by Linzi Basset
He sighed. Some days he didn’t have the strength to deal with the demands of the corporate world. What made it more challenging was that his two best friends worked for him. He’d put them in charge of the day-to-day running of Blue Grade Financial, the investment firm he’d established in his late twenties that had made him into a billionaire at the young age of thirty-two. Specifically, to free up some of his time to do what he loved the most. Shaping and forming young adults by way of a good education. Contrary to beliefs, his wealth was self-made and the result of hard work. His lips flattened. He was born to a rich family but he had cut himself off from them ten years earlier when he’d finally realized to what levels they would rise to have control over his life.
“It’s none of your business,” he snapped at whatever was said in his ear. “I’ve got to—” He dragged in an annoyed breath as he was interrupted. “Sage Porter and that’s all you’re getting. Don’t call me unless it’s an emergency.” He abruptly ended the call and headed to the bathroom.
“Why don’t you go down to eat while I take a shower? I won’t be long. Order me a proper breakfast, please love.”
Sage snorted as the sound of the shower turning on floated toward her. She was overcome with curiosity and irritated that he had no intention of telling her about the phone call she’d walked in on, which had clearly been about her.
“A proper breakfast. Gmphf. How the devil am I supposed to know what a man the size of a bear means by that?” she grumbled as she walked down the stairs.
Lucky for Sage, Luna knew Cole well enough and trotted off to the kitchen, saying with a broad smile, “I’ll personally take care of the dear boy’s breakfast.”
“That man probably hasn’t been called a dear boy since he was out of diapers,” Sage mumbled as she looked around the packed dining room. She was cranky and at a guess, Cole knew it, which was why he’d walked circles around her since she got up earlier.
He was obviously adamant to prove to her that he was a man of his word. The shower hadn’t helped to cool her heated core, courtesy of the dratted man who had wrapped her into his arms and kept her against his huge warm body all damn night long.
Lord, it had been heaven.
A sigh dragged like heavy clouds from her chest. But did he do anything else but sleep? Like hell he did. Least of all to attend to the lust that had kept her awake throughout the night, which had surged higher every time he moved or, heaven help her, when he lodged his thick thigh between hers and pushed it against her wet center.
Sage was nibbling on fresh strawberries when shouts from all over the dining room drew her attention.
“Morning Dean Sawyer!”
“Hey Dean Sawyer!”
The fluttering in her stomach as she watched him weave his way through the tables to where she sat in front of the window was all too familiar. It happened every time she saw him. This time was no different, no matter that she shared a room with him.
The confidence he exuded was like a cloak around him. Every step, every swing of his arms, and the way he tilted his head as he joked around with the students bespoke a man used to power. Not for the first time since she’d signed that agreement, Sage was overcome with doubt. How in the world could she live up to the expectations such a man would have? For that matter, compete with women like Ally Neil who burst with seductive prowess. She cringed to think of the sharp corporate type women or the celebrities he rubbed shoulders with. Sage didn’t even know how to flirt properly, let alone seduce a man. It was one of the reasons she’d embraced the BDSM Lifestyle. There, she didn’t have to think about how to act, how to smile, or what to say to entice a man. All she had to do was relax and allow the Dom to guide her to bliss. Not that it had happened to date … well … not until Master Cratos spanked and fucked her. It might have been a punishment but, sweet heaven, it had been exquisite.
“Why the frown, love?”
Cole’s deep voice yanked her attention back to him as he sat down and studied her intently.
“Who says it’s a frown. It might be my first wrinkles,” she quipped in an effort to escape his scrutiny. Being in a constant state of arousal made her fragile and she didn’t have the strength to stand up to his masterful interrogation skills. She gestured toward the students. “They all love you.”
Cole glanced around the room, smiling at those who caught his gaze. “They’re a good bunch of kids.” He looked at her. “Is that all you’re having for breakfast?”
“No, but I assume Luna decided to hold onto my food and bring it with yours.” She smiled as the gray-haired woman came scurrying over with two steaming plates of food. “See?”
“Morning, dearie. Your usual,” she beamed as she placed the food in front of them. She snapped her fingers at one of the servers. “Where’s the coffee, Billy?” She shook her head and smiled at Cole. “These youngsters today, you have to keep them on their toes all the time. Did you sleep well, young lady?”
“Oh,” Sage was startled as her attention turned her way, “yes, I did, thank you.”
“Liar,” Cole said under his breath for her ears only, which turned red under his obvious amusement.
The degenerate man knew how she’d suffered. She’d bet her Christmas bonus that every move he’d made during the night had been with one deliberate aim in mind. To keep feeding her need to climax.
“I need to get back to the kitchen. Enjoy.” Luna waved as she walked away.
The breakfast smelled delicious and they eagerly dug into their meals. Sage relaxed at the comfortable silence between them. It was incomprehensible how at ease she was in Cole’s presence, especially so soon after the dynamic of their initial boss-employee relationship changed into that of sharing intimate quarters.
“What is our route for today?” She dabbed her lips with a pristine cotton napkin as she pushed back her empty plate.
