AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you OK?” The soft question made her start as Darius slid from her, his eyes so close to her own full of concern, Sara pulled a smile to her lips, “Y...yeah...I just thought I heard David” This answer seemed to appease him as he pulled her in tightly against himself, a small chuckle on his lips. “Oh, I have a feeling that we will hear him just fine when he wakes” Darius wrapped his arm around her shoulder, Sara leaning against his chest listening to the sound of his heart, enjoying the way his fingers trailed down her arm, her hand under her chin.
“David really likes you” Her words caught him by surprise, a smile rising to his lips. “He is a good kid”, the smile more devilish as he added, “Has his aunty wrapped around his fingers though” She chucked, nodding against his skin, a frown rising to her forehead. “You never talked about your father in the past...yet you come back with his name...did he not know about you when you were born?” She felt him stiffen slightly, suddenly wishing that she had said nothing. “I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to pry”
Beside her, Darius gave a long sigh, his body relaxing as he pulled her in to drop a kiss on her head, his voice emotionless. “My mother worked for Antonio Garelli as a maid. When she got pregnant, he had her kicked out. Gave her some money and told her that if she said a word to anybody then he would see her in prison” Sara gave a loud gasp, her eyes flying to his, the similarity of his position when she had been forced to fire him not lost on her. His mouth straightened in a hard line as he continued, “My mother was no angel. She preferred to spend her time with her boyfriends. The only person who gave a damn about me was my grandfather. He taught me how to build...he was old-school” She saw the fond smile which flitted across his features. “He died when I was fifteen and, well, you know the rest of the story about my mother”
Sara made a small sound of sympathy as he gave her head another kiss. “That’s terrible Darius”, as another sigh left him. “We were never close Sara. I started working with a company and later became a contractor myself...then moved to the states...which is when I started working for your family” She heard the tinge of anger on his tone, remaining silent as he talked. “Like I said...after you fired me, your father made sure that I was not able to get another contract. So I returned to Italy and decided that it was time that I met my father” Sara nodded softly.
“You never said what happened to your mother?” He hesitated for a second before shaking his head. “She died when I was eighteen... She got into a car with a drunk who wrapped them both around a tree”, his voice becoming sad, “she was never good at choosing men. They used her...starting with my father” Sara felt her heart reach out for the man she knew she loved with everything in her. “How did things go with your father?” her voice soft, as Darius paused for a few seconds.
“My father was dying when I appeared. His whole life he had overindulged...drink, drugs and women”, another sigh torn from him. “He had a daughter”, his mouth tightened once more, “Not a nice person...and very much like him...which meant that his fortune was not what it had been. He gave me a hundred thousand dollars if I agreed to legally change my name...suddenly he was glad to have a son...someone to carry on his name” Again he paused.
“I used the money to buy some land and built some luxury houses on it...made millions...and it went on from there” As he lapsed into silence she twirled her finger around his belly. “Well it is good that you and your father finally made up...and you met your sister” The harsh laugh made her eyes fly to his. “My father was a selfish man who had no interest in me, only in carrying on his family name...and believe me his daughter - my sister - is no different. When I made my first few million she lawyered up and demanded fifty percent of everything I had. My father backed her just before he died...signed an affidavit that what he gave me was a loan”
Sara groaned softly, “That is terrible...what happened?” He took a few seconds to answer, “Eventually I settled out of court with her...I gave her some millions in exchange for her signing over the company name to me...hence I took over the Garelli corporation name” A wide grin filled his face, “She really should have waited a couple of years...I seemed to have a knack for making money...but by then she had signed an ironclad contract and couldn’t touch a penny...plus she had pissed me off so much I was not about to be brotherly with her”
Sara laughed softly back, as she allowed herself to relax against this man. This arrogant, forceful, demanding, yet kind, intelligent, funny and caring man...this man she loved. “Thank you for telling me”, she whispered softly, this her last thought before sleep took her.
