The Taming of Xander Sterne

by Carole Mortimer

  Xander followed close behind him and saw that Samantha was standing by the window, the sun shining into the room behind her preventing him—and consequently Howard, too—from being able to make out her expression. But Xander could tell by the stiffness of her slender shoulders, and the way her hands were clasped tightly together in front of her, that the next few minutes were going to be an ordeal for her.

  He crossed the room to stand in front of her, deliberately blocking her from Howard’s view, as he took both of her icy-cold hands in his. He was able to see how white her face was now, casting those freckles across her nose and cheeks into sharp relief, and her eyes were dark with unspoken pain as she looked up at him trustingly.

  Xander vowed there and then that he would never, could never, let down or betray this warm and vulnerable woman’s trust in him.

  ‘Ready?’ he asked softly.

  Sam wasn’t sure she would ever be ready for what she knew was going to be a very unpleasant confrontation with her ex-husband. And she still felt guilty, as well as grateful, that Xander had become so deeply involved in her personal problems. Admittedly, he had asked to be involved, but she doubted that when he had he’d realised just how unpleasant this situation was going to get. She had known from his expression earlier that he certainly hadn’t imagined her ex-husband would turn up at his apartment this morning.

  ‘Touching as this scene undoubtedly is,’ Malcolm bit out scornfully behind them, ‘perhaps you could take your hands off my ex-wife long enough for the three of us to actually have this conversation!’

  Sam had taken advantage of Xander’s short absence to steel herself against showing any reaction to seeing Malcolm again, but there was no way she could stop the nausea that now roiled in her stomach as she listened to his sarcastic taunt. She should have remembered that words had always been Malcolm’s weapon of choice.

  ‘Ignore him and look at me,’ Xander urged softly, his hands tightening about hers as she did as he asked and looked up into his warm and compassionate eyes. ‘Whatever happens, know that I’m here to protect you and Daisy,’ he encouraged gruffly. ‘That I won’t let him hurt either of you.’

  Grateful tears now blurred Sam’s vision even as she straightened her spine determinedly. ‘Let’s do this.’ She nodded.

  ‘Well done,’ Xander murmured, giving her hands a last squeeze before releasing them. ‘When I move away, go and sit behind the desk,’ he told her softly. ‘It will give you a degree of power,’ he explained as she eyed him quizzically.

  Sam smiled, sure that Xander had used that degree of power a few times himself. ‘Thank you,’ she mouthed before stepping to the side and then past him, noting Malcolm sprawled comfortably in the chair on the opposite side of the desk even as she seated herself in the high-back leather chair behind it.

  She was aware of Xander moving to stand with his back leaning against the wall behind her so he could look directly at Malcolm.

  Her gaze was icy as she looked across the desk at her ex-husband. ‘This conversation should have been left to our lawyers.’

  Malcolm’s top lip curled back in a sneer. ‘My, my, how brave you’ve become since you began sharing the bed of a billionaire.’

  ‘Stop this right now, Malcolm.’ Sam glared across the width of the desk at him as she heard Xander pushing fiercely away from the wall behind her.

  ‘So defensive on your lover’s behalf,’ Malcolm continued as he eyed the younger man speculatively. ‘Nothing to say for yourself, Sterne?’ His voice hardened challengingly.

  Xander had hoped, with the help of his warning out in the hallway, that this conversation might have at least given a semblance of civility. The older man’s continued and insulting aggression told him that wasn’t going to happen.

  ‘I don’t feel the need to defend myself to men like you,’ Xander scorned. ‘Weak men, who take pleasure in hurting women and children.’

  The older man snorted. ‘I don’t remember hearing Sam complaining at the time.’

  ‘Maybe you just weren’t listening?’

  Howard’s expression darkened. ‘You—’

  ‘Let’s just get to the point of this meeting, shall we?’ Xander sighed wearily, not sure how much longer he was willing to put up with this man’s insulting behaviour.

  ‘I haven’t finished.’

