Shades of Trust
Page 47
“Stop it, Alistair Connor. Stop it right now.” Tavish breathed deep and stared at his brother. “I have to tell you something.”
The way Tavish said the words made Alistair stiffen on his chair. He put his glass on the table with a thump, his fingers narrowing around it. “What?” Oh, please, don’t let it be what I’m thinking.
“I have a confession to make.” Tavish’s lips quirked up when Alistair relaxed on the chair. “Remember the day you, Alice, and Leo walked in on the two of us at the pool, at Craigdale?”
“Aye.” Alistair clenched his teeth so tight that he thought he might break them.
Tavish pushed his artichoke salad around his plate, before saying, “I confronted Sophia. I thought she was another Heather.”
“She slapped you.”
“Aye. With reason.”
“She never mentioned it again. She accepted whatever lame apologies you gave. And I…I let it go. You and I had already had too many…differences to work out, so, you know…” He waved his hand in the air. “What happened?”
“Alistair Connor,” Tavish exhaled loudly. “To be brief, first I said she was like…your other women. Then I said that even if she didn’t need your money, she wanted your status. Continuing to fuck things up, I stated that she wanted you just to substitute Gabriela’s father. And to top it off, I told her that she was a coward, and that she was ogling me, trying to get me in her bed with you.”
“Je-sus,” Alistair murmured, slowly. He was astonished. “Jesus. Mary. And Joseph. A slap was…too little.” Like my other women? What did Tavish Uilleam tell Sophia, for Christ’s sake?
“She rebuked me. Elegantly violent. She reminded me…of Mother.”
“She reminds you of our mother?” Alistair’s eyes were glued on Sophia and Ethan’s table.
“Not her looks, Alistair Connor. She has principles, morals. I observed her the whole weekend. First, I was too wary. But Alice and Leo convinced me to try with kinder eyes. She is an exceptional woman: gentle, extremely polite, intelligent, she defends her positions fiercely and she seems innocent. Not like a stupid virgin girl, if they still exist, but as a young woman should be.”
Alistair helped himself to some more whisky, thinking about what his brother had said. There could be no greater praise than comparing Sophia to their mother.
But what is she doing here with Ashford? He drank his whisky and crossed his silverware on his barely touched lobster. He wasn’t hungry anymore. He drank the rest of the whisky in his glass, filling it again. “Why did she lie to me?”
“You’re going to get drunk,” Tavish reprimanded. “What did she tell you?”
“Here. See for yourself,” Alistair fished his iPhone from his inner suit pocket and showed the messages to his brother.
Tavish’s sea-green eyes scanned the messages as he ate his artichokes, and shrugged. “There’s nothing here that leads to the conclusion she lied to you. Just wait and see.”
Chapter 9
“I think I’m going to be sick,” said Alistair, green with jealousy and distrust. “They’ve just toasted with Cristal.”
Tavish chuckled, “For Lord’s sake, Alistair Connor, they are clearly celebrating something. A business transaction, for sure.”
“They were lovers,” he hissed.
But Alistair wanted to shout. He wanted to punch Ethan on the nose. He wanted to drag Sophia by her long hair to the nearest hotel and have furious sex with her.
He leveled Tavish with a dark look. “And you are enjoying this.”
“You don’t know how much. In fact, let me tell you, I’m very intrigued by her. And by this new behavior of yours. Just because she is beautiful and hot—”
Christ! That’s it. Sophia is mine. Mine. “Enough.” He wanted to bang his fist on the table, but instead he thumped the glass, avoiding a scene. “You’re messing with fire, Tavish Uilleam. It’s dangerous.”
Tavish chuckled darkly and tilted his head to the side, mischief sparkling in his eyes. “You’re jealous. You’re jealous of Sophia.”
“Aye, I am. Is this what you want to hear? I’ve never been this jealous in my whole life.” He took a long drink of his whisky. The bottle was rapidly getting empty. Alistair didn’t like the darkness rolling through him. Not at all.
