Bad Girls Do It Better (Bad Boy Billionaire Romance) (17 page)

Sarabelle  

Talk about putting me on the spot. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. He seemed like he was being sincere. Maybe he really did want to take me to dinner for no other reason than to thank me for helping him out. My heart wanted to believe that but my brain was telling me to get real. This was the same man who had tried using his sleazy tricks to get me into his bed just a few weeks ago. He is notorious for being a player and saying whatever he has to say to get what he wants. I know that I shouldn’t fall for the tricks of a playboy but I couldn’t help it. Looking into his eyes, I could see no hint of deception whatsoever.

“Fine, you can take me to dinner tonight. Just don’t go throwing any of those cheesy pickup lines around this evening, okay?”

“You have my word,” he promised.

We continued looking around the store, picking out a few more items for his sisters before looking at some jewelry pieces for his mother. I loved the way he spoke about his family. He didn’t have a bad word to say about any of them. I could tell that he loved them very much and they were very close and tight-knit. It was exactly the way my family used to be. I longed to be a part of that type of dynamic again. One day, it would happen, I just didn’t know when.

My sister had to have been watching our every move because she managed to stay away until the very last moments of our shopping, only popping up as Christian was about to check out the items he was purchasing.

“Oh, there you two lovebirds are. Looks like the shopping went well then?” she asked sarcastically.

“It was fine,” Christian responded. “Your sister has a knack for knowing what other people will like, even if she doesn’t know them personally. She could probably make some kind of business out of that type of skill.”

“I told you she knew what she was doing. My sister might not be good at much but she can shop for other people like it’s nobody’s business.”

“I agree but I have to get going now. I’ll see you tonight, Sarabelle. Will 7:00 be good for you?”

“7:00 will be fine,” I replied as my sister turned to me, her eyes full of questions. “I’ll explain later,” I whispered into her ear to prevent her from asking any more questions.

As we drove home, Lexi would not shut up about the fact that Christian Wilde said he would see me at 7:00 and kept asking what that meant exactly.

“Lexi, it’s really nothing,” I protested. “I helped him find some presents for his mom and sisters and he’s grateful for it. He wants to take me to dinner as his way of thanking me for my help.”

“Yeah right! Guys like Christian don’t just take you to dinner to thank you for your help. Guys like him take you to dinner as the appetizer before taking you back to his place to use you as the main course.”

“I assure you that’s not the case here. He knows that nothing is going to happen. I made that perfectly clear inside the store. This is a dinner and nothing more. I’d appreciate it if you’d stop trying to make something out of nothing.”

“Fine, I’ll shut up. I still say you’re wrong but whatever.”

Back at home, I paced in my room debating what I was going to wear. I didn’t think the evening would count as a date so I didn’t want to get too dressed up. At the same time, I couldn’t imagine him taking any girl someplace that wasn’t entirely upscale, which would require me to dress as nice as possible. I didn’t want to but I yelled for Lexi to come in and help me.

“I have no idea what to wear. I don’t want to give him the wrong idea, you know?”

“Well, where is he taking you Sarabelle?”

“I have no idea. He just said dinner. I know he’s going to try to impress me by taking me somewhere super nice. I don’t know what to do.”

“Let me ask you a question Sarabelle. What would be so bad about giving him the wrong idea?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean what if this guy actually likes you? What would be so bad about him being the one you finally decide to give yourself to? You know you can’t play the sweet, innocent girl forever.”

“But I am innocent. There’s a reason I’ve never had sex. I’ve always said I wanted to wait for someone special to come along and I’m not going to just spread my legs for the first guy that tries to charm them open.”

“I get that, but I could think of a lot of guys who would be a worst choice for your first time that Christian.”

“Maybe so but it wouldn’t be special. I want it to mean something. If I had sex with him, what would I be? I’d just be another number in his list of conquests. I’d be nothing more than another notch to add to his bedpost. That sounds really sweet and romantic, doesn’t it?”

“Sounds like a pretty good time to me.”

I rolled my eyes and kept looking through my closet for something to wear.

