by Marie Kelly
“He made it very clear that his problem was with me personally, because I was the one who fired him. He is not looking for a willing volunteer”, she threw back at her sister before giving a small groan full of pain. “What the hell am I to do? I can’t be his mistress…I won’t be his mistress”, she bit out with determination. “The private detective will find Nick…this will all resolve itself” Before her, her mother rose slowly to her feet, her look hardening.
“You listen to me Sara Balfour. You will do whatever you have to do even if that means becoming the plaything of this person”, the words spat out in disdain, her eyes flashing with spite before a greedy light filled them once more. “He is rich. Very rich. The Garelli Corporation is a multinational and if you play your cards right you could even turn this around. Make him be the one to pay for the rest of his life”
Sara stared at her mother with confusion. “What are you talking about?” Her mother gave a smile, one that Sara had dreaded as a child, her mother’s manipulative tendencies and spiteful nature often seeing her strike out at those she thought - rightly or wrongly - had done her some wrong or slight. “If you were to fall pregnant with his child…”
Sara’s stunned gasp silenced her, her daughter looking at her aghast. “Never”, backing from the room, staring at both with eyes wide with shock, “I am going to bed”, before she turned and flew up the stairs to her room.
That night she had not slept, rising early in the morning and moving downstairs to make herself a cup of tea. Sitting by the window, her mind in turmoil, she almost convinced herself that she would not meet Darius - that she would leave the two women to stew in the trouble they had brought upon themselves, almost convincing herself that she could ride out the publicity as a small hand tugged at her arm.
“Aunty Sara” The sweet child’s voice made her drop her head to smile warmly down on her little nephew, pulling him in for a cuddle as she looked closely at his worried little face. “What is wrong sweetie?” she asked softly as he clambered up onto her knee, Sara smiling at how loving the four year old boy was.
“I’m scared…my mummy says she might be going away…like daddy”, his small face stared back with such intensity, Sara’s resolve leaving her as she hugged the child. As much as she wanted to turn her back on her selfish mother and sister she knew that she could never turn her back on the little boy on her lap, holding him tightly as she sighed with the inevitability of her decision. She knew that at twelve that day she would be once more at the suite of Darius Garelli. “No. No David…I promise that your mother is going to be staying with you”, feeling David’s mouth curl in a smile against her.
Sitting in his study, Darius worked at his computer, his eyes flicking constantly to the clock on his wall. As the hour drew closer to twelve, he felt his body tensing. He was sure that she would show, that she would agree to his terms, not certain why he cared which form his revenge took. Sighing, he frowned, pushing himself back into the softness of the chair, his mind once more returning to the kiss; his hand moved across his mouth groaning feeling his body’s awareness of the woman, chastising himself. She was a cold-hearted using bitch, but still the kiss had been mind-blowing. Darius knew that he wanted to experience everything about Sara Balfour.
As the clock read twelve the intercom beeped, a satisfied smile filling his handsome features. “Sir, Miss Balfour is here to see you” Pressing down the button, he bit out the command to tell her to wait, wanting to make her sweat as she had him, a smugness filling him. For fifteen minutes she waited in the living room of the suite, alone save for his kindly and efficient secretary who typed at a computer at one end of the room. As time slipped away the secretary with an apologetic smile offered her a drink, Sara politely refusing. As the minutes ticked by, she felt the anger growing within her, knowing that he was playing more mind games with her, determined to remain calm as the woman once more flashed her an apologetic smile, promising that she was sure he would be free soon.
As the command for her to join him finally came, Sara stood taking a deep breath. She felt the curious eyes of the secretary follow her, knowing what a strange figure she made dressed in her jeans and baggy t-shirt, her hair allowed to fall around her unmade face making her look even younger than her twenty-four years. Entering his office she saw as his eyes narrowed at the sight of her before a smile filled his handsome face, a loud laugh leaving him. Standing, he moved closer to her, his look taking in everything about her appearance.
