There was a strange feeling on his head, a pressure. Fingers stroking his hair tenderly. He knew that touch, would know it anywhere. He opened his eyes and raised his head.
Sarah smiled down at him, her face pale, dark shadows under her eyes but still…alive and smiling and so, so, so fucking beautiful…
“Oh god, thank you, thank you…” he choked out as he took her face in his hands and kissed her.
A year later…
Sarah Quinn swept her hair up into a loose ponytail and went out of the back door to find her husband. She soon found him in the large garden of their new home, running around and playing like a teenager with Scooter and Biggs – their two large and very silly rescue dogs. Sarah joined in with their game, passing a drool-soaked tennis ball back and forth to Isaac as the dogs barked and snapped at it. She started giggling as the dogs tackled Isaac to the ground and went crazy both trying to get the ball and licking their new master.
“Yeah,” she said, “you look like…what was it… America’s Hottest Billionaire…right now.”
Isaac grinned up at her and she pulled him up. He locked his arms around her and kissed her, nibbled on her ear to make her squirm. “Tickles,” she protested, chuckling. “Anyway, I came out to find you. Molly and the kids will be here soon.”
Molly, who had always been a Seattle girl, had politely turned down Isaac’s offer to buy her and Mike a new home in Portland. Now that Isaac and Sarah had moved down there permanently, they didn’t see her as much and Sarah missed her.
“You’ve already been so generous,” Molly had said, the night Isaac had asked her and Mike the question. Sarah had still been in hospital but well on the way to recovery and she and Isaac had decided very quickly to leave the city, leave the state.
“I love this city,” Sarah had told him, “but too much has happened here. I need to move on.”
Within the week, QuinnCorp’s had opened a new office in Portland and Sarah was looking at properties. Isaac had told her to choose whatever she wanted and now they had this beautiful European-style home, all exposed brickwork, and massive fireplaces. So different from her old home. That had been her only other condition. She wanted to start again – completely. She even let Isaac have free-reign about how much money he spent on her. Everything was different. New.
Sarah had enrolled at the University of Oregon to finish her architectural degree, much to Isaac’s delight. “When you graduate,” he said, “I have the perfect project for you.”
She had looked at him curiously but he wouldn’t tell her what it was.
Now, she tugged him into the house. “Come on, wash up. You’re a bad influence on those kids.”
Molly arrived and they were soon surrounded by hugs and love and kisses and the kids, hopped up on sugary drinks from their journey. Mike had come too, deciding at the last minute to join the gathering.
When they were settled in the garden, Isaac fired up the barbecue and began cooking while Sarah excused herself.
Molly watched Mike and the kids playing with the dogs for a moment then went to see if Isaac needed any help.
“How’s she settling in?” She asked after some easy chatter. Isaac grinned widely.
“Wonderfully. She’s doing so good, Molly, you should see her.”
Molly smiled and hugged him. “I’m so glad.”
Isaac looked up to see Sarah coming out of the house, a loving smile on her beautiful face – and a small child in her arms. Her dark skin looked like her mother’s – despite the fact they shared not one drop of DNA. Sarah brought her and Isaac’s newly adopted daughter over to see her aunt and uncle, handing her to Molly, who cooed and trilled at the little girl, Sophie.
Isaac wrapped his arms around his wife then, as they watched their daughter being fussed over, and kissed her temple. “Mrs. Quinn,” he murmured, “God damn but I think we made it.”
Sarah turned in his arms and kissed him. “We sure did. We made it through hell. Now we get the good stuff.”
Isaac smiled down at his beautiful wife, who had survived the darkest hell of what humans could do to each other and still had a heart full of love to give and knew, without a doubt, that they would only see the sunshine from now on
The End.
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A BILLION DOLLAR ARRANGEMENT
By Michelle Love
Angela Hayes is a beautiful city girl who longs for some excitement and fulfillment in her love life. She has a great job at a huge marketing company and she just learned that the company's billionaire CEO will be making an appearance at her branch.
Anderson Cromby is a sexy billionaire playboy who is every woman's fantasy. He's tall, dark and handsome and rich beyond words. He could have any woman he wanted, but he has his eyes on the vibrant young Angela.
Angela thought she was content having casual flings here and there, and she enjoys being in control of things. But when the billionaire Anderson brings his dominating personality and sexual possessiveness into her world, he turns it upside down--in a good way!
What She Wants
A Billion Dollar Arrangement Part 1
By Michelle Love
A Metropolitan Affair
The bubble bath was piping hot. Angela had used the special bubble bath additive that her mother, Karen had given her for her thirty-second birthday last month. It was delightful, and it smelled great as it moisturized. She glanced at the nozzle of her bath, the one that spewed forth high pressure hot water at the push of a button. She thought of the many lonely nights she’d had right here in her dingy little apartment, where that nozzle was her best friend. The nozzle didn’t cancel dates; it didn’t give excuses. It just pleased you.
