The Billionaire's Affair: Billionaire Brothers (Tycoon Billionaires Book 2) (2 page)

Dylan chuckled contemptuously. “That’s not true. I don’t know where this rumour started, but we need to quash it right now. So I suggest you go back to Mr Orlov and tell him he was wrong about me and Natalia, okay? You can tell him you met my wife and that Natalia wasn’t with me. Got it?”

Mikhail nodded slowly, still not entirely convinced.

Sarah pulled her shirt back on, then strode towards the bathroom. “If you’re still not sure, why don’t you check in here?” She threw open the bathroom door, and signalled for Natalia to hide behind the shower curtain. Mikhail joined her in the doorway.

“See, no one else was in here. Just me. Hiding in case the staff found me – exactly as Dylan said.”

Mikhail started to walk inside, but Sarah stepped in front of him to block his way. “Now I suggest you leave my hotel before I call the police. How do you think Mr Orlov would feel if one of his henchmen got arrested and the papers found out what a criminal he is? Just as they’ve been speculating ever since he took over Fenchurch United Soccer Club?”

Mikhail turned to Dylan. “Right, I will leave. But if you are suspected of –”

Dylan’s cool demeanour snapped and he leapt at Mikhail, grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him out into the corridor. “You heard my wife – get out
now
! Or I’ll toss you out the window before Sarah’s even dialled the first number for the cops.”

Mikhail brushed himself down, muttered something in Russian, then strode off towards the elevator. Sarah slammed the door behind him and stepped back into the room. She folded her arms across her chest, refusing to allow Dylan into her heart or mind again. “Alright, what’s going on?”

Natalia strode out of the bathroom. “It’s my fault, Mrs Quinlan. I honestly had no idea Dylan was married.” She turned to Dylan and almost spat at him. “You disgusting cheating dog, how dare you?”

Sarah’s mind unravelled as she tried to keep up. She refrained from reminding Natalia that
she
was allegedly cheating on her husband. Instead, she decided to tell her the truth. “Look, Dylan and I aren’t really –”

“Ah, yes,” Dylan said. “Natalia, I’m sorry for the confusion. Sarah and I have been on a break…”

“Yes, rather a lengthy one,” Sarah scoffed.

“But I still love her,” Dylan said. “That’s why I wanted to meet up with you tonight, Natalia. To break it off. To tell you that I’m sorry. I hope you understand.” He transferred his attention to Sarah and appealed to her with a cool expression. “I hope you’ll take me back. Right, Mrs Quinlan?”

Sarah spoke through gritted teeth. “Whatever you say.”

“Thank you.” He gazed deeply into her eyes – connecting with her soul in that gorgeous way of his – then he pulled them both back to reality. “First things first, though. How are we gonna get Natalia out of here? She can’t just walk out. I bet Orlov’s henchmen have got the place surrounded.”

Sarah shrugged. “Not my problem, Dylan. But I’m sure you’ll think of something. I’ve got a hotel to run. Have a nice life.”

With the blood sloshing in her ears, Sarah turned to leave, determined to get back to work and away from this madness.

“Sarah, wait!”

She halted. Don’t look into his eyes, Sarah, that’s how he gets under your skin… But maybe… beyond this door lay life as usual; hectic, bland, unfulfilling. Maybe she
wanted
Dylan back in her life. Perhaps an adventure might be nice…

He came up behind her again and rested a firm hand on her shoulder, causing her to melt into a pool of lust. “Please…” he said, electrifying her with his dazzling touch.

She turned slowly, feeling the tractor beam of his gorgeous eyes pull her in. She shrugged. “What do you want
now
?”

He threw her a half-smile. “Have you got a maid’s uniform we can borrow? I think Natalia should wear it.”

Sarah’s passion turned to anger and she raised her hand to slap him. “How dare you involve me in your sordid sex games!”

Dylan caught her wrist. “I don’t want it for sexual titillation! I’ve got an idea of how we can get Natalia out of here.”

Sarah retrieved her arm. “
We
? Why should I help you?”

He cupped her chin as if he intended to kiss her passionately. “Because I’m asking you. Please?”

