“I will.” She nodded and read the card slowly and concentratedly. “Alis-tair Co-nnor Mac-Craig, C-E-O.” She stopped there and her eyes were curious. “What’s a CEO?”

“Hey. You already know how to read?” This little girl is a wonder.

“Yes, I have a private teacher, Miss Eileen. She’s very nice,” she answered. “So, what’s a CEO?”

“A president,” Sophia simplified.

The little girl’s eyes widened. “You’re the president of Scotland?”

Alistair and Sophia laughed at Gabriela’s naïveté.

“No, sweetheart.” He grinned widely. “I’m the president of The City of London Bank. See the small name and initials here?” He pointed to a logo discretely imprinted on the top left of the card.

“President of a bank.” That impressed Gabriela. “You must be very, very important.”

He laughed again. A beautiful, easy laugh.

Gabriela doesn’t like many men. Well, she doesn’t like to make new acquaintances, period. The ease and friendship now established between her daughter and that stranger amazed Sophia. So different from her relationship with Ethan. Oh, Sophia, come now. What relationship? Ethan never liked her.

“Time to go, angel. You have to get up early tomorrow.” Sophia faced him, “Alistair, thank you again. For everything.”

He rose from the ground in a single beautiful movement and extended his hand to run his knuckles lightly over her bruised face. “You take care.” His long fingers cupped the other side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek.

“I will. You too.”

His fingers tightened gently and he bent his head and kissed her on the lips, startling her. She blinked and breathed unevenly when he broke the light kiss.

Taking her carry-on from his hand, she put Gabriela’s bag on her shoulder. She looked up again at him, confused by his fingers still on her face.

An unreadable emotion appeared in her eyes as she freed herself from his grasp and whirled around toward home.

He stood there looking at the two of them walking hand in hand, until they entered the house, with a final small wave from Sophia and an eager one from Gabriela.


Kensington. Galewick Townhouse.

Saturday, February 20th, 2010.

2.07 p.m.

Alistair picked up his iPhone, stared at it for a long time, and shoved it back into his jeans pocket.

“Are you going to call her or not?” Leonard sounded amused.

“I beg your pardon?”

Leonard chuckled. “Sophia. Are you going to call her? If I had known she was ‘the lawyer,’ I would have pulled the strings sooner.”

“She’s trouble.”

“Just because she gave you a hard time? She is not like the others, Alistair. She’s a special woman. I wonder why she fascinates you so much since she’s not your usual type. It’s intriguing, to say the least.”

“Pray tell me, what is my usual type?” he said sardonically. “Gorgeous? Check. Amazing body? Check. Blonde? Well, I think I can make an exception.”

“Debauched women,” was the straightforward answer.

Jesus Christ. Alistair shook his head and thinned his lips. Does everyone know how far I have gone? How low I have fallen?

Leonard chuckled. “It has been fairly interesting to see you squirming under pressure. The mighty Alistair Connor MacCraig,” he smirked. “Not in all the time I’ve known you, have I witnessed this weird way of acting toward a woman. And you have had many.”

“In all honesty, Leo, I’ve been exercising strict control over my desires.” He rose and paced the room.

“Your ego’s wounded. You’re not seeing things straight. She was with Ethan.” Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Do you want another unfaithful woman?”

“She kissed me in the car, dammit.” He raked a hand through his hair. “That woman has fire burning under that controlled surface. She hasn’t fooled me.”

“Maybe she has fire. So what?” Leonard tilted his head to the side, thoughtfully. “Who initiated the kiss? She did?”

Alistair shook his head vehemently, his gorgeous hair swinging softly around his face. “I did. She had a fuck-me-now look on her face. She was begging for it.”

Leonard laughed. “Sophia doesn’t beg. She goes for it. I have seen her destroying older and more experienced lawyers without mercy, without apologizing. She ran me over when discussing an agreement as if I were one of her babbling students.”

“She did the same with me while negotiating a loan,” he grinned. “Christ, it was a huge turn on. Thing is, Leo, some women that have a strong personality for business need a different kind of release.” I want to shatter her control and have her in my own way.

Leonard’s smile vanished from his face and he frowned, “I don’t like this, Alistair.”

“Haven’t you had enough, Alistair Connor?” Alice’s voice came from behind and he pivoted on his heels. His sister leaned on the threshold, scowling at him.

Enough of what, Alice? What do you know? Alistair flung himself on the sofa and huffed, crossing his muscular arms over his broad chest.