“It’s pretty obvious that he just wants to sleep with different girls every night. I want my first time to be with someone I marry and can start a family with. It wouldn’t work.”

“That’s fair. I don’t want to pressure you into having any kind of fun or anything. Even if you aren’t going to sleep with the man, wouldn’t it at least be fun to drive him a little crazy?”

“What do you mean? How am I supposed to drive him crazy?”

“Let’s be honest. You don’t have anything in this closet that you’re going to be able to wear in any restaurant that he is going to take you to. Why don’t we go into my room and find something for you to put on.”

“Um, no offense, but I’ve seen your clothes. I don’t want to advertise that I’m open for business, especially when I’m not.”

“Are you trying to say my clothes would make you look like a slut?”

“A little bit, yeah.”

“Okay, I was just making sure. Anyway, what’s the problem with flashing a little skin at the man? You don’t have to do anything with him. It’s like having an appetizer before dinner because you’re so hungry but by the time all is said and done, you’re much too full when the dessert tray comes around.”

“You literally have an analogy for everything, don’t you?”

“It’s one of my quirks. Come on, let’s find you something to wear.”

In Lexi’s room, I sat down in a chair in the corner of her room while she walked into her closet and started throwing dresses onto the bed. As I watched what she was picking out, I couldn’t help but think she wanted me to dress like I was about to walk the streets looking for a sugar daddy. Each dress that flew out showed more skin than the last. At one point, the amount of fabric on the clothes was becoming so little that I feared she might decide to wrap a ribbon around my breasts and send me on my way.

“Lexi, I don’t think I can wear any of these dresses you’re throwing out here. They aren’t really my style.”

“Don’t be stupid Sarabelle,” she yelled at me from the closet. “Obviously, none of those dresses are going to work with your prude ass. I’m getting them all out of my way so I can find that little red dress I bought last year.”

I knew the red dress she was talking about and realized she knew me a little better than I thought she did. Yes, the red dress is not something that I would have ever bought to wear myself, but out of all the clothes she had in her closet, it was the one that most matched my style. When she finally found it, she pulled it out, brought it over and held it up against me.

The dress was much shorter than any dress I ever wore. I didn’t like to show my legs off even though everyone always tell me that they are one of my best features. It was also very low cut, showing off a lot of cleavage, which I wasn’t particularly comfortable with.

“This is going to look damn good on you,” Lexi boasted. “Christian is going to have a hell of a time trying to keep his hands off of you in this thing.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. What if he spends most of his night wanting to find out what it looks like crumpled up on his bedroom floor?”

“Maybe you should show him. If you decide not to, you can always tell him that the dress is mine.”

“Okay? Why would I want to do that?”

“Because I wouldn’t have any problem with him taking it off of me.”

“Lexi Williams! You stop it right now!”

“Oh, did I strike a nerve? I think you like this guy a little more than you’d like to admit. It’s okay, you know. It’s not that big a deal to give it up. You have been kind of uptight lately. Maybe it’s time for you to have a mind blowing orgasm and see what the fuss is all about. I hear that Christian knows what he’s doing in the bedroom.”

“If I ever decide to find out, it will be on my terms,” I said blushing, wondering if maybe my sister was right. I wasn’t a little girl anymore. Maybe it was dumb to be hanging onto the fantasy of the perfect man sweeping me off my feet.

I decided I had nothing to lose and was going to wear the dress. I grabbed it from my sister and went back to my room to start getting ready. I felt like I had an enormous ball in my stomach and thought I may actually get sick on a couple of occasions. My nerves were getting the best of me. I don’t even know what I was so afraid of. He was just a man taking me to dinner. It wasn’t like I was going out for a job interview or anything like that. I was being ridiculous and I knew it. There was a part of me that wouldn’t let the nerves go and that only served to make me even more anxious. It felt like something was happening and I didn’t have a clue as to what it is.

I looked at the clock and realized that I didn’t have a ton of time. I still had to shower and get dressed before doing my hair and makeup. I was going to have to hurry if I was going to be ready when he got there. Prioritizing my time, I took a quick shower and got dressed just as fast, leaving most of my time for my hair and face. I wasn’t even close to being done when I heard the doorbell ring. Looking at my watch, it was only 6:30. Was he really here so early?

