by Mary Peart
“Would you like some tea?” she asked him politely.
“Please,” he attempted a smile.
She set about making tea, busying herself with the everyday task and not looking at him. She passed him the steaming cup of chamomile and settled at the counter with one for herself. “How have you been Matthew?” she asked mildly.
“Not very good,” he looked down into his cup. “I made a mess of things Syb, with Celia and with you and I don’t know what to do.”
“You want me to tell you what to do?”
He shook his head hastily. “I want to find myself and be the man who is worthy of your love and find my way back home.”
“I cannot help you with that. I wanted to be there for you and let us talk through whatever you are going through but you took off and this is the second time you are doing that and I can’t risk it happening again.” She put the cup carefully down on the matching saucer.
“What are you saying?” he asked stark fear in his voice.
“I think we made a mistake getting married and we should end it.”
Matthew stared at her, his heart making panic jumps inside his chest. “No please.”
“I am sorry Matthew. I cannot do this anymore.”
Chapter 8
She made a decision about the inn. She had been biding her time about getting Christopher’s take on it and getting the board’s approval but she had made up her mind about it. The woman who had owned it had died a year ago and there were no surviving relatives so it was left in trust to be sold. She had been to see Jeremy, not giving a damn what Christopher thought and he was getting treatments and looked a lot better.
He had come back into their bedroom but he still had not reached for her and she had too much pride to reach out to him. She had not been wrong in being there for Jeremy; he was a person even if he was one who had hurt her in the past.
It was Amelia who brought the paper in to show her. It was Thursday and she was planning on leaving early to maybe go and look over the property by herself or stop by her mother’s before going home. “I wanted to show you before you saw it somewhere else.” Sophia took the paper with a frown and it was then she saw it. A photo with her having lunch with a model named Briana. The caption read: ‘Billionaire Christopher Tang having an intimate lunch with long time girlfriend international model Brianna Campbell’. Their heads were close together and they looked as if they were sharing an intimate conversation.
Sophia felt the jealousy sparked inside her. Was he paying her back for Jeremy? Was he having an affair with her? She looked up and saw the expression on her assistance’s face and steeled herself to look as if it was not tearing her apart. It had been on Tuesday because she remembered him putting on the silk charcoal suit and red tie and had admired how exceptionally handsome he looked.
“Thanks Amelia,” she told the avid girl with a smile. She knew she was probably expecting to hear something but she had no intention of discussing her husband with an employee no matter that they had become friends. “I will be leaving a little early today so I need you to type up the lists for me and put it on my desk for tomorrow.”
“Okay Sophia,” she said and left the office. She did not allow her emotions to get ahead of her; she was not going to break down in her office for Amelia to spread it all over the building. She was going to wait for privacy.
*****
Christopher saw the paper when he was going into a board meeting. He read the caption with a heavy frown on his brow. “Dammit!” he swore, wondering if she had seen it. He had been giving her hell about Matthews and now for this to happen. Brianna had called him about a business proposition and had suggested lunch and he had agreed, wanting to maybe spite Sophia by going to lunch with a former lover but as soon as he had done it he had felt like a total eel and had meant to say something to her. He picked up his extension to call her and his assistant told him she had left for the day. He looked at his watch and discovered that it was barely three o’clock. “Is she ill?”
“She left right after she saw the photo with you at the restaurant.” Amelia’s voice sounded accusatory and he had an idea that her anger had overtaken her usual fear of him.
“Thank you,” he told her briefly and immediately called her cell phone and she was not picking up. “Dammit Sophia please call me back, it is not what you think.”
His intercom buzzed just then and for a minute he thought it was her. “You are running late for the meeting Christopher.” His secretary’s clear voice came over the intercom.
“Okay Tiffany tell them I will be right there.”
He tried a few more times and did not get through and then went into the meeting.
*****
Sophia made her way up the winding path that led to the building. She had had to park her car at the foot of the small ill and go the rest of the way by foot but she did not mind in the least. The walk was invigorating and she got to admire the wild spring flowers along the way. The air was fresh and bracing with stiff wind that had picked up as soon as she had stepped from the car.
She had worn a strawberry colored pants suit and had carried a light spring jacket with her. She stopped to admire some birds nesting in a nearby tree and jumped a little bit as a deer ran swiftly through the bushes. She felt as if she was far away from the noises of the city and for the first time in weeks she felt the peace slip over her like a warm cloak. She continued on carefully among the loose pebbles regretting that she had not put on something more comfortable than the black heels she had on in her car.
She reached the building finally and stood there admiring the pink stucco stones well worn by the weather. She had no intention of changing the outside even though some of the stones were crumbling somewhat. She had acquired the keys from the agent in charge. She put the key in the lock and opened the door and went in. The interior was a delight of old and fairly new. The furnishings were all there and there was also an old fireplace with the ashes still in the hearth.
