by Ebony Olson
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Black Mark’s Secrets
Black Mark Series Book 2
Ebony Olson
Copyright © 2017 by Ebony Olson.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter One
"Don't cause problems," the man grumbled to the woman. They stood at the gate to the apartment building; it buzzed and he pushed the railings open for her. They were dressed well, oozing wealth.
"I'm just saying, it'd be nice to mix things up, add a bit more variety," the leggy blonde reasoned.
The man held the gate for me as I walked through. "Thank you," I murmured, not wanting to interrupt them.
He nodded and escorted his female companion ahead of me into the building. Once inside, they went over to the elevator. I pushed open the door to the stairs. As I entered the foyer upstairs, Steffen was making his way from the reception room to the kitchen.
"Good evening, Miss Ellis. We weren't expecting you home tonight." He smiled, but his eyes flicked to the reception room.
I nodded. "Jasper is out of town for the next week to spend Christmas with his family." I was lying, although this was probably true.
I'd been staying with Marshall on weekends, so Darius wasn't aware Jasper and I were over. This weekend, however, Marshall was in Paris.
Steffen frowned. "You didn't go with him?"
"No, we've not met each other's families." I stopped in the foyer and removed my winter jacket.
Steffen's frown grew. "Have you come home straight from work? I didn't save any dinner for you."
I smiled. "I ate dinner with Alex tonight, Steffen. I rarely see him and wanted to make the effort to catch up. It's been harder since he and Sophie ended on bad terms."
Laughter from the reception room caught our attention. Steffen looked back at me. "The master is having friends over."
I saw the couple from downstairs through the doorway and nodded understandingly. "Are the boys home?" I could hang out with them in the media room, with the volume up.
"I am afraid not, Miss Ellis. They are also visiting family for the week."
I nodded, remembering Warren talking about that. "Of course, I didn't think they were leaving until tomorrow."
"They decided to leave early." Steffen's eyes turned to Darius’ closed bedroom door. "I will let the master know you are home."
Steffen walked to Darius’ bedroom door and knocked before entering and shutting the door. As I entered the reception room, the couple were watching me.
I recognized the man. Jeremy Green owned Green Productions. He managed top name artists, musicians, and owned several high-end recording studios. I knew him because he was a major benefactor to the Cambridge music program and regularly scouted new talent from its ranks.
I smiled. "Enjoy your evening." I kept walking.
"I would enjoy it a lot more if you were joining us." The woman beamed her imperfect smile at me. She was pretty despite the excessive makeup, easily in her late thirties, her husband a little older.
"Please." Jeremy lifted a glass of red wine toward me, "Join us for a drink." He was just a few inches taller than me, with auburn hair and fair skin. Despite his age, he still held onto some of his boyish looks, which made him seem trustworthy.
"I don't think Mr. Rafal would appreciate that," I answered with kindness.
Jeremy's eyebrows lifted. "You work for Darius?"
"I'm his personal assistant."
"And you live with him?" Jeremy pressed, a cunning look in his green eyes.
I nodded. "As do his executive assistant and his head of security."
"Ah, but the Manns have been close friends of his for many years," Jeremy continued. "I'm one of Dare's best friends, and I have never heard of you. You are new."
"Actually, I've been around for a long time now, just not normally on weekends."
"And are you and Mr. Rafal close?"
"Not really."
Jeremy's face fell in confusion. "Ah, well, it was nice to meet you, although you seem very familiar… have we met before?"
"We have crossed paths over the years. Sophie Trent is my best friend."
Jeremy cocked a brow. "The cellist? I remember you now. Mora, isn't it?" I nodded, flattered he'd bothered to learn my name. "Do you still play?"
"Whenever I can find the time." At least once a day.
Jeremy's brows rose in thought. I took his silence as an opportunity. "Good night, Mr. Green, Mrs. Green," I nodded to both and turned to leave.
"Don't go." Mrs. Green stepped forward. "It can get boring being stuck with the men sometimes."
I lifted a brow. "Really? Boring is not the word I'd use to describe what I usually hear when Mr. Rafal has a married couple over for the evening." The woman blushed and her husband chuckled. I smiled again, "Good evening."
The woman pouted as I walked upstairs to my room and closed the door. A long hot bath was my destination now, with music to drown out the sound effects of Darius’ evening.
I dropped my bag on the floor, walked straight into the bathroom and started running the water. As I walked back to the bedroom to collect my wireless headphones, there was a knock at my door.
I opened it to find Steffen there. "The master requests you join him and his guests this evening."
"The master can kiss my ass. I'm having a hot bath and an early night with Bob."
Steffen's brows drew in. "Bob?"
"My Battery Operated Boyfriend," I clarified. "Good night, Steffen." I shut the door.
I turned on my wireless headset, turning the volume up loud, and stripped. I was dancing around the bathroom while I cleaned my teeth. When I turned around to shut off the running bath water, I found Darius watching me, his tall solid frame filling my doorway.
