Destined Read online

  Destined

  Dorothy Ewels

  Dorothy Ewels

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Acknowledgments

  Sneak Peek into Burn for Me

  Chapter 31

  About Dorothy Ewels

  Also by Dorothy Ewels

  Find Me Online

  Copyright © 2019 Dorothy Ewels

  Published by Dorothy Ewels

  Cover design & Formatting by Raven Designs

  Edited by Candice Royer

  Proofread by Marilize Roos

  First edition 2019.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” to [email protected].

  Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  People destined to meet will do so,

  Apparently by chance,

  At precisely the right moment.

  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

  1

  Sebastian

  “Hey dude, wait your turn. We all wanna to get in, but you gotta wait, man.”

  Sebastian felt someone grab his arm as he walked past the people queuing to get into what was being lauded as the hottest nightclub in Cape Town. It had been a long, crappy day, and his dark mood turned darker.

  Before he could so much as take a breath, he felt a heavy hand settle on his shoulder.

  “I’ve got this, Mr Marino. You go on in, sir.”

  He was no slouch in the size department at six foot three, and still the bouncer at his shoulder dwarfed him. The man’s muscular arms and thighs strained against the black standard-issue suit.

  Stalking into the club, Sebastian headed for the bar. The bartender, catching sight of him, came over.

  “Evening, Mr Marino. Your usual?”

  With a nod, he replied, “Make it a double.”

  The bartender placed the drink in front of him before returning to the other end of the bar, leaving him to his thoughts. Absently, his fingers traced the drops of condensation trickling down the outside of the glass. Lifting the tumbler to his lips, he took a large swallow of the ice-cold amber alcohol, relishing the bite as it slid down his dry throat. He licked his lips, catching a stray droplet and breathing in the rich, oak fragrance of the whiskey. He felt the tension of the long, stressful day start to fade.

  He had been putting out fires ever since the press got wind of the rumours circulating that his father was ill. The rumours had caused nervousness amongst the shareholders, and he would have to set up a meeting soon to assure them that their fears were unfounded. Marino International would remain strong, regardless of who was at the helm.

  Taking another sip of the single malt, he savoured it, allowing his tongue to swirl in the deep flavours. His thoughts turned to his father. The man had changed since losing his older son.

  When his brother had been kidnapped, his father, Salvatore, had refused to pay the ransom. He hadn’t believed they would follow through on their threat to kill Stefano. His father had been so fucking wrong.

  Sebastian had borne witness to the guilt that had consumed his father since they found Stefano’s body in an abandoned warehouse. His brother, his everyday hero, lying broken and lifeless on the cold cement floor was etched forever in his memory. It broke his heart when he thought of how Stefano’s life had been cut so short in a cruel world. He’d been the heir-apparent, the one set to take over the family business. God knew he had the brains and the talent for it. He’d been respected from a young age, having an arrogance about him that made people reluctant to screw him over in business.

  Despite being driven and a hard task master, the man had been fair in his dealings. Days like today brought into stark focus how much Sebastian missed his brother. How much he longed to have him back. The grief he’d locked away leaked past his iron control.

  Picking up his glass, he swallowed down what was left in one gulp. He turned to look at the dance floor heaving with bodies. People gyrated to the pulsating music, seemingly without a care in the world, having fun and living life. In his current mood, it seemed almost blasphemous. But at least the club was making him money. Inferno seemed to be filled to capacity once again.

  Pivoting back to the bar, he motioned with his finger for a refill. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a woman sitting on her own. He turned his head to get a better look. Lifting her gaze, she looked directly at him, almost as if she’d felt the weight of his stare. Large, provocative green eyes captivated him. God, was she breathtaking. Simply stunning.

  She dropped her head, almost self-consciously, breaking the stare as her hair fell across her face, acting as a curtain, hiding her beautiful visage from him. Her elegant hand lifted to tuck her long, auburn hair behind her ear before her keen eyes once again found his.

  “Mr Marino, sir? Sir?”

  The barman had obviously been speaking to him, but Sebastian hadn’t heard a word. He’d been too focused on the mystery lady.

  This time, Sebastian was the one to break their stare.

  “Sorry, I missed that.”

  “Zane’s on the phone. He’s looking for you, sir.”

  “Tell Zane I’ll come up as soon as I’m ready.”

  “Will do, Mr Marino.”

  The man went back to the phone, and Sebastian turned back to look at the beautiful stranger. But she was gone!