The place had an isolated feel to it and as she wandered around the rooms, she felt the charms about the place. It was homey and had a coziness to it that was embracing. She went around the back and saw that there were two different gardens: a flower garden and a vegetable one as well. There were different fruit trees flanking the grounds and Sophia wandered over to pick a ripe apple off the tree. There were benches underneath the trees and when you sat you could see rolling hills for miles around. It was lovely and peaceful and Sophia knew she wanted it. It would be a very good purchase.
To her surprise she saw that it had gotten dark and realized that she had been at the inn for several hours now.
*****
He met her inside the doorway as soon as she got there. He was still in his work clothes minus the jacket and his shirt was unbuttoned revealing the snowy white under shirt he had on. “Where were you?” his tone was silky as she came inside and hung up her jacket.
“I am surprised you do not know already,” she responded coolly. “Considering that you are spying on me.”
“I am not –“ he bit off and followed her up the stairs. “The children are sleeping,” he pulled her arm and brought her around to face him. They were right in front of their bedroom and he pulled her inside. “We need to talk.”
“We have nothing to talk about.” She pulled out of his arm and made her way to the bathroom. There was the mustiness of the inn still clinging to her.
“Where have you been Sophia?” he asked her softly. He had followed her inside the bathroom.
“I don’t answer to you,” she told him coldly. “I am surprised you are even home right now. Brianna did not call to have dinner?” she asked sweetly.
She had taken off her pants suit and was still in the tiny scraps she called underwear as she turned to face him. He wanted her! He realized as his body tightened. He had missed her so much that he was feeling withdrawal symptoms.
“It was just lunch,” he told her tightly, itching to touch her. Her generous brea
sts rose creamily above the pink lace of her bra and he felt the drool starting inside his mouth.
“You have been at me for seeing Jeremy and in the meantime you have been rekindling lost love. What does that make you Christopher?”
He caught her as she made to turn away and pulled her up against him. She was such a tiny thing, he thought as he stared down at her. “It was nothing,” his breath drifted over her face and had her going weak. “I cannot be with anyone but you and you have to know that. I am tired of fighting with you Sophia; I just want to love you.” The last was whispered against her mouth as his lips met hers.
“Let me go,” she was determined to put up a fight even though her body had gone weak with intense need.
“Stop fighting,” he muttered huskily and to her surprise he swung her up into his arms and made his way with her into the bedroom and towards the bed where he put her down gently. “I missed you,” he said huskily. He took off his clothes swiftly and climbed on the bed with her. “I am still mad at you for seeing Matthews behind my back but I miss you baby and I cannot function when we are not speaking.”
She boxed his hand away as he reached to cup her breasts and scrambled up to the head of the bed. “You think you can charm your way into my panties by those few words! Christopher Tang you shut me out of your life and left our bedroom for how many days and on top of that you knew Jeremy was back for months and said nothing to me. On top of that I had to know you had lunch with a former girlfriend by seeing your pictures in the paper. You two looked like you were catching up on old times.”
He sighed and plowed his fingers through his thick dark hair, feeling his desire waning. “Okay Sophia you want to know the truth: I was goddamned jealous! I kept thinking that Matthews was the first man for you and was upset about it. I wish I was the first and I wish I had met you first. I know it sounds unreasonable because there have been other women before you but you are the one for me, nobody comes even close.”
She sat there staring at him. He was gorgeous! And when she had seen him leaning close to that woman she had wanted to go out and find her and rip her to shreds. She had been frightened by the wealth of emotions that had raced through her body. When she did not respond he added: “I must sound like an old jealous fool to you. Even after six years I still cannot bear the thought of another man being with you.”
It was that remark and the agonized expression on his handsome face that did it. She had seen him in operation at the office and realized the power he wielded. He had power at his finger tips and she had seen him with politicians who wooed him to get his contributions for their campaigns and men from overseas who looked to him for his advice and his contribution. It made her feel weak that this man was weak for her. He was powerful and ruthless in business and to the outside world but she had the most important part of him: his heart.
She went to him and saw when his eyes narrowed as she crept closer to him and knelt in front of him reaching behind to unhook her bra. “You have no need to be jealous,” she murmured as she allowed the flimsy fabric to fall to the bed. “I love you and even after six years I am so in love with you that I cannot think straight when you are near me. You are my man and you will always be.” She had cupped his face with her hands, her thumb caressing his sensuous bottom lip. His eyes were hooded as he looked at her. He was not touching her not just yet. If he did there would be no talking and he suspected that she wanted to talk.
“Did you love him?” his question was casual but she knew him well enough that it was far from being that.
“I thought I did,” she ran her fingers through his thick dark hair loving the feel and the luxuriance of the strands taking her time to answer knowing that it was very important to him. She remembered that time in the car when he had first revealed his feelings for her. He had asked her if she was still hung up on ‘that creep’ and had advised her to think carefully before answering. “He was the first man I had been out with and even though Lorna warned me that he was a player I did not listen. I was taught by my parents to give people a chance and not to judge anyone. He was very smooth and swept me off my feet and I had always wanted to find someone and settle down and start a family. I wanted what my parents had and I guess I was trying too hard to find it. I should have waited and I am sorry I didn’t.”
