CHAPTER 13
During the next week, Sarah was relieved that Dante had actually started to loosen the reins a bit on letting her be seen occasionally outside. Yesterday, he’d walked her to Brew Magic so they could get a latte. Of course, he had her shackled to his side with a powerful, muscular arm around her waist, and she knew he was well armed. Still, it was progress. And for the last several days, he’d let her take a few more laps up and down the driveway on her bike, teaching her how to make turns and improving her skills. And then, of course, there were the nights.
Sarah sighed happily as she thought about those incredible nights, with another one on its way. Neither of them could wait beyond five minutes before they were naked and in the shower together after work, each of them ravenous for the other. They usually woke up aroused and ready in the morning, too. Sarah thought her desire would settle down at least a little after she’d been with Dante. It didn’t. If anything, it made her need even more acute, more urgent.
Her cell phone rang just as she was exiting Dante’s truck after work that day, and she cringed as she dug into her purse and saw her mother’s number.
“Who is it?” Dante asked curiously.
“My mother,” she replied unhappily. It had been over a month since she’d heard from Elaine Baxter, and although some part of her wanted to talk to her mother because she was her only family, she knew how the conversation would go, how it always went.
Sarah answered it before she could decide to ignore the call. She knew that once her mother had decided she wanted to talk to her, she’d keep calling back.
“Hello,” she said apprehensively.
“Sarah?” her mother asked abruptly.
“Yes, Mom. It’s me.”
“I’ve found the ideal man for you,” Elaine said without preamble. “I met him in one of my Mensa meetings. He’s perfect. His IQ is similar, and he’s a brilliant neurosurgeon, so you’d have a lot in common. He’s older, and ready to settle down now. I need you to come back to Chicago.”
Nothing had changed a bit. “I can’t,” she replied, not mentioning that she had no plans to leave Amesport, a place where she’d never been happier in her life.
“Are you still not working in the hospital?”
“No, Mother, I’m not,” Sarah replied flatly as she followed Dante into the house.
“You’re going to have to conquer those fears. They aren’t rational,” her mother scolded. “You don’t belong in a small office, working in some town that’s hardly on the map. How are you going to keep advancing? You need to meet the man I found for you. Being older, he’ll be more stable. But I’m not sure he’ll understand your phobias.”
Sarah was pretty certain that he wouldn’t. If he was a friend of her mother’s and she liked this man, he didn’t deal in anything that couldn’t be proved with scientific evidence or mathematical formulas. “I’d prefer to pick my own husband, Mom,” she answered flatly.
Dante swung his head around at Sarah’s comment, frowning at the cell phone in her hand like it was an actual person.
Sarah continued. “And there was an incident here that indicates that the man who attacked me might be coming after me. I’m working with the police to try to apprehend him now.” Sarah desperately hoped her mother would show just an iota of concern.
“That’s all the more reason to get on a plane and come back here. Chicago has a much better police force to protect you,” her mother said with a sniff of disgust.
And John Thompson would have a big city to hide in. Just for once, Mom, ask me if I’m doing okay. Ask me what happened and if I’m safe. Ask me if I’m scared. Be a mom instead of a teacher.
“You’re wasting your potential there, Sarah. I want you on a plane and home by the end of the week, young lady,” her mother added.
Deflated, Sarah sat down in one of the dining room chairs. Dante moved a chair beside her and sat, taking her hand as though he knew she was upset.
Who am I kidding? I’m wishing for a relationship that never has and never will exist.
Her mother was more of a disciplinarian, an instructor whom Sarah could never please and never had, no matter how hard she tried. “I’m twenty-seven years old. I can make my own decisions now. And I’m never going back there. Ever,” she told her mother emphatically.
For Sarah, the words meant so much more than just location. She was starting to live, finding friendships after going so long without anybody, and she had a man who was right beside her, lending her support when she needed it. Dante might not be in her life forever, but she was going to appreciate what she had right now. No . . . she was never going back to the sterile, lifeless existence she’d known in Chicago. Not now that she was learning that life could be so much . . . more.
“After all I’ve done to promote your education, you’re just going to throw that away?” her mother asked angrily. “You’re horribly scarred, Sarah. Have you forgotten about that? But an intellectual man who can see beyond sex won’t mind as much about your scars.”
“I’m happy,” Sarah replied quietly, wishing it didn’t seem like she and her mother were on two different planets. She’d been a very obedient child, constantly trying to keep her mother happy, make her proud. If she had succeeded, her mother had never shown it. Now it was time for Sarah to live her own life and stop hoping to somehow get her only parent’s approval. It was never going to happen, so she might as well make herself happy.
“Happiness means nothing to a woman like you,” her mother retorted. “You’re gifted.”