  Swinging around, he frantically searched the countless faces on the dance floor. He found every auburn-haired woman but her. How had she simply vanished into thin air? She had to be there somewhere.

  And just like that, he felt his positive energy leave him and his black mood returned. The fire that burned to meet the enigmatic woman had now been extinguished.

  With a defeated sigh, Sebastian headed to his office where Zane was waiting to meet with him. At the last minute, he changed his mind. He needed to find her. Surely, she still had to be there somewhere in the club. A person didn’t just disappear.

  He hurried back up the passage to the bar in time to see the woman in question disappear out the door. As he went to follow, the bartender once again called to him.

  “Mr Marino, sir—”

  “Not now,” was all he took the time to say as he made a dash for the door.

  “But, sir—”

  Ignoring the man, he ran towards the parking lot, but once again, the vixen had vanished. What was it about this woman? She was like a fucking ghost. Cursing under his breath, he scanned the parking lot in hopes of c
atching sight of her, but to no avail.

  He dropped his head in disappointment, releasing a heavy sigh. Thrusting his hands in his pockets, he contemplated his next move. Was there another move? How did you find someone who didn’t want to be found?

  Just as he’d resigned himself to the fact that she was gone, he heard the purr of an engine come to life. Moving in the direction the sound had come from, he spotted a bright yellow Mini Cooper reversing out of a parking space. Sprinting to reach her, he prayed he’d make it in time.

  He saw her brake to engage first gear and realised he wasn’t going to make it. In the dim light, all he could see was those incredible green eyes he’d found himself so captivated by in the club. Their gaze met in the rearview mirror and clung for what felt like an eternity before she broke contact and slowly drove away.

  2

  Serena

  Serena hated the clubbing scene, but her best friend had been insistent that she joined her. The woman wasn’t one to take no for an answer. She was sure Kim was trying to set her up on yet another unwanted blind date. Yet here she was at the club, sipping on a drink she didn’t want, and bored out of her mind.

  To add insult to injury, she’d been right about Kim wanting to set her up. Regardless of how many times Serena told her she wasn’t looking for a new man in her life, Kim seemed oblivious. She’d taken it upon herself to find Serena’s “Mr Right”, and nothing was going to derail her plans.

  After Serena had booted the last jackass to the curb, the last thing she wanted was another relationship. Her track record with men was shocking, and she’d decided it was best to give love a wide berth for the time being. “Mr Right” definitely wasn’t on her radar at the moment. Now if she could just get that through to Kim.

  Serena scanned the room, watching from afar as bodies danced to the beat of the loud music, bumping and grinding like their lives depended on it. Women smiling coyly and men thinking they were getting lucky for the evening, it was all just a game to see who was going home with whom for the night. Serena just wanted to go home by herself. Why was that so much to ask?

  Turning back to the bar, she grabbed her glass of wine and was just about to take a sip when she felt someone staring at her. As she looked across the bar, she felt shock ripple through her when her eyes collided with a smouldering amber gaze. It drew her in, promising things she didn’t realise she wanted. With effort, she dropped her eyes, slowly giving him the once-over. His crisp blue suit was tailored to perfection, easily accommodating his tall, well-built body. He oozed confidence and sex; his whole persona screamed playboy. Despite that, she felt her whole body clench at the look in his eyes.

  Uncomfortable with where her thoughts were going, she looked back down at her glass, thankful for the thick strands of hair that fell across her face, which allowed her to hide from his intense look. Lifting her hand to push the loose locks behind her ears, she couldn’t help but give him another look. Shit, he was still staring at her, and it looked like he was ready to head her way. That was all she needed, some wealthy playboy who thought he was God's gift to women hitting on her.

  Thoroughly disconcerted by her overwhelming response to the stranger, Serena scrambled to her feet when the gorgeous man turned to acknowledge the bartender talking to him. Suddenly, she could think of nothing else but escaping the magnetic pull of him. Her senses, now on full alert, were screaming for her to get out, get away.

  The relationship she’d just ended had been so dysfunctional that she was wary of men in general, but this one in particular had trouble stamped all over that striking face of his.

  So, as he turned to give his attention to the man at his side, she took the opportunity to slip into the crowd, looking for Kim. Finding her on the dance floor with her boyfriend and a group of people she didn’t know, Serena made her way to her friend’s side. She put her mouth to Kim’s ear so she’d be able to hear over the pounding music.