“The mighty Alistair Connor is jealous. Of course I am enjoying it. This is good.” Tavish leaned over, and in a murmur, he flung his blade deep in Alistair’s soul, “Thing is, Alistair Connor, you’ve never cared enough to be jealous, have you? Even with Heather. Admit it. You were too self-centered, a cold bastard.”
“Why are you doing this, Tavish Uilleam?” A haunted look simmered in Alistair’s eyes for a split second, the pupils vivid-black against forest-green irises, before he schooled his features back into his usual blank mask. “It won’t do you any good to strip me bare.” Tavish’s words hit the part of him that for a long time he pretended didn’t exist, but he didn’t back off from his brother’s challenge. “Let me tell you one thing. I might have been a cold bastard, and in some cases, I still am. But I love Sophia. I love her. As I’ve never loved any other woman before.”
3:18 p.m.
“I think it’s a beautiful idea, Ethan. Really.” Sophia frowned, her mind trying to work out the difficulties of what Ethan proposed. “But I’m sure you know the challenges of setting up something like this in China—”
“Sophia,” Ethan put his hand over hers, interrupting her, “off the record, one of my directors told me, last month, that babies, especially rejected baby girls, are being killed to make thousands of pills of what they call a medicinal ‘cure-all’ pill. The pills are filled with powdered human flesh and are being smuggled to nearby countries.”
Sophia gasped, her big eyes darkening at the horrid image. “My God. How is this possible?”
“Chinese medicine has its merits, but there are still some deep-rooted superstitions. You know that there is a huge demand for alternative Chinese remedies, which include ground up rhinoceros horns and dried shark fins. The Chinese have been known to consume human placentas to improve blood supply and circulation.”
Sophia put a hand over her mouth in disgust, grimacing, “Oh, please. We are in the twenty-first century.”
“Have you ever been to China or the Koreas?” Sophia shook her head and Ethan drank his champagne, before continuing. “There are still some provinces that are very poor. And they are very corrupt.”
“But surely…not children. Little baby girls. This is absurd.” If Sophia were nauseated by the mere thought of horns and fins as a supposed vitamin, she was beyond abhorred by the idea of powdered baby flesh.
“It’s illegal to kill newborn babies in the country, nonetheless female infanticide and the failure to report female births is widely suspected, especially in rural areas. They are being used, Sophia. There is a huge demand for these wretched pills which are thought to enhance stamina. Microwave-dried placenta is also sought after for its, quote unquote, medicinal benefits.”
“But Ethan, human flesh contains bacteria and other harmful components that can spread terrible diseases. Surely the people making these pills know the harm they can cause.”
“Indeed. However, that nasty trade makes a lot of money, Sophia. It’s being run from China where corrupt medical staff are working with medical companies to give them aborted fetuses and stillborn babies. And there are gangs that are specialized in collecting and killing abandoned baby girls and selling them to make these drugs.” A grim and pained look came over Ethan’s face. “In order to keep its population down, more than thirteen-million abortions are performed in China each year.”
“More than thirteen-million? Are you sure?” Sophia raked her hand in her hair, more and more repulsed by what Ethan told her.
“Yeah, I’ve asked for thorough research to be done. The abortions happen mostly because mothers sacrifice their newborns to avoid punishment such as severe fines or even beatings by the authorities.”
“Beatings?” S
ophia whispered. “I knew about the fines, but beatings?”
“Yes, beatings and worse. Have you heard about the Chinese,” he made quotes in the air, “‘dying rooms’?”
“No,” Sophia shook her head and her hair bounced around her, spilling over her shoulder.
Ethan pushed a lock behind her ear. “The reports I’ve seen are disturbing. Many babies are left to perish in these notorious rooms. Deliberately left to die because they were born into families that already had the limit of one child in country areas.” His beautiful, but now troubled eyes bore down on hers and his hand again covered hers. “Sophia, a child doesn’t ask to be made or born and should be protected from every harm. Any harm.”