  ‘Oh, you’re finished,’ Xander assured the other man coldly. ‘You just aren’t smart enough to know when you’re down, let alone out!’

  Howard’s face twisted into fury as he sat forward tensely. ‘You arrogant bast—’

  ‘Not quite, I believe my parents had been married for almost seven months when my twin and I were born,’ Xander interrupted dismissively.

  ‘I meant figuratively not literally.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll start this conversation, if you won’t.’ Xander stared at the other man coldly. ‘For the past week you have been experiencing difficulties, in obtaining a business loan from a certain bank, I believe.’

  The older man surged angrily to his feet. ‘Are you saying you’re responsible for that too?’

  Xander gave Samantha a rueful glance. ‘I thought you said he was intelligent?’

  She shrugged. ‘I believed he was.’

  ‘Obviously you were wrong.’ Xander smiled. ‘So, let’s just cut to the chase, shall we, Howard? My lawyer has already drawn up a contract, which you will go to his office and sign on Monday morning, which declares that you agree to give Samantha the divorce settlement of one million pounds that you should have given her three years ago, as well as giving up all and any claim to Daisy, with the added agreement that you will make no attempt to see either one of them ever again.’

  ‘Are you completely insane?’ Howard laughed incredulously.

  It was everything Sam wanted, of course—except the million pounds. She didn’t want anything for herself, least of all Malcolm’s money. All she wanted was the freedom to know that she need never again fear Malcolm making any sort of claim on Daisy.

  But she wasn’t stupid enough to turn the money down either if it was given, knew that with a million pounds she would be able to put most of the money into trust for Daisy, and that the rest would allow her to raise her daughter without worrying where every penny came from.

  Was Xander really capable of intimidating Malcolm into agreeing to sign such a one-sided contract? One look at the cold determination in his face was enough to answer that.

  ‘I really should listen to Xander if I were you, Malcolm.’

  ‘Do you think I give a damn about the opinion of a little nonentity like you?’ Malcolm turned on Sam sneeringly. ‘You might be feeling all brave and fearless right now, but let’s just wait and see how brave you’re feeling once Sterne gets bored with you and kicks you out of his bed.’ Malcolm seemed to flinch then as Xander stepped forward threateningly.

  Control it, Xander told himself as he came to a halt just inches away from the other man. Keep it together. Don’t do this. Don’t let this man bait you into doing something you’ll regret.

  Especially don’t lose it in front of Samantha.

  That would surely be unforgivable when she continued to look at him so trustingly.

  His eyes glittered down at the other man in warning. ‘Maybe you should consider putting some respect in your tone when you talk to Samantha?’

  The older man gave a snort. ‘Why should it matter to you how I talk to her?’

  ‘All you need to know is that it does,’ Xander stated coldly.

  ‘And maybe you should stop giving her the false hope that you actually care?’ Howard scoffed. ‘Okay, so you’re enjoying playing the part of the White Knight right now, but we both know she’s just an amusement to you, a pretty toy to warm your bed for a while. But only until you get bored with her and move on to the next conquest.’

  Th
e scornful taunt was so close to what Sam already knew was going to happen between herself and Xander, and sooner rather than later, that she couldn’t help but feel the pain of it twisting deep inside her.

  Which was exactly the reaction Malcolm had hoped for.

  She was made of stronger stuff than that. Was bigger than Malcolm. Was certainly a far better person than he could ever be.

  And so was Xander.

  ‘Xander,’ Sam cut in determinedly, ‘you do realise that if you give in to the impulse you feel to hit him, that you’ll have to disinfect your hand afterwards?’ Somehow Sam managed to keep her voice light and mocking as she remained seated behind the desk—the latter because she doubted her legs would support her if she attempted to stand!

  It was possible to visibly see the tension leave Xander’s shoulders as she taunted Malcolm, those dark brown eyes glowing with admiration, an approving smile slowly curving those sculpted lips.

  Sam shakily returned that smile, dearly hoping she looked more confident than she felt.

