Read Surprised by Love: A Contemporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 4) for Free Online Page A

she’d said and mentally cataloging the bit of information away.
    “She’s twenty-eight.”
    “Twenty-eight? And she’s married to him?”
    “Yes. In America, you would naturally greet his wife first. But not here. That would be a grievous mistake.”
    “You can’t tell me that I’m supposed to ignore his wife? Surely they—”
    Toni shook her head at him. “Do yourself a favor and forget everything you know about how to act around a client. It just won’t work here. If he offers his hand, then you shake it. If he does not offer it, don’t force the issue by offering your own.”
    Douglas looked at her and a little devil rode him to challenge her, “So, you’re an expert on Chinese protocol?”
    She didn’t even wince. Or try to be humble. Toni stared him straight in the eye and told him, “Yes. I am.”
    Then she paused for effect and when he didn’t say a word, she continued, “Now a few more things to keep in mind. Let Mr. Wang sit down at the table first, and you need to wait to begin eating until he takes his first bite.”
    Douglas nodded his head and gritted his teeth. Why does she always have to be right? He’d have put in his foot more than once without her warnings. On one hand, he was thankful for her advice, but on the other hand, it damaged his ego. A lot.
    It cost him a lot of willpower to ask his next question, “Okay, Toni, anything else I have to keep in mind?”
    “Well, he will probably present you with his business card sometime during the evening. Accept it with both of your hands, look at it, and then put it in the front pocket of your dinner jacket.”
    “Why not my rear pocket or my wallet? That’s where I would normally put it.”
    “Because that would be seen as offensive. Now, as far as dinner goes, you need to taste everything that is brought to the table. If you must, swallow it with closed eyes because some of the stuff can be rather disgusting.” She screwed up her face when saying this and he almost choked.
    “If they offer you chopsticks, you can take them or refuse. But if you take them, do not stand them up in your food.”
    “What?”
    “If you need to set them down, either lay them across your plate, or on the table. Standing them up means bad luck and even death. Oh, and one last thing, refrain from any business talk.”
    “But aren’t we meeting to discuss business?”
    “No. We’re having dinner with Wang Li and his wife. That is all we do this evening.”
    His head was trying to wrap itself around the information she’d given him. He was way out of his comfort zone, and without her assistance, he would have deeply offended the one person he needed to impress. “Thank you, Toni. I guess you just saved me from putting my foot in it. I’m glad you’re with me in this.”
    She blushed at his praise, and he realized it made her look even more beautiful than before. He made a mental note to praise her more often – just to see her blush again. It’s sexy!
    And for the first time since she arrived at his office, he was thankful the bank had insisted on sending a loan manager. She’s not only an expert businesswise, but also is that woman hotter than a volcano and I’m truly falling for her.
    Whoa! Whe re did that thought come from? How can I be falling for her after such a short amount of time? And since when have I decided to not dislike her anymore?
    He spent a few minutes trying to sort out his thoughts and emotions, when something strange happened. He actually contemplated taking the risk of a relationship with her. It was crazy, but the more he thought about it, the more a warm and cozy feeling spread across his body. And hot, lustful desire followed the course. She doesn’t even like me, but she might be worth trying to change her mind. She’s like the total package: hot, intelligent and sensitive.
    A few hours later, they arrived right on time at Wang Li’s mansion, where the other dinner guests, three of the higher managers of Wang Li