A Gift of Passion (Lover's Gift Book 1) Page 6

  “Maya—” I gave her an evil glare.

  “Come on, Isabella. I think I’m starting to wear him down. Before he wouldn’t even talk to me and seemed annoyed I was here. Now he’s beginning to warm up to me. I can’t just throw away all the progress I’ve made.”

  “Fine, just please try to keep your hands off him, at least until we get to Seoul.”

  “I’ll try,” she said, before taking another sip of her wine.

  “And that will be quite enough of that,” I said, taking away her glass and handing her a bottle of water. Gaspard and Dante opened the door to the cockpit and made their way back to us. Dante took a seat in the very back by the twin bed, leaving Gaspard sitting in between Maya and me, then pulled out a computer and sat in solitude, typing away. Gaspard poured himself more wine.

  “Is everything all right?” asked Maya.

  “Dante just has some business to take care of. It’s best if we allow him to work. Our business consultants will be meeting with your VPs and directors there before we get to Seoul to review the business proposals we developed. We’ve already emailed them. Everything should be in order when we get there,” he said.

  “I’m confident our teams will work great together,” I stated.

  “As am I.”

  “What about you, Dante?” shouted Maya. He didn’t respond or even look in our direction. He had headphones in his ears and seemed to be focused on whatever was on his computer. After being ignored, Maya turned her attention to Gaspard.

  “Excuse me. But do you mind if I ask how old you are?” Gaspard asked.

  Maya pointed to herself. “Me?”

  “Yes, you,” Gaspard responded.

  “Twenty-five.”

  “Ha! That explains everything.”

  “What explains everything?” She sent him a confused look.

  “Oh, nothing.” Gaspard tried to hide his grin.

  “Well, how old are you?”

  “Fifty-one.”

  “And that explains everything for me as well,” Maya mocked.

  “I’m sure it does.”

  “Do you want me to leave you two alone?” I interjected.

  “Sure, if you want to,” Maya said softly.

  I nodded at the both of them and unbuckled myself. Stretching my arms and legs, I wandered to the front of the jet near the cockpit with my wineglass. The door was open, but I was hesitant to go any farther. I’d never seen the inside of a cockpit on a jet before, so I lingered by the door, peeking inside.

  “Why don’t you come on in?” said the pilot.

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Yes. Unless, of course, you’re a jinx. In that case, please stay out there,” he said with a laugh. I rolled my eyes and walked inside. He cleared a jacket and some other stuff off the copilot’s seat for me. I slowly made my way into the seat and put my glass on the floor between us. I was in awe of all the controls and devices needed to fly this thing.

  “You ever been in a cockpit before?” he asked.

  “No, I haven’t. This is my first time.”

  He took another sip of his coffee and sat back. “So, what did you do to spark Mr. Alonso’s interest? It must have been something quite extraordinary,” he said. I was taken aback and shot him a look of confusion. I had no idea what he meant by spark interest.

  “What do you mean? I haven’t done anything. He approached us with this business partnership. I never met him before that,” I said. He sat up straight in his chair and stared at me for a few seconds. He looked as though he was searching my eyes for something.

  “Are you okay?” I asked. He faced his eyes forward and cleared his throat.

  “Please, forget what I just said.” He focused his attention on the various instruments on the control panel. “So, what’s in Korea?” he said.

  I could tell he was trying to change the subject. “I’m afraid you’re not getting off that easy. What did you mean by my sparking his interest?” I asked firmly. Looking at me through the side of his eye, he started flipping controls, ignoring me. A few moments went by. “Well?” I asked again. A few more minutes—still nothing. “All right, if you’re not going to clarify that for me, can you at least tell me what Dante and his business manager came in here to discuss?”

  He parted his lips as if he were finally about to break his silence. “That’s confidential,” he said, much to my annoyance. I didn’t understand this. As soon as I displayed my ignorance about Dante’s interest in me, this man completely shut down. It’s as if someone put him in a torture chamber and instructed him not to say a word, under any circumstances, no matter how much pain was inflicted. Something strange was happening here. It didn’t look as though I was going to get anywhere with him.

