Chapter 45 He Made Love To You
Sarah came to the office and it was quiet.
For once, the phones weren't ringing with messages that left her worried.
Sarah sat across from Stacy, sharing a bottle of wine that they had kept in the office fridge for a long time.
The whisper campaign that had been tearing Sarah’s reputation apart had suddenly gone silent. The board members weren't calling to cancel meetings anymore. It was strange.
"It’s like someone just flipped a switch," Stacy said, pouring another glass. She looked at Sarah with a playful glint in her eyes.
"Come on, Sarah. Tell me the truth. Did you find a secret benefactor? Did you find a sugar daddy to make all the bad men go away?"
Stacy meant it as a joke, but Sarah felt a hot wave of shame wash over her.
It was Alex that came to mind, the boy who was actually a prince, the twenty-two-year-old with a billionaire’s blood and fortune. She thought about his offer to buy her a car and pay her debts.
"Don't be ridiculous, Stacy," Sarah said, her voice a bit too sharp.
"I’m handling it. Hard work is the only thing fixing this."
"I'm just saying," Stacy laughed, oblivious to Sarah’s inner turmoil.
"If I had a rich guy in my corner, I wouldn't be sitting here drinking cheap wine at eight o’clock on a Tuesday."
Sarah left shortly after. The drive home felt long. When she walked into her house, she didn't turn on the lights. She went straight to the hallway mirror and stared at herself. She looked at the fine lines around her eyes and the slight tiredness in her skin. She was forty-two. In twenty years, she would be sixty-two, and Alex would only be forty-two. The math felt like a trap.
She felt used by life, while he was just beginning.
When she heard the familiar rumble of Alex’s truck in the driveway, she didn't feel the usual spark of excitement. She felt heavy.
Alex let himself in. He found her in the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed. He walked over and reached out to touch her face, but she pulled back.
"You should go, Alex," she said. Her voice was flat.
Alex paused, his hand hanging in the air.
"What happened? Did the lawyers call?"
"No. Nothing happened," Sarah said. She stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the dark street.
"I just realized that Stacy is right. To the rest of the world, I look like a woman who has lost her mind. You’re twenty-two. You have a massive inheritance and a whole life of people your own age waiting for you. You shouldn't be here with someone who is already broken by the world."
Alex didn't say anything for a moment. Then, she felt him move. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. He was so much stronger than he looked, his grip firm and possessive.
"I don't want someone my own age," Alex whispered into her ear. His voice was deep and grounded.
"Girls my age don't know who they are. They don't have your strength. They don't have your mind. I don't want a girl, Sarah. I want you."
"I'm too old for this, Alex," she tried to argue, but her body was already softening against him.
"Your age isn't a weakness," he said, turning her around to face him. He took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. His eyes were intense.
"It’s your power. You've built a life. You’ve survived things they haven't even dreamed of. Don't you ever say you're broken to me. You’re the most incredible thing I’ve ever touched."
He kissed her then, and it wasn't a gentle kiss. It was a dominant claim. Sarah felt her doubts start to melt. She tried to hold onto her reason, to tell him why this was a bad idea, but his hands were already moving under her sweater, finding the warmth of her skin.
He lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms locking behind his neck. He carried her to the bed and laid her down, stripping away the clothes that felt like a barrier between them.
That night, the lovemaking was different. it was Alex proving to her that she was the only one he saw.
He moved down her body, his hands steady on her hips. When he began to eat her out, it was with a focus and a hunger that she had never experienced before.
He knew exactly what she needed, his tongue and fingers working together in a perfect rhythm. Sarah arched her back, her fingers clutching the silk sheets as the first orgasm hit her.
She had never felt anything so intense.
"Alex," she gasped, her voice breaking.
He didn't stop. He pushed her further, finding spots she didn't even know were sensitive. He made her experience several orgasms, one after the other, until her body was shaking and her mind was a complete blank. She wasn't thinking about her age or her son or the Harrington name. She was just a woman being loved by a man who adored her.
Later, he pulled her to the edge of the bed, making her do things she hadn't thought she was capable of.
He was firm but patient, guiding her body into positions that made her feel vulnerable and empowered all at once. Every time she thought she couldn't take any more, he would whisper something in her ear, a word of praise or a command, and she would find herself falling even deeper into the feeling.
When they finally collapsed into each other, the room was silent except for their heavy breathing. Sarah lay with her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. For the first time, the doubt was gone. She felt at peace. She felt like she belonged exactly where she was.
"I told you," Alex whispered, his hand stroking her hair. "You’re mine. Forget everything else."
And she did. She closed her eyes and let the warmth of the night wrap around her. She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, believing that as long as they were in this room, nothing could hurt them.
The peace lasted until the first light of dawn.
Sarah was woken up by a sharp, loud pounding on the front door. She sat up, her heart racing. Beside her, Alex was already awake, his body tense and alert. He reached for his jeans, his eyes fixed on the bedroom door.
"Stay here," he whispered.
Sarah threw on a robe and followed him anyway. She looked out the hallway window that faced the driveway.
Standing at the front door, looking at Alex's truck with a face full of what could be disappointment, was Mark.
He wasn't leaving. He pounded on the door again.
"Mom!" Mark yelled from the porch.