Carmen didn’t answer.
“It’s a beautiful night and we can salvage it. I’ll unlock the boat.”
“I can manage all the food,” Carmen said, making sure her voice was cheery again. “It smells delicious, and I’m so hungry now.”
He stepped out of the car and this time didn’t bother to open her door. The niceties were wearing off as the night went on. Curtis was feeling more entitled than ever. Anything she did to reject him at this point would be very damaging to his ego. It would definitely set him off.
For the first time tonight, Carmen felt her anxiety rise. Brian wouldn’t be far behind. She believed that. And he was likely still watching the feed from her pin. At any point she could text him and all this would be over. But not in the way she had hoped. Shaking off the worry, she grabbed the tray of food and her purse. Inside was her taser and her mace, two things she didn’t want to have to pull out and use, but would if she needed to.
“Are you coming?” Curtis asked, his hand extended as he kept one foot on the dock and the other on the plank to get on the boat.
“Yes,” she replied with a smile. “What a beautiful boat. I’ve never been on anything like this.”
“Wait until you see inside.” He beamed with pride. “Every inch of this place is custom designed by me. From floor to ceiling. It’s my baby.”
He slid open the door that led to a large room and Carmen couldn’t help but be impressed. It was stunning. Artfully decorated, modern and sleek but with a nautical theme that was charming. The living area was huge and the wall was lined with a couch that looked as inviting as it was fashionable.
“Is that a piano?” she asked, standing on her tiptoes to see over a small partition wall that separated the next room.
“It sure is.”
“Do you play?”
“I pay people to come play when I have parties.”
To their left was a set of stairs and to the right was the kitchen. Elegant and functional, the space, the entire area, looked like it belonged in a magazine. “It’s absolutely beautiful in here. You have a real eye for design.”
“I’m picky,” he said proudly as he puffed out his chest. He’d already made his way to the kitchen and began opening a bottle of wine. It reminded her of his priorities.
“Can I help put the food out?”
“No, I’ve got it, you just start on this glass and have a seat there.” Curtis handed her a glass of wine and gestured to the small loveseat. “Hit the button over by that door first.”
She walked across the lush carpet and pressed the button by the large glass doors. With a small whirring noise, the doors began to slide open, a rush of ocean air brushing by her. “From that loveseat, you get the best view of the night sky. No clouds tonight so the moon should be stunning.”
“It is,” she said, trying to catch a glimpse of the area where they parked. No sign of Brian. She sipped her wine and remembered how much she used to enjoy a glass. The warm buzz, though it hadn’t started yet, was always her favorite.
Curtis carried over a tray of food and placed it on the glass table in front of the loveseat. After grabbing a remote, he came and sat by Carmen. A few clicks on the remote brought music alive all around them. It was soft and instrumental. If Curtis wasn’t an arrogant, self-centered, abusive, and violent asshole, this would actually be quite a lovely evening.
But he was. He absolutely was all of those things. The thin veil he hid it behind had shifted enough times for Carmen to see what was lurking. And she also understood what he was expecting now.
They ate and chatted about him. Almost exclusively. On occasion when he thought to, Curtis would ask her some vague question about herself and then would guide the conversation back to something about his job or some exotic travel destination he loved. Curtis was one of those people who would slip into a bad accent when talking about foreign foods or locations. In his mind, he likely thought he sounded cultured, but he actually sounded ignorant.
The food was delicious, and if Carmen’s stomach wasn’t bogged down with anxiety she would have really enjoyed it. Instead she had sipped slowly on her wine and nibbled on some food. Curtis was aggressively trying to refill her glass the second it looked like she’d had any at all.
She had a small, hazy buzz but nothing that would keep her from being sensible. Reaching for her phone, she sent a quick text as Curtis went to open another bottle of wine.
Carmen: I’m good. You here?
Instantly he replied.
Brian: I’m here. What’s your move?
Carmen: It’s his move, not mine. Don’t come in unless I give you a sign.
“Texting your boyfriend?” Curtis asked with a devilish smile. “I picture you having some guy back in Italy who thinks you’re going to make the long distance thing work.”
“No, just checking in with a friend. It’s getting late. I should get going soon.”
“How?” he asked, filling his glass with wine. “I drove you here and I’ve had way too much to drive you back, don’t you think?”
“I do think so. But that’s why I’ll get an Uber back.” She stood and straightened her dress. “All this talk about wearing this red dress and going out on the town, and I hardly was out at all.”
“I got to see you in it and that’s what’s important.” He slithered like a snake over to her, and she knew this was it. “It’ll look pretty good on my floor next to my bed too. Wait until you see the bedroom.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “You’re funny.”
He reached an arm around her waist and pulled her in tightly, almost spilling his glass of wine. “I’m dead serious.”
“So am I.” She gave him a steely stare and pushed his hand away. “I’ll call an Uber now. I don’t want this to get out of hand.”
“Carmen.” He looked at her with sheer disappointment. “This is what I’m talking about. We’re two grown-ups. We clearly want the same thing. Stop letting all your childish views of the world get in your way. Come back and sit down. You can leave your dress on for now.”
