The Billionaire's Runaway Bride (2 page)

She was shivering with impotent anger and fear but still resisted, determined to not lose the small amount of independence she’d gained while being away. “You can’t make me.” Sophie knew she was playing with fire but couldn’t help herself. Getting near him was lethal to her control and possibly her newfound self esteem.

Jason sighed and shook his head. “You think not? Never doubt me, Sophie.” Before he even explained his actions, the calm, victorious look in his eyes told her that he’d won. “I’ve already spoken to your employer and explained that you must resign without notice. I’ve also…”

“You can’t do that!” Her income was gone? That easily? Was it possible? Looking into his steely expression, she knew that it was not only possible, but an incontrovertible fact.

“I can and I did,” he stated. “As I said a few moments ago, my wife will not be supporting herself by digging in the dirt! Furthermore, I have spoken to your landlord and bought out the remainder of your lease. If you persist in living there, I will make a very generous offer to your landlord to buy the building, then I will evict you. If you find another place to live, I will do the same,” he stated. With each word, he moved closer to her, not letting her retreat or move away from him. “Don’t doubt my determination to have you exactly where you belong, Sophie. You are coming home. Now!”

“No!” she cried, feeling trapped because she knew he’d do exactly as he’d stated. Jason never made idle threats.

“Yes,” he countered. “Since you are no longer employed, you have no license to drive this vehicle. Your current employer, Henry Wilson, I believe was his name, has agreed to have someone come out and pick up the vehicle later. Now,” he said, obviously his patience was at an end, “get into the car.”

Sophie fought back the tears. “I hate you,” she said with feeling.

“That has yet to be determined,” Jason replied mercilessly but he followed her into the back of the waiting limousine.

Chapter 2

Sophie sat in the corner of the soft, comfortable seat and fumed. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at Jason as he followed her in. As soon as he was seated, the car moved, heading off in the direction of London.

The silence lasted for about five minutes before Jason spoke into the tense atmosphere. “I’m surprised to find you here. The investigators were looking for you in Europe, Sophie. Very smart of you to hide right under my nose,” Jason said but before she could respond, his cell phone rang and he answered it, immediately dismissing her from his mind as he dealt with yet another of the multitude of business details he responded to each day.

She wished she could tell him that she wasn’t hiding from him. But she was. She’d run away from him all those months ago when she determined that Jason had only married her out of pity. It hadn’t been a guess. Her stepsister Jocelyn had told her that, in no uncertain terms, Jason had found her silly, heartbreaking existence too much to bear and had taken it upon himself to keep her from being a laughing stock after Sophie’s father had died.

That afternoon had been devastating for Sophie. From the first moment she’d met Jason, she’d woven fantasies around him. She’d been twenty three when her father had taken her to a ball and had been wearing one of her father’s favorite dresses which meant it looked like a funeral dress in Sophie’s mind. The long, black dress which covered her from her neck to her ankles, even the long sleeves not showing any skin, was the kind of dress her father thought was appropriate for his daughter.

Sophie remembered seeing Jason across the room and her heart had instantly accelerated. When he’d turned and caught her eye, it was as if a spark of electricity had traveled the length of the room and connected the two of them. He hadn’t let her look away as he made his way across the room. But he didn’t need to worry that night. As her father made the introductions, Sophie was transfixed by his hard, chiseled face and determined eyes. He was so tall, he practically towered over her by at least seven inches. Her head barely came to his shoulder even in her heels.

But when he took her hand and led her onto the dance floor, she fit into his arms perfectly. The entire dance, she continued to look up at him, thrilled with his handsome looks and feeling other women’s eyes on her. When the dance ended, Jason was gentlemanly as he tucked her hand into his arm and led her back to her father’s side. He bowed away, smiling and winking at her. That was the last time she saw him until her father’s funeral.

