by Thalia Lake
“Enough!” he yelled, causing me to jump a little. Even still, I continued to look into his dark, stormy eyes. I watched his square jaw tighten from the tension and anger that was roiling through him. Roman took a deep cleansing breath before he continued. I could tell he was trying his best to keep his anger under control. “Look, I don’t apologize often, but I do apologize for offending you. I mentioned what I paid for to prove a point. I’m paying you for a service, and I expect to get what I paid for in addition to being obeyed. I know that may sound chauvinistic and crass, but this is who I am. I’m a businessman, and I don’t allow anyone to run me over, no matter how beautiful they may be.”
Wait a minute. What just happened here? How does a person apologize, admit to being a chauvinistic pig, and give you a sexy compliment all in the same breath? And let’s not talk about how his voice became soft when he called me beautiful. And never mind the fact that when he called me beautiful, there was heat in his eyes which made me feel tingly and warm all over. Can I really be mad at his honesty, even though his apology was shitty? I’m so dumbfounded right now that I’m not sure what I should say. Finally after gathering my thoughts, I looked him in the face and asked, “Is there anything you want me to know about you before we go inside?” Yup, I completely changed the subject.
We were driving up a long, winding driveway and I knew we had arrived to our destination.
His eyes turned cold at my dismissal of his apology. He began to straighten his bow tie and pick imaginary lint off of his tuxedo when he began to speak.
“So you’re going to ignore what I just said, Sarah?”
His voice was calm even though I know he was anything but calm at the moment.
“I think we’ve gone around in enough circles about who paid for what and what is expected for the evening, so why don’t we move on,” I suggested.
“Fair enough. If people ask how we met, just say through mutual friends and leave it at that. No need to go into detail because anything more is none of their business.”
“Okay,” I said, as I nodded in agreement.
“Do you have a preference for what you want to say that you do for a living?” Roman asked.
“You can say that I’m the founder of a non- profit organization called Sarah’s Wings, that helps physically and sexually-abused children and teens.”
Roman turned to look at me, and I saw intrigue in his eyes and the urge to ask me something; but he thought better of it and simply nodded his head.
“You never told me what you do for business,” I stated. In fact, Sandy had already told me, I just wanted to hear what he was going to say.
“I’m a business developer. I buy land and properties and turn them into viable businesses, homes, basically whatever that community needs the most. In New York I helped build schools and after school programs in the poorest neighborhoods. Politicians love to give empty promises when its election time, but once they’re in office they never come through on any of their promises. I wanted to do something about that, make a difference for the kids whose parents can’t afford expensive daycare costs or private tutoring or music lessons. I built buildings, I invested in these programs, and they are thriving, but I wanted to do more. Detroit is a prime example of a place that needs help rebuilding, especially in its poorest neighborhoods. That’s why I moved from New York and came here.”
Now I was the one that was intrigued. I saw the passion and sincerity in Roman’s eyes as he spoke, and that’s when I knew that he wasn’t like all the rest because he put his words into action. I couldn’t believe I was in the presence of a businessman who actually took the necessary steps, and invested a lot of time and money to make a difference for the poor in New York, and now Detroit. I was touched and impressed since I was born and raised in the inner city. That still didn’t change the fact that his people skills sucked.
Chapter Seven - A Night to Remember (Sarah)
The limo stopped at the front entrance and the driver got out to open the door for us. Roman got out first and helped me out. As we began to walk towards the front doors of the mansion, he placed a warm arm around my waist as though we were old lovers. Despite the fact that I despised him at the moment, a flash of heat warmed my body from head to toe because of his touch. Damn my body for betraying me this way. We quickly approached the grand entrance to the massive mansion. There were cameras flashing everywhere and a lot of commotion as the Detroit elite began to arrive at the ball. We were finally inside of the mansion and it was so beautiful. Big, beautiful flower arrangements that consisted of the most exotic flowers were placed everywhere. There was live classical music being played in the background complete with three violinists, a cellist, and a pianist.