“I’ll get it,” yelled Lexi as she started running down the stairs towards the foyer where the front door was. After a minute or so, she yelled up to me that Christian had arrived.

“I’m still getting ready. I’ll be right down,” I yelled, embarrassed that he was going to realize how much I went through to get ready for the evening. I wanted him to think that I was coming into the date casually. I wanted him to think that I didn’t care about being there one way or another. The fact that I had about a half-hour of getting ready to do was going to throw that facade straight out the window. I wondered if this was one of his ploys to see if he could get me to hurry up to appease him. I decided I was going to do the opposite. I was going to take my time and he was just going to have to wait.

Once I was completely ready, I looked at my watch again and it was approaching 7:15. I found it kind of funny that he had been downstairs waiting for me the entire time. I could almost guarantee that it took him out of his comfort zone as most women would probably never dream of making the great Christian Wilde wait for them. Hopefully, it would be a little bit of a wake-up call for him, making him realize I am not one of the typical girls that he usually goes out with.

After I was completely ready, I slipped on my shoes and looked at myself in the mirror. With so much leg exposed and my cleavage sticking out, I looked like an entirely different person. Much to my surprise, I didn’t hate it. I didn’t usually make an effort to try to make myself look sexy but apparently I was able to do quite a good job of it. I took a deep breath and decided I was ready. Walking slowly, I descended the steps looking absolutely stunning.

Christian   

As Sarabelle came walking down the stairs, I had a hard time believing that what I was seeing was real. Was this the same girl that I had saw for the first time at that silent auction? Was this the same sweet, innocent looking girl that I first spoke to the night of the gala? If her sister hadn't been standing next to me, I would have sworn that Sarabelle had decided to back out of the date and convinced Lexi to be a stand-in. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She was truly a sight to see. Never being able to pass on the opportunity to crack a joke, I opened my mouth against my better judgment.

“Wow Sarabelle, you look fabulous. As good as you look, I think I should have my driver just take us back to my place. We can skip dinner and move straight on to dessert.”

Lexi started laughing instantly but it only took a few seconds of studying Sarabelle’s face to realize I shouldn’t have said anything. Regardless of the fact that I was just kidding, the smile she had been wearing on her face had suddenly turned into a scowl. The comment had apparently left her feeling uncomfortable.

“You know what, I’m not sure if I’m feeling up to this after all. Maybe going out with you tonight isn’t the best idea,” she said, desperately searching for a way out. I would have to think quick if I was going to be able to salvage the evening.

“Oh no, you’re not getting out of our date that easily. What if I promise to be good? Will you go out with me then? I promise I will be on my best behavior.”

Sarabelle looked down at the floor and started to giggle. When she looked back up at me, her face had turned a deep shade of crimson. I’m not sure what I said that was so funny to her but whatever it was had been enough to make her blush. I considered that a success, especially when she continued down the stairs and walked to my side.

“You kids be good and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Lexi said as we started to walk out the door.

“Lexi, I don’t think there is anything you wouldn’t do,” Sarabelle replied.

“Whatever, Sarabelle. Don’t be jealous of me just because I’m not a prude. You guys have fun. I won’t wait up.”

Sarabelle rolled her eyes and walked out the door, closing it behind her. Much to my surprise, she accepted my invitation to take my arm, interlocking hers with mine, allowing me to lead her to the car. The limo driver was standing at the rear of the car, waiting to open the door for us. As we walked, I gave a subtle motion with my head for the driver to get back into the car, which would allow me to play the role of the gentleman who would open the door for the lady.

I held the door open and winked at Sarabelle as she entered the limousine. She looked uncomfortable as she slid in, continuously fighting with her dress to make sure it didn’t expose any more skin than she intended to show. Once she was situated, I got in and sat directly across from her. I wanted to slide into the seat beside her and let my hands explore every inch of skin that her dress wasn’t covering before making my way to the rest of it but I knew I had to bide my time. To make sure I was on my best behavior and kept my wandering hands to myself, I figured it was best if I sat opposte of her. If I played my cards right, I was sure it would happen.

