A Gift of Passion (Lover's Gift Book 1) Page 5

  You walked up to me as I stood there soaking wet with my head down out of respect for your pure, naked, velvety physique. You lifted my head up with your index finger, looked me in the eyes for what seemed like sweet eternity. And with your soft, plush lips that slowly pressed against mine, we kissed with everlasting pleasure that made my heart explode inside of my chest. Then I awoke alone in my bed covered in sweat. Visions of you and your husband together began running through my head as I sat there. That’s when an overwhelming sense of rage overcame me. That’s when I thought to rip up this letter and give up altogether.

  However, meeting you in person kept my hope alive that one day you will see through your husband’s façade and discover the truth. Jealousy doesn’t overcome me that often, for I’ve never really had a reason to experience romantic jealousy. I know I have no right to be jealous, but what can I do? You have indeed changed me. What have you done to me? No, better yet, what have I done to myself? You have opened up something within me I never thought possible.

  Isabella, if you could only know how much I adore you, if you could feel just an ounce of how much love for you is contained within my heart, you would be overcome with bliss just as I. Know this, Isabella: I do love you with all my heart. This is not infatuation, lust, or overzealous passion. This is true love I feel. Only someone who was truly in love would wish you happiness, even if it were not with them. And I wish you all the happiness in the world, even if it isn’t with me; that is how you’ll know I do love you unconditionally.

  I wish and hope that someday, somehow, you do find love, true love, with me and me alone. And I will do everything within my power to persuade you into falling for me just as deeply as I have fallen for you.

  I will conclude this letter with a couple of questions I want you to ask yourself: Do you truly love your husband? Have you ever loved him? And now, ask yourself, do you think he has ever truly loved you, or has he used you as a means to his own ends? I don’t wish to put doubt into your marriage. I just want you to evaluate your heart and look within yourself to find the truth.

  That is all I ask of you. I do not wish to overstep my bounds, which is why I have chosen not to reveal my identity until the time is right. I want you to be 100% sure of your choices before I make my presence known to you. Until next time . . .

  I reread the letter. My hands were shaking. I didn’t know what to say. How could he know so much about me? To say we had already met was unbelievable. I couldn’t think of anyone I’d recently met who would have these kinds of feelings toward me. Wait a minute—could this be Dante? No, that was impossible. It couldn’t be him.

  A multi-billionaire like him wouldn’t waste his time sending letters like this. He could have any woman he wanted. It surely couldn’t be him. But who else could it be? Maybe it was that guy in accounting I’d recently hired. He was always so polite to me and soft-spoken.

  He seemed like the shy type who would send girls love letters to express his emotions. But then again, I had heard rumors he might be gay, so I wasn’t too sure. Who had I recently met that might fit the profile? These letters were getting more intense. I had to find out.

  Chapter 12

  Dante

  “Is everything all right, Isabella? You seem a bit distant,” I said.

  “I’m fine.” She smiled. I smiled back when she broke eye contact and gazed downward. I was growing concerned. She hadn’t said a word to me the entire ride to the tarmac. Something was on her mind. I just wish she’d open up to me a bit more.

  Isabella and I boarded my jet. We intended to take a trip to Seoul so we could meet up with her executives in charge to discuss sales, profit generation, and customer satisfaction with their products. Isabella looked distant, however. I could only hope she had received my most recent letter. Something was occupying her thoughts, and if it was my letters, then I’d be glad for it.

  Her inattentiveness notwithstanding, I had a feeling that I might be causing her a bit of emotional turmoil with what I was doing. If I were to sympathize with what I believed Isabella to be thinking, it would no doubt expose me in the process. Therefore, in that regard, I would keep my silence on the matter. But still . . .

  “Something on your mind?” I asked. She didn’t answer, only continued to look out the window as the crew prepped the jet for takeoff. I cleared my throat loud enough to get her attention, which forced her out of her daze.

  “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

  “I asked if there was something on your mind.” I gave her a polite grin.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s nothing. I’m just thinking about some personal stuff, that’s all.”