  “All right . . . well, can you tell me how long you’ve been working for Dante?” I waited for his response, but he just sat there looking over his controls. He still wouldn’t talk. Did he suddenly go deaf or something? This was becoming frustrating. That’s when everything made sense. He’d talked to me, thinking I already knew. But I didn’t. This was a coup. I leaned closer to him and gripped the back of his seat.

  “Hey!” I said in a stern voice. Finally, he turned to me. “I’m going to ask you a very serious question, and you’d better answer it.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Have you ever seen that movie Ghost where Patrick Swayze’s character sings ‘I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am’ repeatedly in an extremely annoying tone of voice? Well, if you don’t answer my question, I’m going to do the same to you all the way to Seoul.”

  “Ma’am, please . . .”

  “Just answer the question, and all will be fine.”

  “You’re going to get me fired.”

  “Whatever is said will be just between us, I promise.”

  “Okay, fine, ask your question.”

  “Is Dante planning on buying out my company to merge it with his conglomerate? Since our IPO, there is a substantial amount of shares in the market, and I know he has the capital to do so. Just know that I’m the majority shareholder and I’ll never sell,” I hissed.

  “Excuse me?” He looked at me flabbergasted.

  “You heard me. I built this company, and if he thinks he can just buy me out, then he’s sorely mistaken.”

  He burst out laughing. “That’s what you’re worried about?” he asked, seemingly relieved.

  “Well, that’s his plan, isn’t it? He is Dante Alonso, after all.”

  “That is not the case at all, Mrs. Williams.”

  “So you’re saying he has no interest in buying me out?”

  “He has absolutely no plans for a hostile takeover, or any kind of acquisition of your company, ma’am. You needn’t worry about that.”

  I leaned in close to him to search his eyes. “You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

  “Listen, Mrs. Williams, know this one thing—Mr. Alonso is interested in something, but it isn’t taking over your company.”

  “Well, what is he interested in?” My curiosity rose.

  “I can’t tell you that.”

  “All right, fine. You brought this on yourself.” I snatched my glass off the floor and downed the last gulps of wine within it. I was already tipsy, and my inhibitions were lowered. I had no regrets about what I was going to do. I cleared my voice and took a few deep breaths. The pilot looked at me, preparing himself for whatever he thought I was about to do. Giving him an evil grin, I began.

  “I’m ’Enry the Eighth, I am,” I shouted annoyingly and off-key.

  “Dear God. You were serious?” he asked, startled. I continued to scream the lyrics of the song, my voice cracking and raspy.

  “Please stop.”

  “Second verse, same as the first!”

  “All right, okay, I’ll tell you! Just stop singing.” He sighed. “I don’t get paid enough for this.”

  “Well?” I asked victoriously. Once again, he sighed.

  “Mr. Alonso is interested in—”

>   “Hello! What’s going on up here?” asked Maya, bursting the door open in a drunken barrage.

  “What the hell, Maya?”

  Gaspard gave chase to help her back to her seat. “You wouldn’t mind giving me a hand with her, would you?” he asked.

  I got up to help him. “I thought I said that you had enough,” I scolded her.

  “Sorry, it was his idea,” she said, barely able to walk. As we left the cockpit, the pilot reached his hand over to the door handle.

  “Enjoy the rest of the flight,” he said before shutting the door behind us and locking it.

  “Hey, wait,” I said, but it was too late. He certainly wasn’t going to let me back in there after what I just pulled. I guess I’d have to find out what this was all about some other way.

  Chapter 15

  Nathan

  “How many times have I told you, it’s too risky for you to meet me here,” Oliver said sternly. Regardless of how he wanted the perceptions of our dealings to be private, the fact remained that he and I both wanted the same thing. I wanted money so I could disappear and free myself of the chains of married life, while he . . . Well, let’s just say he had much more ambitious motives.