“Who owns this place?” I asked, in a low whisper.
His large hand rested comfortably on my waist as he pulled me close to him. “David and Maggie Smith,” he responded. “They both come from old money and are very well known in these circles and beyond. They are the second-richest family in Detroit.”
His lips were so close to my ear that I swear they were caressing the sensitive shell. I didn’t know what he was doing, but this subtle seduction wasn’t part of the escort deal. His warm breath on my ear and the deep baritone rumble of his voice awakened things in me that I didn’t want awakened at that moment, especially by him. I closed my eyes and prayed that I would make it through the night and never have to be seen by this man again. I nodded my head in understanding and tried to put some distance between us, but Roman wasn’t having it.
“Oh, no. I want you to stay close by my side for the entire night.” His deep voice sent shivers throughout my body.
He then gave me a sweet, lingering peck on my cheek as his hand gently caressed my waist. I inhaled a sharp breath at the feel of his lips on my skin. His lips were so soft and held so much promise... My God, what am I talking about? This is all an act. We are both acting. I smiled up at him as sweetly as I could and looked him in the eyes.
“Of course. Whatever you want...sweetheart.” I replied, softly.
He was not the only one who can put on an act. I just hated how much I was attracted to him when I didn’t want to be. I put my hand in his and laced our fingers. Roman stared at me for a moment; his beautiful brown eyes searched mine before he smiled down at me and led me further into the party.
As I scanned the room, I immediately noticed that most of the ladies wore black or some other dark color. It made me happy that I didn’t wear black. I still believed that Roman needed to stand out, and tonight he would. We were approached almost immediately by an older couple.
“Roman Mancini! I’m glad you could make it,” the older gentleman happily beamed. He had to be in his late seventies. He was medium height and frail looking. His wife looked very refined. Okay, I’ll be honest - she looked like money. Her white hair was perfectly coiffed, her designer gown was probably a one of a kind and undoubtedly, cost thousands of dollars, and the huge gemstones that adorned her skinny, wrinkled fingers had to cost millions—each. I expected her to be a complete snob, but she was quite the opposite.
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith, it’s wonderful to see you both again. Thank you for inviting me; I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” Roman said, as he gave me a quick pointed look. He then shook Mr. Smith’s hand and kissed the back of his wife’s hand, causing her to blush.
The meaning behind Roman’s pointed look finally registered with me. These are the Smiths!
“This is my date, Miss Sarah Paris.” Roman continued.
I smiled as I shook both of their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”
“Oh, nonsense, I’m David.”
“And I’m Maggie,” Mrs. Smith chimed in smiling. “Your gown is exquisite, and that color is absolutely beautiful! Who made it, dear?” she asked, as she gently led me away from the two men so they could talk business.
I glanced over my shoulder and looked at Roman as we walked off. He gave me a crooked
smile and winked at me which caused me to smile back in return. God he looked good as he stood there, tall, handsome and so sexy.
For the rest of the night, Roman never let me get too far away from him. If I wasn’t by his side with his hand or arm around my waist, he kept me within his line of vision at all times. If I strayed too far away from him he excused himself from his conversation and pretended like he was checking on me when really he wanted me to come with him to where he was. This bugged the hell out of me, and I made him aware of it.
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to keep watching me and dragging me back so I can be near you. I can handle myself,” I replied through clenched teeth. I then forced a smile as he led me back to the part of the room from which he came.
“Oh, darling, but you’re wrong. There are several reasons why I prefer to keep a close eye on you. This place is full of backstabbing sharks who would love to pounce on you to get any information they feel they can use against me.”
“But I don’t know anything about you other than what you’ve told me,” I whispered.
“It doesn’t matter. Whatever information they can get out of you, they will use it to their advantage.”
Instead of stopping, Roman guided me to a secluded hallway. He then checked all the corners and doorways before we continued our discussion.
