Sincerely,
Sierra
Pleasant? Pleasant! Damien wadded the paper in his hand, tossing it across the room. He reached for the phone again, planning on calling his pilot to prepare his jet, before he remembered there was no way he could leave – not for a couple days, at least.
When he realized how angry he was, he forcibly made himself calm down. He wasn't letting a woman get under his skin – especially a woman who meant nothing more to him than a means to an end. Once he got what he wanted from her, she'd be history.
He cringed at the callous thought, but firmed his shoulders and marched back to his room, where he went straight for the bathroom and a hot shower. He had business that day. He'd deal with Sierra later, and make sure she regretted her impulsive flight home.
∞∞∞
"I can't believe you're really here," Bree exclaimed as she engulfed Sierra in a hug. "Please tell me you're not leaving for at least a year," she added, only half-kidding.
"I've missed you, Bree," Sierra answered with a grin. She didn't know how much time she had and she certainly didn't want to waste it. Right at that moment though, she was exhausted. It had been an incredibly long flight in coach. She had jet lag, stress from not knowing how Damien was going to react, and fear of her father finding out and hunting her down.
She tried reminding herself that her father couldn't touch her. She was an adult and didn't have to ever go back there again if she didn't want to, but no matter how much she reassured herself, years of abuse and fear didn't disappear overnight.
"I love you to death and want to do nothing but talk and talk, but I can see you're barely keeping your eyes open. Let's get you out of this airport and to my house where you can sleep for twenty-hours. Once you do that, we'll spend the next twenty doing nothing but catching up," Bree said as she grabbed the small carry-on-bag Sierra was barely holding on to.
"I think you've read my mind," Sierra told her friend with gratitude in her voice.
"Chad is waiting out front with the car. He had to circle around because I absolutely didn't want to walk five miles just to park," Bree exaggerated.
"I'm grateful for that, too."
"I knew you would be," Bree said as she placed her arm through Sierra's and quickly led her through the maze of the Sea-Tac airport. They arrived at luggage, and thankfully didn't have to wait too long for Sierra's bags. Even better was the fact that both her bags had made it safely. At least she wouldn't have to deal with the nightmare of any lost luggage claims.
As they walked outside, Sierra smiled at the familiar rain soaked street. The area was loud with cars quickly pulling up to the curb to pick up passengers, and the smell of exhaust was prominent, but it was still home.
They weren't waiting long when Chad approached in a large SUV. He parked at the loading and unloading curb, and hopped out, quickly giving Sierra a hug before taking the bags and placing them in back.
"It's so good to see you again, Sierra. Bree's been pacing the house for what seems like months waiting for you to visit," Chad said, making Sierra sigh. Bree's husband was drop-you-to-your-knees gorgeous, and had a voice that could melt butter.
"If I would've realized I'd get to be in your company, I may have arrived sooner," Sierra teased him, then laughed when he actually blushed.
"Sierra, you're terrible. You know you're making my husband think all kinds of terrible thoughts about our college days, now. He's dying to know if we did actually have pillow fights in tight camisoles and panties," Bree said with a huge grin.
"I'd never picture any woman but you, baby," Chad quickly recovered as he kissed his wife with the passion of a newlywed, though they'd been married for several years.
"You're a very wise man, Chad," Sierra said as he held open the back door for her.
"I get things right on occasion."
Sierra peaked in the window noticing the baby wasn't there.
"Where's Mathew?"
"He's at the house with his Uncle Max at the moment," Bree said. "Max brings over Ariel and the two of them play. They're really cute together."
"You're so lucky to have such great siblings, Bree. I've always envied that about you."
"I do love them all, even when their nothing but a pain in my butt," Bree admitted.
Chad held open Bree's door, then jogged around to the driver's side and slid in. Before long, he was weaving through traffic and the gentle motion of the car had Sierra falling asleep.
"Wake up, we're home."
Sierra slowly pulled herself from the dream she'd been having, the very erotic dream, starring none other than Damien Whitfield. It was a good thing she was half-way around the world from him, because her body hadn't yet taken the hint she wasn't enlisting in an affair with the man.