Sarah’s body jerked as though she’d been slapped. “I’m also human,” she told her parent sadly. “I want more than marrying the right man because of our genes. I want to manage my own life now.”
“Fine. I suppose I don’t have any choice but to let you waste your life and your talent,” Elaine relented haughtily.
“No. You really don’t,” Sarah agreed, then disconnected the phone with a beleaguered sigh.
Dante immediately pulled her onto his lap and cradled her body against his. “I take it that didn’t go well,” he queried curiously. “Was she really expecting you to marry somebody you’ve never met?” His voice got angry, rougher.
Sarah shrugged. “I’m expected to marry a man with a genius gene pool so we can make tons of little Mensa babies for the scientific community to marvel over.”
“Jesus, that woman is cold,” Dante retorted vehemently. “Not that I didn’t know that already.” He hesitated before adding, “How do you feel about going out to Tony’s tonight? I still owe you that dinner we talked about.”
He’s actually willing to go out? He thinks I’m unhappy, so he’s trying to do something to make me feel better.
“I’d love to go out, but if you’re doing this because you think I’m sad, I’m not. I’ve been dealing with my mother for twenty-seven years,” Sarah stated blandly, turning to look at his face.
“Bullshit,” Dante said gruffly. “I know what it feels like to wish for a parent who actually gives a crap. I’ve been there.”
Sarah’s eyes softened as her gaze met Dante’s. She knew his father had been a mean, abusive alcoholic before he died, and his mother had left them all just as soon as Hope was out of the house. Dante and his siblings almost never heard from their mother. It was obvious he really did know exactly how she felt. “It hurts. But I won’t let her ruin my chance to be happy.”
“Don’t,” Dante agreed as he stood up, lowering Sarah’s feet to the floor. “Go get ready. I’m doing this because I owe you dinner. And it’s still daylight. We need to be back before dark.”
He didn’t owe her anything. It was just the opposite. But he was using that excuse to make her happy. Sarah grinned at him. “I’ll be like Cinderella.”
“We need to be home way before midnight, and I’m no Prince Charming, woman,” he said gruffly.
“No, you’re not,” she agreed, giving him a lingering kiss on the lips. “You’re even better. And I’m almost certain you’re better endowed,” she answered in a sultry voice as she teased his large erection through the denim of his jeans with her palm and fingers. Sexually, she was getting bolder and bolder, and she loved feeling her own feminine power.
A low, reverberating sound came out of his throat, and Sarah scampered off before he could catch her. She squealed happily, the sound echoing through the house as she sprinted up the stairs with Dante hot on her heels.
“I can’t believe I actually let you walk out of the house in this dress. Every man who sees you will be fantasizing about fucking you,” Dante complained as he opened the passenger side of the truck, his eyes roaming over the long expanse of the bare legs exiting the vehicle.
“You wanted me to have a red dress,” Sarah reminded him. “Emily thought it was hot. You don’t think so?” She loved the dress, but she had to admit that it was meant to be sexy. It had a halter neck that made it impossible to wear a bra, and it was backless, the material starting at the top of her buttocks. The skirt was short and fitted, and it cupped her ass and the tops of her legs lovingly, ending at the middle of her thighs. It was revealing, but elegant enough not to make her look like a slut or a woman on the prowl.
“Too damn hot,” Dante griped. “My dick will be hard all through dinner just like it is now, and I’ll want to kill the first guy who shows the same appreciation I have for that particular dress.”
Sarah smiled at his unhappy tone. He’d already told her how beautiful she looked, and she felt beautiful. She’d put her hair up, letting some of the curls frame her face, and she’d used a heavier hand with her makeup than she usually did. Every time Dante glanced her way she felt like he wanted to devour her whole. She’d worn her torturous three-inch heels, but Dante still towered above her, his broad shoulders encased in a suit jacket that just emphasized his mammoth size. In jeans, Dante Sinclair was mesmerizing. In a suit and tie, he was so devastatingly handsome that he took her breath away.
They were shown to their table by the window. When she went to sit down, Dante gently grasped her upper arm and guided her to the seat across from him.
“I like to face the door,” he told her gruffly, pulling the chair out for her and seating her before he seated himself.
Sarah knew he was carrying a gun, and she assumed he wanted to be able to see who was coming and going from the restaurant. “A cop thing?” she guessed.
“Yep,” he answered with a grin. “I always face the door.”
They ordered drinks while they looked over the menu. The restaurant might be touristy, but Sarah loved the nautical decor that was appealing without being tacky. They both decided on the turf and surf, steak and lobster, and Sarah leaned back in her chair and sipped her wine, the novelty of sitting in a restaurant like she was on a real date delighting her.
“What are you smiling about?” Dante looked at her quizzically.
