At the last moment before their lips touched, she yanked herself back to her senses and broke away from him, stumbling into the center of the room.
“How dare you assume I’ve come here to pleasure you?” she demanded.
He twisted toward her, blinking in surprise. “Why else would you sneak into my room without knocking and lock the door behind you? Especially after the two of us passed a pleasant afternoon together filled with flirtation?”
Solange’s mouth dropped open. “It wasn’t flirtation, it was—” It was absolutely flirtation. She realized it now. She’d been a miserable failure at pursuing her cause and attempting to bring the blackguard to justice. She was attracted to him, which only enraged her. “I know who you are,” she said, nearly shouting, marching toward him.
Lord Sinclair looked as confused as ever. “I’m Louis,” he said with a shrug, shaking his head. “At the moment, I don’t care to be more than that.”
“You are the son of the man who ruined my life and destroyed my family,” she growled, then gasped at the way she blurted out the truth so artlessly.
Lord Sinclair looked even more confused. “My father never did anything to hurt a fly, God rest his soul. He was the kindest and gentlest of men.”
“You lie.” She grabbed hold of her anger and used it to power her through the moment of truth. “You are the son of Andre Lafarge.”
Lord Sinclair’s expression went suddenly cold. “I am not.” He took a step toward her, thunder in his eyes. “Whatever rumors you heard, they are lies.”
Solange was so taken aback by his sudden fury that she backpedaled a few steps. She swallowed before saying, “It is well known that your mother was his lover.”
“My mother was his victim,” he said, pain joining the anger in his expression and his voice. “She was not a willing participant in the matter.”
“I—” Solange stammered for something to say but came up with nothing.
“Besides.” Lord Sinclair let out a breath and took a step back, his flash of anger waning. “I was born five years before the two of them ever met.”
“You were?” An odd feeling of joy filled Solange. He was telling the truth. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was certain of it.
Which meant that he wasn’t a villain after all. Furthermore, he wasn’t a blood relation either. The heat she’d been so disturbed by flooded through her once again, and God help her, she welcomed it.
“Since you barged in here unannounced, ready to hurl every kind of accusation at me,” he said, “I’ll tell you the truth.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair, his other hand planted on one hip. Given his state of undress, the juxtaposition of his seriousness and his nakedness was beyond alluring. “My mother met Lafarge at some sort of social gathering. She was French and, as I understand it, missing France at the time. What she did not know was that Lafarge detested the French nobility and had made it his mission to destroy as many aristocrats as he could.”
“Yes, I know,” Solange said with a nod, hugging herself as memories of Lafarge’s treachery assailed her. “He sought to destroy anyone with any connection to the French aristocracy as well.”
“And he continues to with his filthy gossip rag,” Lord Sinclair went on, beginning to pace. “But with my mother….” He sighed, then paused and turned to Solange. “He flattered her and made her promises. He saw that my father’s attention to his duty was making her feel underappreciated. He befriended her, and then he seduced her.”
“I’m sorry,” Solange said, not knowing what else was appropriate to say.
“And then he continued to seduce her,” Lord Sinclair went on. “Over the course of years. He blackmailed her with her infidelity to keep her in his bed and to keep her quiet. He…he took things from her. And eventually, when the misery of the whole thing came to be too much for her, she took her own life.” He ended his story in a near whisper, lowering his head in sorrow. After a moment, he raised his head, strength returning to his body, and stared right at her. “Since her death, I’ve been determined to bring him to justice for what he did.”
“Which is why you were in Côte d'Ivoire,” she said, the pieces falling into place. “I saw you there three years ago.”
He blinked, startled. “You saw me?”
The relief she felt at discovering Lord Sinclair wasn’t her enemy battled with her an even greater rage at all Lafarge had done to hurt both of them. She nodded. “Several times. At parties and events.”
He frowned. “Why did I not see you? I’m certain I would have noted someone as vibrant and beautiful as you are.” His warm smile returned and he stepped closer to her.
Sense told Solange she should move away, but raw attraction caused her to hold her ground as he came so close she could feel his heat once more. “Would you have noticed the daughter of a disgraced tribal leader if you’d seen her?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said without question, stopping mere inches in front of her but keeping his hands at his sides.
She glanced up at him, lust swirling in her. “Would you still find a woman beautiful if you knew she was actually the daughter of your worst enemy?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.
His eyes narrowed slightly and his hands flinched toward her. “Mine wasn’t the only mother that bastard seduced,” he said, the truth of things clear in his eyes.
“She wasn’t.” Solange glanced down, suddenly overwhelmed with sadness. “But unlike you, everyone knew the moment I was born.” She looked up at him again, trusting he would understand that her appearance alone had given everything away. “My father—my true father, Gerald Kouassi—accepted me as his own. At least at first. As long as my mother refused to tell him what happened. She claimed a French officer had raped her. At least until I was thirteen.” She stepped away from Lord Sinclair, hugging herself and rubbing her arms. “Until he caught her and Lafarge together.”
“The man is a blight on decent society,” Lord Sinclair growled.
Solange nodded in agreement. “I believe that my mother was an unwilling participant in the affair,” she went on, turning back to him. “Like yours was.”
“I believe that is the way Lafarge operates.” He walked closer to her, resting a hand on her arm.
Solange was surprised at how comforting she found his touch. It made it easier for her to say, “My father turned my mother out and me with her. The shame of it led my mother to drink. I had to work to support us, but thankfully, my education and my light skin meant I could work for the French government in Abidjan. At least, until I was able to find employment as a lady’s companion in Europe.”
“With Lady Briarwood?” Lord Sinclair asked.
Solange nodded. “Lafarge was enraged by my father’s behavior. Within a year, he had destroyed the finances and the reputation of the Kouassi family. He bragged to everyone about how I was his daughter, and damn him, taking his name did help my position improve. But I was little more than a trophy to him, a symbol of his conquest of my mother and destruction of my father’s family.”
Lord Sinclair let out a sharp exhale. “Lafarge collects trophies. That is why I am here, in Paris.”