INDISPENSABLE: Part 1: A Billionaire Romance (4 page)

“You can’t walk, Sarah. It’s almost dark.”

“I’ll be fine. Everyone knows me. We look out for each other. It’s five minutes. I’ll text you and let you know when I’m locked in safe, and then you can leave.”

“Very well.” Brock could not believe he was letting her out and not kidnapping her for the weekend. “Text me right away. Does this mean I can take you out on a date now?”

Sarah looked at him, quite sober. “No, Brock. This means we had some fun in the back of a car. It changes nothing between us.”

“Changes nothing? I don’t think—”

“Brock. Don’t…” She opened the door and got out. “I’ll text.” Then, she shut the door and left.

She was right of course. He couldn’t give her a traditional relationship. He couldn’t just love her. His wiring didn’t allow for that. He needed to dominate, to rejoice in her submission to him, to soak in the joy of the punishment he meted out. He couldn’t simply love her; he had to own her.

But if he owned her, he might break her, and that he couldn’t chance. He must leave her alone as she’d requested. He tidied himself up and pretended he could keep this professional. One thing was certain, he’d never had this feeling with any other woman. If he was capable of love, he was sure this would be it.

After her shower, Sarah let out a loud breath and leaned back against the wall. What the hell had just happened? Even a hot shower couldn’t help her fathom what had just occurred. She had as much resistance to Brock as a sapling had to a tsunami. They’d had a mutual orgasm in the backseat of his limo. That should really help her case for keeping this professional.

She dressed in pajamas and went out to the main room to flop down on her tattered sofa. Even though she knew sex with Brock Devlin would be mind-blowingly sublime, she wasn’t going there, was she? How could she when she sensed his need for dominance? Her body cried out to the submissive side she hid from the world.

Her late teen years were a nightmare. After her brother died and her parents sold his stuff for more drugs, Sarah had hit rock bottom. She could no longer function under her own thought. She just wanted to let someone else call the shots and get away from her parents. If only her grandparents lived closer, even the same country would’ve been an advantage.

She’d gotten involved with a smooth-talker. He’d effectively ran her life, gotten her hooked on ice, and the rest of that year was a horrible blur. Eventually, he’d hooked up with someone younger when Sarah somehow staggered into a hospital for help one night, and they put her in rehab. She’d spent a long time in states of panic that he would come for her. But he never did, and at the time, that almost felt worse. Then, Sarah met Bella who volunteered there.

Sarah sensed the type of relationship Brock needed. Above all else, she couldn’t give him the control he sought. She’d never go back to being controlled by someone else.

All up Sarah had a full year out of studying. She might have been turning tricks on the corner to pay the rent if she hadn’t met Bella when she did. Bella helped her get clean and stay that way. Abstinence had been her life up until now. It just made things easier. Wine eased the stress, but she was still very careful with alcohol intake. It was the one thing she allowed herself because, somehow, to deny herself everything made it feel like it still controlled her.

So, the last thing she intended to do was get addicted to a man like Brock Devlin. She couldn’t give him what he needed. But she couldn’t deny her panties had never been that wet before. She was incredibly turned on by his dominance. Somehow it seemed different, but there was no way she was going to find out how different.

Despite her modern attitudes to life, Sarah still believed in good old-fashioned love. She let out a deep sigh. She just wanted her happily ever after, and to find someone who would be prepared to wait for their wedding night because they loved her and thought her worth it. She sighed again. She was really fucked up. As if that was ever going to happen.

“I can understand that sigh after the day you’ve had. But I didn’t expect to see you home yet.”

Sarah jumped a little. “Bella? I thought you were staying over at Greg’s this week.” Her best friend had her head poked through the slightly opened door. “I’m so glad to see you. Come in.”

Bella lived in the flat next door. But they had keys to each other’s places. They’d been immediate friends, and Bella had helped Sarah put all the pieces back into place. They moved into this apartment block on the same day Sarah got out of rehab and promised to look out for each other; the friendship had only gotten stronger.