She severed eye contact. “Oh, alright. I’ll get the maid’s uniform, and you two try to keep your hands off each other until I get back.” She lowered her voice. “But this is the last time, Dylan. If you’re in trouble with Russians, I don’t want anything to do with you. I’ve got a bloody hotel to run. Right?”

The stifling July humidity hit Dylan as he strolled into night with Sarah and Natalia. He’d never really noticed how secluded this hotel was, considering it was right in the middle of London. But now – as he walked down the carpeted steps and through the ostentatious doorway into the courtyard – the silence and darkness struck him like a punch. He scoured his eyes for trouble across the vast parking lot – which was crammed full with Jaguars, Rolls Royces, and Bentleys. If any of Orlov’s henchmen were out here, they were well-hidden. Hopefully he could make it to the car before anyone lurking realised what had happened.

Dylan loosened his tie, regretting his self-imposed rule about always looking ready for business. But at least he’d looked decent for his impromptu reunion with Sarah. He reached out and held her hand as they walked behind Natalia – who was dressed as a maid and carrying a suitcase stuffed with a pillow. The scene was farcical. But hopefully convincing…

Natalia looked so different now that she’d removed her make-up, brushed her hair, and ditched the false eyelashes. Dylan realised she was pretty, but nothing special – just like most the women he met. She was nice enough, and he’d enjoyed their liaisons over the last couple of weeks. But last time they’d met, she’d become clingy and had threatened to tell the papers about their affair. That would’ve been a death warrant for Dylan. Orlov wasn’t someone to be messed with. So he’d met with her tonight to call it off. Thank goodness Sarah had been there to help, or he’d possibly be dead right now.

But instead he was alive and ready to continue his business negotiations with Orlov. What a strange situation this was – doing business with a guy who wanted him dead for screwing his wife. They had a meeting booked tomorrow – assuming Orlov still wanted the deal to go through... He really hoped his brief encounter with Natalia wasn’t about to become an affair he’d live to regret.

And now Sarah was in the mix – what a freaky stroke of luck that had been. It was awesome to see her again and he was still reeling from their amazing reunion. But he didn’t want her involved in this craziness – the thought of her getting hurt repulsed him. The truth was, she was the only woman he’d ever loved. The only one he’d ever wanted. And now she was back in his life, he wasn’t going to let her go… not without enjoying that wonderful body one more time. They’d missed out on their chance for a relationship, but there was nothing wrong with one final fuck. He could see under that sharp suit that her former skinny body had filled out in all the right places, making her deliciously curvy, and he was desperate for a closer look. He knew all Sarah’s soft-spots and pleasure-zones, and he was determined to make her cry out his name and forget any other guys she’d had since they’d split.

He’d convinced himself back in the hotel that he was only bringing Sarah along to make Orlov’s men believe she was his wife. Hopefully, this sudden marriage should make Orlov
and
Natalia back off. But the truth was he wanted to find out what Sarah had been up to these last seven years. She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, and he knew from the way he’d touched her earlier that she still felt passion for him...

He held no hope of a romantic reunion, though. Their time had gone; they were probably too different now. Gone were those nights when they could stay up until four in the morning, laughing and fooling around – those fun college days when they’d spent hours discussing how to make the world a better place; when they’d promised to never stop loving each other… Bullshit. They were grownups now. It was too late. But Dylan knew that if he could fuck her one more time, he’d be able to get her out of his system once and for all. And then they could both move on.

“That’s my car over there,” Dylan called to Natalia, gesturing towards his brand new BMW. She headed towards it, not looking at him. Dylan loved that car – it was roomy and sleek, and tonight he was thankful it didn’t stand out too much. His brother Adam was a sports-car nut, and he often mocked Dylan for his preference for practical and sturdy cars. But it was actually pretty useful to have a car that blended in when you had Russians on your back. Dylan could sense eyeballs in the darkness; he was sure they were being watched, but as long as Orlov himself wasn’t here, then Natalia’s disguise should hopefully be enough to convince anyone else that she was a maid. Right now, she certainly looked nothing like the glamorous woman who was always by Orlov’s side.

Dylan lifted the suitcase into the trunk, then he opened the back passenger door and gestured for Natalia to climb inside.

“Why would a maid come with you?” she muttered.

“I don’t know,” Dylan said. “You want me to leave you here?”

Sarah placed her hand on Natalia’s shoulder. “Come on, it’s okay. We’re not going to leave you here.”

