The Marriage Sacrifice Read online

  Chapter Three

  Sage didn’t know what the hell she was doing. She knew where she was going and why, seeing as she’d been doing it for the past three years, but inviting Dom, it was crazy. When she got to his place, she was going to tell him not to bother. Being in a suit wouldn’t work, and if he owned anything but, it was probably designer. It had already been a pretty hectic morning, but she’d been able to get four hours of nonstop writing in before she had to even think of the rest of the day. She always worked every spare moment she could, but she also liked to deal with her commitments to helping others and volunteering.

  The cab pulled up outside of his extravagant building.

  “Do you mind waiting?”

  “No problem, Sage. Anything for you.”

  Billy, the driver, she’d helped him out when he’d made a mistake with his wife. He’d forgotten their anniversary, and with Sage’s help, she’d been able to set a perfect romantic meal for him. She’d also babysat his three children that night so he could more than make up for it. Since then, whenever she needed a cab, she had his personal number and he was a close friend.

  “You’re a star.”

  “You go and get your man.”

  She chuckled but slid out of the car, making her way inside the building. She didn’t want to go all the way up to his room, so she stopped at the main reception.

  Two women were talking, and she quickly glanced at the time to see she wasn’t able to wait.

  “Excuse me. Could you put a call in for Dominic Duke?” she asked.

  The women turned toward her, and within a matter of seconds they’d looked her up and down and decided she wasn’t worth their time.

  “I’m afraid Mr. Duke doesn’t take personal calls.”

  “He’s expecting me.”

  “Yeah, I’m really sure of that.”

  They went back to talking to each other.

  Sage wasn’t in the mood to get into this argument. She had never used it since putting the ring on her finger.

  “I’m sure he’d be expecting his fiancée,” she said, holding up her hand with the diamond ring on her finger.

  It was weird. From the moment the ring had been put on her finger—by her mother, not by Dom—she’d never taken it off. It was a Duke heirloom, worn by his grandmother, who refused to give it to Dom’s mother, so he had it in his possession for when he was married.

  She didn’t want to get married, but yet, hadn’t taken the ring off. Weird.

  “I’m Sage Boyle. Dom’s expecting me.”

  The two women went bright red and practically tripped over each other to get to the phone to call him.

  “I’m so sorry,” the woman said, who hadn’t made it in time.

  Sage merely smiled. She wasn’t about to spoil her day because of these two women. They wouldn’t be the first two who decided she was worth nothing when it came to Dom.

  “He said he’d be right down. Would you like a beverage or a snack while you wait?”

  “No, that’s fine. Thank you for your help.” She stepped away from the desk and walked toward the doors, staring out at the open street.

  She could do this.

  Spend the day with Dom.

  It wasn’t like their time together over lunch was so hard. She rather enjoyed his company.

  The elevator opened, and Dom stepped off. He came toward her, and for a split second, Sage forgot to breathe. There was just no way a man who had spent most of his life in a suit could look so good in a pair of jeans and crisp white shirt, and yet, as he walked toward her, owning the outfit, she couldn’t help but feel a pulse of arousal between her thighs.

  Dom was sex on legs. There was no denying that, but like this? It wasn’t possible.

  Why did he have to be so … everything?

  “You okay there?” he asked.

  “Yes, of course. I’m perfectly fine.” She forced a smile to her lips, trying to pull herself out of her own thoughts. “Are you ready?”

  “I am. Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

  “And spoil the surprise? Not a chance.” She took his hand and led him out to the cab. Billy, like a gem, was still waiting. She gave him the directions, but he already knew where she was heading. “Billy, I’d like you to meet Dom, my fiancé. Dom, this is Billy.”

  “Good to meet you, sir,” Billy said.

  “Likewise.”

  “Billy and I go way back,” she said.

  “Really?” Dom raised his brow, and she smiled.

  “Yes, your wife saved my marriage. Without her I would be alone, miserable, and regretting. One word of advice, Dom, do not, ever, ever, forget your anniversary. Not in a year, five, or ten years. Especially not when she’s borne you three children that at times can test the very saints.”

  Sage smiled. His kids were a wonderful bunch, but they always wanted Mom and Dad. They hadn’t been any trouble to her, and she had adored looking after them.

  “They’re not so bad.”

  “Wait until you have children of your own, Sage. Believe me, when you want some private time, you’ll believe your children are the very worst.”

  Children.

  Would Dom want to have kids?

  “Do you like children?” she asked.

  “I do, yes. I don’t have any of my own, but I hope when I do, they’ll like me.” He took her hand, and she didn’t pull away as he held it. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

  She heard Billy snort.

  Kids was kind of a theme today.

  She helped every single year in the summer.

  “Can I ask you something?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  “When we get to our destination, please keep an open mind.”

  “You know, you’re only making me more curious.”

  “Be careful. Always remember what happened to the cat,” Billy said.

  Sage laughed. “It’ll be fine. Stop worrying.”

  “I don’t know. I think you need to see your man really loves you if he’s willing to let you take charge for the day.”

