A Mile High Surprise Read online

  Sarah wanted to throttle the woman. "And?"

  Jane shrugged, but she wouldn't meet Sarah's eyes.

  "Did you tell him about our business?"

  Jane nodded.

  "Oh, Jane. Why?"

  Jane laughed. "Because I'd like to actually succeed at this and I'm willing to use any and every advantage we have to do so."

  "What did he say?" Sarah glanced around the room, but didn't see Tyler anywhere.

  Jane chewed on her lip and looked anywhere but at Sarah.

  "What did he say, Jane?"

  "He offered to finance us. You know, advance us some seed capital."

  Sarah shook her head. No. She was going to do this herself. On her own merit.

  Jane sighed. "I knew you'd react that way. I told him no."

  "Good." She turned away before Jane could say anything more and found herself face-to-face with Fiona Jones.

  "What the hell do you want?" Sarah asked, trying to ignore how perfect Fiona looked. She was wearing a long white sheath dress, the type that only looked good on women with no curves, and her ice-blonde hair was pulled into an elegant and deceivingly simple chignon.

  Fiona raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Ms. Baxter."

  Sarah tried not to roll her eyes. The woman hated her and Sarah knew it.

  "Yes, always. Tell me, Fiona. How is the Australian office doing? You seem to be here quite a bit."

  Fiona shrugged delicately. "Oh, quite well, thank you. Brad manages in my absence. Far more important that I'm here to support Tyler in the latest merger talks. He needs a woman like me by his side you know." She tilted her head. "I heard about your unfortunate departure. So sad that you just couldn't manage at Corrigan, Inc."

  Sarah glared at her. "I quit."

  "Mm. Did you? Well, as long as you believe that…" She reached out and touched the wrap draped over Sarah's shoulders. "This is truly beautiful work. Where did you get it?"

  "My sister made it."

  Fiona dropped the cloth as if burned, a slight sneer on her face. "Oh. How…quaint."

  Sarah wanted to grab her throat and squeeze. "Funny. Just a minute ago you called it beautiful."

  "Well. Now that I look closer…I can see that it's just like you. Shiny but lacking a certain je ne sais quoi that indicates true quality."

  Sarah laughed. She couldn't help it. "Oh, Fiona. How empty your little life must be that you feel the need to attack me. What's wrong? Tyler still won't touch you with a ten-foot pole?" She deliberately eyed Fiona up and down. "Can't say I blame him."

  Fiona glared at her, her eyes flashing fire. "Remember, you little gutter snipe. I'm the one he came with tonight and I'm the one he'll be leaving with. You? You're nothing. A little fling. He may have slummed it with you, but now he's back where he belongs."

  Fiona spun on her heel and walked away, holding herself as if she were royalty. Sarah wanted to flip her off, but she settled for sticking her tongue out at the woman's retreating back.

  Tyler caught her eye and raised one eyebrow, a slight smile on his face. Sarah shrugged, trying not to answer his smile with one of her own, and turned away.

  * * *

  At last it was time for the auction. Jane and Sarah stood together in the back of the room. Jane clutched Sarah's arm with such force Sarah was surprised she could still feel her fingers.

  As the announcer moved farther and farther down the list, Sarah felt more and more ill. This was it. If the scarf sold for a high price, they were in. It meant validation from the who's who of the city.

  But if it didn't…

  Well, it wasn't the end of the world. It just wasn't a good start.

  The old woman in the blue sequined dress drifted over to stand next to them. "I bid on the scarf by that friend of yours."

  "Did you?" Sarah was dying to ask how much the woman had bid, but didn't want to appear too eager.

  The woman nodded. "Unfortunately, I lost."

  Sarah stared at her. "How do you know?"

  The woman nodded towards the stage where Tyler and Fiona stood, talking quietly. "Because he outbid me."

  "Tyler?"

  "Ah, so you know Mr. Corrigan? Yes. He pushed the bid so high I couldn't even compete. My husband indulges me, but not to the tune of $10,000 for a scarf."

  Sarah stared at her. "He bid $10,000? That's ridiculous."

  The woman frowned. "This is for charity."

  Sarah tore free of Jane's grip and made a beeline for Tyler, pushing people out of her way.

  When she reached the stage, she didn't even hesitate. She walked right up the steps and grabbed his arm. "We need to talk. Now."

  Just as she started to drag him off the stage, the announcer said, "And here we have an exquisite hand-crafted shawl…"

  Sarah turned around. She was going to pull the thing right out of the man's grasp, but Tyler held her back. "What are you doing?"

  She turned to glare at him. "You had no right, Tyler. None."

  He stared at her blankly. "What are you talking about?"

  "The scarf. You knew it was ours. Why did you bid on it? Why did you have to ruin this for me?"

  He stared at her, mouth hanging open as the man on the stage said, "And the highest bid goes to Tyler Corrigan for the generous amount of $10,000."

  Tyler waved to Fiona to take the shawl. She grabbed it from the announcer and draped it over her shoulders, shooting a spiteful look at Sarah.

  "Follow me." Tyler turned without looking at her. He walked directly to the patio door and held it open, a slight smile on his face as men and women turned to watch the spectacle they were making.

  Once he'd closed the door, he turned on her. "What the hell are you talking about?"

  "That scarf. Jane and I donated it to garner attention for our new fashion label. She said she told you about it."

  He stared at her, completely surprised. "That's…that was yours?"

  "Jane said she told you."

  He frowned. "She mentioned something about a new business idea, but I honestly wasn't listening to the details."

  "She said you offered to fund us."