“Oh, Ethan.” As Sophia looked into his azure eyes, she could see how deeply he had been affected by the damage his dysfunctional parents had done to him. She put her hand over his and squeezed. “You can count on me. But I think we should expand the project to include the mothers. And, eventually, the families. One way or another. Without creating difficulties for Ashford Steel with the Chinese Government, of course.”
“Do as you wish. Present a new and broader project, if you think it will better suit my ideas. I want this project to flourish, Sophia. And I know I’m putting my trust in good hands.”
She breathed deep and squeezed his hand once again, promising, “I won’t disappoint you, Ethan. Mrs. Chanda is extremely competent and I’ll ask her to conduct extensive research and planning to include the mothers.”
Alistair choked on his whisky when he saw Sophia put her hand over Ethan’s, jealousy corroding his insides. He furrowed his brow in concentration as he tried to hear their conversation now that the restaurant was almost empty, but they were too far apart.
“Alistair Connor, stop. Just stop,” Tavish admonished. “Can I give you some advice?”
“Aye,” Alistair shrugged, his eyes glued to Sophia’s table.
“If Heather hadn’t—” He stopped himself before he confessed that he knew about the betrayal. “Fuck, Alistair Connor! Look at me.”
Alistair moved his head slowly and stared at his brother’s eyes. “I’m looking. Say your piece.”
“Sift your memory and tell me about your feelings on the good and bad moments you’ve had with Sophia.”
Alistair’s frown deepened. “The bad?” Fuck. I can’t tell you, Tavish Uilleam. I can’t tell you that she is wearing scarfs and chokers around her neck because I hurt her.
“Nothing bad?” he snorted. “Aye, I forgot. You’re The Mighty Alistair Connor. Always perfect. Then, tell me the good ones.”
Perfect? Far from it. “Why do you want to know?”
Tavish leaned over the table and fixed Alistair with his turbulent gaze. “Because I want you to keep in mind that a single impulsive and ill-advised act from you can destroy everything you’ve done until now.”
Alistair nonchalantly leaned on his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that so?”
“Aye. It seems to me, a very different type of woman has gotten under your skin.” Tavish turned his head to study Sophia and Ethan. “Look at her. She’s naturally elegant and innocently sensuous. She doesn’t flash sexy smiles or smoldering stares. She is…fresh.”
Fresh. White roses and orange with a touch of vanilla. Alistair stared at Sophia as he analyzed Tavish’s words. His words kept hammering in his head. Impulsive and ill-advised. He should have learned from the consequences of that awful Saturday. His anger cooled down. Alistair breathed deeply and looked at Tavish, troubled. “Why did you just say that?”
“Because you looked like you were ready to murder Ashford and—” He halted in time. The thought that Alistair could hurt Sophia made him feel sick.
“And?” Alistair raised his eyebrow.
Tavish looked at his brother’s face gauging if he should say what he was thinking and decided it was not a wise move. “She has you wrapped around her finger, doesn’t she?”
You were going to say something completely different from that, Tavish Uilleam. “Aye,” Alistair nodded. Where is this going?
“And you want her to feel the same way, don’t you?” Alistair nodded. “So. The easiest way to have her wrapped around your finger, which she clearly isn’t,” Tavish almost regretted saying that as a pained look flickered on Alistair’s face, “is to entreat her with sweets. Chocolate, flowers and sweet words do wonders to women. But harsh words and…male chauvinist behavior…” Tavish shook his head, grimacing. “Times have changed. Women are not property. Even in Medieval times, when they were considered as such, women never liked being humiliated. Unless, of course, they were sick. Which I can bet Sophia isn’t.”
Jesus Christ! Alistair closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. In that second, he realized he was thinking exactly what Tavish didn’t speak out loud. “Thanks, Brother.”
“Any time, Alistair Connor. Any time.” Tavish just wondered if his brother would ever talk with him about Heather’s betrayal. “Now, let me tell about what I was slaving away at yesterday in Scotland, while you were here enjoying a beautiful woman.”
3:29 p.m.
“Would you excuse me for a moment?” Sophia stood up and Ethan rose too, helping her with her chair.
