Chapter Four
Cara tried her best not to think of Marco but it was useless. She watched as he went out with other women on his yacht for a long lunch, saw him arrive home late at night with a red head who cackled when she laughed.
The staff was not allowed in the main house when Marco or guests were in unless needed for a particular task. So, Cara found herself cleaning during the times when Marco was out of the house for business or on pleasure. She cleaned dirty towels smudged with mascara, retrieved sets of champagne glasses with lipstick rings, she pulled tousled and perfumed sheets off the bed trying not to think of what had happened in them the night before.
It was more than two weeks after the big party and Cara was just finishing her lunch when Mrs. Caulfield pulled her aside.
"Mr. Martinez would like to see you in his office when you have a minute," Mrs. Caulfield's eyes flicked to Cara's then looked to the other staff that mercifully stood out of earshot.
“Did he say why?” Cara was wearing the cleaning uniform Mrs. Caulfield had given her and she wondered if she should change into something more seductive. She’d all but given up hope that Marco remembered or knew who she was anymore.
“No he didn’t, and you can just go as you are.” Mrs. Caulfield must have been able to read Cara’s face and Cara blushed at the thought.
Cara nodded and left that wing of the house moving to the main house. She wasn’t at all sure if she would remember how the hidden office worked… or had he been talking about the other office, the one he used when anyone came to visit and they had business to discuss.
Walking down the hall she took a chance and went walking toward the bookshelves. It felt strange now, in daylight. Marco was hidden away somewhere close by and she was destined to wonder, looking for him. A thrill ran through her body as she thought of him ripping off her clothes, immediately putting his lips on her neck, his hands brushing over her body.
Then she thought of all the other women he'd seen since that night. All the many women he'd slept with brought rushes of ecstasy and multiple orgasms to. All those women since the night he'd made Cara… she took a deep breath, it was probably best not to remember.
What she needed to do was relax—she was getting far too excited. This was Marco she was thinking about, the man who could keep her safe, the only one who could. She couldn’t jeopardize that. Sleeping with him once was a mistake that she couldn’t afford to make again.
Just as she was trying to look for some sort of handle or knob Marco walked by.
“What are you doing?” He stopped at the end of the hall.
"I was just coming to see you, Mrs. Caulfield said…" For one horrifying moment, Cara thought she might have to explain who she was, that he'd slept with her in that very office only a few weeks ago.
“Walk with me…” He nodded his head for her to move in his direction. Cara turned away from the books and walked just behind Marco through the hall. Marco held the side door open for Cara to walk through then he followed behind her.
Cara followed his lead out to a little garden path that walked along the waterfront and eventually to Marco’s private beach. A flash of Marco taking Cara in the sand, fucking her in the open, under the daytime sky, made Cara inhale sharply.
“So Linda says you arranged everything for our “port of call” party… she says you did it on very little notice.”
Of all the things she had expected him to say, this was the very last. She’d imagined perhaps dirty sexual words, or something about her working for him, or really anything… Since the party had been so long ago now, Cara assumed that it was smoothly over, the old party planner would take up her old job, and Cara would never be spoken to about it again.
It also took Cara a moment to realize that “Linda” was Mrs. Caulfield.
“Uh, yes, that’s…accurate.” Cara felt herself flush hot. She’d wanted to seem like the smooth, well-spoken woman he would want to fuck again, but her mouth and mind weren’t working properly.
"Linda says you planned some Vegas parties?" Marco stopped walking and turned to look at Cara. Cara always knew that she should have honed her poker face but she'd never been good at hiding anything… except for bruises under makeup.
“Yes, just…much smaller parties usually…” Cara’s mind began to race. She hadn’t meant to tell Mrs. Caulfield any of that—she should have kept her mouth shut.
“Where?” Marco’s voice was so easy and informal but she read something more interested, perhaps even suspect, in his word… or maybe her paranoid mind was adding that in.
“You know… like bridal showers, and I did this really great costume bachelorette party once… we all dressed up as famous brides… there were three Elizabeth Taylor’s.” Cara wondered if this last bit were going too far but Marco nodded after a moment and Cara could feel herself breathe once more.
“I thought you might continue doing my parties.” He turned and began walking back toward the house and Cara followed.