“I feel so young—like I’m out on a date with the hottest guy on the college campus.”
“If I were still in college and I were dating you, all I’d be thinking about was whether or not I’d be getting laid afterward,” Dante commented with a wicked smile.
Sarah leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “I think you most definitely will get lucky this time.” She was already hot for him, and looking at his handsome image across from her, she wanted to crawl over the table and have him for dinner.
“You think?” Dante answered, his voice husky.
He shot her a heated, warning look across the table that made her heart skip a beat. She nodded slowly. “I even wore some hot new panties for you to check out later. They’re very scandalous and almost transparent.” Okay, now she knew she was poking at the beast, but she loved Dante’s feral wildness, so she continued. “And the matching silk garter and stockings are lovely.”
“You didn’t show me those,” he growled.
“I wanted to eat,” she told him laughingly. “I was afraid we’d never leave the house.” That was definitely the truth. Had she modeled the underwear for him before they left, they’d still be in bed. Although she still didn’t understand Dante’s insatiable desire for her scarred body, she accepted it as truth. He proved it over and over, every single day, and she was getting used to the fact that he really did want her.
“We wouldn’t have left,” Dante confirmed harshly. “Jesus Christ. How am I supposed to sit here now? My dick is already hard,” he grumbled unhappily.
God, it felt good to tease him. Sarah had never in her life felt comfortable enough to flirt with a man. Maybe this conversation with Dante was a little beyond flirting, because they were already in a sexual relationship, but she loved seeing the intense look of desire on his face and the twin flames of his eyes burning into her as he watched her intently.
“You’ll pay for this later, woman,” Dante told her roughly.
Sarah shivered in anticipation. “I hope so,” she answered teasingly. She was definitely prodding his dominant instincts, and maybe it was dangerous to do so since Dante was already plenty alpha. He was sexually bossy and authoritative, but she couldn’t resist pushing him even more. Dante encouraged her to explore her deepest desires, and she was definitely delving into them right now.
His eyes turned to molten fire. “Is that what you want? Punishment?”
Sarah shuddered at the thought. Dante would never hurt her, and she knew the only thing he’d really dish out was pleasure. Judging by his heated look, the thought of making her pay for teasing him enflamed him just as much as it did her. Opening her eyes wide, she gave him an innocent look as she replied, “Only if you think I deserve it.” She slipped her foot out of her high heel and brushed her toes gently against his engorged erection, hoping she’d get herself into even more trouble, wondering just how far Dante would take this.
“Right now I’m ready to paddle your ass until you beg for mercy,” he warned ominously.
Her pussy flooded. Maybe she was kinky, but the thought of Dante being that bold made her body incinerate. She had no doubt he’d do it. He wasn’t the type of guy who didn’t back up his words with action. If this didn’t stop, she’d be nothing but a pile of ashes in the chair of a fancy restaurant.
The waiter appeared with their food, and Sarah removed her foot, slipping it back into her shoe. The tablecloth was long and covered their laps, but she didn’t want to be discovered. This was all too new for her, too surreal. Dante really wanted her to the point of desperation, the same way she needed him.
Their conversation turned to more bland topics as they ate, but she could feel Dante’s gaze boring into her as she consumed an excellent steak and succulent Maine lobster.
Eventually, they talked about his brothers.
“Evan is almost always traveling. He needs to slow down or he’ll burn himself out by the time he’s thirty-five,” Dante told her as he finished his steak and placed his utensils on the plate.
“He must be lonely,” Sarah commented, wondering what it would be like to travel the world with nobody to share it with.
“I guess I never thought about it that way. But yeah, he probably is. He’s surrounded by people all the time in his business, but I don’t think any of them really give a shit about him. Most of them are just kissing his ass to improve their own financial interests. Evan works himself into the ground, and he doesn’t have to anymore. He never really did. It’s almost like he’s out to prove something, maybe that he can do a better job running the company than my father did,” Dante mused.
“And does he?” Sarah asked curiously, finishing her own dinner and placing her napkin on her plate, declining dessert when it was offered politely by the waiter taking their plates. She had already eaten until her stomach was completely full.
“Definitely. He’s made the corporation more successful than any of us could have ever imagined. The company was already worth billions of dollars, but Evan has probably tripled its value since my father died. I just wish he’d give it a break for a while.” Dante frowned as he slipped his credit card into the folder for the waiter, who picked it up immediately.
“And Jared?” Sarah prompted. She already knew Grady and much of his history from Emily. But Jared was still a mystery to her.
“Jared’s changed. Something happened to him, but I don’t know what. He blows it off if I try to ask him about what changed him, but he never used to be this way. Is his business successful? Very. But he’s not the same person he used to be growing up.”
“What was he like when he was younger?”
