Chapter 32
“Iswear if you were anyone else, I’d be giving you a damn spanking,” Saul growled the minute they got into his rental vehicle.
It was a strangely middle of the road, nondescript car. Not at all the kind of thing she expected him to drive.
“What are you doing here?” She repeated her question from earlier, ignoring the spanking threat, even though it warmed her insides. As much as she professed to be a masochist, she thought she might rather enjoy it.
Funishment.
Yeah, she could get behind that. And the fact that he cared enough to administer it warmed her insides and replaced the chill she’d felt when it looked like Ned was going to get off with a slap on the wrist.
But she wanted some explanations first.
“Why aren’t you in New York dealing with the auction?” That was the burning question.
“The threat has been neutralized,” he told her, like it wasn’t something that might have upended his entire life. “So perhaps we can get to what you’re doing here?”
Sadie collapsed back in her seat, tonguing the cut on the inside of her mouth where Ned had hit her, and pressing hesitant fingers to her cheek. Now the adrenaline had worn off, she could feel the pain, which until now had been dampened.
She sucked in a breath, filled her senses with the familiar, comforting scent of him, sandalwood and man, then exhaled through her mouth, centering herself, and allowing the stresses of the day to disperse.
She was glad Saul was here. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been until he stepped in to protect her.
And that was a novelty in itself… though she couldn’t help wondering what it all meant.
Why was renowned billionaire Saul Stephens here, taking care of her, when he surely must have much more important things to deal with?
Don’t read anything into it, she warned herself, sternly.
But damn, did she want to.
She saw Saul's hands tighten on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. "You didn't answer my question, Sadie. What the hell were you thinking, coming here alone?"
She bit her lip, wincing as it pulled at her injured cheek. “I decided I needed to face my demons. That it was the only way to be free of them. It’s what I would advise my clients to do, when they’re ready.”
She shifted in her seat and threw a glance his way. “You were going off to literally take your life in your hands, facing off with some of the most dangerous people in the world, and I… well, I just didn’t want to be so pathetic anymore.”
Saul's expression softened, and he let out a long sigh.
"Sadie, you've never been pathetic. Far from it. You’re one of the strongest women I know, and you help other people find their strength, too.
" He reached over and gently took her hand, his thumb caressing her knuckles.
"I understand the need to face your fears head-on. I just wish you had told me. I would have come with you, so you didn’t have to do it alone. "
“Honestly, it was kind of one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions. I didn’t want to wait, in case I lost my nerve. And also…” she paused and looked away, unable to meet his eyes as she spoke her biggest fear. “I didn’t know if you’d be coming back.”
He pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned to face her fully. "Sadie, I need you to understand something. You're important to me. I know it’s been a hot minute, but the only thing that would have stopped me coming back was if Jimenez had managed to take me out.”
Sadie shook her head, struggling to accept what he was saying. Struggling to believe. “I’m broken,” she whispered. “Too much hard work. I know this about myself. I’ve accepted it.”
“Hey…” Saul hooked his finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I’m a very wealthy man who could have spent my entire life just living off the interest and dividends of my savings and investments. I didn’t need to lift a finger my entire life, if I so chose.”
He paused long enough that she had no choice but to weigh his words.
She knew they were the truth. It was something she’d considered more than once when trying to figure this man out.
“Instead, I chose to work undercover for the government. You think I would have done that if I wanted an easy life?”
Sadie's breath caught in her throat as she absorbed Saul's words. He stared at her intently, and she couldn’t deny the sincerity in his eyes. He confounded her. Reduced her arguments to absurdities.
"I... I don't know what to say," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly as her mind raced.
Saul's hand moved from her chin to cup her cheek gently, mindful of her injury.
"You don't have to say anything. I know it’s early days and we’re only just starting to find our way together.
Just know that I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere.
I want to see where this goes, Sadie Jones.
I want you to give us a chance, because together, I think we can be something amazing. "
He leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted, but there was no choice.
She was drawn to him like a magnet. Their lips met in a soft, tender kiss that quickly deepened as layers of doubt and distrust fell away.
There was still more encasing Sadie’s heart, but Saul seemed determined to prove she could trust him.
Would he really always be there for her?
He’d come today, hadn’t he? Even though he absolutely, undoubtedly, had more important things to deal with after the danger he’d been in.
Could she be open to the idea? She felt like she owed him that much, at least. And the truth was… she wanted to. Desperately.
She just needed to put her ingrained fear aside, and that was a big thing for her.
But she’d already done it, hadn’t she?
She’d returned to her own home and faced off with the biggest monster to ever enter her life. Saul was nothing like Ned. He listened to her, supported her, helped her step outside the confines of her fear so she could be the best version of herself.
How could she not take a chance on something with so much promise?
Her thoughts were pushed aside as Saul's tongue teased at the seam of her lips. Sadie moaned softly, parted willingly, and reveled in his taste as he sipped oh so gently so he didn’t reopen the cut on her lip.
His hand slid into her hair, cradling the back of her head as he angled her face to deepen the kiss further.
When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily. Saul rested his forehead against hers, and despite everything that had happened that day, her body thrummed with desire.
“I’m falling for you, Sadie,” Saul whispered, his eyes intense and glittering as they dared her to deny it.
Sadie opened her mouth to object. It was almost a reflex action, because her battered psyche couldn’t fathom how it could possibly be true, even though she most certainly felt the same.
“You don’t need to say anything. You don’t need to reciprocate,” Saul warned, pressing a light and mindful finger to her injured mouth. “All I ask is that you respect my feelings enough not to challenge them. I know how I feel, Sadie.”
The rejection died on her lips. How could she possibly deny him that?
The hope she’d felt when she decided to leave the island came galloping back full speed. It might still be just a tiny seed, but it had the capability to grow into a mighty force.