  “Of course. Forgive me.” I leaned back in my chair with the certainty that in fact, it was my letters consuming her thoughts. Finally, her eyes were opening.

  “Wait for me—don’t leave yet!” someone yelled. I turned to look outside and to my surprise, Maya came running up the airstairs into the jet, bags in hand. I tried to hide my displeasure and make light of the situation with a fake smile. I sat up in my chair and stared at Maya as she handed my staff her bags.

  “Is she coming with us?” I asked.

  “Yes. Remember the email I sent you yesterday? Maya speaks Korean, Cantonese, and Japanese fluently, and she’s working on her Mandarin, so I decided to bring her along.”

  Raising my brows, I leaned back into my chair again. My time alone with Isabella was now shattered. In my excitement, I’d just skimmed through that email she’d sent.

  “I see. I guess I didn’t read that part,” I murmured.

  “You’re not upset I brought her along, are you?”

  “Of course not. I mean, if she speaks Korean, her help will be invaluable.” I wasn’t sure if Isabella could see the disappointment in my eyes. This would have been the perfect time to get to know her better and maybe even tell her the truth. Those plans, however, were now on hold.

  “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was unbelievable,” said Maya as she took in the view.

  “It’s quite all right. We have a while before we depart,” I said.

  Maya stood as she gazed at the lavish interior of my jet. She paced the space between Isabella and me. “Wow. This is such a beautiful aircraft. Must have cost you a fortune,” she exclaimed.

  “It didn’t cost that much. And it’s not all that luxurious.” I smirked.

  “Not all that luxurious? All the furniture is made of white leather. It’s spacious with a twin bed in the very back. And the pillows have golden chrysanthemum designs on them. Maybe in your world this isn’t luxurious, but for me it’s amazing.”

  “Yeah, I guess so,” I said, smiling. She sat next to Isabella after taking in the sights and laid out operational cost and budget information for the offices in South Korea and Japan. She opened her laptop and pulled up the financial spreadsheets. It seemed as if Maya wanted to get right to business. My mind was on other things, however, as was Isabella’s.

  “There are a few things we should go over before we meet up with our managers there,” said Maya. She seemed adamant about hashing out the details of their market expansion on the way there. Nonetheless, that was the furthest subject from my mind.

  “If you would excuse me for a moment,” I said. Taking my glass, I retreated toward the cockpit, leaving Isabella and her cousin alone.

  “Are you all right?” Maya asked me.

  “Yes, I’m fine. You two can go over the reports. I’m going to speak with the pilot. I’ll be back shortly.” I glanced at Isabella before walking away. She wasn’t paying her cousin or me any attention. I hoped my letters weren’t putting too much of a weight on her heart, if that was what was bothering her.

  In any case, my mind was somewhere else and I didn’t have it in me to analyze their marketing strategy right then. As I departed, I stole one last glance at Isabella. Maya was going on about financials; however, Isabella was drifting and still not paying her any mind. I could only hope I was the cause of whatever emotion Isabella was feel
ing in that moment.

  Chapter 13

  Isabella

  “. . . and the operational cost of this development may exceed recent estimates if we don’t budget for materials within this sector . . .” Maya said. I had yet to make eye contact with her. I couldn’t focus, and she was beginning to notice.

  “Also, the giant penis in our rearview mirror is growing larger by the second.”

  “What did you just say?” I asked, stunned.

  “Oh, great, I have your attention now.” Maya chuckled.

  “I’m sorry, Maya.” I uncrossed my legs and sat upright.

  “I hope I’m not boring you.”

  “No, Maya. It’s just—my mind is somewhere else right now.”

  “It’s Nathan again, isn’t it? You finally caught him, didn’t you? I knew it, that cheating—”

  “That’s not it. It’s—it’s something else.”

  “What? Tell me.” Maya leaned in curiously.

  “I’m not so sure I should.” I paused.

  “Come on, Isabella. We tell each other everything, don’t we?”