Angela Hayes was a young woman much like any other her age. She had been out of school for eight years and was working in the city as a law clerk. She hoped to one day make it through law school and become a full-fledged practicing lawyer, in her own right. She was Italian-American by descent, and had a huge family that was scattered across the state. Her father had passed away on Christmas day, two years before, and her mother lived alone in an apartment that was even smaller than hers, on the other side of town.
Angela felt bad for her mom, truly, and tried to visit her as often as her work and social life permitted. Her five younger brothers and two sisters were mostly all married off and had their own lives and careers. A few of them were businesspeople, and the rest were tradespeople – electricians and plumbers and the like. Overall, most of the people in her family seemed happy with their lives, and Angela was grateful for that. They usually all got together on the big holidays and Easter was coming up, so she looked forward to a nice reunion then.
As Angela lay back in her luxurious one-woman spa, and glanced at the nozzle, she wondered when she would find a sweet man who could be with her, pleasure her, and share a life with her. Angela didn’t date very often. She found most men her age were immature and just weren’t ready for a serious commitment, which was strange because she was thirty-two and this was considered a fairly late point in a person’s life to be settling down.
She had heard stories of couples hooking up through those online dating sites, and that seemed to be a fairly popular option these days, but Angela was just too much a romantic to go down that route. All her friends were trying it, but she just had a different picture of how she was going to meet her soul mate. She was going to meet him at a benefit, for instance, and their eyes were going to lock from across the room. He was going to approach her from across the dance floor and hold out a hand. “Care to dance?” he would say. And they would have a romantic dance, his hand would caress the small of her back, and they would get lost in each others’ gaze. That was how it was supposed to happen. That is how it would happen. She promised herself that night that she wouldn’t settle for anything less than perfection in he
r romantic life. For it would be worth it when the time came. She reached for the nozzle and spread her legs, lowering it into position.
After her bath, she put on a beautiful silk robe and moved into her living room. She plopped herself down on her comfortable couch and grabbed the remote. She flipped through the channels until she came to the news channel. Apparently there was a big takeover at the city’s largest consulting firm and this bid would result in the largest company of its kind in the country. She could already imagine the share prices skyrocketing. Too bad she didn’t own any of those shares, she thought.
After a few more minutes of watching it was revealed that her law firm would be handling the majority of the legal work surrounding this takeover. It was Saturday today, so she had another day of rest ahead of her, but she knew that Monday would be chaotic. She could already picture her boss bellowing orders at her and the staff. She shuddered briefly.
Finally, she decided that it was time to turn off the TV and go to bed. She walked over to her bedroom, passing by the fridge to get a quick snack of a piece of cheese and some fruit, and then brushed her teeth and got into bed.
That night she dreamed of the merger, and of the new CEO, Anderson Cromby, who would be taking charge. He was a very handsome man who dressed well and had nothing but the finest tastes in the arts, sports, and whatever else he was passionate about. He also happened to be a billionaire, having made his fortune in investing in technology companies, and was only a little older than Angela. She had heard all of this through the grapevine at work. And now, perhaps, she might even get a chance to be in the same room as him, a chance to meet him!
Her dream was pleasant. They were dancing together at a ball and he had some really smooth moves. Then he asked her to come back to his expensive penthouse in the city and they cuddled and watched movies together until the sun came up. When Angela woke in the morning, she was left with a longing in her core, for it was obvious to her, through the dream, that she needed a male companion. She needed one badly.
She showered, got dressed, and made herself breakfast. The clock only showed 7:30 am so she had a couple of hours before she had to start getting ready for the day. She spent that extra time at the gym working out. She loved working out in the mornings. It made her feel good all day, and it also made her feel good about her already stunning body. She looked great for a woman her age. Men had even confused her for a twenty-year-old on several occasions.
Her plan for today, once she had finished her routine, was to meet Maxine for brunch at the Carlisle club across town. Maxine Palmer was her closest friend, and they had known each other since college. Maxine was a professional tennis player, and spent her time traveling from circuit to circuit. She made quite a lot of money doing this. She wasn’t quite at the highest level yet, but she was getting there. She was also married, to an accountant named Henry Palmer. They were happily married and Maxine had recently told Angela that she was expecting. The two of them couldn’t have been happier. They even said that they wanted Angela to be the kid’s godmother when he was born.
Angela didn’t drive so she took a taxi all the way to the Carlisle club and entered the large wooden doors. She was greeted by a doorman who offered to show her the way to anywhere she needed to go.
“That’s okay,” said Angela, “I’ve been here before.”
The doorman nodded and smiled pleasantly. Angela walked over to the dining area and approached the bus boy.
“Angela, for two,” she said. He showed her to a beautiful table by a large glass window overlooking the street below. Maxine was already seated and was engaged in smelling the floral decorations that adorned their table.
“Hiya, babe!” exclaimed Angela excitedly.
“Darling!” responded Maxine, rising to hug her dear friend who returned the loving embrace. “You look great, girlfriend!” she said.
“So do you!” responded Angela. “You are positively radiant!”