“Secondly,” he continued. “I see how the men are looking at you. You keep straying from me they are going to think you’re single or that our relationship isn’t strong and think they have a chance with you. I’m not having any of that, Sarah. Stay close to me,” he said, firmly, as he towered over me.
The possibility of any of those things happening never crossed my mind, and the more I thought about what he said, the more he made sense. Knowing a little about his background and seeing Roman in his element impressed me. Instead of seeing a jerk with an ego the size of the heavens, I now see a smart, take-charge man. I hate admitting this, but the way Roman laid down the law to me just now was plain sexy. I was tempted to argue with him just so I could watch his nostrils flare in the same cute way they did in the limo when he was angry with me, but I couldn’t. I was too busy being in awe of his alpha male demeanor. Something in me wanted to submit to Roman in every way possible, especially in bed.
“You’re right. This is your night and whatever you want, you get. You pai...”
“You better not say that I paid for it, Sarah. I’m tired of you throwing my words back in my face. It’s not just about me getting what I paid for. I want you to enjoy yourself as well,” he angrily stated.
I saw the sincerity in his eyes, but I also saw that he was truly fed up with me reminding him of what his money is paying for. I had to suppress a satisfied smile as I looked up at him.
“Let’s call a truce,” I offered.
His rugged features softened a bit. I could have easily made his life a living hell tonight, but I didn’t want to do that. Besides, I enjoyed watching him in action. He commanded attention no matter what part of the room he was in, from men and women. And speaking of the women, I caught several of them drooling on themselves as they stared at Roman, but thankfully he only had eyes for me. It made me feel good because I’ve had many clients in the past who flirted with other women right in front of me. It used to bother me when I was younger, but I quickly learned that nothing mattered but the money I received for my services. Roman, on the other hand, treated me like we were an actual couple. Sometimes I forgot that we were pretending, and I think he did too.
He reached out and caressed my arm with his fingertips, taking me out of my personal thoughts. “Truce. So, are you having a good time?”
“I am having a good time. I’ve met some very interesting people. These old farts are quite touchy feely, and so are some of the younger gentlemen - but I handled them,” I chuckled.
Roman wasn’t laughing, nor did he crack a smile. Aww, man, why did I share that with him? I watched as the anger brewed in his eyes. Nice going, Sarah.
“Who touched you?” Roman asked, as his eyes bored into my own.
“Roman, I said I handled it. It was innocent for the most part,” I tried to reassure him. When I saw his strong, square jaw clench, I knew it was too late. He was angry.
“Who touched you Sarah?” he asked again, this time in a slower manner.
“I can’t remember their names, Roman. Really, it’s nothing.”
I was lying. The last thing he needed to know was who I was ogled and propositioned by, and then cause a scene as a result. Everything we wanted to accomplish, everything I wanted him to accomplish tonight, would be for nothing if I allowed him to cause a scene.
“I’ve met so many people in such a short period of time that there’s no way I could possibly remember all of their names. I can remember faces, but not names.”
“Before this night ends I want you to point them out to me,” he growled.
I rolled my eyes and turned around to walk away. Before I knew anything, I felt a strong hand gently pulling me back and spinning me around. I was in his arms being firmly pressed against his hard, muscled body. Before I could get a word out, let alone breathe, he lowered his head and captured my lips with his and kissed me. He didn’t just kiss me, he dominated me. He started off gentle and soft, taking his time tasting my lips and exploring them. I quickly got over my shock and became pliable in his arms and reciprocated. My hands rested on his chest before they snaked around his strong neck. Once I made that move he went in for the kill. His tongue urged my lips to part, and once I complied that’s when he completely took over. I moaned out loud at the pleasure that assaulted all of my womanly senses that had been dormant for so long...until now. Roman moaned as well and deepened the kiss. At some point I dropped my expensive clutch on the floor, but I didn’t care. Then abruptly, the kiss ended. My eyes were still closed when Roman had pulled back, and when I opened them he was staring at me. I saw raw need and passion in his eyes and it made me take a step back. My head was swimming with so many thoughts and emotions that I didn’t know what to do. His hands were still wrapped around my waist, gently caressing me there in hypnotizing circles.