  “Well . . .” I said, hesitantly putting my head down to avoid the question.

  “Spill it, woman!” Maya demanded with a grin.

  I sighed. “Fine. For the last couple of months, I’ve been getting these letters from someone. They range from erotic to poetic at times. In the beginning, I wasn’t even sure they were meant for me. That was until the last two letters addressed me by name. I’ve always found them in front of our villa on the beachfront in little bottles. The last letter has my mind all over the place. I think I have a secret admirer.”

  Maya leaned in farther and pushed the computer to the side. “You have a secret admirer?”

  I tittered. “Yes. I suppose I do.”

  “Letters in bottles . . . that sounds romantic. Do you know who it might be?”

  “That’s the thing, Maya. I have no idea who it is. In his last letter, he said we’ve already met, and he’ll reveal his identity to me in due time.”

  “What? Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?” Maya’s eyes lit up.

  “Well, at first I thought the whole thing was a joke, but as time progressed and the nature of the letters became more intimate, I—I think I started to develop feelings for whoever this guy is. His letters are so sensual and vivid; they have me questioning my marriage.”

  “Yeah, well, something has to get you to start questioning your marriage to that thing you call a husband,” Maya scoffed. I smirked. Moments later, Dante returned with another bottle of wine. An attendant was following behind him with three glasses of water.

  Maya stared at him with a smirk. Looking at Dante, I noticed he was trying to avoid eye contact with her. His gaze wandered between the floor and his seat.

  “Maybe it’s him,” whispered Maya, nudging my arm.

  “Don’t be silly,” I whispered back. Dante took his seat and finally looked up at Maya, who was holding in her laughter.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked.

  “Yes, Mr. Alonso. We were just discussing Isabella’s secret adm—” Before she could utter another word, I kicked her in the shin.

  “Ouch! What was that for?” Maya asked while rubbing her leg.

  “Sorry. Muscle spasm,” I said. Dante laughed under his breath.

  “So . . . you have a secret admirer, Isabella?” he said as the hostess poured us each a glass of Chateau d’Yquem.

  “It’s nothing really. Maya just had a little too much sugar in her coffee this morning.” I gave her a side-eyed glance.

  “Fair enough,” Dante said before taking a sip of his wine.

  “Would you be quiet about that?” I whispered. Maya nodded and grinned deviously.

  I noticed Dante smiling at us as we bickered like adolescent schoolgirls. I took my glass and leaned back to relax. This was embarrassing.

  “Excuse me, Isabella, but you forgot to buckle up. We’re about to take off,” said Dante.

  “Oh, sorry.” Just as I reached for the strap, Dante stretched his arms over my lap.

  “Here, let me help.” He hovered over me as he connected the buckle on my seat. He was within inches of me. The warmth from his body and the scent of his cologne took me to an unconventional high. I unwittingly breathed it in. There was something quite familiar about his smell. Something that rang a bell within me, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

  “Thank you, Dante.”

  He went back to his seat and buckled himself in. “Anytime.”

  Maya noticed me staring at him and chose to break the silence. “Ready for the flight, Isabella?”

  Snapped back into reality, I looked at her and grabbed my wineglass. Maya smiled and winked at me before stealing a glance at Dante. I gave her a wide-eyed gaze. I knew what Maya was thinking, but brushed it off and closed my eyes as the jet took off into the air. This was going to be a long flight.

  Chapter 14

  Isabella

  We were five hours into the flight, and Dante had been the most attentive host. I just wished I could give him more attention, but my mind was still going in circles after reading that letter. All I could think about was the person sending them to me. My mind should be in the game and not focusing on all this personal stuff. Each time Dante tried to talk to me, I brushed him off, not on purpose, but because my thoughts were elsewhere.

  Luckily for me, Maya had been talking to him nonstop, creating a diversion so I could think. Once we landed, I’d have to make sure to apologize to him for being so silent. I began to notice Maya becoming more and more flirtatious toward him. Could she be any more obvious? If that short skirt of hers didn’t give any indication of her motives, then I was sure the constant touching and leg crossing did.