“Not bad for three months, eh?” said Maxine jovially, and she twirled around for her friend to see how great she looked.
“Let’s order some seafood! And I’ll get a sangria!” suggested Angela happily.
“You and your sangria. I’ll get an orange juice, and I will enjoy it!”
They ordered their meals and within about fifteen minutes they arrived. They each had a shrimp cocktail and an assortment of cheeses, crackers, and fruit was set out before them. They hungrily ate, all the while chitchatting about their respective lives.
Maxine was complaining that she was missing training time because of the pregnancy. Angela was saying how nervous she was about the big deal that was cooking in the merger world.
“I’m sure you’ll knock them dead, Angela,” said Maxine reassuringly.
“Thanks, buddy,” said Angela, and forced herself to smile in return.
After their bill was paid and their bellies were full, they decided to go for a steam in the club’s steam room. They walked up the stairs to the workout area and wandered into the changing room. They got undressed and Maxine’s smooth, black skin was positively radiant. Angela could see where her belly bulged out as only a woman who was just finishing their first trimester could.
Angela took off her clothes and hung them in one of the wooden cupboards. She draped a town around herself and the two friends walked to the steam room. It was very hot and moist inside the room, and they took a seat in the far corner. There were two other women sitting opposite of them engaged in a discussion. They were talking about the big merger and about Anderson Cromby, who would be the new CEO. Maxine was quiet, settling into the comforts of the steam room. So Angela listened.
“You know, he is just so dreamy. Most CEO’s are old and unappealing,” said the first woman.
“I know. You know, he looks a little bit like my husband, Ron. Minus the red hair of course. Anderson’s hair is so thick and brown, I would love run my fingers through it. I would love to get ahold of him and do things to him,” said the second woman.
“Tell me about it. I mean I would just take his dick in my mouth and suck it like there’s no tomorrow!” said the first woman.
“Erica!” said the second woman, embarrassed. “There are two other people here.”
“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t see you two. I hope we are not disturbing you,” said Erica.
“No it’s okay,” said Angela reassuringly. “Believe me, our mouths are much dirtier. This is my friend Maxine, and I’m Angela. Nice to meet you two.”
After the steam room, the two friends went back to Angela’s place and put in a DVD. They lounged there for a few hours, watching the movie, until they decided it was time to do something different.
“So, what are you going to do if you actually get to meet Anderson Cromby?” asked Maxine.
“What do you mean, what will I do? I’ll just play it cool, like I normally do. He wouldn’t be the only man who was ever interested in me, by any stretch,” replied Angela.
“No, but if you do meet him he will likely be the first billionaire you have ever met,” retorted Maxine.
“That’s true. Okay, so you want to know my honest feelings? I haven’t made up my mind yet. He seems great, but what are the chances he would go for a woman like me? Who knows if he’s really my type or not? There are just so many unanswerables.”
“Well I guess you’re right. This is all just conjecture at this point. But it’s fun to dream, huh?”
“I swear Maxine, sometimes I think you are psychic. I actually had a dream about him last night.”
“You don’t say! I’d love to hear all about it.”
The two friends spent the rest of the afternoon lounging about and talking about various things. Maxine kept reminding Angela that she might have the opportunity to meet Anderson. It was almost as if Maxine wanted Angela to get into a serious relationship. Angela wasn’t sure if she wanted that or not. She just wanted a dreamy guy to fool around with. She didn’t quite know if she was ready for a serious commitment or not.
Work Habits
The following morning at work, Angela set into her regular routine. She answered some phone calls, sent out a few e-mails, and chatted with her co-workers. The main topic was clearly the firm’s new acquisition of Anderson’s new conglomerate file.
Handling the merger would be a big task and there was lots of work to be done. It would take years to fully sort out all the paperwork, but Angela’s firm was the best in the city at handling this sort of thing. In the afternoon there was a staff meeting in which Eric Taylor, the firm’s president, laid out the details of the file, and dispelled myths and answered questions about what the new business would require. Apparently Anderson would be paying a visit to the firm the next day as he wanted to see what kind of business theirs was.
Angela couldn’t help but get goosebumps when Eric said that Anderson wanted to meet everybody. That meant he would be circulating around her part of the office and perhaps they would have a chance bump-in. Angela made a mental note to wear her best suit. She even decided that she would go for a hair appointment that evening and get a mani-pedi as well. After the staff meeting the rest of the day seemed to fly by. Everyone was abuzz about the news, and it seemed as though all the women in the office were already starting to swoon over Anderson’s announced arrival.
That evening, as Angela was getting her manicure, she made small talk with her manicure artist. She was a short Asian lady with beautiful brown eyes and long black hair. She looked to be in her early twenties. She hadn’t heard of Anderson Cromby, however. Angela tried to explain to her how important a man he was but she didn’t seem to be excited about him. Perhaps it was only businesswomen who understood exactly how much of a catch this bachelor was. Although, the fact that he was a billionaire probably should have set the manicure artist off.
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