“Wow… did we just time travel back to when you were eighteen Sara?” his mocking voice making her furrow her brow. She hoped that seeing her like this would change his mind, would make him back away from having her in his bed, her small shoulders shrugging softly. “This is the way I like to dress…deal with it”, her look challenging as he moved around her, another low throaty laugh leaving him, Sara hating the way he seemed to be deriving such amusement from her show of defiance.
“Well fortunately for you little Sara Balfour…I have seen how well you scrub up…so I am sure we can do something about your appearance” Sara felt the seething anger fill her, her eyes daggers of hatred as they glowered at him, Darius once more laughing. “So, I take it by your appearance here that you accept my terms”, his voice smug as she clamped her mouth shut tightly, her feet shuffling as she cleared her throat nervously.
“There must be another way Darius…I am seeing someone…somebody I might actually have a future with” He looked back at her, his look sharpening as he shrugged, “This man is your lover?” Sara’s flush and shocked expression making him smile softly, “So…you are not yet lovers then?” Sara spluttered, her voice full of mortification, “We have only been seeing each other for two weeks!” Darius gave another laugh. “And who is this saint-like man…a man who does not drag you straight to his bed after only one day?”
Fixing him with eyes which contained both embarrassment and anger she raised her small chin. “He is a doctor…and a good man…are you a good man Darius? There was a time that I thought you were” Her soft words hit him hard, his eyes losing the teasing light and becoming dark and dangerous. “Is that a fact little Miss Balfour? So good a man you fired me as a thief?”
The words hung over them as they stared at the other, his look cold, hers defiant, Darius finally moved closer to her. “Well the past is the past is it not Sara…but you have your future to worry about…and that of your family. So let me be very clear. The only offer on the table is the one which I made you yesterday. So what is it to be…you in my bed or your sister in prison?”
Sara dropped her look from his; her small shoulders slumped forward as she gave a defeated nod of her head. “You win …but I have a proviso of my own”, her voice was soft as he raised an eyebrow. “Oh…such as?” Unaware as her fingers pulled at each other she lifted her chin once again. “I need a timeframe…I can’t live with ‘until I get bored with you’…I need a definite time scale”
Darius watched her for a few seconds, seeing an almost panicked expression in her eyes. “OK”, he finally replied, “I leave here to return to Italy in two weeks…so for the time I am here you will remain my companion. Although I still reserve the right to kick you out sooner if I want to”
To his surprise, rather than the anger he expected she seemed relieved, giving him a short nod, Darius wondering why the time had been so important to her. “While we are on the subject of provisos…I too have some”, Sara silently nodding as he moved even closer to her. “I expect complete obedience from you. If I tell you to be somewhere then you go there. If I tell you to go at a certain time then you are not late…understand?”
With a sardonic twist of her lips she gave a nod, her hand gesturing a salute to him. “Yes Sir” His lip twitched at her impudence. “Oh and one final and most important thing. I expect complete honesty. If I ask you something I expect both an answer and the complete truth from you” At this, she frowned, her look concerned, “You expect me to answer any personal questions you might have…to give
up any and all secrets I have?” her tone disbelieving as he gave an arrogant return smile, his voice mocking.
“Of course when you put it like that that seems unfair…my apologies. I tell you what Sara. You can have one secret…one thing that you don’t have to tell me about…but only one”, his tone mocking as he stood dominantly over her. She frowned before raising her eyes, her head nodding seriously back, the smile leaving his lips as she spoke so quietly, “Done”
Darius now wished that he had not given her the one concession, for the first time feeling that he missed something very important. With a sigh and a calming breath Sara realised that the deal was struck and that she had promised to be the sex toy of a man she hardly knew, a man who thought the worst of her, for possibly the next two weeks, her stomach churning alarmingly.
“So…how does this work…do we strip off and have at it on your desk and then you can lock me up in my own little room somewhere till needed again?” She tried to keep her voice light, but the quiver could be heard by them both. His deep laugh sent strange shivers down her spine as he shook his head.