  She wanted to tell Billy they weren’t in love. Their marriage was nothing more than a business contract, a merger, nothing that anyone would want to talk about.

  She kept her mouth shut, instead, staring out of the window, and being very aware of him holding her hand.

  She was connected to him, there was no denying that, but it was more than that. It was more than holding hands, and being engaged.

  The ring on her finger seemed to burn her, but she couldn’t take it off. When she got home, she would. There was no way she was going to allow herself the chance to think and dream of something that really wasn’t there.

  Billy pulled into the parking lot of where the fair was being held.

  “You’re taking me to an amusement park?” Dom asked.

  “Keep an open mind.” She pulled out some bills and handed them to Billy.

  “No, you know I don’t take your money.”

  “Billy, you’ve gone out of your way today. Please, you know I don’t feel comfortable about not paying you. At least take it for the gas used.”

  “I don’t like taking money.”

  “I’ll only leave it in the seat.” She would hate for him not to be able to pay for gas or for the upkeep of his cab if she didn’t pay him. They were friends, and she had no intention of exploiting that friendship either.

  “Okay, okay, fine. Fine. Have fun today, you two,” Billy said.

  “We will.” Well, she was going to make the most of it, but she didn’t know about Dom.

  Sliding out of the car, she gave Billy a wave and turned to Dom, who looked … pensive.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “We’re going to an amusement park?”

  “Like I said, not exactly. The three local schools set up a bunch of stalls, and they have amusements parks come and set up to help raise them money for the coming year. It can bring funds for school trips, buses, equipmen
t, that kind of thing.”

  “Don’t they get it from donations?” he asked.

  “Not all the time. I volunteer to help man the stores and also to keep an eye on things, and I also participate to help earn money.”

  “And the press doesn’t follow you to these events?”

  “I’m not a party animal. To the press, I’m boring and don’t need to be followed. If you don’t want to do it, I completely understand.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t want to. Why not write them a check?”

  “Dom, not everything is done in life by writing a check. This is not only fun for the kids, but it also allows them to feel part of it. They’ll respect what they get from the funds raised, and besides, I happen to find it a lot of fun. If you’re really not into it, it’s fine, but I’ve helped them for a couple of years now and I’m not going to go back on my word.” Why did she think for even a second he could understand this? Just write a check? Something so impersonal.

  “I didn’t say that. Come on, Sage, show me how it’s done without signing a check.”

  ****

  There were a million and one things Dom could be doing today. Working out how to make the Booker deal work without Johnson’s money. Even organizing a suit for his wedding. The cake as well. He could be relaxing in his apartment, working on his business plan for the next five years. Once he was married to Sage and had control of the Boyle empire, he’d be able to take his own company out of the red and to make it thrive. Once he was done, he had no intention of taking any more funds from the Boyles, and he could find some way to divorce her and to give her a life without him. From everything he’d seen, Sage didn’t need him.

  He watched her go from stall to stall, tagging along. She showed him what to do, from serving up beverages, placing hot dogs in buns, and even handing out little hoops. She was totally into helping others.

  He’d known that about her. From the schedule her father had given him, he saw she spent a great deal of time helping others. This wasn’t on the list. He wondered if her father even knew.

  “Sage, Sage, Sage!” A kid practically screamed her name as she came toward the booth, nearly knocking all the beverages off the stand.

  “What is it, Molly?” she asked.

  “The cake face. We’re missing two people, and it’s getting crowded over there.”

  “I thought Pierce and Lionel had promised?”

  “They’ve been no-shows again,” Molly said.

  “Great.” Sage bit her lip and turned her attention to him. “How much do you like your pretty face?”

  “You think I have a pretty face?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Get your head in the game.”

  “Which one?” He winked at her and couldn’t believe as her face turned a delightful shade of pink. She looked so cute and adorable, he wanted to keep on teasing her.

  “Come on, flirt boy. Let’s hope they are sucky shots.”

  “Sucky shots?”

  “You know you keep repeating everything I’m saying? It’s kind of distracting.”

  He didn’t put up a fight as he was pulled across the fairground. He was having a lot of fun. When Billy had arrived at the fair, he had thought it was some kind of trick, but hanging out with Sage, seeing her in her domain, it was an eye-opening experience. It also made him very much aware that she wasn’t one for business. She wouldn’t understand why he had to marry her and for all of those reasons that he’d messed up on.

  “Right, the idea is you stand in one place, and they throw pies at you.”

  “Seriously?” he asked.

  “Seriously. It doesn’t hurt.”

  “You’ve had this done before?”

  “Yep. I help out wherever I can. This was supposed to be the year I took off, but it looks like that is not happening.” She stood beside him, taking hold of his hand. “Okay, just stand completely still. It’s what I do.”

  “This is crazy. You know that.”

  “It’ll be a lot of fun. Watch.”

  He didn’t see in his lifetime or any lifetime how standing and waiting to get a pie thrown in his face was a good idea.

  “Who are the other prisoners?” he asked, seeing four more people lined up for this humiliation.

  “The teachers.”

