Billionaire Rancher Stepbrother Page 8

  "Morning, love."

  Shit, shit, shit.

  "Morning." Sarah's voice was stiff. Memories had flooded her brain the moment he appeared, and all of it was urging her to do a runner...

  Damian knew exactly what Sarah was thinking when her cheeks suddenly flushed with color. "Thinking about last night?"

  Eep. Sarah could feel herself turning even redder as his words forced her to face up to what she had done. Last night, she had still been on her knees when Damian pulled out of her mouth, and it was hearing that strange but unmistakable popping sound that had snapped Sarah out of the haze of desire she had been trapped in. She had looked up at him in horror, stricken at what she had allowed to transpire. 'This shouldn't have happened,' she had whispered. And then she had hastened to her feet and run away, taking advantage of the fact that Damian still had to do his pants before he could come after her.

  She had stuck to Naomi's side like glue for the rest of the night after that, and when the party came to a close, she had rushed to her room and triple-locked her door before falling into troubled sleep.

  But even then, a part of her had known she was only delaying the inevitable—-

  Oh my God!

  Sarah shot up in her seat when she felt his hand touch her knee.

  "Relax," Damian purred. "No one can see us." He had her legs hidden between his, and with Sarah so much smaller and slimmer than him, other people at the diner would only be able to see one side of his denim-clad thigh and not much else.

  His fingers started caressing her knee, just slow, gentle strokes that shouldn't have been erotic or thrilling in any way, but because this was Damian, it just was, and she had to bite her lip hard to keep herself from crying out.

  "Have you thought about my proposal?" he asked softly.

  "I already gave you my answer," she muttered.

  "But it's not the answer I want," he drawled, "so change it."

  Aaaargh. He was doing it again, going all cocky on her that she could only glower at him even as her toes curled hard inside her boots.

  "Did I just turn you on, love?"

  "No." But this was a lie, of course, and the gleam of amusement in his sexy, blue eyes told Sarah that he was on to her, too.

  "Let me do something about it."

  "There's nothing to—-" She felt the billionaire squeeze her knee under the table, and oh God, it was more than enough to have her insides tightening with need, and she quickly sucked her breath to keep herself from making any noise.

  "You were saying?"

  She stared at him, torn between dismay and outrage. "For God's sake, Damian." They still had a hundred-plus guests staying in the same lodge as them, and they only had to be caught once—-

  His hand had moved, his fingers trailing up on the inner side of her thigh, and Sarah reacted without thinking, her legs snapping close...and trapped his hand between them in the process.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  She might just have made things worse—-

  Oh my God!

  Damian squeezed the tender skin of her thigh, and she found herself gripping one edge of the table.

  "I can make you feel like this every day, love."

  "Shut up."

  "You just have to marry me."

  "Never—-" The hand between her legs was abruptly withdrawn, and a feeling of aching emptiness immediately struck her at the loss of his touch.

  Damian leaned back against his seat and waited.

  His Sarah was defiant at first, her voice sharp as she told him off. "Don't touch me again."

  He didn't bother to answer, and soon enough, his patience was rewarded as Sarah seemed to shift restlessly in her seat.

  "You can try all you want," he murmured, "but you won't be able to make it go away. You want me too much, love."

  Sarah squeezed her eyes shut against the seductive note of inducement in the billionaire's tone.

  "It's still early enough," he purred. "We won't get caught."

  Inhale, exhale. Regulating her breathing was all she could do to distract herself from the devilish lure of the billionaire's voice, which was still doing a brilliant job in getting under her skin and stirring her senses.

  "Tell you what, love. I won't even make you ask for it."

  Oh God, oh God.

  "You only have to open your eyes and look at me..."

  Why was this man so good at tempting her?

  "And I'll take you to my office and make you cum..."

  Her pussy started to quiver.

  "No questions asked," Damian promised gravely, "before or after."

  The deliberate and deliciously wicked similarity in his words wasn't lost her at all, and before she knew it...

  Her eyelids were already fluttering open, her gaze meeting his...

  And then Damian was taking hold of her hand, and Sarah's heart started drumming loudly as he led her out of the diner. Their pace was swift, and all Sarah could do was focus on their clasped hands, not wanting to risk looking around and seeing something that could ruin the moment.

  And then suddenly, they were there, and her heart jumped to her throat as he stepped aside to let her inside his office. When she turned around, it was to hear the click of his door locking, and then he, too, was turning to face her...

  No questions asked, before or after.

  The memory of it freed her, and a whimper escaped her...just as she started running towards him.

  They met halfway, Sarah throwing herself in his arms, and the billionaire immediately covering her mouth with his the moment her limbs locked around his body. He carried her to his massive desk, and she heard things falling to the floor just before his hands shifted its hold and he was gently lowering her so she could lie flat on her back on his desk, her legs dangling over its edge.

  She didn't even think of resisting when she felt him pry her legs wide open, and she could only whimper when she felt him slowly pull her panties down her legs. Cool air brushed against her pussy a second later, and she cried out.

  "Exquisite," he rasped, "and so gloriously, fucking wet."

  The words had her shuddering with a gasp, and at the first stroke of his fingers against her folds, she found herself becoming delirious with need.

