Chapter 4: Double It?
Marcus, James's personal security guard, stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable. "Dr. Parker sent me. Your husband's vital signs are showing concerning fluctuations. The medical team needs you back at the estate immediately."
William's grip loosened slightly. "This is a private meeting—"
"Dr. Parker was quite insistent, sir." Marcus moved closer, his presence commanding. "He specifically requested Mrs. Thornton's presence, given her status as next of kin for medical decisions."
The mention of James's medical condition seemed to give William pause. Even in his supposedly comatose state, James's welfare was a sensitive matter for the family. William released my wrist, though his expression remained dark.
"We'll continue this discussion another time, Sarah."
The cool night air helped clear my head as Marcus escorted me to the waiting car. "Have you been following me?" I managed to ask as he helped me into the backseat.
"Standing orders, ma'am. We're to intervene if Mr. William ever gets you alone."
"And James's condition?"
"A necessary excuse, ma'am."
So he was protecting me. The realization was both comforting and infuriating.
The master suite was dark when I finally returned to Moon Lake Estate, but I could sense James's presence even before he spoke.
"You met with William for the money? Do you know how dangerous he is?" His voice came from near the window, low and rough.
I swayed slightly, the alcohol dulling my edges, but defiance flared hot in my chest. “You don’t own me,” I shot back, my voice slurring just enough to betray me. “I meet who I want.”
He moved like a predator—fast, lethal—his hands seizing the straps of my silk gown. The silk slipped against my overheated skin as he pulled me closer, his grip possessive, demanding. My breath caught, a sharp tug of heat coiling low in my belly as his scent—whiskey, smoke, and raw fury—flooded me.
“How much did he pay you to spread your legs?” he growled, lips brushing my ear. His fingers dug into my shoulder, sliding down, grazing the bare curve of my collarbone, teasing the edge of control. "You think William can offer you something I can’t?"
His teeth nipped my earlobe, a light scrape that weakened my knees, and his breath fanned hot against my neck as he murmured. "Tell me, did he touch you? Did he make you shiver like this?" His hand drifted down, skimming the swell of my breast through the silk, fingers hovering, teasing, igniting a tremble I couldn’t suppress.
“You think I’m some whore you can price?” I snapped, shoving at his chest, but my hands trembled, nails scraping against his shirt. “What’s it to you—gonna double it?”
“Double?” He laughed, a cold, bitter sound that made my skin prickle. “I paid eight million upfront, Sarah. You’re mine for life—free.” His eyes blazed, wildfire in the dark, and he gripped my shoulders harder, slamming me back onto the bed. The mattress dipped under my weight, my wrists pinned beneath his hands as he loomed over me, fury radiating off him in waves.
“Then fuck me for free,” I spat, alcohol fueling my recklessness, “but you can’t stop me from cashing in elsewhere.”
“Sarah!” His roar was a warning. Then—rip—his fingers hooked into my dress and tore, the silk shredding with a violent screech. Cool air hit my skin, my white shoulders and black lace bra exposed, the jagged edge of the fabric grazing my ribs. I gasped, stunned, but he didn’t pause—his mouth crashed onto mine.
His lips were brutal, devouring, his tongue forcing past mine, claiming every inch with a ferocity that made my head spin. He bit my lower lip, sharp and deliberate, a growl rumbling in his throat as his hands roamed—gripping my hips, yanking me flush against him, the heat of his body searing through the torn remnants of my gown.
His fingers slid under the lace edge of my bra, tugging it down with a slow, deliberate pull until the cool air brushed the bare curve of my breast, his thumb circling the sensitive peak, teasing it into a tight, aching point that drew a shaky breath from my lips.
I arched beneath him, my skin prickling as his head dipped lower, his lips tracing a scorching path along my collarbone, pausing to press a hot, open-mouthed kiss just above the swell of my chest; his tongue flicked out, tasting me, a slow drag that sent a jolt of fire racing through my veins, my hands flexing uselessly against his hold on my wrists.
“No one else gets this,” his other hand moved with purpose, slipping beneath the shredded silk of my gown and finding the edge of my panties, fingers brushing past the fabric to stroke my clit—slow at first, then firmer, a deliberate rub that made my hips buck against him, a sharp gasp escaping as waves of heat pulsed through me.
He growled again, low and rough, his teeth grazing the pulse at my throat as he pressed his body harder against mine, the friction of his pants against my thigh amplifying the ache, his fingers circling with relentless intent, drawing a whimper from my lips as I trembled beneath him, teetering on the edge of surrender.
But then the room tilted, the heat in my blood morphing into something heavier, a weight dragging at my edges as the champagne’s haze deepened.
“Sarah?” His voice shifted, cutting through the fog with a sudden edge of alarm, his grip loosening slightly.
I tried to respond, but the darkness was already closing in, swallowing me whole.
And then, everything faded to black.
The piercing headache dragged me into consciousness. Groaning, I rolled over in the massive bed of the master suite, my temples throbbing with every movement. The events from the Metropolitan Club felt hazy – William, the champagne, that deep voice interrupting...
Something else lingered at the edges of my memory – the phantom sensation of strong arms carrying me, and... a kiss? The memory was frustratingly out of reach, like trying to catch smoke. Had James...? No, that couldn't be right. But my lips tingled with the ghost of a sensation I couldn't quite place, intense yet gentle.
As I pushed myself up to sitting position, the room spun slightly. The other side of the bed was untouched, the covers still perfectly smooth. Had I imagined the whole thing?
The shrill ring of my phone cut through the silence like a knife, making me wince. My mother's voice trembled on the other end. "Sarah, you need to come to the hospital. Now."