“Nah. I was waiting for you. Besides, Greg is so yesterday.” Bella sat on the sofa next to Sarah. She had two tall-stemmed wine glasses in one hand and a box of wine in the other.

“Oh no. Not Greg. I was sure he was the one. You’ve been with him over a year. And it’s nowhere near Friday night. Should we even be having wine?”

“He was awesome, wasn’t he? I need wine.” The melancholy sounded in her voice.

“Too awesome to let go. Let me guess, he proposed?” Sarah was glad to have the distraction.

“Worse.”

“
Worse?
”

“He set me up to meet his family at dinner. They all arrived as a surprise, and I ran out. I was sure he understood why I wasn’t able to do the whole family thing.” Belle pouted a little and held out a glass to Sarah.

Sarah took it and held steady while Bella poured a ruby-colored wine in. “Perhaps after a year with you he might’ve thought you’d get over your paranoia if he surprised you.”

Belle shrugged and poured her own wine. “Guess the surprise is on him now.” She smiled her wide smile. “But enough about me. Tell me more about your day. The media has been all over it on TV.”

“Inside the courtroom was better than I could ever imagine. Such a buzz. I never panicked once. Just stuck with my facts and got the answers I needed.”

Bella flicked her hand at me. “Courtroom?…
whatever
. I’m talking about the real news with your
Billionaire Brock
.” Her voice deepened for emphasis when she said his name.

Sarah turned to ice inside. “What do you mean?”

“Let me show you.” She pushed the button on the remote control.

Sarah watched herself trying to answer the barrage of media questions with Brock glowering at reporters from behind her. She had no clue he was that close. “What the hell?”

“It gets better.”

Sarah couldn’t swallow. She saw herself almost stumble but for Brock beside her. It wasn’t that he helped her; it was the sense of ownership he gave out. She wished she hated that as much as she should, but all she could do was think of her tingling lips after his kisses.

“So, seeing as he was still upright and breathing after daring to assist you, I thought you’d be home later.” Bella winked at her.

“You know I don’t do sex.” Sarah’s face felt a little warm.

Bella filled her glass again and topped Sarah’s up again. “Seriously? I think you should revise that plan.” She looked over at Sarah and did a double take, staring hard at her. “You’re blushing. Oh. My. God. You did it, didn’t you?”

“No. I never.”

“You did something. I can tell.” Bella sipped her wine. “Oh come on. You have to tell me. Take my mind off my broken heart.”

Sarah needed a big drink of wine to even get the words out. “We may have gotten a little carried away in the back of his limo.”

“His limo!” Bella shrieked and threw her head back laughing. “You’re evil. I love it.”

“We had a moment after a very high-stress, eventful day. That’s all.”

“Oh yeah…” Bella mover her hand flippantly in the air. “Just a bit of every day relaxation.”

“He’s my boss. He’s given me a job I thought I’d have to fight ten years to get, and he’s bedded half the women in the world. He has skills and clearly; I was just too emotionally weak to fight him off.”

“Annnd…you like him.”

“Don’t be crazy.”

“Don’t
you
be crazy. I’ve never in five years seen you even slightly interested in a man. Now you’re having relations in the back seat of a car. Did you fuck? Was there even room?”

“No we didn’t and yes there was room.”

“What did you do? Wait…did he go down on you? A man with a good mouth is worth more than a billion dollars.”

“Bella, please. We never got that far. I wouldn’t…”

“Did you come?”

Sarah felt the heat rise hard in her cheeks now. “Cut it out.”

“You did. Jesus. I have sex like the world’s population depends on it, and Miss Abstinence here gets a billionaire to make her come in the back of his limo. There is no God. You’re supposed to be cheering me up.”

“This coming from someone who just ran out on her perfect boyfriend and his family.”

“This isn’t about me.”

“Brock and I come from different worlds. It can’t ever be a relationship.”