“Our first stop will be at Lanark Village to browse the markets and art shops. Along the way, we’ll have a couple of stops to appreciate the coastline, so it’ll take us approximately three hours. From there, another two-and-a-half hours to Cedar Key City Island, where we’ll overnight.”
“Cedar Key? I’ve read about it. There’s a Wildlife Refuge as well if I remember correctly and it has an abundance of birdlife.”
“Yes, and the State Park offers amazing nature trails. There’s an amazing museum home depicting the town’s 1920 history, filled with artifacts from that era.”
“Sounds idyllic.” She looked dreamily out of the window. As a professor, she didn’t have the funds to go on expensive vacations and mainly went on short trips with Talia so they could share the cost. Luxurious lodges like this one weren’t in their price range. She sighed and glanced at him. “This trip is so many firsts for me.”
Cole looked at her. His gaze sharpened as he noticed the pinched look on her face. “Meaning?”
“I didn’t have a family. Not my own, anyway. Apparently, my mother was barely sixteen when she got pregnant. She was adamant to take care of her love child against her parents’ wishes. My father didn’t feel the same and she was left to raise me on her own.” Her eyes darkened but she didn’t look away. “You might as well know who and what I am if this relationship is going to work.”
“Your past is irrelevant, love. It’s who and what you are now that matters.” He took her hand and squeezed it gently. “Don’t define yourself with something you had no control over.”
“Believe me, I’ve given myself that speech many times since I became an adult. It’s easier said than done.” She looked at their hands and took a deep breath before she continued. “I suppose she tried … for three months before she left me on the steps of a convent with a note.” She smiled wryly. “It said, ‘her name is Sage, like the evocatively fragrant herbal name that also connotes wisdom, giving her a double advantage, because I know she’s going to need it in life. Tell her … I tried.’”
“Sage—”
She placed her other hand atop his and smiled trem
ulously. “No, I want to tell you.” She frowned. “I’ve never needed to, not even Talia knows the entire sordid tale. I have no idea why I have this driving desire for you to know.”
“I’m honored, love.”
“The convent wasn’t set up to take care of a baby and I ended up in foster care.” Her lips thinned. “I stopped counting how many families I was shipped off to after the sixth time. People who were happy to take care of a young child for a year or two and then as soon as they had their own … I wasn’t needed anymore.” She drew strength from Cole taking her hand in his and massaging her palm. “Until Ruth and Eckard Porter took me in. They were an older couple and couldn’t have children. I was nine. When they told me, I refused to go. I couldn’t face the same rejection. Needless to say, I wasn’t given a choice. It was also the best thing that ever happened to me. Two years later, on my eleventh birthday, they showed me the adoption papers. They legally adopted me.” Her smile was less bitter. “If not for them, I don’t know how I would’ve ended up. They taught me values and gave me hope. They weren’t wealthy but always made sure I was happy.” She teared up. “They both worked two jobs to get me through university and insisted I obtain my master’s degree in teaching.”
“Do you still see them?”
Her smile slipped. “They were killed in a car crash seven years ago, which is why I moved to New Orleans. We lived in Hodge, a village in Jackson Parish, Louisiana. Everyone knew me and I couldn’t take the sympathetic looks, the constant well wishes and had to leave.” A smile quivered on her lips. “I never had the opportunity to give them back financially what they suffered to offer me a good life.”
“I’m sure they knew how much you loved them, Sage.” He brushed away a forlorn tear. “One thing I’m very happy about is that leaving Hodge ensured you eventually ended up at Sawyer Academy.”
“Sometimes I wonder.” She started as his hands tightened around hers. She’d said it under her breath, definitely not intending him to hear.
“Why is that?”
“You have to ask? It seems nothing I do is ever good enough. You’re forever on my case about something.”
“Hmm … have you ever wondered why?”
His gaze held hers captive and for the first time, he didn’t hide his emotions behind an impassive veil. She blinked, wondering if she was mistakenly seeing what she wished reflected her own feelings.
“Yes, love, I’ve admired and desired you from the first day you walked into my office, but I have a strict rule never to get emotionally involved with employees.”
“And yet, here we are.”
“Indeed, but you are the one who rolled the dice and sealed your own fate.”
“Pray tell, how exactly did I manage that?”
“You invaded my privacy when you came to my club. You opened the door and I had no intention of allowing you to shut it again.”
“Hold on a minute. I’ve been going to The Rouge Lounge for almost a year. If what you claim is true, why wait until now?”
“Because I only saw you there three months ago. I hardly ever go to the club over weekends. I prefer to go when it’s quieter and mainly to do demonstrations.”
“So, that’s why the mighty Master Cratos suddenly was everywhere I turned. You were stalking me!”
“Hardly, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of my presence.”
“Why the mask? Or was it for my benefit?”
“I always wear it to any club I visit. I’m a prominent figure all over the US and especially in the corporate world. Sawyer Academy Group of Universities is nationwide and one of the most prestigious and sought after in the country. If anyone recognizes me, reporters will have a field day. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ashamed of the lifestyle I choose to live but I’m not prepared to take the chance that the people who work for me, the students and the members of the club suffer because of it.”
“And your family?”