“You will stay with me for as long as I want you, and will accompany me to some engagements which I have coming up as my ‘companion’. In the meantime I am sure we can ensure that you are at least comfortable”, the words spoken with innuendo. Sara knew that he would take pleasure in parading her as his latest acquisition to the entire crowd whom her mother held in such high esteem. She however, cared little for their opinions of her, her reputation already tarnished by lies, a small self-deprecating curve of her lip formed as she thought, “What was one more?”
Turning, she caught him watching her intently, feeling as the small blush once more dusted her smooth cheeks. “I do think that we should make sure of one thing”, he said softly, before moving forward and cupping her cheeks in his hands, he dropped his mouth to kiss her. As the previous night, the moment his lips touched hers, she responded with a need that was both unfamiliar and shocking to her, her hands fanning softly by her side for a few seconds before finally resting gently on his hips, this smallest of touches causing him to jump slightly, his kiss deepening as he pulled her in even harder against his body.
As passion erupted between the two his arms wrapped around Sara, she unaware as she writhed against him, their tongues seeking and demanding the other. As his thumb gently ran along the tip of her nipple she felt the jolt of white searing heat shoot through her quivering body and pool low in her groin, a moan escaping her lips.
Darius only meant to kiss her, to show her who was in control, but her reaction was mind-blowing and suddenly her idea of sex on the desk was one which held a great deal of appeal to him. Flipping her around he moved her to the wooden surface, Sara with him every step of the way as she pushed his jacket from his shoulders. He let it fall to the ground, his hands moving to cup her buttocks, lifting her onto the edge of the shining desk, both almost frantic in their need for the other.
“Sir, Miss Woods is here” The voice over the intercom pushed its way through to both of their befuddled minds, both freezing instantly, Darius in frustration and Sara in mortified disbelief. Reaching over her, his head against her cheek he flipped the switch, his voice husky, “Please ask her to wait for one moment”, before he pulled himself up, retrieving his jacket and pulling it back on. Standing with his back to her for a few moments, he seemed to pull himself together before turning once more to face the bemused and stunned Sara.
“Well that answers that then”, his eyes still filled with the smouldering heat which passed between them. She was only able to stare back at him, not even aware of what the question had been, but instinctively knowing that to ask would be dangerous. Her hair mussed and lips larger and redder than before, she slid from the desk on legs which shook, her eyes avoiding meeting his as she tried to fix her hair with hands that trembled.
“I…I will need to go home and pick up my clothes” she finally managed, her voice higher than normal as she fought to bring her tattered emotions under control. His laugh saw her frown, her eyes finally flying to his. “I don’t think so. If what you are wearing is your ‘normal’ choice then you need a new wardrobe. I am very particular about whom I am seen with Sara…and you need a makeover” She felt herself flush as he spoke, anger replacing the fire in her eyes.
“Well unfortunately I am a little short of funds right now Darius…so like I said before…deal with it” The twitching of his lips at her defiance only made her madder as he moved back over to the intercom. “I would of course not expect you to pay, so I have engaged a consultant to work with you today – I expected that she would be required to tweak your wardrobe…but it looks like she will have her work cut out. She will ensure that you look good and have the right clothes. She has a list of everything that you will need…the priority being a suitable cocktail dress”
His mocking look took in the anger within her. “Tonight we have a gala…I am sure that you will meet lots of your family’s friends. So I will expect you dressed and looking the part by nine o’clock” With that he flipped the intercom switch informing his secretary to send in Miss Woods.