“Not unless you let it be one. Seriously, Sarah. Brock Devlin must be doing something right because no man has touched you since you went to hospital all banged up. You get my amazement here, don’t you?”

“I’m as shocked as you are. But that only makes more reasons why I need to steer clear of him personally. He’s not the traditional kind, and I am.”

“You think you are; I’m not so sure.”

“Believe me, I am. I want a gentle, loving man who considers my feelings and lets me be me.”

“You want to be bored all your life?”

“I just want peace. A nice peaceful life.”

“Boring.”

Bella’s phone rang. She looked at the display and sighed. “It’s Greg. I guess I’d better face the music.”

Sarah nodded and mouthed ‘good luck.’ She turned back to the television and flicked channels only to see it all replayed again. The coverage made her feel sick. Then, the way he’d bundled her into the back of his car and drove off. That looked just great didn’t it? Her phone rang. Work number.

She grabbed her wine and hoisted her legs up on the sofa as she answered. “Sarah Beaumont.”

“Are you watching the news?”

The sound of his voice went right to where he’d been touching her not all that long ago. She tensed her body, and her breast tingled. “Brock?”

“We make a striking couple. Have you showered? I did. I was thinking of you in here with me. Almost came again. I’d like to make you come again.”

“If I’d known this was you, I wouldn’t have answered.”

“Exactly.”

“You went back to the office after you showered, just to call me?”

“I did. I also wanted to see that Rick’s things were cleared out and delivered to him. Then, my mother called and suggested I switch on the news.”

“We need to fix the way this looks.”
His mother? Great.

“How does it look?”

“Like you promoted me to get me into your bed.”

“Nonsense. Everyone knows I don’t have to promote anyone to get them into my bed. But the backseat of my car? That’s a totally different story.” He gave a small laugh. He was making fun of her.

Sarah felt foolish. Why had she let it happen? Of course, he would be laughing at her now. He had women throwing themselves at him on a daily basis, and she’d just plonked herself right in the middle of that stereotype. How stupid could she be? “Stop it. You got what you wanted now just back off and let me do my job.”

“I didn’t get anything near what I wanted, but I’m not complaining. We’re both adults, nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I’m embarrassed we’re even having this conversation. Now, does this call have a point other than you gloating over your last conquest?”

“Sorry, I lost control. I’ll try not to
gloat
over you again—at least not in the back of the limo.”

“Stop joking about it. I want to forget it. I want to forget about the whole day, and I think you can find someone else for the head lawyer job if I’m only there for your personal titillation at my discomfort.”

“I do love it when you talk dirty.”

“I’m hanging up.”

“Okay, okay. Don’t worry. You’ll be earning your keep. In fact, this call is to let you know we’re due in the boardroom at eight in the morning. The youth panel want to explain why they chose you for head of legal. They have a vision.”

“They chose me?”

“Yes.”

“Not you?”

“Correct. All I did was execute their wishes. They did all the selecting, and you were the only one on their list. Now, they’d like to speak with you about it.”

“Tell me you’re kidding.” Sarah had no idea what criteria they selected her under, so that would be interesting to hear. “Will I have the option to refuse appointment to head of legal?”

“Of course.”

“Thank God. I’m tired. Goodbye.” Sarah disconnected the call.

Her day changed from her being excited about even being on the legal team at last, to the shock of being thrust into top position, and now feeling horrified at being splashed across the news as the latest sex-quest of the World’s Most Eligible Philanderer. And she’d let herself give into him.

Shit. What a mess.
Tomorrow I’ll say thanks, but no thanks.
Just being a lawyer and getting some experience under her belt was what she needed. Not some false faith from young people she’d never met.

The wine was gone, and her head ached. She grabbed a glass of water and took some headache pills. Hopefully, sleep would make everything clear and she’d walk in there tomorrow and tell them she didn’t want the job she’d set as the carrot at the end of her ten year plan.

Just as she went to turn off the television, Rick was there talking to a media group. Damn. “This cannot be good.” She unmuted the sound.