  Xander’s warmth faded as he turned back to face the other man. ‘Which of us is the more powerful, do you think, Howard?’ he mused dryly. ‘How long do you think you’ll be able to continue to be in business if I don’t come through with that loan? And how long would you continue to be invited to the fashionable parties you so enjoy, if I should decide to make my aversion to you public? How many restaurants would suddenly find they have no tables available? How many of London’s elite would begin to question why it is I find you so obnoxious?’

  ‘Because you’re obviously having an affair with my ex-wife!’ the other man blustered.

  ‘I work for him,’ Sam corrected firmly, decisively, her gaze hardening as she realised from Malcolm’s bluster just how weak he really was. ‘You will go to Xander’s lawyer, Malcolm. You will sign the contract. And then you will never show your face anywhere that I might ever see it again. Because if you don’t,’ she continued coldly as Malcolm would have spoken, ‘I will let Xander ruin you.’

  Xander had never admired Samantha more than he did at that moment. She looked magnificent. All fiery eyed, and with her hair like a living flame about her shoulders.

  Howard breathed hard. ‘And if I do sign this contract what guarantee do I have that you’ll keep your side of the bargain?’

  ‘You have my own and Samantha’s word on it,’ Xander answered the other man harshly. ‘And, unlike you, Samantha’s integrity is unimpeachable. My own word, again unlike your own, is completely dependable as well as deeply respected.’

  The older man’s face twisted into an ugly mask. ‘Why the hell should I give you that power?’

  ‘Because I will take delight in ruining you if you don’t sign the contract?’ Xander retorted mildly.

  Howard snorted. ‘I would be living with the sword of Damocles hanging over my head for the rest of my life!’

  ‘Better than having it thrust into your cold dead heart,’ Xander countered unsympathetically.

  Howard eyed him for several long moments, obviously fighting an inner battle with himself; arrogance as opposed to good sense. ‘Okay, I’ll sign your blasted contract!’ he finally burst out fiercely as the latter obviously won. ‘But you had better make sure you keep to your side of the bargain.’

  ‘I just said I would,’ Xander rasped, wishing this man would just go now. He so badly needed to hold Samantha, to comfort her, to take away that lost look he could see in her eyes.

  Malcolm eyed them both scornfully. ‘The two of you are welcome to each other.’

  ‘Is that really the best you can do?’ Sam asked, wondering why she had ever been frightened of this man. Certainly wondering how she could ever have thought she was in love with him!

  ‘Oh, and, Malcolm,’ she added as he turned to where Xander now pointedly held the door open for him to leave, waiting until she had Malcolm’s full attention before continuing, ‘for the record, you were too damned selfish to ever know what I liked in bed!’

  His face darkened as he took a threatening step back towards her.

  ‘I ought to just—’

  A little red-haired whirlwind dashed past an obviously surprised Xander to enter the study and begin kicking Malcolm’s shins. ‘Don’t you dare hurt my mummy!’

  Malcolm looked stunned for several seconds and then he reached down to grasp his daughter’s shoulders in an attempt to hold her away from him. ‘It’s Daddy, Daisy.’

  ‘You’re not my daddy! Daddies are nice, and you’re mean,’ Daisy stormed. ‘I hate you!’ Tears streamed down Daisy’s face as she continued to kick him.

  Sam had been so stunned when Daisy rushed so unexpectedly into the room that for a few seconds she had been completely unable to react. But she now rose quickly to her feet before rushing round the desk to pull Daisy away from Malcolm and take her into her arms. ‘It’s all right, darling,’ she assured Daisy as hot tears coursed down both their cheeks. She held her daughter tightly in her arms. ‘Everything is going to be all right. I promise.’

  Daisy clung to her. ‘Make him go away, Xander! Make him go away!’ She sobbed into Sam’s shoulder.

  Sam looked appealingly at a white-faced Xander over the top of Daisy’s head, giving a choked sob as she watched him grasp hold of the back of Malcolm’s shirt before pulling the other man out of the room and closing the door behind them.

  Leaving Sam the privacy she needed to calm and soothe her broken-hearted daughter.