  He shrugged, that wicked half-smile she loved so much tugging at his lips. "It was you. I'd fund anything you did."

  Sarah shook her head, her arms crossed tight against her chest. She uncrossed them when Tyler's eyes drifted towards her cleavage.

  "What?" he asked.

  "You ruined everything."

  "How?"

  "You paid too much for it. And you gave it to Fiona?"

  He narrowed his eyes. "What upsets you more? The price I paid? Or that you think I bought it for Fiona?"

  "The price."

  He stepped forward, reaching towards her, his voice dropping. "Are you sure?"

  She took a half-step backward, but found herself bumping into a white metal table. "Yes."

  He reached out a hand to stroke her face, his emerald-green eyes trapping hers with their intensity. "Sarah, you know you're the only woman for me. You can't possibly think there's anything between me and Fiona."

  She tried to ignore the way his touch sent shivers down her spine and the way she longed to kiss those lips, to feel her flesh against his once more.

  "She certainly thinks there is."

  "She's wrong. And how come you care? You wrote me off."

  She glared at him. "Are you really that big a fool? You have to know I still love you."

  She saw the hope kindle in his eyes and held up her hand. "But love isn't enough, Tyler. We're too different. You want to travel around the world on your jet, mingle with rich people, run an empire, and be powerful. I just want to pay my bills, live in a cute little three bedroom, two bath home in the suburbs with a big yard, a golden retriever, and 2.2 kids, spend my weeks on a job I love, and my weekends with my family."

  His thumb slowly traced a circle on her upper arm as he stared into her eyes. Sarah leaned towards him, every fiber of her body longing to touch his.

&nb
sp; He nodded to himself. "You're right. We can't have both." He ran his fingers through her hair and she fought the urge to wrap her arms around him and pull him closer. He kissed her softly and she followed when he pulled back, longing to continue the kiss for just a little bit longer.

  She knew it wouldn't work long-term, but maybe just for a while she could pretend.

  He stroked her face again. "You didn't choose the life I want, but that doesn't mean I can't choose the one you want."

  He knelt down on one knee and took her hand in his.

  Sarah stared at him. "What the hell are you doing?"

  He smiled at her with that wicked little half-grin she loved so much. "Sarah Baxter, I love you. I love you more than anything and I would go anywhere in the world if only I could have you by my side." He held her eyes with his, his face shining with love and adoration.

  Sarah couldn't breathe. She really couldn't breathe.

  He smiled at her, the dimple in his chin more prominent than ever. "I don't have a ring to give you right now—and knowing you, you'd want to choose one for yourself anyway—and I know we have a lot to work through to make this work, but I'm willing to do it if you are. So I'm going to ask you now. Sarah Baxter, will you marry me?"

  Sarah couldn't move, she couldn't think. Had Tyler just asked her to marry him?

  She'd thought she'd lost him for good and now he wanted to marry her? What the hell?

  "Sarah?" The smile on his face faded slightly as he continued to kneel before her waiting for her answer.

  She willed her body to obey her, but she was frozen in complete and utter shock.

  The door banged open and Fiona Jones barged outside, the scarf wrapped around her shoulders. "There you are. It's time for your closing speech."

  Tyler didn't even look at her. "Sarah? What do you say? Will you marry me?"

  He knelt in front of her, all his love and hope shining in his eyes.

  She knew they were doomed. She knew they could never find a way to come together.

  But she loved him. Loved him more than she'd ever loved anyone before, with an unreasoning blind need that consumed her.

  And she couldn't tell him no, not when he was looking at her that way.

  As much as she knew she should, she couldn't tell him no.

  "Yes." A smile broke across her face like sunshine breaking through clouds. "Yes, I'll marry you."

  Tyler surged to his feet and spun her in a circle. They laughed together, Sarah overflowing with more joy than she'd imagined was possible.

  Fiona stepped forward. "What? What did you just say?"

  Sarah kissed Tyler, a long, lingering kiss full of all the passion she'd been holding back for the last three months. She didn't care who saw them or what they thought. Tyler Corrigan was hers once more and she was never ever going to let him go.

  When they finally managed to pull themselves apart, Fiona was still standing there, watching them in confusion. "Tyler? What is going on here?

  He pulled Sarah close. "We're getting married."

  He laughed, a sound of pure joy and shouted it. "We're getting married."

  Sarah leaned her head against his shoulder as people came running, cameras flashing as they called out questions.

  "Is it true, Mr. Corrigan? Are you really engaged?" a reporter asked, shoving through the crowd.

  Sarah didn't even care. She was too happy. Somehow, someway, she and Tyler had found their way back to one another again and she wasn't about to let him go this time.

  She was going to marry Tyler Corrigan.

  Her. Trailer park princess Sarah was engaged to a billionaire.

  Suck that, Fiona, she thought as she smiled for the cameras.

  * * *

  The story continues in A Mile High Engagement. Or you can read the entire eight-story collection, A Mile High Romance: The Complete Collection.

  About the Author

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  You can contact the author at [email protected].

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  For other titles by Cassidy Coal as well as titles by C. Coal and C.K. Carr visit http://ckcauthor.com/.

  Steamy Short Stories by Cassidy Coal

  A Mile High Romance: The Complete Collection

  An Undeniable Attraction: The Complete Collection

  A New Year’s to Remember

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  Sweet Short Stories by Cassidy Coal

  writing as C. Coal

  Puppy Love: Volumes 1 to 13

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  Novels by Cassidy Coal writing as C.K. Carr

  Something Worth Having

  Something Gained

  Text copyright 2014-2015 M.L. Humphrey

  All Rights Reserved