“So where are you taking me?” she asked as I poured her a glass of champagne.

“Nowhere special,” I lied. “Just this little French place that I know in Tarrytown.”

The part about going to a French restaurant in Tarrytown was true. The nowhere special comment, on the other hand, was not so accurate. I was good friends with the head chef of the restaurant and had called ahead to make sure the evening would go smoothly. I don’t know what had gotten into me. I’d never felt pressure to impress anyone I’d taken out before but Sarabelle was different. I wanted to show her a different side of me. The problem was, I wasn’t sure whether or not that different side actually existed.

The ride into Tarrytown was only about 20 minutes long but most of the trip was made in near silence. I made attempts at small talk and got a few answers here and there but I could tell she was uneasy so I backed off a little bit. I hoped there would be plenty of time for conversation during dinner and maybe even after it.

As we walked into the Equus restaurant, we were immediately greeted by Victor Bailey, the Maitre D’.

“Mr. Wilde, it’s very good to see you. We’ve been expecting you and have your table set up for you in the back. You’ll be dining at the chef’s table this evening. Please follow me.”

“Nowhere special, huh?” Sarabelle asked as we followed Victor towards the back of the restaurant and into the kitchen where a special table had been set up. I shrugged my shoulders at her, acting as though I had no idea what was happening.

The kitchen had the best seat in the house. You’d never know how crazy and hectic a kitchen is until you’ve been inside one to see it with your own eyes. Sarabelle looked like she was in awe as everyone was running around, yelling times to one another and coordinating every move to ensure that tables were served at the exact same time. Sarabelle couldn’t believe how many different people it took to make the kitchen run smoothly. When most people order their food, they only think of a single cook preparing their meal. In reality, there is not only the head chef but also a saute cook, fish chef, roast chef, grill chef, fry chef and vegetable chef.

We’d only been seated for about five minutes when Lawrence King, the head chef of the restaurant, came over to greet us. I stood up as I saw him coming.

“Christian, it’s been a long time! It’s so good to see you,” he said as he shook my hand. “We are going to take such good care of you and your lovely date tonight. You don’t have to worry about a thing. Sit tight for just a second and we’ll get some wine over here for you. The food won’t be far behind.”

“Thanks, Larry,” I said. “This is her first time here and I want to impress her with your finest dish.”

“I only deal in perfection, you know this!”

I sat back down just in time for Sarabelle to lean over towards me.

“What are they bringing us to eat? We haven’t even seen a menu?”

“We don’t need a menu. I already ordered our food when I called ahead and spoke to Larry.”

She seemed concerned because I didn’t know much about her, much less what she liked to eat. Little did she know that I had done my research. Not only had I spoken in-depth with her sister but I had also searched through her Instagram account, where she loved to post photos of the food she prepared. I found it a little shocking that my prude Sarabelle hashtagged everything as FoodPorn. 

Sarabelle was quite a bit more health conscious than I was so I went a little healthier on her options. For appetizers, I started her off with warm winter vegetables tossed in sweet and sour Arbequina oil, toasted hazelnuts and mustard frills while I had butter poached Maine lobster with kumquats, Roman style polenta and a side of vanilla brown better. Her main course consisted of striped bass with cannellini beans, chorizo, Meyer lemon confit and Nicoise olives and I had dry aged sirloin with crispy onion rings, Tuscan kale, baby turnips and beurre rouge. There was no real way to go healthy with dessert so I had the chef bring something for us to share. We ended up with chocolate hazelnut dolly cake with Manjari chocolate mousse, marzipan, candied hazelnuts, and meringue.

Throughout the meal, Sarabelle seemed impressed by the fact that she enjoyed everything the chef brought out for her. I never told her that I’d looked into what she liked but I didn’t have to. I could tell she figured it out for herself. As we ate, she became more relaxed and the conversation came easier. That may have been because of my charm but if I had to guess, it was more likely the wine that managed to loosen her up. In the end, we both ended up having a fantastic time at dinner. The date went much better than I expected it to and I could tell that she felt the same way.

