Free Billionaire's Pursuit of Love: Destiny Romance by Jennifer St George Page B
Authors: Jennifer St George
again.’
‘Do you really think I’d destroy a valuable animal-rescue project to get what I want?’
‘The thing is, Blake, I don’t know. I don’t know what you’re capable of. But I need to develop a sustainable funding stream for the Sanctuary, and you’re going to help me.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. If I’m going to be stuck here for three months, you can . . . help me with a business plan. I’ll come to work with you every day and you can hook me up with your marketing and financial experts. And . . .’ Her mind raced. What did she really want? Time. Time to think. Time to plan. Time to get to know the man she was dealing with. She’d never been good at making quick decisions and years of routine in the jungle had only further dulled that skill. ‘And, we don’t tell Daniel about you until the Sanctuary’s financial position is safe. He knows all about the trouble we’re in and landing a missing father on him will be too much.’
‘Done.’ He gripped her hand and shook on the deal.
‘But . . . Wait . . .’ She hadn’t even had a chance to challenge him about Daniel’s schooling. ‘We need to nut out the details. I don’t know anything about this school.’ She wasn’t going to let Blake choose a school without her input. Daniel’s input.
‘It’s one of the best in the country.’
‘It might not be right for Daniel.’
‘I’ve already enrolled him. He starts at the end of the summer holidays. I’ve arranged for you and Daniel to have a tour next week.’
She landed her drink on the table with a crash and flew to her feet. ‘How dare you think you can have a say in Daniel’s education?’ If she had weak arteries, they would have exploded.
‘This is where you seem to be having some difficulty, Sarah.’ Her adversary eased himself from the sofa, her height advantage lost in a moment. ‘I have equal say in what happens in Daniel’s life from this point on. If you fight me, you might find you won’t even have half.’
The room dimmed a fraction. Her vision faltered.
‘You need to remember that I have every right to walk into Daniel’s room right now and tell him who I am,’ Blake said. ‘But I can see you need time, so I’m giving it to you. I suggest you take the deal,’ he said, his voice holding a deadly-sharp edge. ‘The other option is court and from what my lawyer’s outlined, you won’t want to leave Daniel’s fate in the hands of this country’s legal system.’
A ripple of despair washed over her skin. The idea of dragging Daniel through a lengthy court battle . . . the lawyers . . . the risk of a poor outcome . . . losing him. Her chest shrank, driving the air from her lungs.
‘I’ll speak to you in the morning when I hope you’ve acquired some level of rationality.’ He walked from the room, leaving her alone, surrounded with sumptuous luxury. She slumped back onto the smooth leather and stared at the ridiculous chandelier. It was as though Blake had the lights of LA plastered across his ceiling.
She rubbed her eyes with her palms, but the action channelled exhaustion to her very core. Her heart pumped out a desolate refrain.
You’re trapped. You’re trapped. You’re trapped.
The soft glow and surrounding extravagance pressed in. She’d have to take the deal. Any other course of action could end in catastrophe. But would dealing direct with Blake be any easier?
She was outgunned, out of her depth and completely outmanoeuvred.
Chapter Four
The rich aroma of maple syrup and something delicious and buttery drew Sarah to the kitchen. The room was bigger than her entire house. She counted two cookers, three sinks and a fridge at least two metres wide. The centre of the fridge panel featured an elaborate coffee maker and she could swear the fridge handles were made of brass.
Blake and Daniel sat next to each other at a hand-carved wooden table, heads together. Each sat in front of a huge plate of half-eaten pancakes.
‘Do you really think I’d destroy a valuable animal-rescue project to get what I want?’
‘The thing is, Blake, I don’t know. I don’t know what you’re capable of. But I need to develop a sustainable funding stream for the Sanctuary, and you’re going to help me.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. If I’m going to be stuck here for three months, you can . . . help me with a business plan. I’ll come to work with you every day and you can hook me up with your marketing and financial experts. And . . .’ Her mind raced. What did she really want? Time. Time to think. Time to plan. Time to get to know the man she was dealing with. She’d never been good at making quick decisions and years of routine in the jungle had only further dulled that skill. ‘And, we don’t tell Daniel about you until the Sanctuary’s financial position is safe. He knows all about the trouble we’re in and landing a missing father on him will be too much.’
‘Done.’ He gripped her hand and shook on the deal.
‘But . . . Wait . . .’ She hadn’t even had a chance to challenge him about Daniel’s schooling. ‘We need to nut out the details. I don’t know anything about this school.’ She wasn’t going to let Blake choose a school without her input. Daniel’s input.
‘It’s one of the best in the country.’
‘It might not be right for Daniel.’
‘I’ve already enrolled him. He starts at the end of the summer holidays. I’ve arranged for you and Daniel to have a tour next week.’
She landed her drink on the table with a crash and flew to her feet. ‘How dare you think you can have a say in Daniel’s education?’ If she had weak arteries, they would have exploded.
‘This is where you seem to be having some difficulty, Sarah.’ Her adversary eased himself from the sofa, her height advantage lost in a moment. ‘I have equal say in what happens in Daniel’s life from this point on. If you fight me, you might find you won’t even have half.’
The room dimmed a fraction. Her vision faltered.
‘You need to remember that I have every right to walk into Daniel’s room right now and tell him who I am,’ Blake said. ‘But I can see you need time, so I’m giving it to you. I suggest you take the deal,’ he said, his voice holding a deadly-sharp edge. ‘The other option is court and from what my lawyer’s outlined, you won’t want to leave Daniel’s fate in the hands of this country’s legal system.’
A ripple of despair washed over her skin. The idea of dragging Daniel through a lengthy court battle . . . the lawyers . . . the risk of a poor outcome . . . losing him. Her chest shrank, driving the air from her lungs.
‘I’ll speak to you in the morning when I hope you’ve acquired some level of rationality.’ He walked from the room, leaving her alone, surrounded with sumptuous luxury. She slumped back onto the smooth leather and stared at the ridiculous chandelier. It was as though Blake had the lights of LA plastered across his ceiling.
She rubbed her eyes with her palms, but the action channelled exhaustion to her very core. Her heart pumped out a desolate refrain.
You’re trapped. You’re trapped. You’re trapped.
The soft glow and surrounding extravagance pressed in. She’d have to take the deal. Any other course of action could end in catastrophe. But would dealing direct with Blake be any easier?
She was outgunned, out of her depth and completely outmanoeuvred.
Chapter Four
The rich aroma of maple syrup and something delicious and buttery drew Sarah to the kitchen. The room was bigger than her entire house. She counted two cookers, three sinks and a fridge at least two metres wide. The centre of the fridge panel featured an elaborate coffee maker and she could swear the fridge handles were made of brass.
Blake and Daniel sat next to each other at a hand-carved wooden table, heads together. Each sat in front of a huge plate of half-eaten pancakes.