Dylan waited for the women to get in, then he climbed into the leather driver’s seat and fired the ignition with only one thing on his mind. Get out of here without anyone getting killed…

He swiped a glance at Sarah. She looked agitated, and it felt natural for him to reach out and squeeze her knee reassuringly – but he didn’t. Firstly, she might not appreciate it, and secondly, a few people had suggested that Dylan might find love in London, but he’d hardened his heart and dismissed them all. If he allowed an iota of tender affection for Sarah to blossom, it might lead him to places he didn’t want to go. He wasn’t interested in love. Not now, not ever – it only resulted in heartache. And he could see Sarah was only interested in her job. But he was determined to give her that ultimate pleasure; one-night only – no strings. He threw her a cool smirk as she fastened her seatbelt beside him.

“Flash car,” she said with contempt.

He chuckled. She’d never been impressed by his attempts to woo her with status symbols. Apparently she hadn’t changed much. But he knew exactly what
did
impress her, and he was prepared to pull every trick in the book if it meant he could have her just one more time.

Sarah gazed desirously at Dylan’s gorgeous fingers as he casually hooked them around the leather steering wheel. They were long and strong, and they knew exactly how to make her cry out in pleasure with their expert caresses…

She pushed away her lust and twisted to look out the window, watching the hot and sticky city rush by, wondering how she’d been dragged into this. One thing was for sure: she needed to get out while she still had her sanity. Dylan had always been into wild schemes. At college he’d teamed up with some fellow students to trade stationery and student supplies. He’d been successful, and he’d always had plenty of money back then, which he’d generously spent on Sarah. But
that
hadn’t been why she’d loved him so much. He was lovely once you managed to get under that gruff exterior – or least he had been. And he was so attentive in the bedroom – he’d been the first young man who’d known how to please her. You didn’t forget that sort of thing easy…

In truth, she’d regretted leaving him every day since she’d returned to London seven years ago. But he was in trouble right now, and Sarah didn’t need trouble. What the hell was he doing having an affair with the wife of a powerful Russian? And what the hell was
she
doing tagging along?

With the air-con cooling them on this hot sticky evening, Dylan drove them out of overcrowded London and towards the outskirts of the city, setting his GPS for a village Sarah had never heard of.

“Are we going back to your place?” she asked, glancing at Natalia who was sitting in the back, composing a text message.

“No. I’m staying in Central London but I can’t risk going there yet. Just in case.”

“Yeah, right,” Sarah muttered. Dylan was forgetting how well she knew him – it was obvious he didn’t want her or Natalia encroaching on his private life by inviting them into his home. He’d always been the same. Private and mysterious. But she’d managed to penetrate that steely exterior back then… she knew there was a tender guy under that tough shell. She pressed her fingers against the cool glass as her eyes connected with a green field dotted with lush trees – something she never really saw in the city. She wondered whether she was secretly hoping to crack through Dylan’s tough exterior again…

Sarah was jolted from her thoughts as she realised they’d arrived at their mystery location. Dylan punched a security code into the number-pad on the massive iron gates, then he steered the car down a plush driveway. Sarah inhaled into her belly and realised she was feeling surprisingly relaxed. It was a relief to escape the city centre – where the buildings towered oppressively down, making her feel claustrophobic and stifled. But this lavish mansion reminded her of a scaled-down version of the White House – except that it was brick-coloured. The huge sash windows gave the property a Victorian-era feel, and the paved driveway was modern and clean. 

Dylan parked next to a Ferrari. “Okay? Let’s go.”

Sarah opened her mouth to ask what they were doing here, but Dylan was already climbing out, so she and Natalia followed.

Sarah slammed her door. “Who lives here, Dylan?”

He put his arm around her, ignoring Natalia as they strolled towards the house. He spoke quietly so Natalia couldn’t hear. “My brother Adam’s renting this place. Remember him?”

“Oh. Adam. How could I forget?”

Dylan nodded. “He’s just arrived in London – cut his vacation short to give me some fraternal support. We can lie low here.”

“Lie low? Dylan, I need to get back to work.”

“Alright. You can call a cab when we get inside.”