As soon as she left the table, she took out her iPhone from her purse and started typing a message to Alistair. As she entered the lady’s toilet, she touched ‘send’. Suddenly she felt relieved.
She emitted a strangled scream when big hands snatched her and pressed her flush against a hard body.
An arm snaked around her waist.
Her telephone and her purse fell on the floor as her hands flattened against a broad chest.
Her eyes flew wide open and she stared into Alistair’s forest-green eyes, as his unyielding mouth descended on hers.
This man is utterly crazy. She blinked a few times as he locked the door and pressed her onto the wall. Oh! And how I love his craziness.
She melted under his bold caresses and her lips softened in subconscious invitation, humming in his mouth, her hands rising on their own accord to plunge into his hair as she paired his passionate kiss, pressing her breasts to his chest.
That was all the encouragement he needed. He tightened his hold on her. He growled deep in his throat and trapped her, deepening the kiss, his hand searching for the ties of her dress, opening it. He wanted to take her there in the bathroom. He wanted her to go back to Ethan after he had given her a glorious orgasm.
A hard and fast climax. Remind her to whom she belongs, Alistair Connor. He tangled his fingers in her hair, nudging her thighs open with his leg.
She parted for him instantly. She let out a moan, as she slipped her arm around his neck, holding him tighter, raising a knee to wind her leg around his hips, deepening the kiss, her hand searching for his trousers. He hardened even more as she opened his zipper and pushed his pants and underwear down, gripping his arousal in her hand. He brushed her panties to the side and entered her with two fingers while the heel of his hand pressed on her clitoris, coaxing a quick response from her. She moaned again and pressed down on his hand.
In unison, they increased their pace and Alistair felt a primitive and savage pride fill him as Sophia came, biting down on his lip to avoid shouting. He felt his own pleasure peak to its zenith.
Fuck. I’m going to spill in her hand. The thought sobered him, and he tore away from the kiss and her hand, panting, shoving his hard erection inside his underwear and adjusting his clothes.
“Alistair. Connor.” Sophia gasped for air, eyes closed, leaning boneless on the wall. “That was…good.”
He gathered her in his arms and she leaned on his body, sighing, happy and sated.
After a few moments, she opened her clear eyes and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Alistair remembered why he was there and tersely studied her slightly flushed face for a long moment, passing judgment. Not guilty. There isn’t an ounce of guilt in her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Alistair couldn’t help being spellbound by Sophia’s blush. He relaxed a bit and the corners of his lips curled upward, “I couldn’t resist. I saw you coming in and…” He shrugged and breathed deep trying to control his raging lust. I wanted to fuck you in the bathroom and teach you a lesson. And I almost did.
Sophia leaned on him, lifting her face to him, her arms winding around his waist and she chuckled lazily. “You’re really insane, you know? In the ladies’ bathroom? Of a restaurant?”
He dipped his head and spoke on her lips, “With you, Sophia, I’ll do it anywhere. Everywhere.” He brushed his mouth against hers, in a light caress as he flexed his hips on her soft belly, showing her how much he was aroused. “You drive me crazy.”
She smiled at him and combed his hair with her fingers. “I didn’t see you coming in the restaurant. Are you alone?”
“Nae,” he breathed on her lips, wondering if he should finish what he had started. “I was already here. I’m with Tavish Uilleam.”
“Oh. I didn’t see you. Or Tavish Uilleam, by the way.” How could I miss these two hot hunks?
“Indeed. Maybe you were…” Busy celebrating and holding Ashford’s hand. “Distracted.”
“Working. I’m with Ethan. He’s making a huge contribution to my foundation and wanted to discuss it with me.”
“Ah. I see.” I’ll make a contribution too. He searched her eyes, scrutinizing her guileless expression in search of something that would give her away.
“I’ll tell you all about it later. And your contract? Signed?”
“Aye,” he nodded, still looking for some sign that she could be hiding something.
“Well then, do you mind stepping outside so I can use the toilet?” she asked, raising an elegant eyebrow at him.