Ryan’s announcement started to hit Sarah.
While she was excited for him, she’d never envisaged a life where she’d return to her home in London and Ryan wouldn’t be there. Suddenly she felt melancholy.
She had to swallow past a sudden tightness in her throat before she could speak. ‘I understand you’d want to move out and live with your gorgeous wife. Just make sure it’s somewhere close by because I guarantee I’ll be on your doorstep frequently when I’m in London.’
‘You’d better be!’
The apartment intercom buzzed.
‘That’ll be William letting me know Eddie is waiting and I’m running late.’ Sarah always used Eddie as her driver when she was in London so her home address remained unknown.
‘Have fun and give Nick a chance. He seems like a good guy and Helen says he’s single and hot.’
Sarah rolled her eyes not sure why her brother would be pushing her towards the billionaire. ‘It’s not a date, Ryan. It’s a business dinner.’
‘You could make it a date.’
No, she couldn’t. Nick might be single and hot but there was only one reason he was having dinner with her. Besides, although they’d declared a truce, tonight was likely to be politely formal at best. ‘Don’t wait up for me. Under this contract, this dinner is expected to last until midnight.’ She only hoped the five hours didn’t drag.
‘So it should. The guy’s paid all that money and you’re already going to be late. Be nice.’
‘When am I ever not nice?’
‘When someone threatens those self-protective barriers you’ve erected around yourself.’
Sarah stopped in her tracks and looked long and hard at her brother. Since when had he noticed? It wasn’t as if he saw her interacting with many people.
‘I see a lot more than you might think.’ His expression was grave. ‘Just because you’ve dated a few guys who’ve turned out to be bloody dicks, it doesn’t mean every guy is.’
Sarah started to laugh at his unexpected comment when the intercom buzzed again.
‘I really have to go. Thank you for caring.’ She kissed his cheek again. ‘Have a great trip away at the conference and—’ she lowered her voice, ‘—I’ll look forward to celebrating when you return with your fiancée.’
She smiled as she made her way out of the apartment and down to the car. Yet, once she was settled inside, heaviness settled over her.
Even though Ryan was capable and independent in almost everything, Sarah had lived most of her life feeling as though he was her responsibility. It wasn’t a task she resented. How could she when they were so close?
Naturally, she wanted him to be happy and to lead as normal a life as possible, but to her shame she’d never thought about him falling in love and marrying. Again, she wondered how she hadn’t picked up on the vibe between Ryan and Helen. It’d been right there in front of her and she’d completely missed it.
A flare of panic shot through her.
With Ryan and Helen marrying, where did that leave her?
She’d submerged herself in her work. She’d wanted to keep so busy she didn’t dwell on the past and didn’t contemplate the future, plus it’d been important to earn as much as possible. It wasn’t only that she wanted to make the most of the limited shelf-life in this line of work but also so she could make sure she and Ryan were set up for life and that she could support the charities that were important to them.
As far as relationships went, or even close friendships, apart from Ryan, Helen and Rose, there were very few others who knew her well enough to be considered close friends. Although she got on very well with nearly all the women she modelled with and would usually go out with them for a quick meal after a photo shoot overseas, in London she’d always declined invitations because she wanted to be home with Ryan.
In the near future, she’d need to give Ryan and Helen space to get on with their life together. Her apartment in London would become like any hotel suite in any city of the world because there’d be nobody to come home to. She’d be completely alone in her home city as much as she was anywhere else in the world.
‘Miss Bryant, we’re here,’ Eddie told her as he opened the car door for her.
Oh dear. She’d been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t even realised they’d stopped. ‘Thanks, Eddie.’
As hard as she tried, she couldn’t quite shake herself out of the heaviness of her mood as she got out of the car and walked towards the restaurant.
Ryan’s forging ahead with his own life against the odds of his paraplegia was wonderful but it meant the future she’d always envisaged was changing.
Give Nick a chance. Ryan’s words replayed through her mind.
It was a crazy suggestion.
It was merely a case of Ryan and Helen both playing matchmaker with a guy who happened to be having dinner with her.
A single guy.
A hot guy. Actually a very hot guy.
A guy who’d been incredibly magnanimous in accepting her apology and agreeing to move forward in their working relationship despite her rudeness.
That’s it, Sarah. Working relationship. All he wants from you is for you to do this documentary.
Although Rose had warned he might want a lot more.
If he did …
Oh don’t be ridiculous. Now get in there and convince him you’ll be ideal to do this documentary.
Chapter 10
‘Mademoiselle Bryant, it’s such a pleasure to see you again.’ The owner of the restaurant, Raphael Dubois, opened the door and greeted her.
‘Thanks, Raphael.’ Sarah had dined at Raphael’s on several occasions and had always liked the Frenchman.
As she stepped into the restaurant, she was immediately struck by the silence. There was no chatting above the soft piano music—no chinking of glasses, sounds of silver against china plates and no soft buzz of conversation. Something was definitely amiss. At this time, the restaurant was normally packed yet tonight it was empty.
‘Raphael, where are all your diners?’