“Absolutely, I would love that.” Cara felt relief flood her body, but with it came the same desire she’d been trying to push away.
“Good, and if anything else needs doing I’ll let you know,” His voice was insinuating and dangerous and Cara felt a wave of anger roll over the desire that had been so near the surface.
“Excuse me?” Cara stopped walking.
“You know, like last party, if I need any little extras from you, I will let you know,” he tilted his head as if he were purposefully trying to make her crack out of her cool shell.
“Little extras?” Cara repeated back.
“Mmhm,” Marco continued walking and Cara had to begin moving again or be left where she was. She bit her tongue, how could she crave a man who so casually dismissed her and went off to sleep with a million other women? Didn’t she have more self-respect?
Marco’s eyes glanced over Cara’s body and she felt herself immediately bristle with desire. No, she wasn’t going to fling herself at this man every time he looked her way.
“I wanted to have another party, something different, you choose…” Marco said it casually.
“When?” Cara’s mind immediately began working.
“I have a big deal going through on Friday, is that enough time?”
Cara wanted to mention that she only had one day to plan the last party and having three days would be a luxury.
“Plenty of time,” She smiled at Marco.
“Why don’t you run your ideas by me this time,” Marco said it casually and Cara wondered if he wasn’t actually interested in spending more time with her. She blushed. He could also just be interested in having more oversight of the party. It was possible he didn’t fully trust her abilities yet.
“I’ll do some brainstorming then stop by your office later today?” A flash of their naked bodies in his office passed through her mind.
Marco nodded with a quick hum of approval and walked back into the house. Had she seen the same desire on his face? She wasn’t sure.
A few hours later, with a bundle of ideas, she walked back into the main house. Just as she walked in the same dilemma as before stretched in front of her. Would he be in the hidden office or the main office? Cara sighed at herself.
The doorbell peeled in a crescendo of chimes and Cara stopped walking forward. She turned, deciding that she would come back later. Then Cara stopped. Would Marco be expecting female company? A little wash of jealousy brushed over her and Cara stood still where she was.
The door opened and Cara heard footsteps. Instead of walking out of the main house and back the way she came, she walked to the side of the hallway and stood behind one of Marco’s amazing sculptures.
“…we can talk about it later,” a voice rang through the house. Cara’s breath caught in the back of her throat. She moved to get a better view. The first man… the one with the lighter hair was… Cara felt her hands begin to tremble. She was looking at the back of Dimitri. Dimitri who promised she would end up as dead as his brother Stavros. Dimitri who wouldn’t stop until Cara had stopped breathing.
Cara’s body convulsed. What was happening? Why was Dimitri here? He’d tracked Cara here, somehow he’d figured it out, or maybe he was just here by coincidence?
Dimitri went up the stairs toward Marco’s open library office and disappeared from view. Cara watched as Marco followed up behind the two men a moment later. Cara stepped out from behind the statue. Every part of her was screaming to turn and run in the opposite direction but her feet were moving toward the staircase. She had to know.
Cara’s senses were on overdrive. Her body was sensitive to every sound, the feel of cold air across her skin, the smell of jasmine that had swept in when the door had opened.
She closed her eyes for a moment when she made it to the staircase. She’d begun to feel safe, begun to feel that nothing would, or could, find her in the depths of Marco Martinez’s house.
Cara stepped carefully onto the stairs and made her way up.
“…since you came out to Vegas,” Dimitri was talking.
"I was really sorry to hear about your brother," Marco's full dark voice came down to meet Cara. He was talking about Stavros. Of course, they would, Cara had only known about Marco because of Stavros.
“That’s why I’m here actually,” just the sound of Dimitri’s voice was dangerous. Every part of Cara wanted to be as far away from Dimitri as possible, her hands were sweating, her breath short.
“Have you seen this woman?” Dimitri’s voice sounded again above where Cara sat on the staircase. Cara’s heart hammered out in her ears.
There was silence for a moment.
“No, who is she?” Marco responded casually enough but Cara knew the photo was of her.
“She killed Stavros,” Dimitri’s voice was murderous. “She killed my brother and she won’t get away with it.”
“Killed him?” Marco said the words slowly.