The mask was back within a blink of an eye. Cole glanced at his watch. “It’s time to get going. I don’t want to arrive too late at Cedar Key. I arranged a sunset dolphin cruise for the group late afternoon.”
“Oh, my! Look at that one. I swear he jumped thirty feet high!” The excited shriek came from Brenna who slapped her hands over her mouth in astonishment at the dolphin doing a coiling jump into the air.
Sage and Talia were amongst the students hanging over the side of the sixty-foot Corinthian Catamaran, big enough to accommodate the entire group. She felt like a schoolgirl on her first field trip. She’d been to the Theme Park numerous times and always loved watching the dolphins perform but this was the first time she’d witnessed them at sea.
“Isn’t this amazing?” she all but shouted at Talia to be heard over the students' shouts and laughter.
“Absolutely.” Talia nudged her in the side. “Aren’t you glad you came along now?”
“Oh yes. I didn’t expect a bike road trip to include activities such as these, not to mention that we’re not roughing it in tents and camping out as I imagined.”
Talia laughed. She winked saucily at her. “Not to mention the sexy hunk you get to share a bed with throughout the trip.”
“Talia! There are kids around.”
“Gmphf, young adults, and believe me, it’s not as if they don’t know what the two of you are up to when the lights are out.” She laughed at the red hue coating Sage’s cheeks. “Come on friend! Details. Give me the juice.”
“There’s nothing to tell. I said I needed a couple of days to get used to the idea of a relationship and he’s giving it to me.”
Talia stared at her like a fish gasping out of water. “You did what?”
“Yes … it was stupid, especially since he makes a point of arousing me to the point of combusting and then he backs off … he freaking leaves me to suffer.” She stabbed a finger on the rail. “No doubt, he wants me to beg for it.”
“How far are you from falling on your knees and doing just that?”
“Passed it this morning already. Damn, do you have any idea how painful it is to be this aroused and pressed against that hard, muscled frame the entire day? I swear my loins are bruised from the pressure of holding back.”
Talia laughed as she patted her on the back. “Hard-headedness isn’t too far removed from stupidity, girlfriend, especially in this situation. Stick your pride in your pocket and feed your sexual hunger. Don’t be a martyr. I’m sure it’s nothing other than a source of amusement to the powerful Master Cratos.”
“Oh, believe me, I’m well aware of that.” She squealed along with everyone as four dolphins jumped up right in front of them, splashing them with a spray of water in the process. Her laughter trilled above the rest as she stepped back and brushed the water from her face, pulling at the t-shirt that stuck to her like a second skin. Luckily, she was wearing a bikini underneath but she still felt exposed as she noticed her nipples pushing against the material.
Her cheeks warmed as she glanced up and noticed Cole leaning against the rail with the other male professors. His gaze was glued to her breasts. The heat emanating from the look all but singed her on the spot not to mention what it did to her girlie bits, which all but threatened to combust. His eyes rose to hers, robbing her breath from her throat. It was more than a look; it was a promise. Hell, it felt like he was reaching out and brushing his hands over her extended nipples, the punch of it was that potent.
“Ugh, I’m so freaking screwed,” she moaned as she finally managed to break his gaze and spun back to the railing, only to be splashed afresh from another playful display of the dolphins.
“Seeing as you’re already wet, why don’t you go for a swim with them?”
Sage shrieked when she suddenly became airborne as Cole lifted her effortlessly in his arm and tossed her overboard like she was as light as a feather. Her scream was cut short as the water swallowed her. She frantically turned to swim to the surface, aware of the big bodies of the dolphins all around her. Panic set in as they ci
rcled closer.
Then he was there. His big arms caught her against him and with one strong kick, he bore them upward.
“You asshole!” she slapped his shoulder the moment she caught her breath. “I could’ve drowned.”
“Ah, now love, don’t you trust me to take care of you?”
“How was I supposed to know you were going to follow me in. For that matter, I might not even be able to swim—eeek! What was that?”
Sage clamped her arms and legs around Cole and clung for dear life as she felt something smooth brush against her legs.
“Easy, love. It’s just the dolphins’ way of greeting you.”
“I’m not so sure I want to be this close to them,” she said in a small voice as she glanced around, realizing they were swimming all around them, some so close, they bumped against Cole’s back.
“It’ll be a pity to get back on the boat without even trying,” he said in a smooth tone, the same one that always managed to ease her fears.
“Trying what?”
“Swimming with them.”
“I know dolphins aren’t sharks but they still look kinda intimidating up close.”
Cole eased her legs from around his back with a smile that gave him that bad boy look. “Not that I’m not enjoying your legs around me and pressing your hot little center so tight against me but let go, love.”
“Trust you to put a sexual innuendo in a situation like this.” Sage glared at him but did as he asked and relaxed her legs from around his hips. Her arms around his neck, however, refused to obey the command from her brain.
“Come, I’ll be with you the entire time, love, but I promise you, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be thrilled.”
“The hang of what?” she said fearfully as he pried loose her arms and took her hand while the other circled her waist. He turned on his side and floated. His strength and calmness managed to filter through and Sage began to relax against him, allowing the cool ocean to soothe her mind.
“Ah, here he comes, love. Don’t be scared. Just follow my instructions.”