The Frenchman smiled broadly and motioned for her jacket. ‘You and Mr Henderson are my only guests this evening, Mademoiselle.’
‘I don’t understand.’ She slipped out of the jacket and handed it to him, forgetting in her confusion that she’d intended to leave the jacket on. ‘Your restaurant is usually booked out weeks in advance.’
‘It seems Monsieur Henderson is so enamoured of you that he’s handsomely compensated all those who had reservations and booked the entire restaurant so you can both dine in privacy.’ He chuckled. ‘I would not have expected it from an Englishman! This is so very French of him to do something so romantic, n’est ce pas? You’re very fortunate, mademoiselle.’
‘Not at all, Raphael,’ Nick’s deep voice broke in. ‘I’m the fortunate one.’ He reached forward and kissed Sarah’s cheek. ‘Thank you for being here. You look lovely, Sarah.’
Sarah’s sombre mood lifted and her heart began hammering furiously against her ribs.
Everything in both his words and manner underlined that they were starting afresh and all animosity had been buried.
The feel of his lips against her cheek had warmed her through. The slight spiciness of his aftershave made her want to take a deeper breath, and the sight of him in his dinner suit made her decidedly light-headed.
Oh damn but he really was hot and now she knew he’d been a hero that night on the yacht, not a villain, it was going to be a struggle to resist her attraction to him.
‘Let me show you both to your table.’ Raphael’s voice broke through the magic of the moment that held her in stasis.
Their table was in a secluded far corner of the restaurant. It was a long way from the one she’d booked close to the door. Still, they were the only ones in the restaurant. It wasn’t as if they’d have to fight their way through a panicked crowd if they needed to leave in a hurry.
Once seated, Sarah battled against behaving like a love-struck adoles
cent.
‘Thank you for suggesting dinner tonight,’ Nick said as Raphael unfolded the crisp linen serviettes and placed them on their laps.
‘It’s a good opportunity for us to get to know each other before we work together.’
‘Would you like a glass of your favourite champagne, Mademoiselle?’
Why not celebrate tonight? ‘Thank you, Raphael.’
‘I’ll stick with the red wine thanks, Raphael,’ Nick said.
When the drinks were poured and their host had left them to peruse the menu Sarah asked, ‘Why did you book out the entire restaurant?’
‘You were upset when I bid for dinner with you. You said you were afraid people would get the wrong impression. Obviously my early exit last night was more fodder for the gossip columns this morning. I thought if we were seen dining together tonight, it would attract more unwanted media attention.’ He shrugged. ‘In the age where people are more than happy to take a snap on their mobile phones and send it through to a newspaper, I thought I’d take measures to keep tonight private.’
Goodness. He didn’t do things by halves. ‘Thank you. It was very considerate of you.’
‘Sounds like I got it right. I was a little concerned after I’d organised it that you might think I was ‘flaunting my wealth’.’
Sarah grimaced. ‘No more references to my terrible misunderstanding and my subsequent behaviour, please.’
‘Okay. Tonight you get to impress me with the real Sarah Bryant.’
She scrunched up her nose briefly. ‘I’m not sure I’ll impress you but hopefully you won’t feel the need to get up and leave.’
‘I’m sure I won’t.’ His sensual mouth curved into an irresistibly sexy smile that made her pulse trip. ‘So, I know you’re a model and that your parents were marine biologists. I also know you’re the patron of the Extend Foundation. Tell me more about Sarah Bryant.’
‘You already know more about me than I know about you.’
Oh heavens. That sounded way too breathless.
‘I’m a businessman, my parents are bankers and you now work for my sister. You know I’m a co-founder of NOCO. I think that makes us about even. So you first, tell me one thing about yourself that nobody else knows,’ he challenged. ‘What’s the first thing that comes to mind?’
‘I’d love to have a dog.’ Goodness! She hadn’t even known it was true until the words were out.
‘What sort of dog?’
She shook her head and her laugh was small and somewhat embarrassed. ‘I’m completely perplexed. I have no idea where that thought came from.’
‘Interesting.’
Long, masculine fingers closed around the stem of his wineglass and looking at them made her aware of the male-female differences between her and Nick.
Once she’d swallowed down on her suddenly dry throat she asked, ‘Don’t tell me you’re going to psychoanalyse my response?’
‘I don’t have a degree in psychology, but if I did I think I’d ask—what’s stopping you from having a dog?’
It didn’t even enter her head to refuse to play along with him. ‘How could I possibly have a dog when I’m away from London most of the time and, when I am here, there are very few days I’m not working?’
He swallowed some of his wine and her gaze fixed on the notch in the tanned column of his neck as it moved up and down.
It was as though she was seeing him for the first time—really seeing how arrantly attractive he was now she had no barriers of prejudice up against him. He was actually thoroughly charming and urbane. Everything about him held an acute fascination for her, from the way he drank his wine to the way his lips tugged into a smile.
‘There’s your answer.’ He looked at her over the top of the glass.
What was her answer?
Was he talking about her acute fascination for him?
Sarah laughed through her awkwardness at having completely lost the thread of their conversation. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you read tea leaves as well?’
