Billionaire's Revenge (25 page)

“Yes...yes it matters.  It matters Darius, and I will not stay any longer.  We had
an agreement and I am sticking to it
”
Darius
felt the clenching coldness deep within him. 
 
“Wow...you have
had
me fooled Sara.  I actually thought you
were happy here
”
Standing
tall
, his
features
became
colder
,
“Well it doesn’t matter.  You are going nowhere.  You or your sister...the choice is
and always has been
yours”

Sara
moved t
o sit on the edge of the
bed, the anger leaving her as she
looked
somewhere above his head
, desperation clear on her face.
 
“It isn’t right...it isn’t fair”
,
she
murmured
.  He
frowned
,
realising that she was talking to herself, before she
lowered
her eyes to his
. 
“Then you have to do what you have to do...because I am leaving”
,
a tear winding its way down her cheek, the words spoken softly and with
grim determination.
 

“You would see your sister in prison?”
  H
is disbelieving harsh words
whipped o
ver her as she
dropped her eyes to the
ground;
her whole body slumped in defeat, Sara nodding silently.
 
“Then so be it Sara.  You leave this house then tomorrow Angela will be rotting in some damn prison cell and you can explain to her son why”

She
heard as he
moved from the bedroom, slamming the door beh
ind him as he left, Sara rais
ing
her head to hold back the choking sob which rose to her lips.  Her hand
covered
her mouth
as she
fought to control the way her whole body
shook
, the
tears spilling unchecked down her pale cheeks.  She
had
done all she could.  She could not do any more she
told herself over and over, willing herself calm.  If she did not leave as they
agreed then it would destroy all her own chances of happines
s, a long steadying sigh leaving her still quivering lips.

Standing,
she
slowly t
ook
off the summer dress she
had
chosen for that
day
,
hanging it back up in the closet beside all the other
clothes
he
bought her.  From the back she
retrieve
d the jeans and t-shirt she
had
worn the day she
appeared in his office, a sad smile touching her lips, the memory seeming to be from so long ago, yet less than two weeks old.

With no luggage, and leaving the jewellery he
bought for her she
pho
ned for a taxi
,
reli
eved to hear that there would be one within fifteen minutes.  Finally ready she
sat on the edge of the bed taking deep calming breaths as she
told herself over and over that she was doing what she
had
to while deep inside she fe
lt sick.

The ringing of her mobile
heralded the arrival of the taxi, and rising
,
she
made her way slowly down the stairs.  Reaching the door, she
heard Darius move into the hallway, his voice grim
, “
So, y
ou are really
prepared to leave?
  Prepared to see Angela in prison?
”
 
Biting her lip and not looking back at him she
nodded, reaching her hand out to the door, her tone low and sad
,
yet determined
.
 
“I have to”
,
her shaking hand opening the door as he
moved towards her
.

“Wait
...
.please
wait
Sara
”
She
paused, wishing that he would just let her go.
 
For several seconds there had
been silence
,
before
his hand
took her arm and led
her to the small couch within the cavernous hallway hunching down beside her
. 
“Why?  Why is the time so important to you?
”
his voice softer this time

Sniffling miserably
,
Sara
g
ave
a small shake of her head her voice almost inaudible full of misery
, 
“I can’t...I can’t tell you...I just have to get my life sorted out...find my own home and job...I have to Darius”
 
Taking her hands into his, Sara had
not even tried
to fight him
as
he looked into her eyes, those wonderful eyes swimming with tears
, before finally giving a l
ong slow sigh
,
“Do you want rid of me that much Sara?”
,
he asked gently as her eyes
flew
to his
. 
“No...
No...It isn’t...
”
her words trail
ed
away as she once more looked
past him
,
missing the look of relief which filled him
,
“I just have to get my life sorted...soon”.

“Ok...what if we come up with a compromise”
 
“C...compromise?
”
she
sniff
l
ed softly
,
their eyes meeting once more, a glimmer of hope filling her.
 
“W...what kind of compromise?”
 
Darius
lifted her hand gently kissing the knuckles, his voice slow and thoughtful
, “
The chances of you finding somewhere to stay right away are remote.  After Friday
you can search for a job as planned, but it seems unlikely that you would find somewhere to move straight into.
..
  What if you stay here for as long as you need on the understanding that after Friday you are free to go whenever you can?”