  “Honey, I’m going to head for home. This music is giving me a nasty headache.”

  “Oh no,” Kim cried. “Steve hasn’t even arrived yet.”

  “I’m sorry, but I really do need to go. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Disappointment was clear on Kim’s beautiful face, and she sighed deeply. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. Take something for that headache before it escalates. Feel better, okay?” Kim hugged Serena, and Serena felt a pang of guilt. Her friend was only trying to do something nice for her, but she wasn’t ready for a new man in her life just yet. She hugged Kim a little tighter, conveying without words that she appreciated the effort even though she wasn’t interested. Then she fled the club.

  Climbing hastily into her car, she wondered again about her intense reaction to the sexy stranger. She couldn’t remember ever reacting like that to any man. What was it about this particular man that made her want him so badly? What made her want to be touched, tasted, taken, and used by a complete stranger? And why was her body betraying her? God, she had to get out of there before she did something utterly stupid.

  Key in the ignition, she engaged the start button, put the car into reverse, and backed out of the parking space. Turning for the exit, she looked up and found a man standing in the middle of the road. Braking, she looked at him watching her intently through the rearview mirror, her gaze locked with his. She couldn’t seem to look away. It was him, the sexy stranger.

  She was so ensnared in his gaze she couldn’t break eye contact. Why would this man follow her? Why was he staring at her with his one sexy eyebrow cocked, asking her a question she couldn’t understand? He took a step toward her, and she panicked. She revved the vehicle’s engine. Taking her foot off the brake, she took off, well aware he was still standing in the road watching her rear lights disappear. She observed him out of the corner of her eye, not wanting him to see her looking.

  She let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. She was the one running, yet in the pit of her stomach, she felt a deep disappointment that she wouldn’t get to see him again.

  3

  Serena

  His strong, firm hands gripped her breasts, plumping the mounds together as his lips suckled on one. He trailed his lips across her chest, nipping and soothing the skin as he worked his way to the other to give it the same attention. The little nubs beaded tighter, begging, aching for more of his touch.

  Slowly, his touch moved lower, worshipping her. She couldn’t hold back a moan as his skilful hands found her wet and needy for him. As he slipped a finger through the wetness, she held her breath. The acceleration of her heartrate had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the arousal that burned through her body, engulfing her senses.

  His lips unsmiling, his hot gaze intense as he looked down at her ...

  The shrill sound of her alarm clock sounded loudly in the quiet of her room, and Serena’s impending orgasm was rudely ripped from her. Reaching over, she slapped an unforgiving hand onto the snooze button. She wasn’t quite ready to leave her sensual dream and face the reality of a new day. Snuggling back down, she tried desperately to return to her dream. Frustratingly, it remained just out of reach.

  By the time the second alarm blared, she was ready to cry with disappointment. Sighing, she rolled out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. She had a new client coming in to see her today, so she couldn’t afford to be late.

  Stripping down, Serena stepped into the shower and turned the water on high. As the spray beat down on her overstimulated body, she replayed the erotic dream of the very sexy stranger. What was it about that specific man that consumed so much of her mind? What made him stand out above all other men she’d met before?

  Her heart beat a little harder at the thought of the stranger from the club. What would it be like to have his hands running all over her body instead of her own? Well, it was to remain a mystery. It was unlikely she’d ever encounter her stranger again.

  Pull yourself together, woman. With another sigh, she shook herself out of her rever
ie. Stepping out of the shower, she grabbed a towel and headed into her walk-in closet to get ready to face her day. She needed something sharp to make a good first impression.

  Filtering into the morning traffic, Serena went through her appointments in her head. Her new client would be her first for the day. He was hosting a fundraising event, and since he had neither the time nor the inclination to organise it himself, he was looking for an events coordinator to handle all the details. His secretary, who normally dealt with this sort of thing, was off sick and wouldn’t be back in time to pull it off.

  After years in the industry, Serena had finally gone out on her own, and this account would be an enormous boost to the reputation of her budding business as it was an international construction company renowned for the luxury accommodations they built. She would have to pull out all the stops on this one.

  Brooding over a cup of coffee as her mind raced with a million ideas, Serena was pulled from her thoughts by the insistent buzzing of her desk phone.

  “Mr Marino is here, Serena,” Ginny announced.

  Trying not to let her nerves get the best of her, Serena answered her phone. “Thanks, Ginny. Please take him into the boardroom. I’ll be right there,” she replied, taking a fortifying breath.