The day had been hectic with Sara being shunted along to a designer boutique, where she tried on expensive dresses, one after another, each more beautiful than the last, along with the suitable underwear for each. Rachel Woods, a plump but kindly woman in her late twenties nodded or shook her head as each outfit was modelled, before choosing the final dress for that evening. Sara liked the woman, chatty and friendly, her vivacious nature and sense of humour making the whole ordeal bearable for her. After the whirlwind shopping trip she was whisked away to a salon - Darius’ parting words still ringing painfully in her ears as he lifted a strand of her long hair telling Rachel to “do something with it”, the tone of his voice making her wish the ground would swallow her whole. Rachel however, was so kind, telling her how lucky she was to have such a figure and bone structure and that she knew just the right people to make her shine.
Looking in the mirror after her hair was cut and dried; Sara had to admit that she did indeed look amazing. Her long straight hair had been layered and styled to fall better around her face. The stylist gave her bangs for the first time in her life, the effect showing off her fine features and highlighting her large eyes, while stopping it from falling over her face. With a wide smile, she nodded as Rachel enthused as to how good she looked, asking if she too loved it.
Next her fingernails and toenails were shaped and painted, Sara finding that she was enjoying the pampering, not normally something she either had the time or money for. A makeup artist showed her some easy techniques for applying light and more dramatic makeup, before applying her look for that night with information from Rachel with regard to the dress she would be wearing.
At eight o’clock Rachel escorted her back to Darius’ suite, the secretary who was just leaving smiling admiringly at her as she gave her a sealed envelope directing her to a room where she could change for the evening. Ripping the envelope she pulled out the single sheet of paper, holding it in her hand as she moved into the bedroom. Her eyes admired the stunning room, the furnishings of the highest quality and the drapes and linens in creams and gold’s. Reading the note she scowled seeing the small list of instructions he had written:
Meet me in the sitting area at 9 prompt
DO NOT BE LATE
Gritting her teeth, she crumpled up the note, cursing him under her breath. Moving to the en-suite bathroom she stepped under the shower, careful not to mess up her make-up or hair, enjoying the pummeling of the power shower as it brought life back to her tired body, sighing at how exhausting shopping could be.
She decided to wear her hair up again, using some of the clips that Rachel bought specially for the outfit to secure it high on her head in a playful knot, the effect stunning and chic, Sara impressed with her own efforts. Next she put on the silken lingerie also bought for the dress, giving a soft moan at how sensual the material felt against her skin. S
he was not used to wearing such luxurious lingerie, the bra pulling her cleavage together, her eyes opening wide at the way she looked in the skimpy outfit, surprised at how sexy the soft material made her feel.
With ten minutes left she pulled on the dress, a soft blue almost silver outfit with a fitted bodice and love-heart neckline, her figure shown so well as the skirt softly flared out. Pulling on the delicate open-toed sandals and grabbing the matching bag and wrap she moved from the room with only seconds to spare. Darius was waiting for her, his head turned as she moved quickly towards him, his eyes staring at the woman before him, a slow smile spreading over his face. “So much better than the Sara that walked in here this morning”, moving closer and prowling around her as she stood still for his perusal, taking in everything about her change.
“Love the hair” Pleasure filled Sara at his praise, though she gave him a scornful look, not prepared to show the way his approval filled her with a strange happiness, chastising herself for her own reaction, her voice more caustic than she meant. “Well you did tell Rachel to do something with ‘this’”, her finger flicking her bangs as he gave a humorous smile. “And I am very glad to see that you are taking the obedience rule to heart”, laughing as she threw him a shrivelling look. With that they moved from the suite, a limousine meeting them at the entrance to the hotel whisking them quickly away.
The car did not have far to travel, the event a launch of a new movie, Sara staring in open-eyed surprise at the many stars all walking the red carpet. As they took their turn to enter the hall, many of the paparazzi snapped pictures of the two of them, Darius pulling her in closer, stamping his ownership of her for all to clearly see. After the screen showing, all of the guests moved into the large hall where food and drinks were served by waiters who moved around the crowd taking and dispensing orders. Sara felt out of her depth, so nervous of the many famous faces she was meeting, Darius seeming completely relaxed and unfazed by the prestigious crowd. With a small half-sigh she realised that he would be. He was after all, one of them.
