Billionaire's Revenge (21 page)

“Where is your bag?”
,
she
asked softly as her son
grabbed her hand pulling her into the house, Darius
gave
her an encouraging smile indicating that she
was welcome, as David
show
ed
her the gifts he
had
received.
 
Waiting for the other two to return
,
Darius
looked at
Joe
. 
“Are you dating Angela?
”
his direct question bringing a smile to the other
man’s
face
as he
gave
a small nervous
grin
. 
“Yeah...well...kind of.
  She looks tough Darius, but Angela is hurting over what Nick did”
,
his expression soft.  “She and David deserve better than him...and I have never stopped loving her
...and I love that boy too”

Darius gave
an approving curl of his mouth
,
the
inclusion of
David’s
name filling him with
warmth as he
shook
Joe’s
hand
.
“I am glad they have you
Joe
”
The
honesty of his words
saw
Joe
smile
back
thankfully.
  Soon the small group
left, and Darius
returned to his study
.  He
tried to work, but Angela’s words kept returning to haunt him. 
On his desk he
reread the credit card statement with only one item on it, frowning.  The piece of jewellery was not specified
,
only a code, an additional charge for an
inscription
:
“
L
ove you forever”, the words tearing at him.
 
Was she seeing somebody else?  Darius frowned at this thought, his stomach twisted into tight knots.  He had
never told her that she could not see other
people;
he
did not think
that he would have
to.

At four the door
opened, Darius finding himself on his feet and out of his study before she
even moved half-way across the hallway.  He
had
made up his mind.  He wanted her out, wanted to rid himself of the way this woman who
had
do
ne him so w
rong was twisting his plans to punish her, winding him
around her finger. 

Hearing his footsteps, she
paused, her head dropping to hide the upset on her features.  Darius
frowned
,
quickly stepping up to meet her.  He
took
in the redness of
her eyes and the way her lips
quivered as she fought
to keep the upset from her face, his determination leaving him.
 
“What is wrong?”
A
small sniffle le
ft
Sara as she
tried to bring her emotions under control.
 
“N...Nothing...I’m fine”
,
her voice low and weak
. 
D
arius
pulled her into his arms as she
started to cry against him, a long sigh leaving him as he
knew
that
he was not ready to give up Sara Balfour.

Guiding her into the living r
oom
,
she
pulled herself together, Darius
dragging
her down to sit beside him, his hands taking hers in his, a sombre expression on his face
.
 
“What happened?”
T
he question
s
aw
Sara give another deep sigh as her eyes dropped to their joined fingers
.
 
“It is fine”
,
her voice becoming stronger
,
“I’m fine thanks”.  She
tried to draw her hands from his, his grip tightening, his look serious
.

“Are you seeing another man? Is that who you are meeting Sara
?”
Her eyes
flew
to
his in shock
.
“NO!
”
her ton
e st
unned as she
emphatically denied hi
s ques
t
ion, warmth filling his stomach as her eyes showed
her horror at him even asking
.
  “You think I would sleep with you while I was involved that way with someone else?”
 
Darius
felt like a heavy weight
had
been lifted from him as he
gave
a small
grimace.

“Sorry...I
had
to ask.  Given our agreement...
and the fact that you are meeting somebody who you will not tell me about
”
Sara
stood quickly
,
her head shaking, her voice stiff
. 
Darius
s
aw
the pain that
flashed through her lovely eyes
. 
“Thank you for looking after David...I really appreciated it
.  If you don’t mind...I need a drink,
I will see if Edith has some tea made”.  He
nodded, saying no more as she
left the room.

Sara could fee
l the
stabbing pain that his words
caused
.  He
really did think the worst
of her.  She knew that he looked on her as a manipulator and liar, but now a whore too.  The pain was a physical blow.  Why did she think that he would ever feel anything else for her
other than dislike?  The whole reason she was there
,
after all
,
was because of his contempt and need to punish her. 

Sara
managed to avoid him for the rest of the day, made easier by his disappearance into his study. 
That night at dinner, Darius
saw
the way she
pushed her food around
the plate.  She
barely met his eye
s
before finally he
put his fork down with a
sigh
.
 