  “You listen to me, Oliver. My wife is on her way to Korea, and her nosy-as-hell cousin Maya went with her. What does it matter if we talk here at the office? There are things we need to discuss.”

  “Look, Nathan, so far she suspects nothing, and I’d like to keep it that way. I’ve already managed to create a dummy corporation to syphon off all of Aerial & Kam Cosmetics’ assets. The only problem we have is that your wife owns over eighty percent of the company. It’s your job to convince her to sell it. Understand? I don’t need you putting everything at risk by showing up here.” Oliver looked at me as if he was nervous about my being here, but I couldn’t care less.

  “You listen, Oliver—I don’t give a shit about your dummy company or keeping things cordial. All I care about is the money! I need the money! I’m tired of Isabella coming home every night questioning me with her bullshit emotions. I need to be free of her. I need money!”

  “You’ll get your money once you’ve convinced your wife to sell.”

  “I’m already working on that. But what about that guy who decided to help you all in your global ambitions?”

  “You mean Dante Alonso? He could pose a real problem if he starts digging into our financials. If he alerts Isabella to what we’re doing, we’re both screwed. So far, I’m the only one who has taken all the risk. Do you know how much it costs us to frame insiders at the Zinghai Ma Corporation?”

  “Don’t worry about things on my end, Oliver. Through lust alone, I’ve convinced her cousin Valentina to help me talk her into selling her shares. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll have no choice but to forge documents. It won’t be that hard, seeing as I have access to all her information. She left her computer unlocked before she left for South Korea. I was able to collect all her passwords and banking material. Since Isabella and I have separate accounts, this information will come in handy—for me at least. Just make sure those shares are no longer under her name by the end of the year. I’m becoming restless,” I told him.

  “You do your job and I’ll do mine,” said Oliver. I gazed at him starkly. It had been years since I’d convinced him to join me in my scheme. After all this time, it was finally beginning to come to fruition. Loyalty was a hard thing to find, and while Oliver may have been loyal to my wife at some point, the allure of sex and riches can change any man. The slew of women I’d arranged for him on so many occasions was good enough to coerce him into joining me.

  Valentina, my wife’s cousin, and Oliver, my wife’s CFO, who were close to her, fell so easily into my web. Oliver was reluctant in the beginning. Nevertheless, with the introduction of the whip and an unlimited amount of virginal flesh, he was all too willing. Promises of more captivated his soul—he now belonged to me.

  The temptation of sex was a way of life. I could still recall the look on Oliver’s face when he saw me penetrate his wife’s wet lips. In my pleasure chamber, she was in wait. There stood Oliver, staring at us from the other side of the glass wall. Her knees were shaking as I slammed her up against the wall so Oliver could look her in the eyes as she moaned in pleasure.

  He had become my cuck, and it was an experience to remember. I had awakened the masochistic nature within him. As a sadist, this was something I knew all too well. Many slaves kneeled at my feet. My lure was undeniable. After the first lash of the whip, his wife begged for more. He then entered the room and requested the pleasure of the whip.

  I made them fuck each other brutally, like savages. With each pause between motions came the whip. They loved every second of it. Years went by before I had full control over him. Now, with our plan in action, it seemed as if he wanted this more than I did. Indeed, an inspirational character he was.

  One had to be rightly free from emotional barriers to betray the ones closest to oneself, and that was just what he and I had become. He wasn’t entirely on my level of freedom, but soon—soon, he would taste the delights of all I had to offer. Once we’d drained this business of all its assets and emptied my wife’s bank accounts, only then, could we live freely.

  “Nathan, if that’s all you needed, then I implore you to get the hell out of here,” he said. I turned to him with blood rage running through me. To think that he had the gall to shout orders as if he were my equal. I was his reviver, his savior from a life of mediocrity. I slammed my hands on his desk and leaned into his face. He backed away, eyes wide.

