The Art of Seduction

Summary: Rumbelle A/U Belle is a World Renowned author and Mr. Gold is a successful businessman with a heart of stone. Will Belle be able to break down the walls around his heart?

Chapter One

Belle French was tired of waiting in airports, her flight had been delayed and she was ready to get home and take a warm bath in her claw foot tub, she adored that tub. Setting her book aside she glanced around the hotel at the people hustling by. Her phone beeped and she took it out of her purse, and with a sigh hit the ignore button, it was her ex boyfriend Geoffrey she was so tired of his begging her to return to him. He had cheated on her with everyone, this last time had been the final straw…with triplets no less! With a growl she checked her other text messages, they were all the time "Please I'm sorry." "Never do it again." Ever the optimist, she smiled her dream man was out there somewhere and it was sure as hell not Geoff with a G Landon. Picking the book up, she noticed a passenger sit down across the aisle, he was a slender man with a limp and cane. His suit probably cost more than her first car, she wondered about him, there was a hardness in his eyes but there was something else as well, an inner pain.

A few minutes later it was time to board the plane, she was so relieved now she could relax and maybe take a nap. Her book tour across the country was over and even though she had had a wonderful time she was ready to be home.

The man she had been watching sat down next to her. "Hello my name is Belle French." She said with a smile and held out her hand.

He looked startled a moment, "Mr. Gold, I plan on getting some sleep so I hope you won't chatter at me the whole flight."

Smothering a chuckle Belle nodded, "Of course not…I cannot promise about them though." She leaned in and whispered in his ear. She nodded to the right of him, across the aisle a mom and her baby girl were sitting down in their seats. Mr. Gold groaned, a chatty woman on one side and a baby on the other.

"So where are you headed? Do you live in New York?" She asked, he seemed like a New Yorker, not that she would know she had only lived in New York a couple of months, she had been born in Australia and then raised in Montana.

Mr. Gold nodded, "Yes I own a successful business there…well several actually." He liked her accent, it was Australian but light enough that he knew she had not been raised there. Turning to get a better look at her, he was struck by her beauty, she had deep chestnut curls and sparkling blue eyes.

After a few minutes of chit chat Belle decided to take it easy on him and read her book, she loved to read. She could get lost in the pages and not surface for hours.

Mr. Gold was sure he had gotten a couple hours sleep when the baby started crying, for a minute he was back in time to when Bailey was a baby, Bae was such a good boy. His heart constricted, he missed his little boy. Bae was gone now.

"Well it was good while it lasted." Belle said with a smile. She chuckled when the mother asked if she could use the seat next to Mr. Gold to change the baby, she thought Mr. Gold was going to pitch her off the plane baby and all.

"I guess that will be alright, if it will stop that infernal racket." He muttered darkly, trying to close his eyes and fall asleep again.

After a clean diaper the baby was silent again, Belle really could not blame the child she would cry too if she had messed her pants. Mr. Gold has his eyes closed, but he was not sleeping. He was such a curious man, a mystery.

It was not a long flight, Gold was relieved when the plane touched down. He was exhausted and his leg was throbbing, he wanted a nice, hot bath. He had been in meetings all weekend and he was in an ill mood.

"It was nice meeting you." Belle called out cheerfully has they parted ways in the airport. He didn't respond just kept walking.

Belle watched him walk away, she wondered why she found him so intriguing. She hoped that they would run into each other again. Her cell rang bringing her out of her thoughts, it was Mary her best friend.

"I am so dead!" She yelled into the phone without preamble, "My boss just landed and I completely forgot to make sure the limo picked him up! He is going to kill me!"

Belle frowned, Mary was an Executive Assistant to some big shot businessman, she never called him by name just "The old tyrant".

"Well I am sure he can find a taxi, calm down." Belle knew Mary had been distracted lately, her boyfriend's divorce was finally finalized.

Mary sighed, "No it's not, this is the second this week I have screwed up. I am so ashamed of myself, he has been out of town at a conference all week and now this, he hates traveling he is going to be in a horrible temper, of course he is always in an awful mood."

"Well why don't I meet you for lunch Monday and we can unwind?" Belle suggested, she hoped Mary would settle down. It was not like her to be so worried about her job. Even though she called her boss an old tyrant she was the oldest assistant he had kept. The rest had run off in tears.

At home Belle slipped into her tub of steaming water and bubble bath, she felt relaxed. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tub, she thought of Mr. Gold and wondered what he was doing.