I felt like I was losing myself to this man. Everything I said I wouldn’t let happen was happening, and I had no control to stop any of it because Roman was so damn sexy. It’s like he was the big strong magnet and I was the poor piece of metal that was too weak to resist his pull. He’s a man in every sense of the word - big, strong, and a natural-born leader, all qualities that I find to be highly desirable and admirable in a man. I’d had a glimpse of his anger, and I just experienced his seductive, possessive side. He made me feel wanted and desired, which I felt was above and beyond what was expected of him tonight. This is still an act, right? We’re both playing a role, aren’t we? Damn this man for screwing with my emotions!
Now I felt self-conscious, and not just for myself, but for the both of us. I looked around and saw that people could have easily seen our horny display as we weren’t as secluded as I initially thought. If we were any place else I wouldn’t have cared about such public displays of affection. This, however, was a classy event with a lot of important business people that Roman needed to make connections with, and hopefully form new partnerships with. We needed to get our acts together and remember what we’re here for.
“We...that shouldn’t have happened. Why did you do that? People saw us, Roman.”
I knew I sounded nervous, but I couldn’t help it. The man rocked my world with one single kiss.
“I wanted people to see us. I don’t want anyone doubting that we’re together, even if it is just for tonight. And I dare any man here to put their hands on you, disrespecting you again. I will personally make sure they regret it.”
From the seriousness of his tone, I knew he meant every word. His eyes were stern even though they still lingered on my lips, lips that he masterfully devoured only moments ago. He turned around and picked up my clutch and dusted it off before handing it back to me.
“T
hank you,” I whispered. I still couldn’t shake the nervous jitters I had around Roman, and I hated it. I was always in control and one step ahead. I prided myself on being able to read men and anticipate their next move, always prepared to charm them and massage their egos when needed; making them feel in charge and important when really I was the one running the show. Roman Mancini, on the other hand, had me confused and not knowing what to expect from him next.
I began to walk away for the second time. “I should go to the ladies’ room and freshen up,” I quickly stated. I had no clue where the nearest ladies’ room was, nor did I care. I just knew that I needed to get away from Roman so I could get a hold of myself and clear my mind.
He reached out and gently took my hand into his. The gentleness of the gesture stopped me in my tracks as I turned to look at him. “That kiss wasn’t an act,” he informed me, looking directly into my eyes.
I knew that his kiss wasn’t an act, but to hear him admit it frightened me. This changed our make-believe world and put us into an area that I wasn’t prepared for. As I looked into his eyes, I saw honesty, and I saw a man with needs. The woman in me was excited, happy even, that I had such an effect on this sexy man. However, my sensible side was telling me to do something to put an end all of this. I nervously cleared my throat, but my mouth still felt like it had cotton balls in it. “W-why don’t we meet by the grand piano? I just need three minutes,” I replied as I slowly backed away from him.
“Three minutes,” Roman repeated after me, in a warning tone as I disappeared into the crowd. I had no doubt that he would come looking for me if I took a second too long.
It wasn’t hard to find the ladies’ room. I just followed the direction that I saw two other women walking. I figured they were headed there. Once I walked inside, I was amazed at how big it was. There were four private stalls that could easily be mistaken for built-in closets as the doors were made of heavy wood and reached from the floor to the ceiling for complete privacy. Through another doorway and to the right was a separate powder room that was decorated in peach, gold, and cream. It was a beautiful room with a feminine touch. There were two cream-colored chaise lounges and an antique Victorian sofa sitting in front of a huge picture window with long, flowy peach drapes. There was a long counter with a huge mirror with wonderful lighting for applying makeup or combing your hair with several peach-colored plush chairs to sit on. Lining the counter were beautiful flower arrangements and decorative baskets full of expensive hand creams, body lotions, and designer perfumes for you to help yourself to. There were two older women and one young lady sitting at the counter freshening up their makeup.