  * * *

  ‘Whew, it’s been quite a day.’ Xander sat in an armchair in the sitting room later that evening, Samantha seated opposite. And if Xander felt emotionally exhausted by the events of the day, then Samantha still looked shell-shocked.

  ‘Daisy and I have to leave.’

  ‘What?’ Xander sat forward, frowning darkly at Samantha’s quietly spoken comment.

  Sam focused on him with effort; she was so tired she just wanted to crawl into bed, pull the covers over her head, and stay there for the rest of the weekend.

  It was not going to happen, of course.

  Once Sam had calmed Daisy down, promising her daughter over and over again that she would never see that horrible man again, Daisy had seemed to recover, with the resilience of all small children, from her emotional outburst. Xander’s suggestion, when he returned to the study a few minutes later, of them all going to the cinema to see the film that Daisy wanted to see had clinched the deal.

  Whereas Sam’s recovery had all been a front, for Daisy’s sake, and later that day she had found the tears slipping silently down her face as she stared up unseeingly at the animated film on the big screen in front of her. The feel of Xander’s comforting fingers curling about hers in the darkness had been her complete undoing, and she had found herself falling slowly towards him, her head resting on his shoulder as she continued to quietly sob.

  The rest of the day had been a blur, something to be endured rather than enjoyed. Xander had taken them all for a pizza after the cinema, and then read Daisy a story and tucked her up in bed after Sam had given her daughter her evening bath.

  Upsetting as Daisy’s outburst to Malcolm had been, it was Xander who was now at the centre of Sam’s concerns.

  Sam had realised today that it wasn’t just Daisy who had come to rely on him too much this past week. She was also guilty of leaning on him. Depending on him too much.

  And it had to stop.

  Oh, she wouldn’t dream of stopping Xander from continuing to see Daisy, if he wanted to; that would just be too cruel when her daughter so obviously adored him.

  But Sam’s own dependence on him had to end.

  Right now.

  ‘I think, after all that’s happened, that Daisy and I have to leave. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all you’ve done for Daisy and me, but—’

  ‘I don’t wa
nt your gratitude, Samantha!’

  ‘Nevertheless, you have it,’ Sam insisted quietly, eyes downcast so that she didn’t have to look at him. So she didn’t have to acknowledge how much she loved him. ‘You’re recovering more and more every day, and I’m pretty sure you can manage on your own now. Malcolm is too scared now, of what he knows you can do to him, to ever bother us again. You’re more than welcome to continue seeing Daisy, of course.’

  ‘How generous of you!’

  Sam winced at the sarcasm in Xander’s voice. ‘Please don’t be angry, Xander.’

  ‘What the hell do you expect me to be?’ He ran an agitated hand through the blond thickness of his hair as he surged to his feet. ‘What about last night, Samantha?’ He frowned darkly. ‘What about us?’

  She gave a sad shake of her head. ‘There is no us. There never could be.’

  ‘You don’t know that.’

  ‘Yes, I do!’ she said vehemently. ‘Last night was— Well, it was wonderful,’ she acknowledged huskily. ‘But it can’t happen again. And my staying on here, under those circumstances, would just be—I need to leave, Xander, can’t you see that?’ She looked up at him imploringly, silently pleading with him not to make this any harder for her than it already was.

  The last thing she wanted was to leave him. How could it not be, when she was in love with him?

  But they had come together under far from perfect circumstances. And Xander had been wonderful, amazing, both with Daisy, and with helping Sam deal with Malcolm once and for all. But Sam wasn’t about to take advantage of his generous nature by allowing him to feel even more responsibility towards her because of what had happened between the two of them last night.

  ‘I need to leave,’ she repeated as she stood up with determination. ‘Please don’t make this any harder for me than it already is,’ she added firmly as she could see Xander was about to make another protest. ‘Daisy and I will be leaving in the morning. But I would appreciate it if you were able to see Daisy again. She loves you so much,’ she added gruffly, knowing that she loved Xander as much as, if not more than, her daughter did. Just as she knew it was breaking her heart to leave him.