Looking back, she’d probably looked like a simpleton that night. Sophie wasn’t well versed in the art of flirtation so she knew all her emotions were spread across her face for him and everyone else to see. Sophie shifted in the limousine seat uncomfortably as she thought back to how incredibly naïve she’d been. And when he’d shown up at her house after the funeral, it was as if all the loneliness caused by living under her father’s harsh eyes just disappeared.

He’d taken her to dinner that night and made her laugh, something she hadn’t done a lot of while living under her father’s roof. His looks made her feel pretty and feminine. When he walked her to the door that night, he gently kissed her lips, only brushing them softly before pulling away. He proposed on her doorstep that night and Sophie accepted, never considering why a man like Jason would want someone like her after only two meetings. She was too enthralled by the man to question motives.

Sophie sat as far away from him as she could in the limousine on the way back to Jason’s house, staring out the window as the car drove smoothly from the small village she had made her home, into London’s center. They drove right to the house she’d shared with him for six, lonely months of their marriage. Staring at the huge mansion with so much history, she wondered how she would ever find happiness within these hallowed walls.

Sighing, Sophie got out of the car, not even waiting for the driver to come around and open the door for her. She always hated that custom and she was determined to avoid it whenever she could. She didn’t understand it anyway. She was perfectly capable of opening her own door, so why shouldn’t she? And if it irritated Jason, then so be it. In fact, all the better, she thought to herself. Maybe she should make that her life’s ambition. Perhaps if she irritated him, he would eventually release her from their marriage.

Looking back as he exited the limousine himself, she knew that was a silly plan. Jason had only found amusement with her before. Each time she’d done something silly or what her father would consider inappropriate, Jason would simply wink at her or casually stroll over to kiss her cheek or forehead.

The front door of Jason’s house opened before she reached it and the butler, Higgins, went by, bowing as she entered. “Welcome home, ma’am,” he said.

Sophie was about to greet him when she heard the female voices somewhere in the house. She sighed heavily and considered hiding in the library which was off to the right. But instead, she squared her shoulders and prepared mentally for battle. She knew it wouldn’t be too bad this time since Jason was right behind her. The two, lovely blond women had been the horror of her teen years. Evelyn, who had married Sophie’s father, worked hard to make Sophie feel inferior. But her sharp claws were retracted whenever Jason was within hearing distance.

Evelyn and her daughter Jocelyn rounded the corner, both of them laughing about something but they came to a stunned halt as soon as they saw Sophie standing in the front entry hall.

“Good grief, Sophie!” Evelyn said, her perfectly manicured hand moving to her throat, covering the Hermes scarf that fluttered elegantly with the movement. “We didn’t know you were coming home or we would have planned a grand celebration with all of your friends and acquaintances.” Evelyn stopped talking and took in Sophie’s appearance. Her blue eyes widened in horror as she looked at Sophie’s filthy jeans and sweatshirt that had definitely seen better days. “What on earth are you wearing, dear?” she asked.

Sophie saw Evelyn’s eyes flick to the doorway and the older woman quickly masked her shock. Obviously Jason had just come through the doorway. A bright smile broke onto Evelyn’s face but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. They were still the cold, icy blue that had always chilled Sophie with their hatred. “No matter, dear. We’ll get you cleaned up and throw those silly things away. Won’t we, Jocelyn?”

Jocelyn, with all of her perfect, blond beauty, smiled smugly and nodded. Jocelyn hadn’t quite mastered her mother’s ability to hide her hatred but obviously Jason was oblivious.

Sophie kept herself from shrinking when Jocelyn moved towards Sophie saying, “Absolutely. Don’t worry about a thing, Jason, dear. We’ll take care of dear Sophie for you. Just leave it to us,” she said and hooked her arm in Sophie’s.

“Thank you, ladies, but I think Sophie and I have some things to discuss, if you don’t mind. Perhaps the transformation could wait a few more minutes?” he suggested, a charming smile on his face as he looked to Evelyn and Jocelyn, his gaze never straying to Sophie, as if saying she didn’t really have a choice in the matter.