“Don’t,” his rebuke was a little sharp as he finally reached out and trailed a finger down her soft cheek. “You did not know it would turn out like that and something good came of it,” he said referring to Christine. “I love her as much as if she was mine, maybe even more and when I look at her I see you not him, so never regret that part of it. I will try and keep my jealousy in check as hard as it may be.”
She went into his arms then and as his arms closed around her it was as if the past few days had never happened as she rested her head on his solid chest and felt the steady beating of his heart. “I went to the inn after work and that’s where I was.” She told him.
He eased back and lifted her chin to look down at her. “Inn?”
“The one I have been sending you information on for several days now.” She described the place to him.
“Oh Christ!” he swore. “Baby I had every intention of discussing it with you but I was caught up with this damned mess at the pharmaceutical company we acquired some years ago.” She knew he was referring to the company where Jeremy had once worked. “What do you think of it?”
“I want to show you.”
“How about we go there tomorrow after work?”
“I would love that,” she brought her head closer to his, resting her forehead against his. “I don’t sleep well without you,” her breath fanned his mouth and he felt the heat rising inside him.
“Same here.” He felt his breath hitching and he tilted her head to look down at her exquisite features. “You are so beautiful,” he added thickly bending his head and taking her lips with his. His movements were tender and slow as his tongue explored her mouth. He bent her back and moved over her as she closed her arms around his neck, her body moving closer to his.
He had missed her being underneath him and he felt the quickening of the desire that only she could evoke inside him. He moved from his mouth and kissed her small pointed chin before moving down her neck, lingering at the dip there, his tongue flickering out and touching her just so, the touch light but sending the desire sparking through her. His teeth nipped her collar bone and caused her to jump and moan.
“Christopher.” She buried her fingers inside the thickness of his hair as he licked her breast before pulling a nipple inside his mouth. His tongue touched the tight sensitive bed and had her rearing off the bed and digging her fingers in his hair. He took the nipple between his teeth and she cried out sharply, her body shivering with the force of the feelings going through her. He released the nipple and went further down gently biting the flat stomach near to her belly button, catching the flesh between his teeth and sucking on it causing her to gasp.
“Please,” her body was restless and charged and she felt as if she was going to burst into tiny pieces.
He drifted down to her mound and caught the flesh between his teeth but this time he was not gentle as he pulled the flesh into his mouth and used his teeth and his tongue to drive her mad with desire.
By this time Sophia was mindless with passion. She felt the sob rise up inside her throat and her body felt like one big nerve ending that was set off by his mouth. How could he make her feel this way? She thought feverishly as she fought the wave that was washing over her body. He did not allow her to come yet, he wanted her to wait for him.
He climbed over and entered her, gritting his teeth as her tightness closed over him. Three children and she still managed to feel as if she was being loved for the first time. “We fit so perfectly.” He told her hoarsely as he pushed deeper inside her, filling her up and touching her core.
She lifted her body against his, her eyes meeting his dark gaze. “I know,” she murmured and brought his head down to he
rs to take his lips with hers. He moved inside her and she moved with him. He gathered up her hips as his thrusts became more, his need rising and building until he felt as if he was going to burst from it.
He dragged his mouth from hers and looked down at her, his dark eyes naked and stormy with emotions. His entire body was quivering with intense passion and he felt it curling in the pit of his stomach.
“Come with me,” he whispered hoarsely holding onto her tight. “Come with me baby. I cannot wait.” Her body obeyed the plea and with a moan she grab onto his shoulders digging in for leverage.
Her body splintered along with his and with a deep groan he called out her name as he spilled himself inside her. He rested his head on hers as he fought to get his breath back and his body under control. She held him to her, her body quivering beneath his still in the throes of the intense passion that had washed over them and waited until it had abated somewhat.
*****
Sybil sat in the living room nursing the cup of tea and gazing blankly at the television screen. Ever since she had told Matthew that she wanted out and that maybe it had been a mistake, she had not been able to live with herself. She missed him. He had not called her since and had kept away from her and she had figured it was for the best. But now sitting here in the darkened room she was wondering if she had made a colossal mistake.
She missed him sitting here with her and debating whether or not the stock market was going to plummet at some point or what was going to happen to the economy a few years from now. They had had so many lively debates about so many topics and had always ended up agreeing and sitting right here in each other’s arms in silence that was never uncomfortable.
He had been the first man since the death of her first husband when Sophia was seven years old that had made her feel alive again and she had fallen in love in spite of herself. She missed the times he would come into the kitchen with her and was eager to help her prepare whatever it was that she was making. He had always laughingly told her that he had never been any use inside the kitchen before but that he was learning so much from her.