Waking, Darius frowned. Still dark, he was not sure what pulled him from his dreams, dreams full of a beautiful blonde. Turning he frowned not seeing her there, his hands pushing the covers from himself. Rubbing his eyes, still sleepy, he pulled on pyjama bottoms and padded softly into the other room, his lips curving as he found Sara. She lay on top of the bed the small boy slept in. His little hands lay on her stomach, hers wrapped around him, both asleep. From the door he admired her. Dressed in one of his t-shirts, she looked sexier than any other woman he had ever met, Sara not someone who ever needed to try. This maternal side of her was a surprise though, as was the way it filled him with warmth.
Frowning softly, he thought how she confused him. His belief that all women put their own needs before that of their children was being shaken, her reaction to her nephew making him frown. Sara loved the small boy, Darius knowing that it was not just a show to impress him, David’s reaction to her testament to this. He smiled, realising that the small boy must have woken, knowing that she rushed to comfort him. Yes Sara was confusing the hell out of him.
Moving forward he gently took a cover from the end of the bed, and tucked it around her, dropping a small kiss on her head as he had. The next morning Sara woke abruptly, David’s small face floating before her as he jumped up and down on the bed. “Morning Aunty Sara”, his happy cry made her yawn, stretching her arms as she groggily pushed herself up on the bed. Frowning, she wondered where she was, the memory of hearing David’s cry during the night slowly returning as she swung her legs off the side of the bed.
“Want some breakfast?” her sleepy voice asked, David giving a happy nod before he leapt to the ground taking off out of the room. “I’ll get Darius”, he yelled, disappearing out of the room before she had time to stop him. With a long sigh she followed him in a vain attempt to head him off before he woke the still sleeping man. However, by the time she reached their bedroom, David was already clambering on top of the bed, his voice high and excited. “Uncle Darius...Uncle Darius - Aunty Sara is making breakfast!”
Darius woke with a start, surprise on his face as David knelt before him, his small features staring intently at the handsome man. His eyes flew to Sara, as she hovered awkwardly at the small boy’s words, her face apologetic, as she heard her nephew call him ‘uncle’. Darius too seemed surprised before his mouth curved into a small smile. “It’s OK...I understand” Sara gave a relieved return grin, before she pulled the small boy into her arms. “OK...breakfast; Edith mentioned that she knows how to make Mickey Mouse pancakes”
David made a “cool!” response before fleeing out of the door and down the stairs as she placed him back on his feet. Giving a laugh, she grinned over at Darius, “Where does he get his energy from?” He nodded as he pushed the covers from himself. Sara once more held down the soft sigh of want seeing him naked, averting her eyes, her voice ragged. “Better catch up with him before he talks Edith into making him Donald and Goofy pancakes too” Darius gave another laugh, “Well tell her to save me some...I will be right down”
Chapter Six
In the shower, Darius frowned. The sound of David calling him ‘uncle’ was unexpected, but no more than the way the words felt so good. What was this woman doing to him? He liked his life uncomplicated. Good intelligent conversation and great sex was all he expected from the women he was involved with. He did not want anything to do with their home life, private lives or relations. Sara had been in his life for only a week, and he was allowing children to invade his well-ordered home. With a deeper frown he determined that she would have to go, tonight he would have her leave. Yet why had the sound of ‘uncle’ been so damn good to his ears, and why was the thought of her gone so bad?
As a surprise for David, Darius organised to visit the home of a friend of his, another soccer star. David’s eyes had been wide as Jim Jones - the goalkeeper for the league leaders - insisted on giving the small boy both a signed ball and a team top which swamped the child. He chatted happily with Sara, flirting with her, his eyes admiring the beautiful blonde. Darius watched carefully, frowning softly as he realised that he, Darius Garelli - a man who never let any woman get to him - was jealous. She on the other hand seemed completely oblivious to the attention being paid to her, turning at one point to mouth a thank you to Darius, this simple action causing a strange knot to tense in his stomach.