She clicked a few buttons on her phone and pretended to order the Uber. Brian would be her ride home but she had to make it look legit. “You’ve been great taking me out tonight and I’m looking forward to the opportunity at the company—”
“That’s not a done deal.” He took her hand and dragged her, playfully in some twisted way, toward the loveseat.
“The car is on its way. It’ll be here in ten minutes.”
“Cancel it,” he pleaded. “Why are you doing this? You do know that being a tease will get you nowhere. It’s cruel. Come on, cancel the car and stay. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want, but you should stay.”
“I didn’t mean to be a tease. I thought we were just going to go out and see the city and spend some time together.” She stood, but his hand was still on her wrist.
“And clearly you were giving me completely different signals. You’re no idiot. You knew what this was and what you were doing. You’re not going to just leave now. That’s really immature.”
She pursed her lips as if she was giving his words some thought. With her brows knit together, she pretended to be concerned about what he thought of her.
“I had a really good time tonight, Curtis—”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” he shouted. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You want to know how much that good time cost? It wasn’t cheap, and I’ll be replacing that tire too.” He shot to his feet, taking advantage of his extra height.
“I’m sorry.” Her lip quivered for a moment as she backed away. “I didn’t mean to give you the impression that—”
His eyes went wide. “That you were fun? That maybe you were mature enough to actually realize what was happening here? Yeah, you gave me that impression.”
“I’m really sorry, Curtis. Maybe tomorrow—”
“Tomorrow I can buy you more things and take you more places and then end up alone at the end of the night? You don’t
know how things work for men like me. That’s what’s going to hold you back in life. Do you really think I just take people back here? Look at this place.” He waved his hand around at the cabin of his yacht and laughed. “You’re getting a look behind the curtain, girl, and that doesn’t happen for just anyone.”
“I know that,” she said timidly.
He inched closer to her, his hand on her shoulder suddenly, and a smile returning to his face. “Cancel the car. Just for now. If you want to take one later, I’ll order you a proper limo.” Running his fingers down her arm, he finally reached her hand and took it gently in his. “Stay.”
Her phone, still clutched in her hand, chimed. “My ride is here,” she said apologetically. “I understand if you want to just forget this ever happened. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’ll head back to Boston tomorrow.”
“You’re really going?” He cocked a brow up at her and still clutched her hand. “You said you wanted to really live life.”
“I do.” Feigning some kind of conflicted feeling, Carmen put her free hand on his chest and hesitated. It clearly gave him a small glimmer of hope. One she snatched away. “My car is here. I’m going to go.”
Curtis huffed and rolled his eyes and squeezed her hand tightly in anger. It hurt but a second later he let go. “Don’t call about the job tomorrow.”
“I understand,” Carmen said, her voice full of disappointment. Having her hand back on her purse gave her a sense of empowerment again. At least now she was inches from a can of mace that he deserved to get sprayed with. “Goodbye, Curtis.” She looked over her shoulder and her face crumpled as she offered him a pathetic little wave.
Stepping out of the cabin and safely back on the dock, she drew in a deep breath. This part was over. Brian would be waiting in the car. He would take her back to the hotel and they’d get back to their room. The room they were sharing. Would that be all they get back to?
With the quickest pace her high heels would allow, she made her way to Brian’s waiting car. The headlights were on and the engine was running. For the sake of appearances she opened the rear passenger door and sat in the back seat.
“You good?” Brian asked, quickly putting the car in gear and pulling out of the marina.
“Yup, I’m good.”
“What a creep. Does he really think pressuring someone like that is going to work?”
“He hopes it will and sometimes I’m sure it does.” Her voice was flat and her hands were shaking as she stared out the window.
“Did that not go the way you hoped? He seemed pissed and told you not to call about the job. He sounded serious. That’s bad right?”
“I just made myself far more appealing to him than any woman who would have stayed on that boat,” Carmen explained as he pulled over so she could climb into the front seat. “I won’t have to call him. He’ll come to me.”
Brian rested one hand casually on the steering wheel as though this were all no big deal. She appreciated that. Because she knew inside he must be ready to blow. “And that’s a good thing?”
“Abuse is a cycle. That was one night out, so most people wouldn’t think of any of it as abuse. How could it start so soon? But the way he speaks, the way he controls, it’s all harmful, and it starts almost right away. The next part of the cycle is remorse. Pleading for forgiveness. He’ll want to make it up to me. Not because he loves me or wants a relationship. He lost the control tonight, and for his own distorted ego, he needs to prove he can get it back. So he’ll talk his way back into my life, and I’ll give him another chance. Then I’ll push his buttons and he’ll snap again.”
“How exactly are you going to show all this evidence?” Brian asked, pointing to the pin on her shirt. “It’ll look like a set up if you went in there with the recording device.”
“It won’t matter. People will only see what he’s done. I can explain away the rest. People will be quick to distance themselves from him. I’ll make sure it’s so clear that no one will try to tear me or my intentions apart.”
“So back to the hotel?” Brian’s expression was one of restraint. His jaw was set tightly as though he were trying to cage all the words he wanted to say.
