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 where ready to murder Ashford and-” He halted in time. The thought that Alistair could hurt Sophia made him feel sick.

“And?” Alistair rose 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 raised 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 raising 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 whom she belongs to, Alistair Connor. He tangled his fingers in her hair, nudging her thighs open with his leg, his fingers coaxing a quick response from her.

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. 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 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,” she breathed.

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?”

“Here? I... Well,” she bit her lip for a second and blushed. “Whatever a person does in the toilet, Alistair Connor. What are you doing lurking in the lady’s room?”

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?”

“No,” 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, 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.

I mind. I want to take you right here. Right now. I want to take you home and ravish you so you will think of nothing else, but my love for you. His hand narrowed his grip on her nape. The velvet of her chocker reminded him to treat her gently and his arm around her waist loosened his hold on her as he heaved like a drowning man. I have to control these ridiculous feelings. They are poisoning me.

“Alistair Connor?”

His name, softly spoken, took him out of his delirious state. He shook his head hard, irritated with himself.

Sophia combed his hair back, enchanted by the silky feel against her fingers. Will I ever get enough of this man?

“Aye?”

“Is everything okay?”

He inhaled and exhaled loudly, resting his forehead on hers. “No, Sophia, it’s not.” I’m dying of lust, of jealousy. I want you now.

She looked down at his tenting fly. “Are you...? Can I... help?”

Aye, you can give me a blow job. “Nae, I’ll be okay,” he shook his head again and thinned his lips. I’m a fucking idiot. I have to control this lust. His iPhone vibrated again in his inner pocket and he took it out. His mouth dropped open when he saw the message on the screen.

3.30. Beauty: ‘I’m having a business lunch with Ethan. I wish it were with you.’

He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to think.

“Something wrong?”

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and shook his head at her. He couldn’t resist and embraced her fiercely, whispering on her ear, “I love you, you know?”

“Mmm,” she purred and lightly pushed him away. “Move, Alistair Connor. I need to use the toilet.”

“Come by my table on your way out, okay? I’m next to the column.” He bent and picked up her iPhone and purse, putting them on the small bench behind him.

“Okay. Incidentally,” she licked her swollen lips, “that was the best surprise of my life, Alistair Connor.”

He smirked at her, bent his head for a quick kiss and left the toilet with a light heart and a painful hard-on.

“Brother, you are incorrigible,” Tavish couldn’t contain his laughter anymore after Sophia left their table strolling through the restaurant with her head in the clouds.

Notwithstanding his arousal, Alistair was satisfied that Sophia had a dreamlike smile on her rosier face and that her eyes twinkled yellow diamond. He smiled smugly. “Tavish Uilleam, I couldn’t let her return to Ashford’s table without reminding her who is her man.”

Tavish threw his head back and laughed again. He wiped his eyes and looked at his older brother, not believing his ears. “Her man?” he chuckled. “Me, Tarzan. You, Jane. Pound your fists on your chest and roar, go on.”