  “So the students get to throw pies at the teachers?”

  “Yes. It kind of makes for a good start to the next year. No hard feelings, nothing. It’s all good.”

  For five minutes the first two students threw pies at their teachers. Each person got three pies, which they had to throw at the people’s faces. They didn’t look hard as the pies disintegrated on impact.

  “Where did you get the pies from?”

  “A bakery downtown. It’s not too far. It’s actually delicious.”

  “If my staff could see me now,” he said.

  “Would you be the kind of boss that got a pie in the face?” she asked.

  “No. I’m a good boss.”

  “I don’t know. I think there is a certain hatred for all bosses, don’t you think?” She cried out as a pie hit the board. Their faces and some of their neck was visible. “James, really?” she asked, bursting out laughing. Some of the pie had landed on her neck.

  “You know the drill, Sage,” James said, arms outstretched looking all innocent.

  “Then shoot some at my fiancé,” she said.

  “Hey!”

  “You got it.”

  Sage was laughing as James threw a pie. It hit the board, but it was close.

  The third always missed.

  “Maybe next time, sweetie.”

  James gave her a thumbs up.

  “Really?” he asked.

  “He’s a sweet kid. He’s trying out for baseball and is working on his throw.”

  “He’s got a long way to go.”

  “You got to try and be encouraging to the kids.”

  “They’re not my kids,” he said.

  “So you’ll only be nice to your own?”

  “Yeah, I will. Do you want kids?” he asked.

  “One day, I think.”

  There was something there, and he made a note to approach the subject again.

  He didn’t get a chance to act as right then and there, a pie hit him square in the face. He had time to close his eyes, but as he opened them, he felt the pie slide down his face.

  Staring at the kid, Dom saw he was a large one, muscular. The pie hadn’t hurt, but seeing the smile, Dom wasn’t impressed.

  Until he heard Sage’s laughter. “Good one, Brian.”

  She went silent, and Dom turned to see she was indeed covered with pie.

  When she opened her eyes, he saw the humor.

  “Come on, Dom, stop being the boss and have fun. I didn’t bring you along today to judge everyone and everything. Just have some fun.”

  So, he let go.

  He got hit by three more pies, and so did Sage. The stall finally closed after a teacher got the last one.

  Sage came away from the stall, hand on her stomach, laughing, as she watched him. “You find something funny?”

  “You should have seen your face when that first pie hit. You looked like you were going to hurt someone.”

  “I wanted to.”

  “Lick your lips. They’re good pies.”

  He licked his lips but shook his head.

  “Come on, stop being a spoilsport. It’s good.”

  “It’s not good.”

  “Yes, it is, and you know it.” She pulled some of the excess pie off her and threw it at him.

  “Two can play that game.” They started to throw pie at each other, and he couldn’t stop laughing.

  Sage was infectious, and he couldn’t stop, not even if he wanted to. The pie was good, and as he caught her because she tried to run away, she pushed her hand against his face, rubbing pie in.

  They were so close, and he was staring into her eyes. Shocking blue, hypnotic, and so beautiful.

  Time stood still.
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br />   The fair, the kids, it all was happening behind him, but for now, all he saw were her lips, her eyes, and he felt this overwhelming need to kiss her.

  They didn’t have any cameras. Their parents weren’t here to orchestrate everything. They didn’t have the pressure of their wedding, and for once, he wasn’t thinking about the pressures of the company.

  In this moment, all he wanted to do was to kiss her.

  To feel those lips against his.

  So he did.

  Slamming his lips down on hers, he heard her slight gasp, and he closed his eyes, sliding his tongue across her mouth. She opened to him, and he plunged inside, deepening the kiss.

  He gave it his all, kissing her hard, feeling an answering pulse in his dick.

  Sage held his arms, kissing him back, and it felt so good, better than good.

  He’d always believed a kiss was overrated, but one touch of Sage’s lips, and he wanted more.

  There was sudden whistling, and kissing noises all around them.

  Sage broke off from the kiss and turned her head. “Not fair,” she said.

  The kids dispersed, but he couldn’t help but smile.

  “Well, well, well, I’d say this was the best date I’ve been on.”

  “Best date? This isn’t a date,” she said.

  “I don’t know. Pie, kisses, kids, I’d say so.”

  She giggled. “I think it’s time we got the pie off and finished helping out.”

  He held her close, not letting her go. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For inviting me today.”

  “Are you enjoying it?”

  He waited a second, thinking about it before finally nodding. “Yeah, I am.”

  “See, you’ve got it in you to have fun.”

  And he intended to do it a lot more with Sage.

  Chapter Four

  Sage hated life. She hated mirrors, and above all else she hated seamstresses or whatever they were called. The women with the needle and thread. She had no idea what the woman was doing, but she was bored. Completely out of her comfort zone, and now she just wanted to go to what she usually did on a Friday and that was help out at the animal shelter. Her mother was eating into her writing time, but she’d make that up over the next couple of days. Her laptop was always ready for her whenever she needed to write. Today was one of her favorite volunteering days, especially at the shelter