  Oh God, he was so good at this.

  So, so wonderfully good.

  So good.

  Stroke after stroke after stroke, she felt herself gradually losing her mind, until she could no longer contain herself.

  "Damian."

  She heard him growl, and her body arched helplessly at the sound.

  "Damian, please."

  And that was when his finger finally ceased its tormenting, teasing strokes and slid inside of her.

  A long, drawn out moan spilled past her lips, but it soon turned into quick, short whimpers when the thrust of his finger soon started to quicken. He was pushing deeper and harder, too, and she was finding it harder and harder to breathe as her body began to tighten.

  "Damian. Oh God. Damian."

  It was suddenly impossible to stop saying his name, and the more she said it, the hotter she burned, the fires inside of her pooling within the walls of her womanhood, and when she felt his thumb start grinding against her clit, something inside of her burst...

  He watched her come, her body buckling with every thrust of his fingers, and when her dazed gaze drifted to his, he said softly, "I love you, Sarah."

  Fourteen

  "You alright, love?"

  The words had Sarah turning to her with a gasp, and Hyacinth burst into laughter. "I knew that would get your attention...love."

  Aaaargh!

  "I heard Damian call you that this morning," Hyacinth said innocently. "Or is he the only one allowed - hey! Where are you going...love?"

  Sarah hit the slopes harder to pick up speed...and get away from Hyacinth's incessant ribbing. Note to self: Text Sheikh Rayyan about all the boys who had tried hitting on his fiancée. That should be enough to get the other girl in trouble, and the thought w
as enough to restore Sarah's good mood.

  With weather forecasts ensuring continous snow, plenty of Naomi's guests had come up and were taking it easy on the longer but more scenic route. Not in the mood for chit chat, Sarah changed courses and opted for the more complex one that would have her weaving through trees and boulders.

  For the first few minutes, she skied down at full speed, breathless and exhilarated as her skis glided over fresh, powder-soft snow. It was only when other skiers began to pop up at the second half of the trail that she was forced to slow down, and Sarah's mind began to drift aimlessly. She found herself thinking about Hardy and reminded herself to give him a call-—

  Shit.

  She knew right away she hadn't her phone with her and had left it charging in her room.

  Dumb move, Sarah Jeanne. But not as dumb as...

  She slammed on her mental brakes, but another thought had already fully formed itself in her remind, and this morning's shameful little interlude began playing back before her eyes.

  Shit, shit, shit!

  She could see it so clearly, like a translucent image superimposed over the wintry scenery. She was flat on her back, body still shaking, while Damian stared down at her, blue eyes turbulent and fierce as he said I love you those words.

  Even the memory was too much, and Sarah had to fight back against the temptation to start hyperventilating.

  He didn't mean those words, she tried convincing herself. That was just his dog-in-the-manger attitude rearing its ugly horns, and all because he thought she was having an affair with a married guy.

  If only Colton hadn't said that stupid lie, she thought waspishly. But since he had been doing it for Beth, she couldn't really blame him, and in a way, he had also been right when he told her that the lie was even better than being in a fake relationship, especially after Damian overhearing that damning call she had with Hardy.

  After reaching the end of the trail, Sarah absently made her way to the chair lifts, mind still busy trying to figure out her next move. Damian loving her was just too good to be true. She had to tell him—-

  Sarah could feel herself paling when a breeze came out of nowhere to tickle her cheek. It felt strangely familiar, like a heavensent...no, no, no! She shot a glare towards the skies, which were now more grayish than blue. I'm so over the serendipity B.S.—-whoa!

  Damian suddenly appeared out of nowhere, arm around her shoulder and dragging her to the lift chair. The next thing she knew, they were seated together, safety bar locked into place, and then they were off, with no possibility of Sarah escaping for the next fifteen minutes.

  Shit, shit, shit!

  ****

  Damian's edges were still raw even though it had already been over a few hours since Sarah had gone running out of his office. His first thought had been to go after her, but he kept seeing the look of devastation on her face, and the memory arrested his movements. Every time he told her he loved her, she would look at him as if he was breaking her heart.

  And so he decided to give her space, both of them really, even just for a few hours. He had dragged Tommy out of the kitchen and forced his PA to work alongside him for an hour. After that, he had joined Josiah in a luncheon meeting, and he had even indulged Naomi's request to join her and her friends for a quick ride that would allow for several interesting wildlife sightings.

  He had done all that and yet in the back of his mind thoughts of her refused to go. He kept seeing her face, kept seeing the way the words refused to leave even as her lips moved, and the way her eyes...God, they had been so dark and bright all at the same time, and every time he thought of those eyes, it was just all too fucking clear, how much he had hurt her all those years.

  His gaze strayed back to his laptop, its screen showing the last page of the background report he had ordered from his security chief. Five pages in total, but it all amounted to a single thing: no fucking clue to prove or disprove the identity of any Hardy in Sarah's life.

  He would've liked to believe this meant Sarah had simply made the man up, thinking it would keep him away, but his guts told him otherwise. Even if Damian were to discount Colton's words, Sarah's fear had been genuine when he threatened to tell their parents about her involvement with a married man. The man existed alright, and if Damian didn't figure out a way to win her back this weekend...he would never have her again.