Dylan rang the doorbell and a curvy blonde woman answered. Just Adam’s type as far as Sarah could remember. The woman grinned, then spoke with an English accent. “Hey, Dylan! How are those Russians? Still giving you a hard time?”

“Hi, Amy.” Dylan glanced at Natalia. “Hopefully not anymore. Can we come in?”

“Of course.”

Amy stepped back to let them in, and they all loitered in the echoey hallway, feeling hot in the oppressive summer humidity. Dylan opened his mouth to do the introductions, but Adam appeared, and they greeted each other with a boisterous hug. Sarah realised they hadn’t seen each other for a while.

“Thanks for coming over to help,” Dylan said. “Sorry I ruined your vacation. And congratulations on your engagement!”

Dylan threw Amy a grin and
Sarah’s
insides surged with desire. Urgh – there it was; that grin! Sarah hadn’t seen it in full force for years, and even though she wasn’t its target, it bounced off the floorboards and thrust itself deep between her thighs.

Sarah pulled herself together and listened as Dylan joked with Amy. “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into marrying my little brother!”

She chuckled. “I do!”

Adam put his arms around her from behind and hugged her tight. “Hopefully it won’t be long until I hear you say ‘I do’ for real!”

Sarah cleared her throat. It was all very well
them
having a family reunion, but she needed to get back to her hotel.

Adam glanced over. “Hey, don’t I know you?”

Dylan laughed theatrically and put his arm around Sarah, causing electric lust to fizzle through her body. “Adam, you’re such a joker. We all know Sarah. My wife. Right?”

Dylan darted his eyes towards Natalia, who – Sarah realised – looked incredibly young and innocent now she’d ditched all the make-up. Dylan raised an eyebrow at Adam, who luckily got the hint.

“Ah, yes, your wife,” Adam said. “Great to see you… er… Sarah.”

Sarah glared at Adam. He’d been a cocky little shit back in college and they hadn’t exactly gotten on. But from the way he was holding Amy, Sarah could see he’d changed for the better. Love had conquered him.

“And this is Natalia,” Dylan said, still clutching Sarah tight. “Orlov’s wife. She and I had a liaison, as I think I might’ve mentioned. But now, of course, me and Sarah are getting back together, and I think Natalia is going to leave us to it. Right, Natalia?”

Natalia shrugged. “I cannot come between a loving marriage, can I?”

“No, exactly.”

Amy smiled. “Why don’t we all go through to the living room? I’ll make some coffee. Or perhaps something stronger. A nightcap.”

“Good idea,” Dylan said, releasing Sarah from his tantalising grip. She realised she’d been holding her breath in an attempt to harden herself against him. She exhaled and relaxed her muscles, trying to keep control.

Sarah opened her mouth to say she was leaving, but Dylan had now struck up a conversation with Adam and Amy. “Hey, is Joseph here?” he asked. “He said he might stay with you two while his band was on tour in London.”

Amy nodded. “Yeah, we actually all travelled over in Adam’s private jet. But Joseph’s at a gig tonight. He’ll be back quite late.”

“I’ve arranged to meet him for lunch tomorrow,” Dylan said. “
If
he gets out of bed in time.”

Adam smirked. “And you’ve got that meeting with Orlov in the morning. So it’s a good job he didn’t kill you tonight, huh? Me and Amy will come with you, so you –”

Sarah pulled out her phone. “I need to get back to work. I’ll call a cab.”

Dylan held her hand and smothered her with his alluring gaze. “Please stay for a little longer. Tell your boss something came up.”

“I
am
the boss. I need to be there.”

“Please, Sarah. Just stay for a little while.” He lowered his face to her ear and whispered. “We need to get our story straight in case Orlov asks questions.”

She wanted to say no. She opened her mouth to say no. But she actually heard herself huffily say, “Oh
alright
.”

Sarah quickly called the deputy manager to tell him he was in charge until she got back. Then they all went through to the living room, which was as impressive as the rest of the house. It was a large room, cluttered with heavy furniture and Persian rugs. The ornate mirror above the granite fireplace made the room look big, but the low ceiling made Sarah feel squashed. She sank down into the creaking leather couch next to Dylan, pretending to be his wife for the benefit of Natalia. He shot her an affectionate glance – just like the old days – then he reached out and held her hand. She had a flashback to the day she’d met his parents for the first time. She’d loved him then, too, and it had terrified her.