“You don’t have to hold back.” She put a hand on his arm. “We don’t have to pretend any of this is all right.”
He covered her hand with his. “How did you get the job at Verde Lago?” He kept his eyes on the road. “You went there for your own safety didn’t you?”
She gulped back the nails in her throat. It would be foolish to think he wouldn’t start connecting the dots. “I thought we weren’t going to dig things up. It’s all about the present right now.”
“You’re right. I’m not going to push you or beg you. But I would like to know.”
“Why?” There was an edge to her voice.
“Because I care about you, and it’s part of you.”
“People love this shit.” She bit her lip. He didn’t deserve the wrath she wanted to unleash. “I just mean that people like the gory details. But it’s not fun to relive.”
“I don’t want you to relive any of it. We don’t have to talk about it, but you should know that you can talk to me. That’s all I’m saying.”
“How do you do that?” The tension in her back released. The tight grip she didn’t realize she had on his arm softened.
“Do what?”
“You always say the right thing at exactly the right moment. I’m someone who listens really closely. I look for signs. I dissect intention. I judge body language. My life is all about hunting for red flags. And you don’t have any. So either you’re very good at saying the right things or you’re genuinely a good man.”
“I’ve never been accused of either, to be honest.” The highway stretched before them, another twenty minutes and they’d be back at the hotel. Carmen wanted to kiss him. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him in close. Brian had no reason to help her, yet here he was. Her gratitude swirled with her attraction to him and she felt her body at a breaking point.
Leaning across the seat, Carmen put her lips to his neck. His scent was intoxicating and as a moan slipped past his lips she bit his skin gently. A nibble. A taste. One hand moved up through his hair and the other to his thigh. Carmen didn’t have a plan. Real passion, the kind that overtook your senses and pushed you the edge of climaxing, never left room for that.
She nibbled his earlobe as her hand moved to his rock hard excitement. His breath was rapid, and Carmen could feel his body tense. “You should pull over,” she whispered.
“Pull over?” he asked breathlessly. “Where?”
“Anywhere.” His free hand slid up her dress and his fingers danced at the heat of her passion as she breathed into his ear. “I want you right now.”
“We’re almost at the hotel.” His protest was empty. He’d already put the turn signal on and started moving to the shoulder of the highway. “This is crazy. We’ve got a perfectly good hotel room.”
“I can’t wait that long,” she pleaded, unfastening the buckle of his pants as he put the car in park. The second the car was stopped he was on her. Clearly he wanted this as badly as she did. He turned toward her seat and slid his hands up her thighs. Slipping her thong down effortlessly, he spread her legs and plunged his finger inside of her.
It had been so long. So damn long since someone had touched her like this. As he rubbed with his thumb and thrust with his finger, their mouths collided. The passionate kiss was filled with moans of pleasure and desire.
Carmen wanted to touch him. She wanted to bring him as much pleasure as he was giving her. But her own need swallowed her up and the most she could do was take every sensation and savor it.
Brian’s hand tugged her dress off her shoulder and exposed her breast. His hand pinched her excited peak just hard enough to have her calling out his name in a mix of pain and pleasure. That was all she could take. Her body erupted all at once, quivering and pulling him in closely. Her nails plunged in
to his back as she writhed and panted.
Holding her as her body settled, he kissed her neck, up her chin, and back to her lips. Just tiny soft kisses as her lips rose into a smile.
Carmen stuttered out her words. “That was—” She put her head on his shoulder as she caught her breath. “That was so fast. I haven’t— It’s just been so long.”
“Fast is good. It leaves more time to do it all again.” He kissed her before leaning back to his side of the front seat.
“Where are you going?” She whined at the sudden loss of his body against hers. “Come back over here.”
“Any minute, someone is going to pull up behind us to see if we’re having car trouble. That was just to hold you over. I want to have my way with you in the comfort of our hotel. I can do so much more to you. Over and over again.”
“But what about you?” She clutched his bicep. “That’s not fair.”
“It’s not a score card,” he said through a wry smile. “I can be patient.”
“Patience is for fools,” Carmen said in a hushed sexy tone as she slid her hand up his leg. His pants were still unbuckled and he clenched his hands on the steering wheel. Drawing in a sharp breath, he pulled the car back on to the road and began to drive with as much focus as he could. “Still want to wait?” She teased as she slipped her hand down his pants and held his firm rod. Bending her head over his lap she looked up at him and waited for a sign from him.
When his hand caught up in her hair, she could feel the pins and hairspray begin to let go. Brian had a handful of her locks now as she took his length into her mouth.
His scent was all around her as the muscles in his legs tensed, his hips pushing upward, thrusting deeper into her mouth. Whispering her name and clutching her hair he moved her to the rhythm that brought him to the brink of ecstasy. He called her name three more times before he burst with a primal groan.
“You’re fucking amazing,” he breathed out. “How are you so fucking amazing?”
She sat up and tried to pat her hair down to something more presentable, though she knew it was hopeless. She’d have to walk into the lobby of the hotel with sex hair. Not to mention her dress was wrinkled and her lipstick smeared.
Perfect Homecoming (Barrington Billionaires Book 10) Page 11