  Damian poured himself a shot of whiskey and downed it all with one gulp. The liquid burned down his throat, its fiery sensation parallel the hellish fear that had resided in the pit of his guts, ever since he had found out about Sarah being involved with another man.

  Sarah was still an old-fashioned girl at heart, and there were some rules that he knew she would rather die than cross.

  That meant she was unlikely to have any physical relationship with the man, not until that Hardy asshole was legally annulled at least, but what if the other man had been able to turn her head around with some sob story? Sarah deserved more than having her virginity taken by some married loser, dammit. But that was exactly what was going to happen if he didn't make a move soon...

  The thought alone had Damian cursing, and he stalked out of his office in search for Sarah. It took him a while, but he finally found her queuing for the lifts, and the timing was just perfect. He got into the lift chair with her and smirked at the look of surprise on her face as he pulled the safety bar down.

  "Y-you—-"

  "Missed me?"

  "No!"

  He leaned back against the seat, saying solemnly, "I did."

  Furious at the way her heart skipped a beat at his words, she retorted, "You missed yourself?"

  "As I aim to be the perfect husband," the billionaire drawled, "I would always like to have honesty between us, and with that said...do you truly think that's funny, love?"

  No, she didn't, but the pained look on his beautiful face was, and she couldn't help laughing despite everything. "Oh, Damian." And the words were out before she even knew what she was thinking of saying. "Why couldn't you have been like this before?"

  The words broke both of their hearts in an instant, and Sarah jerked her gaze away from Damian the moment she felt her eyes start to sting. "I'm s-sorry—-"

  "You have nothing to apologize for," the billionaire bit out. "We both know you only spoke the truth." Damian breathed hard. "I wish it wasn't, but I was an idiot, and it took losing you to realize how much I love you...and now, I'm realizing too late just how much I hurt you as well."

  Her lips started trembling harder at his words, and she could only tighten her grip on her poles.

  "You didn't deserve to be hurt, and while I know I don't deserve another chance, I am asking for it. I want a chance to love you again and make up for all the times I hurt you."

  She didn't answer this time, and he didn't force her to.

  Instead, he leaned close and when he slowly wiped the tears from her cheeks, she let out another sob, and her tears fell even faster.

  "I r-really wish you were like this before," she said brokenly.

  "I can't change the past, but I can promise you the future will be even better than this. You just need to give me a chance."

  There wasn't a time for Sarah to answer. The lift chair had arrived at the station, and as soon as the safety bar went up, she skied out, as fast as she could, but Damian caught up to her easily.

  "We should head back," he suggested, not liking how the skies were looking. "It's getting late anyway—-"

  "You can go ahead," she offered right away.

  He simply looked at her.

  "Suit yourself." She opted for another route this time, thinking its greater number of twists and turns would allow for less talking. And so it did, since no sooner had they skied down a particular slope when something rumbled loudly behind them.

  Fifteen

  "Damian? Damian?" She was terrified to shake or move him in any way, in case he was suffering from a concussion. "Please wake up." Silence made her voice seem shriller in her e
ars, and although she knew it was only panic making her imagine things, the air around her seemed colder and thinner, making it hard to breathe. "Damian—-"

  He finally stirred, and she could've wept with relief when his dreamy blue eyes opened.

  "Avalanche?" he asked right away as he pushed himself up.

  "Wait—-"

  "It's fine," Damian cut in. "I don't feel any of the symptoms of a concussion." He turned to her, his gaze sweeping over her form as he asked, "You're alright?"

  "I am." And her voice started to shake. "B-Because you pushed me away and..."

  Seeing that her mind had forced to relive their ordeal, Damian immediately hauled her close and wrapped his arms around her. "It's alright," he murmured. "We're alright."

  "Truly?" Her voice came out muffled, with her face hidden against his chest. "You're not worried we're going to die of hypothermia?"

  "People still die of hypothermia around here," he acknowledged, "but most of them were also usually intoxicated as well." He pulled back, wanting her to see his eyes so she would know he was telling the truth. "We're not going to die here, Sarah."

  "I believe you."

  She didn't sound like it, though, Damian thought.

  "It shouldn't take too much time for someone to figure out Damian Fox is missing and rescue us." Sarah was thinking out loud in an attempt to keep her panic at bay. "But in the meantime, we need to get moving..."

  He saw her gaze drift to his skis, and that was when Damian belatedly noticed how badly damaged it was.

  "You won't be able to ski on that," Sarah felt obliged to point out.

  "No," Damian said slowly as the craziest idea occurred to him, and his heart began beating hard. "I won't. Are yours okay?"

  She shook her head.

  "I see."

  "Is that a bad 'I see' or a good 'I see'?" she asked fearfully.

  "I'm saying our current conditions aren't exactly the best, but they're still workable." After taking his skis off, Damian turned to her, asking, "Will you be alright if I leave you alone here for a moment?" When he saw her start to tense, he explained right away, "I still feel my phone in my pocket. I'll see if I can find a signal, get someone to pick us up by chopper."