  Maya was an attractive, intelligent young woman with an MBA from one of the top business schools in the country, yet he seemed uninterested in her flirtations. Not only that, he kept staring at me. I knew he could sense something was off with me. Maybe that was why he kept staring. Perhaps he thought I wasn’t ready for this meeting. I needed to pull myself together and concentrate. That letter should have been the last of my worries. We had a few more hours on the flight, which would give me ample time to review the proposals Maya brought on board with her.

  “Is everything going fine with you all? More wine, cheese, pillows, blankets, anything?” asked the copilot. I looked around for the hostess, but she was nowhere to be found.

  “No, Gaspard. Why don’t you sit down and join us?” Dante said. The copilot was standing over me with another bottle of Yquem. The man looked old enough to be Dante’s father. He had silky dark hair with fine lines of gray, yet one could tell his body was well-built through his button-down shirt and tie. He had a French accent, but it wasn’t so thick that I couldn’t understand him.

  “Ladies, I’d like you to meet Gaspard. He’s one of my most trusted business managers, pilot on occasion, and dear friend. He also speaks multiple languages, which is why I’ve asked him to accompany us to our meeting in Seoul.” Gaspard set the wine on the table in front of us and took a seat next to me.

  “Do you speak Korean?” I asked.

  Pouring himself a glass, Gaspard looked at Dante and chuckled. “Yes, I do, actually. That’s one of the reasons Dante asked me to come.”

  I lifted my brows, and my eyes went wide. If I had known that, I probably wouldn’t have asked Maya to join us. Nevertheless, she seemed to be enjoying herself, and I still needed her expertise, so I guessed bringing her along was the right call. I noticed she had her hand on Dante’s knee and whispered something in his ear. He smiled and nodded. I began to think Maya had had a little too much to drink.

  “And just what is so funny?” Gaspard asked playfully.

  “She just wanted to know if you were single. I told her you were,” said Dante. I face-palmed and shook my head. I couldn’t believe this woman.

  “How about we keep things a little more professional?” Gaspard stated
.

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. . . .”

  “Mr. Dufort. But you can call me Gaspard.”

  “I’m sorry, Gaspard. I think Maya may have had one too many glasses of wine,” I said.

  “Oh, come now, Gaspard. It isn’t as if she was asking for your hand in marriage. I think it’s good to have a little leisurely conversation before we get to Korea. No need to be so serious,” said Dante.

  “May I speak to you for a moment, sir? In private?” asked Gaspard. Dante grabbed Maya’s hand after she had strategically moved it up his leg onto his inner thigh. He slid her hand off, followed Gaspard to the cockpit, and closed the door.

  “Would you get ahold of yourself? We’re here on business, remember,” I said in a stern voice.

  “I’m sorry, but he’s such a good-looking man, don’t you think? His scent is mesmerizing.”

  “He doesn’t seem to be reciprocating your advances.”

  “You’re right. He seems to be more concerned with you.”

  My brows curled. I didn’t want to acknowledge it, but if it was evident to her, then it was apparent to everyone. “Yes, I know he keeps looking at me. I think he notices my standoffish behavior. It’s that damned letter and my husband. They both have me thinking things that I shouldn’t right now.”

  “All right, Isabella, I’ll tell you what. When we get back, I’ll help you find out who is sending them to you. In the meantime, just put them aside and enjoy yourself. We’ve already gone over the financials and strategy of our business proposals, and all we have to do is communicate them to our management team when we get there. So, just loosen up a bit.”

  I sighed. I supposed she was right. After all, this was my first time going to South Korea, as I usually delegated all the traveling to Oliver. I really should hire a chief operations officer so my CFO wouldn’t be bogged down with too many responsibilities.

  “Okay, Maya. But just cool it on the flirting, would you?”

  “I can’t help it. I mean, just look at him. He just oozes success and sex.”