‘The dog is symbolic of you wanting to settle down.’ He moved his glass a little so the red wine swirled around in it. ‘If you had a dog, you’d have a stable home base. You wouldn’t be part of the jet-setting international modelling scene anymore.’
Oh my God.
‘Am I right?’ he pressed.
Quite possibly. ‘Don’t quit your day job. I don’t think you’d do very well as a psychologist.’ She picked up her champagne flute and let the effervescent liquid slide down her throat, hoping he’d fill the silence. Unwittingly he’d struck a chord of need she’d never acknowledged. The prospect of leaving her job and settling down was incredibly appealing but even when Ryan and Helen were married, there was still a reason it was unlikely to happen.
‘You still enjoy the jet-setting after so long in the industry?’ he asked.
‘The thought of going to different international locations was exciting at first. However, the reality of the job is very different from the image.’ She smiled in resignation as she explained, ‘I’ve been photographed in front of the Eiffel Tower, but I’ve never had a chance to visit any of the art galleries in Paris, to take a cruise down the Seine or to merely sit and have a coffee in a cafe on the Champs-Elysée and watch the Parisians go by. There’s no time to play tourist in any of the cities I visit. The schedules are gruelling as the photographers try to capture shots at first light and all through the day until dusk.’
‘How did you get into modelling?’
Even though she knew it was a perfectly natural question, it was one of the reasons she refused to give interviews. If she answered it honestly it would reveal more than she generally told anyone. Yet Nick seemed genuinely interested and the conversation was so easy between them she didn’t want to spoil it.
She replaced the champagne flute onto the starched, white linen tablecloth but kept hold of the stem and twisted the glass slowly. ‘I started out working as an unqualified nanny for Rose Harris. She told me I could have a future in modelling. Eventually, she became my agent and manager. I started out doing photo shoots and recently she convinced me I should try fashion shows. I was twenty when I started in the fashion industry.’
After the incident on the yacht, Sarah had been happy to wait for Rose to launch her career. In fact, she’d even been a bit reticent in the end to go down the modelling pathway. Her desire to pull Ryan out of the government run home he’d ended up in and have him live with her had been her prime motivation. She’d wanted to ensure Ryan had someone to help him with the things he couldn’t manage so he could attend university. Rose had assured her that she’d do extremely well in modelling and Sarah wasn’t qualified in any other field.
‘Do you enjoy modelling?’
Another question that prodded at the lid of her personal Pandora’s box. ‘I enjoy the security of the income it provides.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘I’d already guessed you don’t do it for the fame or your public visibility would be much higher.’
‘You told me you also value your privacy.’
‘I do. I grew up in a very wealthy family and lived my childhood shadowed by two bodyguards. Every move I made was monitored.’
‘No wonder you want your privacy.’ She looked around the room. ‘Are your bodyguards outside?’
‘Yes. I’m mindful my wealth could make me a kidnapping target, and although that doesn’t happen very often outside a Hollywood movie, it’s always a possibility. I don’t want to get paranoid about it.’ He waved a hand in dismissal. ‘My mother’s grandparents hired bodyguards for their children following the kidnapping and death of a child whose parents were very wealthy. Their paranoia was passed down the line which is why Mum employed bodyguards to watch over Jocelyn and me. As an adult I went for several years without security but my closest friends urged me to have bodyguards when an attempt was made on the life of a friend’s wife.’ He shrugged. ‘I relented.’
‘That must’ve been scary.�
�� She frowned. ‘I’ve never contemplated having a bodyguard, but then again I’m rarely out in public. When I am I generally try to disguise my appearance.’
‘Really?’
‘It’s not so hard—large sunglasses, a wig and a baseball cap do wonders!’
He returned her smile. ‘Tell me about your family.’
She hesitated as her protective instincts kicked in. ‘I have a younger brother.’ It wouldn’t hurt to admit that much to Nick.
‘Are you close?’
‘Extremely. How about you and Jocelyn?’
He smiled. ‘Aggravatingly so. Because she’s my older sister she’s convinced she always knows best.’
‘Oh dear. I think my brother might say the same of me.’
It was all small talk, and yet, as Raphael approached the table, Sarah realised Nick was a good conversationalist and she’d relaxed.
Okay, maybe she wasn’t completely relaxed.
Her pulse went haywire whenever he smiled, and she was very aware of everything about him—from the sexy masculine stubble along his jawline to the length of his fingers as they held the stem of his wine glass. Then there was the delightful shape of his lips …
No. On second thoughts, relaxed wasn’t the right word because part of her was too alert to everything about him.
‘May I take your orders?’ Raphael asked.
Pulling her mind back to the menu, Sarah scanned the items. She selected an entree then, after she’d ordered her favourite duck à l’orange to be followed by a crème brûlée.
The dessert was Ryan’s favourite.
Her thoughts flew to her brother.
Ryan had urged her to give Nick a chance and the evening was progressing very well.
Her heart cramped a little as she thought of her brother. She wanted him to move on with his life and to be happy, and it was ridiculous to feel she was being left behind, yet there it was.
‘Sarah?’
Raphael had gone. The menus had been removed.
Seduced by the Billionaire Page 10