Page 40 of The Wicked

One by one, I wanted her to confide them all.

But first, I had to win her trust.

“Where are we going?” she questioned softly.

“I’m still figuring that out.”

At the party, Sara had made her views on the Hadleys of this world quite clear. She wouldn’t be impressed if I simply threw money at the problem, which had unfortunately become my modus operandi over the past several years.

“Are you hungry?” I asked.

“Not really.”

I glanced across at her, took in her defensive posture—arms folded, legs pressed together—and the way her body inclined away from me. She was nervous as hell, yet she was still here. At the Peninsula and again at the craft store, I’d felt a connection between us, a pull toward her as if we’d gotten trapped in each other’s orbits, and despite a whole mountain of misgivings—misgivings she was right to have—she felt it too.

Today, she was a very different woman from the one I’d first met, and not just in looks. The princess persona was no more, replaced by a girl-next-door vibe. Gone was the carefully coiffed blonde hair, transformed into silky brown strands fastened into a messy bun, and the only make-up she wore was a smear of pink gloss on her lips. The things I longed to do to that mouth… I wanted to strip her out of those leggings and Converse and that fluffy purple sweater and—

Don’t run before you can walk, asshole.

Sara was two different people, as was I. Today, I’d abandoned the corporate persona, stepped out of my meticulously crafted world into one that had the potential to liberate me. But instead of feeling nervous the way she did, I felt energised. For once, I was living in the moment and doing something I wanted to do instead of what was best for my family and the business. The last time I’d experienced that freedom had been three years ago in Djibouti, Camp Lemonnier to be precise. I’d belonged in that world. Then I’d been forced to return home and take the helm of Dorsey Holdings so my father could sidestep into politics.

I understood why he’d done it. Supported him because the last secretary of state had been a corrupt sleaze and someone needed to clean house. But that didn’t make the sacrifice any lighter to bear.

Didn’t make living a lie any easier.

Deep down, I wasn’t the clean-cut CEO I pretended to be.

And Cinderella, with her effortless grace and her tempting mouth, with that hint of feistiness under the compliant exterior, made me hard as fuck.

She wanted air, and she wanted distance. A flock of birds swooped across in front of the car, heralding inspiration as well as an incoming storm. Would Eugene be far enough? When we hit Reedsport, I turned right.

“Did you figure it out?” Sara asked.

“Yup.”

“And?”

“And, it’s a surprise. Do you like surprises?”

“I hate surprises.”

Then she must have had a lot of assholes in her life.

“Maybe I can change your mind on that.” I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her palm. “Trust me?”

“I don’t trust anyone.”

“Maybe someday, I’ll change your mind on that too.”

14

SARA

Idon’t know what I expected, but it sure wasn’t this.

Okay, that was a lie.

Ididknow what I’d been expecting. No matter what most of my family thought, I wasn’t dumb, and I knew Charming had money. Firstly, he’d been at Hadley’s party, and secondly, he was driving a Porsche. I figured he’d take me to a reasonably nice restaurant and show off by ordering the most expensive bottle of wine on the menu. Or, if this man I barely knew turned out to be a real sleazeball, he’d “surprise” me by skipping the restaurant and heading straight for room service. At a fancy hotel, of course.

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