THE BILLIONAIRE BRIDE

CHAPTER FOUR

That was it! She had had enough! It was time to give him a piece of her mind. What was the meaning of those words; “I trust you to take care of what is mine?” How dare he claim her so openly, right in front of everyone present in the bakery? She stepped out with him, determined to do just that, give him a piece of her mind. Not only was her best friend staring at her in awe, but so was everyone present in the bakery, and she didn’t like such attention, nor did she need it.

Micheal opened the door of the bakery and stepped aside, giving her space to emerge first. He didn’t move completely out of her way, and as her body brushed against his hard, muscular frame on her way out, it stirred something within her. Now standing outside the bakery, her hands moved up to the buttons of the coat, aiming to free it open, but his hands, in a swift action, moved to cover hers, preventing her from undoing the coat. His other hand moved to hold her waist. He held her close and gently pushed until her back was against the wall of the building, and his body was against hers, covering her. Locked in. Caged.

And once again, he commanded, “I want you to use the money to buy yourself some food. Also, get a new pair of shoes, and make sure you do not give away my coat to the next person you see on the street shivering because of the chilly weather, because I’ll tell you one thing…. I am rather fond of it.”

If given the chance, she would have screamed. How dare he! Speaking with so much authority, did he believe that he could just dish out orders and she would simply obey? The audacity! Or maybe everyone did obey his commands. She was filled with rage and detested the fact that she was standing in front of the hottest man she had ever laid eyes on, and he could see that she had nothing. Absolutely nothing. But yet, she knew she wasn’t going to be feeling indebted to him, so she wouldn’t take anything from him.

“I don’t need anything from you,” she said, “not your coat nor your money.”

He didn’t move an inch. He kept her back pinned to the wall of the building while his body locked her in place, with his hand still covering hers on the buttons of the coat she had tried to unfasten, and the other now resting on the wall above her head.

“Take it that I’m loaning you my coat and the money, you can pay me back once you’re settled,” he retorted.

“I’m not taking it!” she snapped.

“Catherine gave us the impression that you’re a kind and generous person. Is there a reason why you’re allowed to be, and I’m not?”

Sarah felt he said those words to mock her, or better still, in a sarcastic manner—because why on earth would he even want to be kind to her by giving her his most expensive coat, which looked like it would have cost a fortune, and the money... Oh, she didn’t know how much it was, but something told her it was a lot, so much that she might have to work for several years to pay it back.

At this point, she tipped her chin up and stared into his eyes, and that was her mistake. A terrible mistake she couldn’t take back. She became lost in those gorgeous emerald green eyes, but she knew one thing: he wasn’t playing the kind guy because he wanted to; he had a reason, one she did not know, just as she didn’t know his reason for his interest in her.

“Sarah?” he said in a low, seductive voice. She had been quiet for so long that he now wondered what she was pondering.

“I do not want pity, let alone from a stranger,” she said.

“I am not giving you the coat nor the money out of pity. Like I said, it’s a loan, which you must pay back.” Once again, he spoke with so much authority.

“Pay back” …. that was what she was most afraid of. “I can’t take this from you,” the words barely escaped her mouth.

She could barely talk; his closeness was taking effect on her. Oh hell! What was she even thinking? Not just his closeness, his entire presence alone had taken a toll on her the very moment she noticed him walking into the bakery. But now, with him being so close, backing her up against the wall, it made things so much worse.

Micheal’s face hardened at her defiance once again, and she could see that his patience was running out.

“It is because I have money” he said.

She realized that it wasn’t a question, as a matter of fact, it was a statement, and the color drained from her face when she realized the truth in it. It was the truth. Maybe it wouldn’t have been this difficult if the coat had come from someone with less, but she couldn’t deny that another reason she refused his gestures was that she thought he might be the leader of a crime group. He was hot. Gorgeous. Yet dangerous. The thought alone made her blush a little. She held her head down so he couldn’t see the effect he was having on her.

“Sarah, look at me,” he said in a low, commanding voice. He was used to obedience, that she noticed.

She took a deep breath and tipped her chin back to meet his gaze. His eyes made her lungs ache, leaving her breathless.

“I command that you keep the coat,” he said, emphasizing every word as he stared at her, leaving her breathless. “Keep the damn coat!”

She knew better than to argue, so she resigned herself to her fate and echoed, “Thank you.” Two words she found almost difficult to voice out.

“Good. Also, get something to eat.”

He took a step closer to her again, making her take a step back against the wall in an attempt to escape him, but there was no escape this time. God, he was close, and he smelled delicious. She didn’t know a man could smell so good. Her heart pounded. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and she gasped, her knees weakened. Oh God, was he going to kiss her? Her lips trembled, and a million butterflies found their wings in her stomach. Taking his eyes off her mouth, he glanced at his watch once more and finally released her from her cage. He turned his back and began to stride away.

“Make sure you eat, and I mean it. And do not give my coat away, because I’ll know, and I wouldn’t like that,” he said over his shoulder.

“Mr. Reginald,” she called out, “one more thing. Why does everyone seem so scared of you? And Catherine mentioned this being your territory; what does that even mean?”

“Because I’m not a man you should ever mess with,” he responded to the first question but not the second, without even turning back.

She was taken aback by the sincerity, but she knew he was right. He had brought a room full of people to a standstill. Nobody moved. No one even uttered a word. He definitely looked like a man no one should ever mess with. No one. Not even her.

“Should I be afraid of you then?” she asked.

“Only if it ensures that you get something to eat and stops you from giving away my coat and oh! get yourself a new pair of shoes too.”

“I don’t even know how I’ll pay you back,” she echoed.

“Johannesburg is known for robust remuneration; you will get the money in no time.”

“But I don’t even have the job yet.”

“The job is yours, missy.” He was now about to cross the street, but she called out,

“Wait! How do I find you to return the coat?”

“You can’t find me. I’ll be the one to find you.” And with that, he was across the street.

She saw how people on the sidewalk gave way for him as he walked; he was a force to be reckoned with. She stood there in silence, frozen, unable to move. Staring. Trying to gather her thoughts on what had just happened. She held on to the wall of the building, trying not to faint.