“Sophia is not like Heather,” Leonard pointed out.

“Leave that bitch out of this,” he growled.

“Would you like it if someone said the same thing about me? ‘She had a fuck-me-now look on her face. She was begging for it,’” she mimicked Alistair’s voice in a derisive way, stepping into the room. “You haven’t asked for my advice, but here it goes anyway. Don’t throw away the second chances God sends you.”

“Tell me, Alistair,” Leonard’s suddenly eerie voice sent chills down Alistair’s spine, “would you rip off the wings of an angel just to prove Lucifer fell?”

“No, never.” Alistair shuddered visibly. Oh, please. I have no desire to destroy her. Why does everyone think this is all there is?

Sophia had him spellbound.

I don’t care if she’s an angel or a goddess. I want her. I cannot forget that beautiful, lovely face. Or the way her feelings transpired in her eyes. How she carried herself. She will be mine.

She was a witch and he was bewitched.


Kensington Palace Gardens. Atwood House.

5. 01 p.m.

When Sophia’s iPhone vibrated, she didn’t recognize the number. “Sophia Santo speaking.”

“Hello, Sophia. Alistair Connor.”

His deep, raspy voice made Sophia’s heart pound fiercely. He had something special, which had dragged her to him from the very first minute they met. She had committed to memory his powerful body and the way he had embraced her that day at the pool. Lean and sinewy muscles of a swimmer or a fighter. His towering height. The way he carried himself with the assurance of a man entirely at ease with himself. The way he kissed.

Sophia melted.

“Alistair, how are you?” She asked in a breathless voice. Oh, please, Sophia. Don’t be ridiculous.

“I’m well. And you? Are you recovered?”

“Almost. A little yellow around the eye. A reddish scar above my eyebrow. As expected.”

He could see her shrugging and dismissing the whole incident. “The plastic surgeon left a scar?”

“He said it’s going to fade completely within five to six months.”

“I’m sorry, Sophia.”

“Oh, no big deal. And you? What have you been doing?”

“Working too much. That’s why I phoned you.” Ach, I’m losing my touch. I have phoned her because I’m working too much? Come on, Alistair Connor, you can do better than that. “I bought tickets for the opera on March fifth, Tamerlano with Placido Domingo. Would you like to go with me?”

“Why sure, thank you.”

“And what about today? Are you up for something lighter? Perhaps dinner?”

“Ah… I…” she paused. Are you daft, Sophia? Don’t you know how to talk anymore? “Yes, I guess.” You guess? YOU GUESS?

“You guess?” he chuckled, “This is a yes or a no?”

“Yes, this is a yes,” she whispered.

“What about Hélène Darroze at The Connaught?”

“I’ve never been,” she answered softly.

“So, it’s settled. Eight o’clock okay?”

“Yes, yes, it is. Okay, I mean,” So, so idiotic, Sophia. She heard him chuckle. “So, I will see you then.”

“See you later, Sophia.”


7.59 p.m.

Sophia waited for Alistair at the garden gates. She had covered her bruises with concealing makeup. She wore a dark-brown Chanel overcoat, which partially covered a knee-length, burnt-red, heavy lace dress with a deep décolletage from Valentino with a brown belt. She opted for sheer tights and chocolate leather platform high heels.

Gabriela waited with her, dressed in her bunny pajamas and sneakers. Maria stood ready to return the child to bed.

Although wary, Sophia didn’t have the heart to impede her daughter. Gabriela wanted to see Alistair. I hope he doesn’t mind.

She heard a purring motor outside. Her stomach did a somersault and she drew in a deep breath. That must be him.

Steven and Devon opened the gates for her. Stepping outside, a vision of sheer masculinity dressed in a black blazer and a light gray turtleneck sweater with dark gray jeans that enhanced his legs rewarded Sophia. Alistair noticed her and flashed a grin of even, white teeth.

Gabriela passed under her mother’s arm and ran in Alistair’s direction with Steven close behind her. Alistair picked her up and whirled her in the air to Gabriela’s delighted squeals. Sophia looked over her shoulder to Maria. The Brazilian nanny smiled.

“She likes him a lot, Mrs. Leibowitz, and I think he does, too,” Maria told Sophia, in Portuguese.

“So it seems, Maria.” She strolled up to them as Gabriela whispered something in Alistair’s ear and he nodded to the little girl. “How are you, Alistair?”