, compounding that she had not acted rationally. The sound rumbling from his chest drowned out, and Charles glanced at her mockingly.

"I could only hope so."

Audrey's fire and stubbornness caught his attention a few months ago and have since awoken his obsession with her. Charles leaned forward and lowered his head, his lips almost brushing her cheeks. Audrey steeled her spine, forcing her body to remain unreactive at his proximity, but the sheer size of him enveloped her.

"I take great pleasure knowing I am very much an active thought while you lay awake in bed." His voice was husky, his breath warm and comforting against the shell of her ear.

Audrey's mouth fell open at the sheer arrogance of this man. Did he believe that every living, breathing female would find him irresistible? His reputation as an incorrigible flirt lowered his attractiveness in her eyes.

Audrey's feet shuffled backwards, and into a territory where her senses were unclouded by the muskiness of his cologne.

"Do excuse me, Mr Davenport. I believe I heard my mother calling," she said as she rotated, placing her empty wineglass on the counter.

"I've not heard a sound." He responded as he shoved his hands into his trouser pockets while his eyes narrowed on her.

"Pity," She smiled, directing the brightest upturn of her lips at him. Charles almost faltered, but before he could react, Audrey was already halfway across the room, moving silently.

Charles slipped into a seat at the bar, one with an exceptional view as he mapped every movement Audrey made. He called for a shot of whisky from the bartender, ignoring the woman inching her chair closer to his. With his mind preoccupied with the youngest Mills child, he'd no time to entertain anyone else.

Having Audrey Mills would prove an impressive accomplishment indeed. Charles knew he would find tremendous satisfaction in having the feisty woman begging for him and all the pleasures he could afford. For all the avoidance, Charles knew that the attraction was mutual, and unlike Audrey, he refused to ignore it. To all the world, Audrey Mills despised him, but there was nothing more that Charles cared for than a challenge.

And Audrey Mills was to be the most gratifying challenge yet.