The Billionaire's Gamble (4 page)

 

A moment later, Dorris came back out and handed him a piece of a green twig. “Here Sid. You’re the tallest by far. Be a dear and hang this up somewhere,” she said.

Sid looked down at the greenery and was mystified. There was a thumbtack stuck in the small branch and he raised it up to examine it, wondering why anyone would put this in their house.

“Thank you!” Bob said, immediately pouncing on his wife and giving her a big smooch.

“Well!” a thoroughly kissed Dorris exclaimed, laughing as her husband walked away and Janice handed him a glass of wine. “I can tell this party is going to be interesting,” she laughed.

Sid finally understood the greed twig. “Mistletoe?” he inquired.

Dorris poked her head back through the kitchen doorway, nodding emphatically and answering ten different questions at the same time. Sid shrugged his shoulders and reached up over the arch going from the foyer to the living room.

As soon as he followed the crowd already in the kitchen, the smell of delicious food hit him full force as everyone pulled casseroles, salads and a roasted ham out of paper bags or newspapers that had been used to keep the dish insulated and warm. Wine was poured and appetizers laid out. No one seemed to blink an eye at Sid. They simply handed him a glass of the wine he’d just recently saved from corked hell and started joking with him.

Sid noted the wine stock of only three bottles and quietly stepped out of the room to call his beverage manager on his cell phone. Once the arrangements were made, he went back into the warmth of the small kitchen to continue waiting for his missing soonto-be-fiancée to appear.

Sid was leaning against the counter sipping the crisp white wine Sabrina had bought and enjoying the camaraderie of the others’ conversation if not participating in it. He thought he had been stunned when he saw Sabrina earlier in a tight tee-shirt and leggings but the wine glass froze midway to his mouth as he watched Sabrina descend the staircase in a flowing red dress that hugged her figure, showing it off to perfection. Her waist was tiny and her hips swayed as she walked into the kitchen to join the others. He also loved the way the wrapped bodice enhanced her voluptuous breasts, noting the interesting V where the dress dipped low, revealing only a slight curve of cleavage.

To a man used to seeing women in all states of undress both professionally in the dancers he employed and personally with the women he casually dated, this subtle, sexy dress was one of the most provocative he’d ever seen. Sid also saw the surreptitious glance she gave him and the slight blush that moved across her lovely cheeks when she realized that he was watching her. He had to control the impulse to order everyone out of Sabrina’s house so he could pull her down onto the sofa and explore her sensuous mouth and run his hands over her curvaceous figure.

The evening was starting out to be more wonderful than Sabrina could have imagined. While the last of the food preparations were being made, everyone joked about the silliest Christmas presents they’d received that year and also the most special.

Sabrina noticed that Sid smiled throughout the discussion about presents, but he didn’t add anything to the conversation. He looked so alone sometimes. She wondered if he’d received any presents this year. From the way he hadn’t even acknowledged that it was Christmas earlier, she suspected that he hadn’t received anything from anyone. That thought made her extremely sad but she kept that feeling from her face, she hoped.

When the doorbell rang fifteen minutes later, Sabrina looked around oddly. Everyone was already here, so who on earth could be at the door? She walked over to the front door and peered out the security hole. There was a man standing on her front stoop with a Solara uniform on and several boxes piled on a dolly.

“What’s this about?” she muttered, opening the door.

 

“Ms. Charmichael?” the man asked, taking off his hat graciously.

“Yes,” she answered, still not sure what he was doing here. She desperately hoped it wasn’t to call Sid back to the hotel. Surely they could do without him for one night, couldn’t they?

The man smiled and waved his hand at the boxes. “These are for you, compliments of Mr. Matthews, ma’am. If you’ll move to the right, I’ll bring them inside for you.”

Sabrina had no idea what was going on, but since they were from Sid, she moved to the right and allowed the man to walk into the house. He deposited three boxes, then doffed his hat again and walked away.

Sabrina opened the top box and gasped. The boxes were filled with wine. Very expensive wine, she thought as she glanced at the labels. Different types of whites and reds. Something for every occasion, she thought with a smile. Turning toward the kitchen, she saw him leaning against the counter watching her while the others chatted away, oblivious to what was happening in the foyer. Sabrina smiled her thanks, hoping her face wasn’t too red as she slipped two bottles of white wine out of the boxes to put into the refrigerator.