“OK...Sara...I get it
-
you are angry at me”

Sara gave
a soft cough, shaking her head
,
“No...I’m not angry.  You have made your
feelings
about me very clear.  Why else would I be here
?
”
her head rising to look at him, her lovely eyes cold.  He
sighed
again
.
 
“What else am I to think
Sara?
  You ditch David for this ‘cannot be missed’ meeting
,
then come back in tears?  In my position what would you think?”

Sara
frowned softly
,
her teeth nibbling her bottom lip thoughtfully.  What would she think
,
she
asked herself her brows knighting together.
 
His voice, softer this time
,
broke
through her
trouble musings.
 
“Why won’t you tell me?  Wouldn’t it be easier just to tell me what is going on?”
 
A manic laugh
left her lips at that as she
shook
her head furiously
,
“No...
No
it would not
”
Darius
sigh
ed
again
, his voice growing firmer
.

“I could find out Sara, but it would just be easier if you told me”
 
A small moan
left her lips as she
stared back at him, her eyes pleading
,
“Please...no...
Please
don’t”
, o
nce more tears rising to her eyes
,
“
Y
ou
promised me one secret.  I promise you that it is not to do with another man...you promised me
”
Her
hand
grabbed his, desperation on her face.
 
Darius
shifted nervously, a scowl on his forehead before he
gave
an irritated sigh.

“Fine...but did it never cross your mind that I might be able to help you?”
  For the first time since that morning she
gave
him a smile, the sadness still in her eyes.
 
“I have everything under control...it will
be
fine...but thanks”
 
Darius
twisted her hand into
his;
lifting it to his mouth
he
kissed
the knuckles softly
, 
“Just remember the offer
still stands”
Nodding softly
,
Sara whispered gently
,
“
T
hank you”
,
her voice full of honesty before she lifted her fork, her appetite once more returned.

The next morning Darius
nuzzled against her neck, Sara stretching
languorously
against him making small satisfied purring sounds.  Their lovemaking the previous night
had
been intense
,
as both
clung to the other before falling asleep in
the
other
’
s arms.
 
Giving a content sigh she
rolled over to look up at him, her hand gently stroking his cheek
.
 
“Good morning Mr G
arelli
”
,
she
mewed softly, Darius giving a pained groan
as desire
r
ose
so strongly within him
.

“I have an early meeting, which like you I cannot miss.  I just wanted to let you know that we have a cocktail party tonight
”
Sara’s
eyebrow rose
in surprise,
this the
first she was hearing of it.
 
“Oh...you never said
”
Darius
g
ave
a small shrug before she
laughed softly
,
“You never said...because you did not know if I would still be here...just in case you
had
thrown me
out already”

Darius
gave
another shrug, a boyish grin rising to his lips
 
“
I always said you were a
smart lady...but you are still here...so why don’t you pamper yourself...and maybe you will make it to the end of the week”
 
A laugh
left Sara,
her eyes dropping to hi
s
.
Had
they really been together for over a week, th
e
sudden realisation hitting her that in five days he would be gone, and he would throw her to the side
,
feeling that he had
extracted his revenge on the woman who
had
done hi
m
wrong
.
  The emptiness which
filled her
hurt
and she struggled to pull a smile onto her face to hide the pain
, a
mocking note on her voice
. 
“That is right...Friday is your last day...and mine
”
Darius
gave
a small nod
,
“That is the plan...”
,
although she noticed how he frowned
,
a thoughtful look
flit
ting
across his handsome features.
  Rolling back onto her side
,
she gave
a forced laugh
.
“Well maybe I will just not bother pampering myself...get you to ditch me sooner”.  His chuckle
sw
ept over her as she
felt him leave the bed to disappear into the bathroom.
 
That night Darius
again
admired
Sara as she
gave
a small twirl for him, his eyebrows raised in pretend concentration.  With her long blonde hair piled high on her h
ead, she
looked even more graceful than normal, with the curve of her neck accentuating her slender figure.  The soft silvery blue
sleeveless
cocktail dress gave her an almost
ethereal
quality, and he
had
to hold down the soft groan of desire that once
more
speared
through him.