Sarah sighed. “I’m glad, Jake. Your uncle would be pleased.” She was happy and relieved that the people she worked with would be keeping their jobs.
“That’s not all, Sarah. I want you to continue. As assistant to me. I’m going to stay…I’ll have to travel, but I’m going to make San Francisco my home base. So will you come back?”
A week ago, Sarah would have been relieved to know she still had a job. But now? She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Jake, I’m not coming back.”
Jake frowned. “Why Sarah? You love that company and you’re damn good at your job.”
Sarah couldn’t tell him that couldn’t bear to work with him every day knowing there would never be more to their relationship than boss/employee or Dom/sub. She needed to be his equal in some part of her life. That meant working away from Jake, not beneath him.
But he loves you.
Even if he truly did love her, as she loved him, she wanted and needed more for herself. She didn’t want to come back to her old job. “I need to branch out. Leave the nest,” she said.
Jake stood, gloriously naked. He ran his hand through his hair. “Bullshit. You’re leaving because of me.”
“No, not totally. I’ve never known anything else. If I stay, I never will. I’ll never be more than I am.”
She slid out of bed. “I know I’ve left you in a tight spot. I’ll come back, just to train my replacement.” With a heavy heart, Sarah walked out of the bedroom and into the elevator to gather her clothes and her tattered heart.
Burning Attraction Book 4
As promised, Sarah returned to work only to find that Jake had left for New York to take care of business. He’d left her with instructions to train her replacement, suggesting Lainey Caster, her own assistant.
She glanced at his closed door. After being gone nearly three weeks, he’d returned two days ago. Her heart ached. She wanted to see him, talk to him and, damn it, she wanted dinner, desert and her Dom. But whenever he needed something, he called in Lainey. As he should.
Still it hurt that he’d not made any effort to engage her beyond polite nods and greetings. For three weeks, she’d waited for him to call or text but not a word. Just impersonal emails regarding the company. It was as though he’d wiped her and what they’d had from his mind. Which meant you were right, he didn’t love you and he’d obviously changed his mind.
Her heart ached. It was better this way and in five days she’d never see him again.
“Sarah, are you sure you want me to take this promotion?” Lainey asked, setting a folder down on Sarah’s desk.
Sarah glanced up at her friend. “You’ll be great, Lainey. You were my assistant so you know most of what I did already. You deserve this promotion.”
Lainey looked uncertain. “I’m grateful Sarah, but I’m not you. This is your job.”
Sarah shook her head. “I made my decision and I don’t have any regrets.” Well, maybe a few but what was done, was done. She had five days left on the job. Jake had insisted on her giving him a month.
“You okay, Sarah?” Lainey asked.
Smiling bravely, Sarah nodded.
“Liar.”
Sarah shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”
“He’s a fool,” Lainey said softly.
So was she. Sarah turned her attention back to the report she was working on. Maybe she should go in there and tell him that Lainey was ready to take over. She wasn’t really needed and being this close to him was sheer torture.
As though he knew she was thinking about him, Jake came out of his office. “Ms. Sweeney, I need you to accompany me to the new building.”
Sarah drank in the sight of him in one of his tailored suits paired with a rich shirt the color of caramel that softened his eyes and brought out the lighter shades in his hair. She frowned. “Ms. Caster should go with you, Mr. Anders.”
Jake lifted a brow. “Telling me how to do my job, Ms. Sweeney?”
Sarah narrowed her eyes at Jake. He was all business and every inch the billionaire owner. She grabbed her purse and briefcase and stood. If that was the way he wanted to play it, fine! “No, Sir. I would never presume to tell you how to do your job.”