She walked up to him and smiled, forcing her eyes to meet his as she said, “Thank you for the wine. It was very generous of you.” She cleared her throat and went on, “I’ll bring back whatever we don’t use.”

“Nonsense. Enjoy it,” he replied, his deep voice melting over Sabrina like a warm blanket.

Finally, all the food was ready and the crowd moved into the living room where the table was set up. They sat down and it was chaos for a long time while everyone dug into the delicious food, piling their plates high with creamy potatoes, ham, asparagus with a tangy lemon sauce, crisp green beans, salad, biscuits and a rice dish loaded with cheese, sesame seeds and raisins. The laughter was flowing as well as the wine and Sabrina smiled contentedly as everyone enjoyed the food and the conversation.

And if she glanced at Sid too often to make sure he was okay, well, that was to be expected, she told herself. She was the hostess and it was her job to make sure everyone was comfortable and enjoying themselves. Bob and Jim were in a heated discussion over the best way to put up crown molding when Bob turned to Sid and asked him what his opinion was. Sid, very diplomatically, turned to Janice and asked her what she thought. The very idea had the women laughing and clapping at the same time. Bob and Jim even chuckled, knowing that he’d scored several points.

Sabrina was thrilled that he felt comfortable enough to join into the teasing and smiled her pleasure across the table at him.

“Ho! Hold up everyone!” William said a few minutes later and everyone froze in their tracks. Sabrina stopped in the process of bringing two new bottles of wine in from the kitchen and waited, wondering what William was going to say.

“Sid, I think you need to do something about the fact that Sabrina is standing under the mistletoe.”

Everyone clapped and Sabrina’s face turned red. She immediately tried to step out from the branch but no one was having any of that. “If you don’t do it, I will,” Bob said and started to get up. But since Sid was sitting right in front of Sabrina’s current position, it was easy for him to stand up in front of Sabrina, trapping in her under the mystical plant.

“I’m sorry,” Sabrina whispered as soon as Sid stood in front of her. “You can just ignore them,” she said and tried to walk around his large frame. She had intended to laugh off the mistletoe but Sid stopped her by putting his hands on her waist.

“Why are you apologizing?” he said for her ears only. “I’ve been wanting to do this all evening,” he said and his head dipped quickly as he gently took her lips with his. The kiss was supposed to be just a small kiss, but for Sabrina, the sensuality of his firm lips gently caressing hers made her mind swim. It was only a brief kiss, over before she had time to realize what he was going to do. But the electric charge that sparked when his lips touched hers, lingered slightly and moved softly against her willing lips, made her mind spin. She almost dropped the bottle of wine she was holding with her right hand.

The kiss only lasted a moment, but when it ended she wasn’t sure if she was standing, sitting or floating on a cloud. When he lifted his mouth from hers and stepped back to the table, Sabrina looked around at the expectant faces of her neighbors. Forcing a smile on her face, she glanced around. “Who needs another glass of wine?” she asked, breaking the silence. Instant laughter and applause followed that comment but then everyone moved on to a new subject, some lifting their glasses for more wine, others demanding one dish or another, all with great cheer and warmth.

“Come on over here, darlin’” Janice called, waiving her empty wine glass in the air. “Personally, after that kiss, I think I’m going to need something to cool down,” she chuckled.

Everyone laughed and Sabrina sank gratefully into her seat while the wine was passed down the table. She was thankful for the support of the chair since she wasn’t sure her legs would hold her any longer. She could wholeheartedly agree with Janice’s comment. Sabrina could definitely use a cold shower right now. That kiss had left her heated and bothered, desperate to feel more and knowing that she never would.

Although the conversation continued, Sabrina didn’t hear any of it. She glanced down the table at Sid and her heart skipped a beat when she realized he was looking right back at her. He caught her glance and winked, raising his glass slightly in a salute. She quickly looked away, feeling like a high school girl after her first kiss. Well, who wouldn’t? she chided herself.