Evelyn and Jocelyn didn’t take the not so subtle hint. Evelyn’s laughter trilled shrilly in the large, wooden foyer as they continued to lead Sophie towards the stair case. “Don’t be a bore, Jason. You probably have some very important matters to discuss but you need to let Sophie arm herself with an acceptable outfit. A woman must always look her best, shouldn’t she?”

Without another word, Jocelyn pulled Sophie along to the stairs where the two women talked to each other about what Sophie should be doing and speculating on where she had been since she’d left. None of the questions were directed towards her so she simply followed along unwillingly, caught in their trap.

Chapter 3

The women chattered away as they made their way up the stairs, coming up with silly stories to justify Sophie’s disappearance and sudden reappearance. But as soon as they rounded the corner, Jocelyn immediately dropped Sophie’s arm and stood back, her hands on her hips as her eyes turned angrily on Sophie. “What on earth possessed you to re-enter Jason’s life, Sophie?” she demanded as soon as they were out of hearing range. She didn’t wait for a response though. Without another word, both women hustled Sophie down the long hallway and into the blue and silver room she’d occupied while married to Jason.

Jocelyn and Evelyn busied themselves with dissecting her pathetic wardrobe and tossing clothes aside. Neither one of them paid any attention to Sophie who just stared as if transfixed by the image in front of her.

It was her bed.

There was a connecting door to his room, but she’d never ventured into that domain. She knew what it looked like since she’d peered in curiously one day when the door was open. Instead of her going to him each night, he’d come to her. And, each night, he would make love to her until her senses were so filled with only him, she couldn’t think about anything else. Not the loneliness or the horrible attitudes of her stepmother and sister or the boring social function they’d just left. Jason had been the ultimate lover. Of all the things that had gone wrong with their marriage, sex would definitely not be on the list. In fact, he merely had to touch her and her whole body would melt into his arms and quiver with desire. There had never been any denying of Jason. Her body just wouldn’t let her.

Evelyn finally realized that Sophie was no longer paying attention to their spiteful comments and grew irritated. “Sophie! What are you doing just standing there? You know Jason is waiting for you. Are you so inconsiderate as to keep him waiting?” Evelyn snapped, her perfectly made up face showing her annoyance.

The harsh words, so undeserving since she’d been pulled up here against her will, broke through to her consciousness and she was able to snap out of her fascination with her bed and all of its memories. Sophie finally looked over at the woman who had entered her life almost ten years ago. It had been horrible from the beginning. But no more. It was time to start standing up for herself. She’d only been gone for what now seemed like a short period of time, but she’d learned a great deal about herself in that period of time. That she was a survivor. And that she didn’t have to take the abuse others dished out. She could push back.

“Thank you very much for your assistance, Evelyn, but I think I can handle changing clothes on my own,” she said, hoping the two women didn’t hear the tension in her voice.

Jocelyn snickered, her unladylike noise earning her a sharp look from her mother. But Jocelyn ignored the look, preferring to remain focused on Sophie instead of her own transgressions. “Of course you can’t, dear. That’s why Jason is always shuddering whenever he sees your ridiculous clothes.” Jocelyn spoke those biting words and made sure they hit their mark before turning back to Sophie’s closet, satisfied with the pale look she’d instigated. “None of these are terribly flattering but what can you expect with that god-awful red hair and white skin? We’ll just have to do our best.”

Sophie gritted her teeth but wouldn’t give in. “I’m sure you both have only my best interests in mind,” she said sarcastically, “but I requested that you leave my bedroom.” She looked at both women’s startled expressions with satisfaction. “Immediately,” she reinforced when both of them just stood there.

Jocelyn was the first to give in. She shrugged her shoulders and let the dress she’d been holding fall to the floor. “If you’re going to be ungrateful, then I’m just not going to stand here and take your abuse, Sophie.” And without another word, she walked out of the room, her head held high, glaring at Sophie the whole time.