Trust: Betrayed (2 page)

“How do you rate him?”

Off the charts.
She refused to glance at him, biting her lip to stop her joyful smile from appearing.

He shoved a hand in his blond hair, pushing it back from his forehead and settled down more comfortably in the armchair, “I’m not going to leave you alone until you tell me all about it.”

That made her turn her head and stare at him amused. Edward’s smile was impossibly wide and mischievous. He looked like a boy waiting for his favorite story.

“Fine. I would give him... a ten,” she grinned, “maybe eleven. But I’d never tell him. He’s already too conceited. He’d probably laugh, just like he laughed at me the whole weekend.”
Or probably not. He would be angry if he knew I was gossiping with Edward about his sexual prowess. Him and his mercurial moods.

“Aaand?”

Her eyes twinkled and she whispered, “He is a... devil in bed.”

“One of my kind.” Edward wiggled his eyebrows.

“Edward! I wouldn’t have thought you were so vain.” She creased her brow in thought. “No. I’m wrong. He’s not a devil. He’s an angel.”
An angel? Alistair Connor? No. Never.

“He can’t be too angelic if he put that naughty look on your face.”

“Not angelic, no. A fallen angel,” she finished, smiling. “Anyhow, an angel. He took me to heaven, maybe surreptitiously, quite a few times during the weekend,” she giggled and Edward laughed with her.

The intercom buzzed and Sophia pressed the button with a big smile on her face. “Yes?”

“Mrs. L., Dr. Walter is on your private line. May I transfer him?”

“Dr. Walter? Dr. John Walter?”

“Yes, Mrs. L.,” Sarah confirmed.

“Transfer him, please, Sarah,” Sophia picked up the handset and rose from her chair, walking to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looking absentmindedly at the beautiful view of the River Thames.

“Hello? Sophia?” John Walter’s quiet voice reached her.

“Hi, John. How are you? How are Claire and the children?”

“Everyone’s fine, my dear. You and Gabriela?”

“We’re fine. Thanks. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Sophia, I... My secretary received a call earlier from Alistair MacCraig asking for an appointment today at six. For both of you. Together.”

Oh, damn.
“Ah... Yes.”
Please, say you can’t fit us in. Please. Please!

“I have a C-section scheduled at five, so I can’t fit you in. I’m sorry.”

She sighed, relieved. “If it won’t work today, don’t worry about it. It’s not an emergency.”

Sophia heard him speaking with someone and the clicking sound of a keyboard. “I wanted to check with you first before confirming the appointment. I found it... unusual, since you always come alone. And quite frankly this is the first time... I’ve had this kind of request from... the boyfriend. Hmm, let’s see... This week is quite full. I can fit you in either today or tomorrow, but only at twelve-thirty. I don’t have any other times for the rest of the week. Or it could be next week.”

“Let me check with Alistair and I’ll call your secretary back, John. But don’t worry. It’s nothing important. Err... Thanks for your call. Send Claire and the kids a kiss. Take care.” She hung up and remained there looking at the phone in her hand. “Damn!” She stomped her right foot on the carpet floor.

“Something wrong?” Edward was observing her with a strange look on his face. Sophia never stomped her feet unless she was really irritated.

“Everything,” she muttered under her breath, “everything.” Still by the window, she called her secretary. “Sarah, could you please get Mr. Alistair MacCraig on the line?” She switched off and turned to Edward. “Why am I always involved with bossy men?”

“Because you are bossy too? Gabriel was too spellbound by your charms to put you on a leash. You were the only one who ordered him around.” He smiled at her, “You found someone who seems to know how to deal with you. If he weren’t firm and ignored your whims, you’d be bossing him around.”

Me? Bossing Alistair Connor MacCraig around? You have no idea, Mr. CEO.
“
Et tu, Brutus
?” she snorted, trying to maintain an impassive face but failing miserably. She couldn’t get angry when Edward was near.

“Even I,
Imperatrix
,” he teased.

Her mouth split in a big grin, “
Imperatrix
?”

“Or should I say
dominatrix
?” He wiggled his brows at her. “But then, a dominatrix wouldn’t fit with MacCraig.”