A half hour later, Sid stood up. “I’m sorry to leave, but I need to get back to work.” He looked down the table at Sabrina. “Could I speak to you for a moment?” he asked formally.

Sabrina stood up on shaking legs. “Of course,” she said professionally and followed him out the door.

The night was dark so she was able to hide her shaking hands behind her back as she followed him out the door. The rest of the guests laughed at a joke Bill was telling and she was glad no one was paying them a great deal of attention.

It was quiet and cool outside, the temperature only about fifty degrees at this time of the year. She walked beside him to his car, a magnificent dark green Maserati Spyder with camel interior. Sabrina loved cars. She’d found an old 1965 red mustang in a dump, with no engine and most of the parts missing. She’d had it towed to her house and had completely revamped the engine and interior. It now purred like a kitten but it was nothing compared to how lovely his Maserati probably drove.

“Nice car,” she said in the tense silence as he looked down at her.

“Thanks,” he replied and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. He watched her for a long moment, trying to decide what would be the best way to proceed. He could tell she was nervous and he didn’t know how to help her get over her nervousness around him.

To fill the continuing silence, she gathered up her nerve and smiled up at him. “Thank you for coming by. I think my friends really liked you.”

 

He smiled slightly, noting the way she could only look at his chin or hold his eyes for a few moments at a time. “Thanks for inviting me. Your friends are nice,” he said.

 

“Yes, a little nosy,” she laughed, wondering if any of them were peeking through the window.

 

Sid nodded, reading her mind. “Janice just moved away from the window,” he said, confirming her suspicions. “I think she wants me to kiss you again.”

Sabrina chuckled nervously, hoping the darkness hid her red cheeks as well as her shaking hands. She desperately wished she could be smooth and sophisticated around this man but it just wasn’t possible. He was just too…everything. “Well, she’ll just have to be disappointed. There’s no mistletoe out here,” she said.

“I don’t need mistletoe,” he countered taking her hands in his as he pulled her forward between his legs and into his arms.

“You don’t have to do this,” she said, trying to pull out of his arms. But his hands held her gently, firmly, slowly pulling her between his legs and closer to his muscular body.

“I want to,” he said softly. “I definitely want to.” A moment later, his firm lips touched hers gently, slowly coaxing her softer, trembling lips to participate. Sabrina instantly melted under his tender ministrations and succumbed to the pleasure of being kissed by a master. He nibbled her lower lip and Sabrina opened her mouth to say something, or pull back, she wasn’t sure which. But the moment she opened her mouth, the kiss intensified and his own mouth closed over hers, his tongue invading and exploring.

Sabrina moaned and felt her insides turn to jelly. She lifted her hands to hold onto his shoulders and moved closer to his warmth. No man had ever kissed her like this, the heat pulsing through her body almost made her knees give out. She gripped his shoulders tightly, stunned by the instantaneous desire that flared along her nerve endings.

He ended the kiss a few moments later. It took her several seconds before she realized that the kiss was over. Her eyes popped open and she looked up into his dark as sin eyes. Gasping, she released his shoulders and stepped back, wishing she hadn’t stumbled on the curb directly behind her. Grabbing the top of the mailbox, she quickly found her balance, and pasted a smile on her face. Oh, to be sophisticated and clever at moments like these, she thought to herself. She wasn’t sure why he kissed her but knew that he was very good at it. Lots of practice, she was sure.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow night,” he said as he stood up, taking the keys out of his pocket.

Sabrina took a deep breath and shook her head. She smiled to take the edge off her rejection when she said, “I don’t think that would be a very good idea,” she said. This man employed gorgeous women wearing barely nothing all day long. During the evenings, he escorted stunning women who flew in from all over the world just to be with him. How in the world could she compete with them? She must be a novelty for him. Perhaps a shy woman was more of a challenge? Women throwing themselves at him must be tedious.

He gently touched her cheek, his calloused finger causing a flame of heat to tingle down her skin where he touched. “I think it would be a very good idea,” he countered. “How about seven o’clock?”

“No, really,” she ran a hand through her hair, trying to think but her mind wouldn’t work well after his caress. “I can’t do that,” she said.