“I’m having a lot of fun with you Sarabelle,” I said as she finished off the last of the wine in the bottle. “It’s a shame that dinner is almost over. I don’t want this night to end.”

“This has definitely been a surprise,” she replied. “I expected tonight to be a disaster. Instead, this has been one of the best dates I’ve ever been on.”

“It doesn’t have to end, you know. I’ve got some great wine in my cellar. We could move this party to my place.”

“Christian,” Sarabelle sighed. “Please don’t ruin this by turning into a swine at the end of the night. I know your story and I know what happens when you take girls back to your place.”

“I know that I have a reputation with the ladies and most of what you heard was probably true but don’t get the wrong impression of what I’m asking you. I’m not going into this with any expectations. I’m just having a good time and now that I’ve been able to bring you out of your shell a little bit, I’d like to continue getting to know you. Come back to my place with me. If you feel uncomfortable at any point, you can leave and I won’t try to stop you.”

“I have a feeling I might end up regretting this. Fine, we can go back to your place but don’t put your hands in places where they don’t belong!”

“You have my word. I’ll be a complete gentleman until you give me the signal not to,” I replied with a wink.

“Don’t push your luck Mister Wilde,” she said with a laugh.

§  

It was kind of strange bringing someone like Sarabelle back to my house. When I’m just trying to get a piece of ass, the types of women I target aren’t typically the wealthiest ones I can find. That’s not to say that they are broke, homeless hags but they simply aren’t as well off as the girl I was currently hosting. When it came to things that would usually make one of my other girls swoon, Sarabelle wouldn’t bat an eyelash. Neither my money nor any of the other things I owned would impress her much. She didn’t care about my collection of sports cars or fine art. She had enough money that she could have bought any of those items for herself.

Instead of trying to impress her with my wealth, I had to rely on just being myself, which scared the shit out of me quite frankly. I’d been a womanizer and a player for so long, I wasn’t sure that I knew how to be a genuine person. I wasn’t sure what to say when the immediate endgame wasn’t to get the girl into my bed. That’s not to say I didn’t want her here, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t going to happen tonight. As we walked around the grounds of my property, I suddenly found that I was the tense one. My heart rate was the one increasing for a change. Usually, a man who always has plenty to say, I suddenly found myself at a loss for words and decided the best course of action would be to allow Sarabelle to take the lead in the conversation. Fortunately for me, it didn’t take her long to start asking me questions.

“When I ran into you in the store, you were buying some Christmas gifts for you sisters and mom. It seems like you are really close to them.”

“I really am. When I was growing up, my mom took care of my sisters and me all on her own. She didn’t have any help from anyone and no matter how much she needed it, she refused to accept any assistance that was offered. There were nights that she went without food so that us kids would have something to eat. There were times when she would go without necessities so that us kids would have things we needed for school. My sisters and I helped whenever we could. She worked two jobs to make sure we were taken care of so we stepped in to make sure the chores were done around the house. We would have cooked meals so she wouldn’t have to do that but she would never let us. She was so paranoid about us using the oven. She swore that we would burn the house down or something.”

“That’s really sweet. It’s pretty surprising actually.”

“It is? What’s so surprising about it?”

“Well, if everything I’ve heard about you is true, I’m surprised to learn that you’re close to any woman, let alone multiple women.”

“Why? Because I enjoy the company of women? I don’t see what that has to do with my family in any way,” I said, getting annoyed at what she was insinuating.

“Never mind, I didn’t mean anything by it. So how come your mom had to raise you by yourself? What happened to your dad? Did he pass away when you were young?”

“No, unfortunately, he’s still alive and well. He’s a piece of shit that took off on my mom when she refused to stop taking care of him. She worked so hard to provide for us and he wouldn’t get off his ass and help her at all. The only time he felt like he had to work was when she started threatening to kick him to the curb. Even then, he would only get a job long enough to get her off his back. One of his favorite things to do was to go to landscaping companies at the beginning of fall. He knew that the work wouldn’t last long and by the time winter would come along, they’d have nothing for him to do. He’d have a built in excuse for why he wasn’t working.”