Sophia’s POV
“A show?” I echoed, unable to believe that this was what Mr Prescott thought of me. “I’ve already told you before that I want nothing to do with Jerry Baxter!”
Mr Prescott scoffed like I had just told a grand joke.
“You want nothing with Jerry Baxter, that’s why you put his flowers by our bedstand? Don’t insult my intelligence, Miss Evergreen.”
My lips parted but I had no words to say. I was more hurt by Mr Prescott’s assumptions than I expected. So much so that I didn’t see the need to clarify his misunderstanding about those darn flowers.
He has seen me give Jerry a bloody lip and a slap but even that couldn’t erase the inherent distrust he seemed to have for me. I had been stupid to think we could be something other than partners when the man didn’t even trust me.
And for some reason this realization made me want to cry.
“It doesn’t matter what I say. You will believe what you want to.” My voice sounded as dead as I felt inside when I spoke. “The first aid kit is there. Dress your wounds or don’t.”
With that, I turned to leave only for Mr Prescott to catch my arm, his tone hard and unyielding. “I’m not done with this conversation, Miss Evergreen.”
At his words, my anger flared to life.
“Well, I am done with it,” I said. “And I’m done with this thing with you, Mr Prescott. You don’t get to be hot and cold to me whenever you please. You can’t accuse me baselessly just because you feel like it. And you definitely can’t say we are just business partners and get jealous when you see someone else kissing me.”
Mr Prescott’s gaze was unreadable, his features tense and serious.
“I’m not jealous.”
“You aren’t? Your behavior since you saw those flowers would say otherwise.” I scoffed in response.
Something I couldn’t recognize glinted in Mr Prescott’s eyes, his hold on my arm tightening a fraction.
“I’ll only say this one more time, Miss Evergreen. I am not jealous,” As he spoke, his voice was low but distinct and clear.
“Jealousy implies I covet what another has,” Mr Prescott’s voice had a more dangerous edge now and for some reason, I found it difficult to breathe. “But I already have you. You are my wife, not his.”
Before I could fully process Mr Prescott’s words, his lips were on mine.
For a moment, I was frozen with disbelief. Then Mr Prescott’s lips moved over mine and my disbelief disappeared giving way to my pent up desires and yearnings, my eyes falling shut and my lips parting as I kissed him back as hard as he kissed me.
The kiss at the shareholder gala had nothing on this one. No, that had only been a prelude. The entire world could have crashed and burned I wouldn’t have noticed enthralled as I was by the very taste and feel of Mr Prescott.
The longer we kissed, the more I wanted, needed. He fisted my hair making me arch even further into the kiss. My nails dug into the back of his shirt involuntarily. We were close yet not close enough.
Mr Prescott’s other hand travelled up my dress and instantly my knees felt so weak that I would have fallen over if he wasn’t holding me.
A muffled moan left my lips and my hold on Mr Prescott tightened.
His lips left mine to trail dangerous kisses down my nape, his hand still travelling dangerously high.
This was the point for me to stop him. To not make the same mistake I had with Jerry by entrusting a man I barely knew with my heart but I couldn’t stop.
Maybe it was because I knew Mr Prescott was different. Or maybe I was just deceiving myself again.
I turned my head to the side giving Mr Prescott more access to my neck and his teeth teased and nibbled on my skin even as his fingers grazed my underwear.
The door of our room slammed open.
“The news-” Nana announced, her words cutting off abruptly as she realized what she had walked in on.
Mr Prescott and I sprung apart as though that would make this situation any less awkward.
Nana was a bright red.
“Oh dear, you both can get back to it, my news can wait.”
“It’s alright, grandmother. You weren’t interrupting anything,” I said stepping even farther away from Mr Prescott. This was a timely intervention if not I would have…
No Sophia don’t think about it.
“What’s wrong, Nana?” Mr Prescott asked, his voice as normal as ever as though mere seconds ago we hadn’t been making out.
Nana’s expression shifted from embarrassed to a more serious look as she spoke.
“The tabloids.”
I looked at her phone in her hand, my chest cold.
The news about Mr Prescott and Jerry’s fight had already spread like wildfire with a ton of inciting headlines like ‘The battle for the modern day Cinderella,’ with pictures from the hospital to boot.
This would be a major P. R. nightmare for Prescott Corporation.
“I’ll take care of it.” Mr Prescott said then he was out of the room.
Nana asked me about the ultrasound and checkup. I showed her the pictures and videos that got her so excited but my mind was elsewhere.
I wondered whether Jerry would be fine. Not because I cared but if he wasn’t fine then the press would rip Mr Prescott apart.
My lips still tingled from Mr Prescott’s kiss and after my shower, I saw the beginnings of a hickey on my neck.
What was going to happen between Mr Prescott and me now? What would our new relationship dynamic be like after what we had done this afternoon?
I was in the study finishing up the last of my reading when Mr Prescott returned.
The moment he opened the door of the study, my heart twisted in my chest.
“We need to talk, Miss Evergreen.”