Sophia scrunched her face at him, “
Dominatrix
? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Mmm, nothing, Sophia. Nothing.” She was so sophisticated and mature for her age that sometimes Edward forgot how innocent she was in sexual matters.

“Come on, Edward.” She tilted her head to the side, “Explain yourself-” The intercom buzzed. “Transfer him, Sarah, please,” she said, leaving no time for her secretary to say anything. She marched to the bathroom raising her index finger and mouthing to Edward, “One minute.”

She closed the door and vented her anger on the phone, in a low voice, “Are you crazy, Alistair Connor? I told you I was clean and on birth control. What’s the hurry? Couldn’t you have called me first? John wants to see us at midday today. What is he going to think about you? About me? Dammit, Alistair Connor. Dammit.”

“I don’t know who John is or what he’s going to think about you or Alistair Connor. And I don’t care,” a deep masculine and amused voice answered her, chuckling. “How are you, Sophia?”

“It is Sophia, isn’t it?” Tavish insisted, as delighted as he’d been in ages by her outburst and the amusing way she had scolded his brother.

“Who is?” she stammered, incapable of forming a coherent thought.

“Seems you’ve got the wrong MacCraig, Sophia,” he paused, waiting for her to say something.

Damn! Lieutenant-Colonel-Doctor-Lord-Arrogance.
“My lord Tavish Uilleam?”

“Aye. How are you, Sophia?”

“Still there, Sophia?”

“I... Yes, I’m still here.”

“How are you?” Tavish’s smile was impossibly broad. He had been laughing and smiling much more since he discovered Sophia was not another Heather and was keeping Alistair at arm’s-length, on the verge of madness.

“I’m fine, thank you. And you, my lord?” she whispered, mortified. “Could you put your brother on, please? I’m sorry my secretary made the mistake of asking for you.”

“I’m fine, thanks, Sophia.” She heard when he breathed deeply. “It wasn’t your secretary’s mistake. I intercepted the call. I want to talk to you. Could you meet me for lunch?”

“Alone?”
What are you intending, my lord?

“Alone,” he confirmed in a now stern tone. “Also, I’d ask you not to tell Alistair Connor about this.”

“My lord-”

“Please, Sophia, call me Tavish Uilleam. I’m sorry, I got the wrong idea, but when my father told me you were Alistair’s girlfriend I-”

“Tavish Uilleam.” She cut him.
Are you trying to warn me against Alistair too?
“I have no reason to go out with you, alone. I don’t have a habit of lying and I’m not going to start just yet. What do you want to talk with me?”

“Not on the phone. A tea, maybe?”

“Only if your brother joins us.”

“No, not with Alistair. And if Alice comes along?”

“What is so secret that Alistair can’t hear? I find this request extremely unusual.”

“Please, Sophia,” he insisted. “Lunch or tea. With Alice. You can set the date with her. I’m going to transfer the call to Alistair Connor.” Tavish was about to transfer the call, but his hand hovered for a second over the button and he returned to the phone. “Sophia, I’ll be waiting for your confirmation. Soon. Hold on, please.”

Which brother is more commanding?
She asked her image in the mirror.

“Sophia, sweetheart, good morning. Did you sleep well? Did you have... good dreams?”

Alistair’s deep voice, full of sensual innuendo, reached deep down in Sophia’s belly, making her forget all she was supposed to say to him, as desire took control of her body and mind.

“Mmm, ah...” she moaned. And whispered, throaty, “Hi.” She heard him chuckling on the other side of the line.
Goddamnit, Sophia. Mmm, ah... Hi? Is this an intelligent or even coherent phrase?
She pulled herself together and reprimanded him, “Alistair Connor. I’m not used to having men command my schedule.”

Alistair chuckled again, “I do hope so, love. But, pray tell me, who’s been ordering you around?”

“You.”

“Me?” His voice sounded genuinely surprised. “As if I could.”

“You tried to schedule an appointment with Dr. John Walter.”

“I didn’t try. I did it.” His voice had a dry tone. “I made an appointment for us. We talked about it.”

Sophia huffed, “Alistair, we talked about it, yes. But that was before my neck and thighs were covered with black-and-blue finger marks.”

He had no answer. A silence ensued on the line.

“Alistair?”

“I’m still here. And I’m listening. Go on,” he said in an even drier voice.