The small talk was strained in front of Natalia, but they managed to chat about Amy and Adam’s wedding plans as well as Orlov’s soccer club. Natalia seemed distracted anyway – she spent most of the hour typing messages on her phone and staring into space.

Eventually, she stood up. “I will go home now. It has been enough time.”

“Oh, but you’re still dressed as a maid,” Sarah said. “Your husband will be suspicious if you go home looking like that.”

“You can change in my room,” Amy said. “I assume your clothes are somewhere?”

“In the suitcase in the hall,” Dylan said.

Natalia’s face remained blank. Sarah realised she hadn’t seen her smile yet.

“Thank you, Amy,” Natalia said. “Then I will call the cab and leave. Goodbye, Dylan. I need to meet with you one more time after this.”

Dylan frowned. “Why? I thought we’d straightened this whole thing out. Me and my wife are getting back together.”

“Yes, I know. But I need to tell you something. We should meet in a public place. Tomorrow at noon, in Leicester Square. Please. It’s important.”

“Well, I’d love to, but I’m having lunch with my little brother tomorrow. Can’t we make it the day after?”

“No. it must be tomorrow. I have some information I need to give you.”

“What kind of information?”

“Something you will want to know.”

“Can’t you just tell me now?”

“No. I do not know it yet – I will find it out tomorrow. Bring your brother. My message will only take five minutes to tell. Noon at Leicester Square. Do you accept?”

Dylan shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”

“Good. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Er… no problem.”

Natalia nodded professionally, then she followed Amy out of the room, to change her clothes.

“That was weird,” Adam said.

Dylan’s brow furrowed. “I wonder what she wants…”

“I guess you’ll find out tomorrow at noon,” Adam said. “Perhaps it’s something to do with the soccer club?”

“Strange that you’re involved with Fenchurch United,” Sarah said nostalgically. “That was my dad’s team.”

Dylan remained supercool. “Yeah, I remembered that. It was weird – it made me think of you.”

Adam winked playfully. “Maybe you conjured up Sarah with the power of your mind, Dylan.”

Dylan didn’t look at her. “Whatever. But, listen when we meet with Orlov tomorrow, we need to make sure we stay in control at all times.”

Adam and Dylan launched into a discussion about their strategies, and Sarah felt as if she was caught up in a 1960s spy novel. She opened her mouth to ask exactly what sort of a deal they were planning to do with the infamous young Russian tycoon, but she heard the front door slam as Natalia left.

Amy reappeared. “Well, she was nice… Adam, time for bed, don’t you think?”

She gestured with her head towards Dylan and Sarah, who were sitting next to each other on the couch, pressed up against the opposite ends.

Adam shot to his feet. “Ah, yes. Goodnight, you two. My fiancée needs me to take her to heaven before we go to sleep.”

He stepped over and kissed Amy, who chuckled.

Amy smiled kindly at Sarah. “Nice to meet you. Don’t be fooled by the Quinlan tough-guy act. Underneath, they’re putty in your hand!”

Adam tickled her. “I sure do love to be in
your
hand, babe!”

He wrapped her up in his arms and they left, both laughing and in love.

The atmosphere in the living room scrunched up uncomfortably as Sarah realised she was now alone with the former love of her life. She shot to her feet. “I really should get going. My hotel needs me.”

Dylan stood too and held her hand. His touch shot pure lust through her body. She wanted to pull away, but – truthfully – more than that she wanted him to wrap her up in his arms and soothe her all over with his golden caresses.

He gazed into her eyes. “It would be nice to just talk. To find out what you’ve been up to. It really is awesome to see you again, Sarah.”

Sarah smirked. “I know what
you
mean by ‘just talking’. I’ve fallen for that one before.”

Dylan’s face lit up with a cheeky grin, making Sarah’s insides swoon like a teenager. “I swear, I won’t make the moves on you. Not for at least five minutes anyway.”

Sarah laughed. She’d forgotten how charming he could be. She sat back down, keeping her distance. “Alright, let’s talk. So how are the rest of the family? Your little sister? And your oldest brother – Ivan isn’t it? He was always a good guy.”

Dylan sat down and winced. “Actually, he’s dead.”

“Oh… I’m so sorry.”