Highland Kiss(6)

Ruby felt his firm hand on her arm, and her body tingled in response.

“No, I’d better go now,” she replied quickly, realizing this man was too handsome, wealthy, and powerful for her peace of mind. She felt rather intimidated by him and quickly struggled to move past. “Thank you so much for the seat and, um, for looking after me,” she managed under her breath with embarrassment. Then she rushed away as if the devil himself were chasing her.

Back in the crowded economy class, she tried to remember where her seat was as she searched her surroundings with a strange sense of dread.

“Are you all right there?” the flight attendant asked behind her.

“Er, yeah, I’m fine,” Ruby replied, scanning around once again before she remembered it was row 15B. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she confirmed; more to herself than to the flight attendant.

After taking her seat, she closed her eyes and wondered if she’d ever meet the handsome Scotsman again in the future.





* * *





THREE





One Week Later





Alec James Hasting, multibillionaire of the Hasting Empire, turned his eyes from the tranquil view of their backyard garden to look at his sister. Yes, Susan was a beauty all right, and even more so at that moment. She was wearing a red Dior Greek gathered dress with matching ruby and gold Dior earrings, necklace, and bracelet. She was tall and slender with the face of an angel. Men fell at her feet, begging for her love, and yet, Susan only had eyes for one man; and that was her ex-fiancé, Brian McArthur.

“Please, Alec, won’t you help me?” Susan begged, her eyes glistening with fresh tears. “I’m your sister. I know Brian is falling for that girl; and I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m sure it’s only your imagination, Sue,” Alec said soothingly. “You do tend to rely on it too much. Besides, you said it is the first time you saw them together.”

“Oh, Alec, you think I’m making this up? You know me better than that. I just know it’s her. She’s the reason why we drifted apart, the reason why we broke up. She’s the cause of it all.” Susan turned from her brother, ambled to the sofa, and sat down with her head bowed. “I know I was the one who broke up the engagement six months ago, but I just can’t get over him. I know I want him back, Alec.”

Alec sat beside his sister; his arm wrapped around her slumped shoulders. “Just give it time. Surely, Brian is not the only—”

“But there will never be a man like Brian, Alec. I don’t know what to do. I just don’t. He’s taking that girl to his castle in Scotland, just the two of them! What do you think that means?” She looked at him dejectedly.

Alec frowned. Brian, to the best of his knowledge, had never taken any woman to Westwick Castle, a prime estate he inherited from his great uncle, Sir William McArthur, five years ago. Alec, himself, had only visited there a few years prior, just before the major renovation. Brian said back then that the castle was a present for his future, after he found the perfect woman. It would be a place for him to raise his family. Since then, many socialite chicks dated Brian, but to Alec’s knowledge, Brian never took any of them to Westwick Castle. That, however, was about to change with the appearance of this new young woman.

“Alec, what do you think?”

Alec could hear the fear in his sister’s soft, gentle voice. He rested his palm on the top of her head and smiled in reassurance.

“What if he asks her to marry him?” She bowed her head and stared at her red Jean Paul Gaultier pumps. “She’s only a girl and not even that pretty.”

“How do you know she’s only a girl and not that pretty?” Alec asked as he took a tissue from the Kleenex box before offering it to her.

Susan gently dabbed the tissue under her eyes, careful not to mess up her makeup. The smell of rose soothed her frustration. She sniffed and gave out a little laugh. “I saw him with her only a couple of days ago at the McArthur Hotel restaurant, and on Bond Street. They were shopping together, and I think he was buying her clothing—designer clothing, Alec. She’s so stupid, she doesn’t even know the difference between a Fendi handbag and some random bag from a cheap shop.”

Alec wanted to tell his sister not everyone was a fashion guru like her. He kept quiet, however, knowing he might hurt her sensitive feelings.

“I have a picture of her,” she said suddenly.

Alec raised his brows. “You have a picture of her?”

“Do you want to see it? I mean, so that you understand why. I mean, why Brian is falling for her. You’re both men, and men kind of understand each other, right?” She looked at him, hoping he could shed some light.