Sara
looked at him with surprise
. 
“Y
...
you mean it
?
”
,
the realisation hitting her that staying with him was far more appealing than moving back in with her mother till she
found somewhere of her own
. 
Darius
nodded
,
 
“But
...
”
H
er eyes
narrow
ed
as he
continued,
“
If I am still here when you get settled then I would want you still to be my date for events.  I have
neither t
he time nor the inclination to find somebody else to replace you, especially as I have no idea how long I am going to be here”

The happy bubble which had
been swelling within her
popped at the realisation that he was solely interested in losing his date for events, she not understanding what more she
expected.  Giving a shaky smile she
nodded softly
. 
“As compromises go...I think that I
can work with that”
Darius
was
not sure why he
felt such relief as he
pulled her into his arms, the two hugging the other as their new terms
had
been settled.

For the next week Sara
searched for a job.  The process was slow, and despite h
aving a de
gree in business, her lack of experience was proving a stumbling block.  She
saw
several apartments which would be suitable for her needs, but without a job she was in no position to
take on a lease, or afford the deposit.

As one week
disappeared, she
gave
up trying the top companies, and was desperately looking for standard office work, her time within her father’s company more relevant, quickly lining up several
interviews.  Darius
frowned as she
told him of her firs
t
one later that week
.
Sara
brushed
off his questions of why she
had
not sought a junior management role.

She
noticed how he seemed to have become quieter, often seeing him work till late at night
. 
Sara
wondered
if he was trying to avoid her, prepare for asking her to leave perhaps, this thought filling her with pain.
It had
been over a week since they
came
to their new truce, and Darius
lay
over Sara, his mouth kissing her down from yet another mind blowing climax, she looking up at him, her eyes soft and mellow.  Wi
th a small chuckle she
caressed his hair, allowing her fingers to slip through the thick silkiness
. 
“When did this stop feeling like punishment?
”
the question out before she
had
time to hold it back. 

His mouth
twitch
e
d as
his head dropped to lay the gentlest of kisses on the corner of her mouth, a return grin from him
, 
“Truthfully...the night after we first made love”
 
Her eyes
fl
ew
to
his in astonishment as he
shifted his position pulling her into the crook
of his arm a deep sigh
leaving
him.
 
“I thought I blamed you for everything that happened all those years ago Sara...but I’m not sure if that was really the problem
”
She
remained silent, her head tilted to listen aware as she
held her breath
. 
“I alwa
ys liked you
-
did you know that?”
S
he
sh
ook
her head softly
,
“No...I thought you only dealt with me so that you could flirt with the other girls
”
His
chuckle
made her flush, Darius kissing her forehead softly
. 
“
Nope.
  I suppose that what I
was really angry at was that I never got the courage up to ask you out...and then of all the people chosen to fire me ...it was you”
 
“Y...You wanted to ask me out?”
,
her voice
incredulous as he
nodded before giving a deep sigh and turning onto his s
ide so that the two could look into the other
’
s faces.

“I have to go back to Italy Sara
”
His
simple declaration
caused her stomach to drop, the small flame of hope at his words snuffed out, her eyes dropping to hide the hurt.
 
“I see”
,
she muttered, his
finger pulling her chin up as his eyes
flicked over her features.
 
“No...I really don’t think that you do
”
Sara
gulped down the tears which
welled up within her, and were even now burning the back of her eyes.
 
“I...It is fine Darius...we
had
an
agreement...”
 
The rest of her sentence lost as his mouth
covered hers in a tender kiss.

“No more about agreements Sara.  I have to return to Italy...and I want you to come with me...of your own choice
” Sara
stared deeply into his eyes.  She
sea
rched for some
ulterior
motive, but found none, just honest warmth.  Everything within her wanted to throw her arms around his neck and cry
“
yes
”
- yes she would be with him, that she would do anything for him because she loved him.  Dropping her eyes once more she
cleared her throat nervously, hurt so evident in her voice
,
“
I wish I could Darius...but I
can’t
”
  She was
surprised to hear a note of pain enter his
. 
“You do not want to be with me?”