Vanquished (The Encounter #3)(23)
We were a few steps onto the sandy beach when Julien paused, giving me a quizzical look. “You ought to dispose of that idea from your mind. You’re a beautiful woman with a lovely figure that most women wished they had. And I would bet half of my fortune that men would go for you, pregnant or otherwise.”
Bloody Hell. How does one respond to that? Would a simply thank you suffice? For some odd reason, it felt as though thanking him would come off as if I would be inviting something that I wasn’t ready for. I was dumbfounded as to how I should properly answer.
As for now, I was content in where our personal relationship stood, comfortably meeting in the middle and neither shifting on either side. Should that stance change, it wouldn’t be from my choosing.
With that in mind, I played his comment off with a simple shrug and a smile. “There’s nothing like being psycho-analyzed regarding my weaknesses before lunchtime. Now that we have that out in of the way, do you mind sharing yours?”
He scoffed as we resumed our stroll towards the shore that had nearby loungers and a tent that housed our meal. “I don’t recall having any, really.”
“That’s pure rubbish. Every person has one.”
Did such things exist? Could it be that he was suffering from an overabundance in confidence or a hedonistic mentality?
I tried to justify my belief. “All businessmen who dream of dominating the world have weaknesses they would want to improve on. It’s human nature. Mother Teresa even had one, and in my opinion, she’s the closest thing to being the quintessential human being.”
“And what was that exactly?”
“I suppose, when you’re in her position, dedicating your life to catering to the needs of others instead of your own and being surrounded by overwhelming poverty, no matter how much she had practiced her good faith, there came a time when this principle was tested. Like that instance where one of the infamous gangsters from the ‘Keating Five’ was brought to justice after syphoning money from a list of major financial companies and wrote to her, specifically asking that she write a personable character reference that would make him seem like a favorable, decent human being. In return, she would be rewarded with over a million dollars by doing a simple yet not character deflection. Mother Teresa’s decision to deliver what was requested of her in change of that hefty sum could be deemed as controversial, yet I couldn’t fault her for making such a decision because, with that amount of money, she could make a difference to thousands upon thousands of people in India. Sometimes, one must facilitate something bad to achieve good.” I paused as my eyes landed on the person who was lying on one of the loungers. I had this odd inkling that I had met this man somewhere.
Julien didn’t seem to notice my attention had gone amiss since he was blathering on the subject that I had already abandoned while my mind busied to pinpoint where, when, and why this particular person gave off the impression of familiarity. Maybe I was being unreasonable. I mean, I was in America, and ever since we had landed here two weeks ago through New York, I hadn’t really met anyone in particular who stood out to me like this man.
Mentally shrugging this notion off, I was just about to look away when the man in question lifted his gaze away from his mobile, connecting with mine. A sudden chill. A premonition. A harrowing feeling deeply seated itself in my psyche that something was upon me. Cold as ice, he looked straight into me, delving into my soul, holding me captive.
“Isobel?” Julien touched my arm before twisting my face so I would face him. “Isobel…”
Blinking, my mind was still racing and beyond distracted when I frowned, looking up at him. “Huh? Did you say something?”
“I suggested that we eat lunch first if that’s fine by you,” he said, still studying me.
“Lunch?” I reiterated before coming to my senses. “Oh, lunch. Oh, yeah, of course.” With that settled, we resumed walking the few feet that remained to the tent that was erected solely for us. Before I stepped into the canvas shelter, however, I paused, redirecting my gaze to where the man was located. Much to my surprise, he was no longer present, as if he hadn’t been there at all.
Had I imagined it? I began to doubt my lucidity as I worked through my meal. As delicious as it was, no matter how much I tried to convince myself that it was all in my mind, I couldn’t disregard the sinking feeling in my gut, a sickening intuition that something was awry. The man had been ten feet away, and I couldn’t have confused him for someone else. There was no way I could have mistaken those eyes that made my skin crawl and my insides shrivel. It was him.
Could it be a coincidence from London to Miami? What were the chances of that happening? It was nerve-racking to think about the odds. But as troubling as that realization was, the inevitable questions loomed in my mind: who was he, and why was he following me?
+++
“Hugo called,” Julien delivered in a level tone.
I was just emerging from my own suite, ready to join him for a late breakfast, when he announced it.
“That’s nice,” I murmured, approaching him outside on the balcony where a bountiful selection from light to hearty breakfast foods, basically everything one could desire, was available. “The hotel staff knows there’s just the two of us here, don’t they? Unless, of course, you’re expecting guests.”
“Why worry about such a trivial matter? And as for the second question, no, I am not expecting anyone else.” He grinned, making him appear less formidable than his usual autocratic and pompous self.