“Would you do anything to save them Sara?” his question catching her by surprise, her lovely features showing her confusion as his eyes held hers. “You see...somebody always has to pay for the past, and I would rather that person was you...but are you prepared to sacrifice yourself for them?” Frowning softly, she bit the softness of her lip, savaging it with her teeth, her eyes full of uncertainty before her head rose proudly. “Yes”, her voice holding a small quiver, swallowing hard at the smile that spread over his features – an almost serene smile.
“In that case I have a proposition for you. You see being branded a thief was the worst thing imaginable for me...and I understand your family well enough to know that the thing they fear most is public humiliation. So I want you to become my mistress...to move in with me for as long as I can be bothered parading you around for public disgrace” Sara felt her mouth and eyes open in stunned shock. “Y...you want ME ... To pretend to be your mistress just so that you can humiliate my family?” her voice growing higher as he gave her a smile his head shaking softly.
“I never said anything about pretending...I said BECOME my mistress” Sara leapt to her feet, her hands wringing by her side as she paced before him, her shocked features evidence of her feelings. “You cannot be serious”, she finally threw back, her eyes pleaded for him to tell her he was joking. However, he remained motionless, his expression unchanged.
“That is obscene. Immoral”, Sara cried with shock, finally stopping, her back to him as she looked heavenwards, one hand rubbing her temples as the other rested on her hip. She had not heard him move around the desk, giving a loud gasp as his hands moved to hold her hips, his mouth against her ear.
“You asked for leniency Sara...and I am offering it. You can take it or leave it...the choice is completely yours” She stared ahead, her whole being aware of his closeness, of his hands on her as her breathing became ragged. His mouth dropped and his tongue gently flicked against the small franticly beating vein on her neck, Sara biting back the sigh of pleasure that rose within her. “I will give you till lunchtime tomorrow to return here and give me an answer. If you fail to turn up...then I will have your sister arrested and assume that was your decision”
Sara was struggling to understand the soft spoken words, as his mouth continued with its sweet exploration of her throat and neck, her whole body tightening in such an unfamiliar manner. Pulling back slightly, his hands moved to her shoulders, slowly turning her around to face him, his look flicking down her face, taking in the smouldering fire within her lovely eyes. “Perhaps you might even enjoy it”
His arms moved around her small waist pulling her in harder to him as his mouth dropped to take her lips. Sara knew she should fight, should push him away but as his tongue slid against hers she allowed him, encouraged him even, her own sensually returning each and every caress. When he finally moved away, her eyes seemed to take a lifetime to open, struggling to focus as she swayed, frowning softly, not sure why he stopped. Darius stood watching her, his eyes full of fire too as he gave a half-laugh, Sara noticing though how husky his voice sounded. “Well aren’t you a hot little thing? I can see the rumours are true”
His words slammed painfully into Sara as she felt reality crash back, her cheeks flaring knowing exactly what he was talking about. With a whimper she stooped to the ground to pick up her shoes discarded earlier, before spinning around, moving to the door needing to be out of there, away from this odious man, away from what she had just been so prepared to do. As she pulled the door open to flee his words followed her.
“Remember - till lunchtime tomorrow” Sara felt the sob rising within her as she ran from the suite, only stopping to put her shoes back on when she reached the relative safety of the elevator.
Chapter Two
Sara took a cab straight to her mother’s house, where both she and Angela were waiting to hear of the events of the night, both women hoping that she would be returning with good news. If either noticed how upset she seemed, neither bothered to ask, both solely interested in finding out if she had talked to the CEO of the Garelli Corporation. Her despondent nod saw both look at each other, their faces filled with dread.
“He refused to give us time?” Her mother whispered forlornly as she sank down into one of her pristine chairs, her home a model of elegance and class, clean to the point of sterility. “Oh my God, I am ruined, we will be outcasts” Angela threw herself dramatically into another chair.