JULIAN'S POV
The image of her face kept playing repeatedly in my mind. I had been watching her the entire night and something about her intrigued me, pulled me to her in a way that I didn't understand. I had not had such a strong pull on any woman since Kate had died. I had not been interested in romance, I focused on my daughters and work and never women, at least nothing more than a causal relationship with women. I wasn't made of wood.
Long after the party was over, I laid awake in my bed thinking of Iris Castille, no matter how hard I tried to make myself stop. She was the very definition of gorgeous and I knew I wasn't the only person who had my eyes on her that night. I noticed the way heads turned whenever she walked past, right from the moment that she walked through the gigantic doors of my family's ballroom.
She was dressed in a long, fitted silver dress that hugged her curves and a slit that showed off her long, sexy legs. Her black hair was in a high ponytail which seemed to bring out her big brown eyes. She had on very little make-up, unlike the other women who had filled their faces with it just to look half as she was.
I spent the whole time talking to her, trying to keep my gaze away from my luscious, glossed, pink lips. It took all my willpower not to pull her into my arms and kiss her senseless.
I shook my head trying to return to my senses. I had no business thinking about her in such a manner, but she intrigued me. I loved the way she spoke about my father. He was corky and an asshole and I admired the fact that she dared to say that out loud. The fact that she had no problem openly disliking my father was another thing that drew me to her. It was refreshing to hear someone does not kiss his ass for once. I wanted to meet Iris again and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure that it happened.
***
"Mr. Brantholm, your father is here to see you." My assistant Kayla said through the office intercom. I rolled my eyes and tried not to groan because I knew he would hear me. I always hated my father's visits, and I was very sure that he knew that but he continued to come anyway. My father and I had always had a strained relationship and it only worsened when my mother died.
"Send him in. Thank you, Kayla."
Less than ten seconds later, my dad walked into my office in his ever-confident stride. I couldn't blame him for how cocky he was sometimes. At almost, sixty-five years of age, Liam Brantholm was very strong and fit. He looked like he was still in his forties. He was like an older version of me and the only difference between the two of us were the little wrinkles on his face, my eyes which I got from my mother, and of course, the fact that his hair was grey and mine was not.
"Hello, Father. To what do I owe this visit?" I said, sarcasm lacing my tone heavily as he walked in and took the chair opposite me.
"Don't be like that, dear son. Can't a man come to see his only child without wanting something?"
"A man can, but you can't." I deadpanned. This earned me a chuckle from my father while I only rolled my eyes in response.
"Fine. I came to see how far along we are with that thing we spoke about."
Oh yes, how could I have forgotten that my dear old dad was forcing me to get married before he would sign over the company to me? I don't know why cared so much that I refused to get married again. When I asked him the only response, he could offer was that 'it makes a man look more responsible when he has a woman in his arms'. It was a stupid and old-fashioned way of reasoning and I had told him as such, but he was relentless.
"How can I find a wife in just one week?" I scoffed.
"That was the entire point of your party last night, to find a suitable wife."
"Oh, my bad. I thought you threw me a party to celebrate my life." I shot back.
"Don't be like that, Julian. Two birds, one stone."
Sometimes I wish I could throw my father through a wall. He was a pain in the ass, and I hated him so much. The only reason I tolerated him was that for some reason, my daughters, Zoe and Zara loved the man so much. I didn't understand it.
"Just give it a right, Dad. I'll find a wife when I am ready."
"You make it sound like I'm giving you a choice. You need to find a wife before the end of a month and I mean it, else I will find one for you."
"You're not listening. I am not ready to get married. I am very capable of running the company whether I have a wife and we both know that." I shot back.
"I do not care. I am not giving my company to you if you don't have a wife. My father didn't give me the company till I got married and it won't be any different for you. There is no one from the Brantholm family that has ever run this company without a wife, and you won't be different."
"I used to have a wife and she died. I don't know if you remember."
"Yes, and it is time to move on. Think about your daughters. In a few years, they will be teenagers, they need a mother figure. There are things you just can't do alone." He spoke. That shut me up because it made a lot of sense.
"Fine, but I get to choose my wife, no interference from you," I said because I already had a perfect person in mind, I just needed to find out how to convince her.