  “Listen, Oliver, have you forgotten who is in charge? Shall I get the whip and teach you a lesson in politeness right here in your fucking office? Have you forgotten your manners?” I said, placing my hand on the back of his neck. His eyes began to soften, and his lips quivered at the sight of me. That was it—that was what I wanted to see. Deep down he knew his place, and far be it from me to allow him to forget.

  “No, I haven’t forgotten,” he said with his head low.

  “You haven’t forgotten what?”

  “No, Sir. I have not forgotten.”

  “Excellent, my dear puppet.” I sneered. He retreated to his inner self. It was the place he knew I would always dominate. Always the same. The Alpha always dominated over the weak, and Oliver, a mere puppet, a plaything to be used at my whim and thrown away once he served his purpose, was my beta.

  “That aside, the purpose of my visit is to get some money from you,” I commanded, tightening my grip on his neck.

  “How much?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “How much, Sir?”

  “That’s better, slave. I need a hundred grand. Put it on the company account or your account. I don’t give a shit.”

  “Yes, of course, Sir. I’ll wire it to you immediately.”

  “Good. While that’s pending, I’m going to head over to your house and fuck your wife. Any objections?” He gave me an invidious gaze. “Objections?” I said more forcefully.

  “N-no, Sir.” Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

  “Excellent.” The very thought of me ravaging his wife got me excited. I would spare no effort in pleasing her. I wanted to see the sweat from her body pouring onto mine as I licked her neck and breasts. I would not stop until her sweet feminine juices were dripping endlessly down my cock. Maybe I would do him a favor, record the whole thing, and send it to him afterward. I’m sure my weak little cuckold would enjoy that.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you, Sir?” he asked, lowering his gaze like the pitiful slave he was.

  “No, Mr. CFO. Just make sure the funds are in my account soon. I have some things I need to take care of. I’ll be expecting the money within the hour. If it’s one second late, then you will experience a thrashing of the whip not even the gods could fathom,” I growled.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Now, call your wife and tell her I’m on my way. I want everything to be perfect when I get
there. She’d better be wearing nothing but my favorite red silk robe I bought for her. When I’m done with her, I’ll send you over a little surprise.” I gave him a devious smirk.

  With shaking hands, he nodded and picked up the phone.

  Chapter 16

  Isabella

  The meeting went as planned, and I was confident our team had things under control here. Dante’s consulting team was invaluable, and the research they provided was stellar. This man was a godsend. After everything had concluded, I retreated to my suite at the hotel. I was left with my thoughts. I kept thinking about that damned letter.

  It seemed silly to suggest Nathan would have some other motive for marrying me besides love. But lately, things had been different. Perhaps I was just thinking about it too much. I probably should just clear my mind of it.

  After the display Maya put on during our flight here, I had her apologize to both Dante and Gaspard. I told her there would be no alcohol on the way back home, at least none for her. I didn’t want her aggressive flirtation to scare off Dante. We were planning to meet up at a nightclub for some leisure activity after that daylong meeting. Apparently, Dante owned real estate here, and the club he was taking us to already had the VIP section ready for our arrival. I didn’t feel like going out, but I didn’t want to appear rude or seem like a killjoy.

  Besides, maybe I could try to extract information from Gaspard on what their real motives were for my company. I was sure once the drinks started flowing, the truth would come out. More importantly, Maya and I could throw some ideas around to figure out who was sending me these letters.

  My husband hadn’t called me since I’d arrived here, and each time I tried to call him, it went directly to voicemail. I hoped nothing had happened to him. He was probably sleeping during the day as usual and just missed my calls. That didn’t explain why he hadn’t called me back though. Maybe I would give him a call when I got back from the nightclub. He should be up by then.

  “Are you ready?” Maya asked, knocking on my door. I looked through the peephole and Gaspard was by her side. I didn’t see Dante there, however.