Oh, damn. Damn.
“I didn’t mean-”

“Oh, no! You meant it. The thing is, Sophia, I don’t care if you are covered with pockmarks or bruises. You want to continue with our relationship, don’t you? So, we’re going to that appointment. Together. I’m sure John can handle a few black-and-blue marks.” The line at his end beeped. “Hold on for a second, please.”

Alistair didn’t wait for her answer and pressed down the button for the intercom, “Yes, MacKeenan? Quickly, please.”

“Mr. MacCraig, you asked me to confirm Dr. Walter’s appointment.”

“Aye. And?”

“Well, I just called and his secretary informed me that Dr. Walter won’t be able to see you at six, but he left a twelve-thirty appointment open for you and Mrs. Leibowitz. It’s his only available time. Today or tomorrow.”

“Confirm it for today, please. And inform Garrick I’ll be leaving at a quarter to eleven. Also, please, call Mary at Cartier. I want the matching ring for the Love bracelet I bought. And call Mr. Arkade about the Van Clef clip I had put aside last week. Send fresh white roses to Mrs. Leibowitz’s office and house. Make it a hundred... No, two hundred. A hundred each. And ask for orange blossoms to be put among the roses. Ah, and MacKeenan, please, find a doll called Corolle. See if it needs batteries and if there are accessories available. Buy them all and send them to Miss Gabriela Leibowitz. I have all the cards ready. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m finished with this call so you can come get them.”

“Sir? Does Mary know Mrs. Leibowitz’s ring size?”

“Good question. She has long and elegant fingers... Ask for one size sixteen and one size seventeen. It’s probably one of them. Did you get all that, MacKeenan?”

“Yes, sir. Consider it done.”

“Thanks.” Alistair pushed down the button for Sophia’s call. “Sophia?”

“Yes, I’m still waiting, sire.”

Alistair smiled, he could almost see her bowing mockingly. Then he frowned at her petulant tone.
Fuck, here I go again.
“I’m sorry, Sophia. It was MacKeenan confirming our appointment with John. At mid-”

“Alistair Connor!” Sophia was aggravated. “Weren’t you listening to what I just told you?”

“Weren’t
you
listening to what
I
just told you?” he repeated her words, turning the question on her.
When is she going to start complying with my wishes?

Oh, my God! What did I do to deserve this domineering man?
She rolled her eyes heavenward.

“Sophia?”

“Yes, my lord?” she taunted.

Keep mocking.
“I’ll be waiting for you downstairs, at eleven fifteen sharp. Don’t be late,” he hung up, with a wry smile on his face.
Get used to obeying, Sophia!

Sophia’s mouth dropped open when she realized he had just hung up on her.
Oh, no, Alistair Connor. You didn’t just do that.
She yanked the door open and stormed into the office, saying out loud, “You’re so screwed, soooo screwed.”

Edward startled and looked up from the papers on his lap, “Who? Me?”

“Oh.” She halted mid-stride. She had forgotten Edward was waiting for her. “Oh, no, Edward. Of course, not you.” She looked at the blond man in front of her but saw a dark-haired green-eyed face instead. A slow dark grin appeared on her face.

“What did I do to deserve that awful smile?” He cocked his head and observed as she walked lithely to her leather chair without answering. “Sophia, you’re growing horns and a pointed tail. I’m almost afraid. What just happened?”

“Horns and a pointed tail?” she asked, absentminded.

“Yeah, you’re just missing goat hooves and the trident. You have that devilish look that scares the hell out of me. What’s happening?” he insisted.

“Nothing.” She bared her teeth at him in a rictus. “Yet.” She singled out her iPhone from her Cartier bag and put it on vibrator mode and rested it against her iMac where she could easily see the screen.

Then she touched the intercom, deliberately slowly. “Sarah, dear,” Sophia’s voice was sugar-coated, “I’ll only receive Gabriela’s calls from now on. Please, don’t transfer any others. And inform reception that if Mr. MacCraig comes here in person, he should be held downstairs for at least five minutes - no, make it ten - before being allowed to come up.” She turned her chair, facing her computer and selected her personal email account.

To: Handsome ([email protected])

Subject: Dr. Walter’s appointment

From: Sophia Santo ([email protected])