“Creative. Smart. He was always drawing something. He was a talented artist, and he went after architecture because he loved creating things, or rebuilding them. I think he’s bored with commercial real estate, but that’s what’s made him even richer. I don’t know. He just seems . . . lost.” Dante paused before saying, “He’s acting like an asshole, but he was always the first one to notice when Grady or one of our other siblings needed us, even though he was younger. He used to be curious about the world, kind to everyone. Now he’s just a jackass.”
“He’s still nice to old ladies,” Sarah pointed out, remembering what Elsie and Beatrice had said about Jared.
“I guess that’s something,” Dante said dubiously.
“What about Hope?” Sarah asked, wondering what it must have been like to be the only female among the Sinclair siblings.
“She’s happy now. She’s married to a childhood friend of the family, Jason Sutherland. He actually handles portfolios for Grady and me. He’s an incredible investor, one of the sharpest in the world.”
“I’ve heard of him. He’s a genius with mathematics and numbers, too, besides being a brilliant investor,” Sarah commented with awe.
“I’m sure your mother would love him, but he’s already married to my sister,” Dante replied morosely.
He looked irritated and possibly . . . jealous? “If my mother would like him, then I probably wouldn’t,” she told him adamantly.
“Every woman pants over Jason,” Dante grumbled.
“Not me,” she denied matter-of-factly. “I’ve seen his picture and my tongue definitely did not leave my mouth.”
“Good. I’d hate to have to hurt him. He’s my brother-in-law now,” Dante grunted, obviously satisfied. “He and Hope are back in New York at the moment, but I know they don’t plan on living there full-time anymore.” Dante signed the receipt for their dinner, which had been dropped off by their efficient waiter, and stuffed his copy in his wallet. “Ready?”
“Yes,” Sarah sighed, feeling relaxed from the wine she’d consumed. “It will be getting dark soon. Cinderella needs to return from the ball.”
“There’s only one problem with that,” Dante observed.
“What?”
Dante took her hand in his and pulled her gracefully to her feet. “We haven’t had our dance.” He tilted his head toward the small dance floor in the bar. “Dance with me, Sarah.”
She looked at the dancing area, and only a few other couples were on the floor. The music was slow and romantic, and the couples were gliding around the floor elegantly. “Dante, you know I’ve never—”
“Just follow me. I happen to be an excellent dancer. You’re musical, sweetheart. You’ll have no problem. It will be another first for you.” He tugged her toward the small floor, weaving between tables until they reached the bar.
Sarah took a deep breath and blew it out again. She might make a fool of herself, but she’d do it in Dante’s arms. He held one of her hands and circled her waist with his other arm. Ordinarily, she’d be running away from making a spectacle of herself, but Dante’s confidence in her sometimes made her feel like she could fly.
I can do this.
“Follow me, mimic my movements. Trust me to guide you,” he instructed as he started moving smoothly around the small floor.
Sarah concentrated and stepped on Dante’s foot several times before she finally just let herself go on instinct, matching her body to his. “You are an incredible dancer.”
“I’m a Sinclair. I think dancing was mandatory almost from birth,” Dante whispered huskily in her ear. “I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t required to know how to dance.”
Sarah relaxed as her body learned Dante’s lead, losing herself in the music. Sometimes she forgot that Dante had been raised in a very wealthy, socially prominent family. Brought up as part of the very rich elite, of course he knew how to socialize, how to charm, how to dance. As the tempo slowed, so did Dante, and she leaned her head on his shoulder as he tightened his arm around her waist and brought her closer to him. “I don’t think you’re going to step on my toes anymore,” he teased gently. “You’re a natural.”
She lost track of time as they swayed around the floor. Inhaling against his neck, she got drunk on the smell of him, the way his body moved, and the novelty of her first experience actually dancing.
Finally, the musicians stopped for a break, and Dante kissed her on the forehead. “Are you ready to go home, Cinderella?”
They turned and walked toward the front entrance together. It was starting to get dark as they stepped outside.
Sarah wanted to tell him how much all of this meant to her, how much she’d enjoyed her first dance, but she couldn’t find the words. “Thank you” was what came out of her mouth. Very inadequate, but Dante seemed satisfied as he opened the passenger door of the truck and lifted her into the seat.
“You’re welcome,” he answered back, slipping his hand beneath her skirt to lift it slightly, using his body to block hers. “Holy shit, you weren’t just teasing.” He gaped as he got a brief glimpse of her sexy lingerie.
She smiled. “I never joke about lingerie.” She meant serious business with the ensemble she was wearing.
He dropped the skirt and ran around the truck, starting the vehicle and putting it into motion so fast that Sarah barely had time to fasten her seat belt. Knowing exactly what was motivating his haste, she laughed.