He was dressed in a suit, but not the one he'd worn to work today. This one held his special cufflinks that looked like a letter F, but stylized in a special way. In the six months I'd been working for Darius, I'd learned these cufflinks were only worn when meeting with his swingers group.
His dark hair was still damp from his recent shower, yet he hadn’t bothered shaving again, so a light covering of scratchy hair shadowed his chin. Darius’ expression, when my eyes finally focused on his face, was caught between amused and annoyed. I pulled my headphones off.
"I knocked," he stated clearly.
"I couldn't hear you."
"Noted." His eyes traveled south of my neck, reminding me I was naked.
I grabbed my robe, pulling it around me, and then quickly turned off the water. "What can I do for you, Mr. Rafal?"
Darius shifted to lean on the door jamb. "I went to Calibro's for
a drink with a friend this afternoon. Your boyfriend was there with another woman."
"We've never been exclusive," I covered.
"He was on bended knee proposing to her," Darius responded blandly.
I swallowed. Yes, I knew Jasper was proposing this week. He'd told me when we talked on the phone on Monday.
Darius stood straight, shoving his hands in his suit pockets. "When his fiancée went to the bathroom to freshen up, I congratulated Mr. Jones on his engagement. I asked if you knew he was committing to another woman." Darius’ face filled with pure annoyance.
"Mr. Jones informed me that you broke up several months ago when he started seeing this new woman." Darius’ hazel eyes locked with mine. "You deliberately misled me to think it was you he was proposing to. Why?"
I met his eyes. I was frustrated. Sexually frustrated, emotionally frustrated, and now—with Darius jumping to his conclusions—I was pissed off.
"I didn't mislead you. You overheard a conversation and made an incorrect assumption. At no time did you ask me directly if Jasper was proposing to me," I retorted. "Now, I think you should leave my room. We agreed not to be alone together," I reminded Darius of the edict I'd set on our return from Munich. To say the last week working together had been strained and uncomfortable was an understatement.
"And yet you are here tonight knowing Warren and Zander are out of town," Darius growled, his voice deep with anger.
I tensed. "I'll get my bag and leave." I went to march past him.
Darius grabbed my upper arm. "That is not what I want."
"Bullshit!"
"I want you to come downstairs and help entertain my guests. Cassandra would like your company."
"No, Mr. Rafal, I know how you entertain your guests. Sitting around watching you fuck a married couple is not my idea of a good night, okay?" I gave myself points for keeping my voice mild.
"You might enjoy it." Darius brushed a finger down the side of my face.
I closed my eyes, counting to ten. Four months and no sex was wearing on me. I'd managed to bury it down so it didn't affect my interactions with anyone. That wasn't going to last if Darius kept touching me. I remembered what happened two months ago when I'd offered myself to him and he'd rejected me. It strengthened my resolve. I was pointedly blocking out the night of my birthday.
"I've done that shit. Jasper and I had a few threesomes. It's not my cup of tea. While I don't mind having an open relationship, I am quite selfish when it comes to being with a man and prefer to have his attention focused all on me."
Darius watched me for a full minute. I could see emotions flashing behind his eyes: disappointment, anger, and frustration. "Mora, I am simply asking you to join us for a drink. Stop acting like I am asking for your virginity. Oh, wait, you gave that up on a one-night..."
I slapped his face. Darius’ head snapped to the right. My palm burned from the slap. I rubbed my stinging hand while Darius stretched his jaw.
"I told you not to call it that," I warned.
Darius rubbed his face and eyes hard. "Do not pretend it was love at first sight, Mora."
"What would you know?" I turned my back on him. I felt the warmth of tears welling in my eyes and didn't want him to see me cry.
"I know that if I met the love of my life, I wouldn't just get up and leave while they were sleeping," Darius snipped.
I wanted to rage at him. He knew nothing about how I felt. I couldn't share my emotions with my boss. I'd spent five years waiting for him to come back into my life.
I was about to tell Darius why I left that night; that every last detail was seared into my brain; that I left my heart behind with the promise it would be returned to me one day.
Darius stepped in close behind me and put his mouth to my ear, looking at me in the reflection of my bathroom mirror. He was angry. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in the harsh whisper of his words.
"You said it yourself; you were a rebellious brat. Your dad told you to stay away from a guy, so you went right out there and pierced yourself upon him. So, drop the 'holier than thou' act, Mora. I have listened to you fuck, remember? I know what sort of woman you are."
Steel rods shot up my spine. I met Darius’ eyes in the mirror with my own ice-cold resolve. "Consider this my two weeks’ notice. I will move out tomorrow morning. I have two weeks of annual leave accrued, not counting overtime. I will get my things from the office over the weekend and, come Monday, you won't ever have to see me again."
Darius rocked back on his heels, shocked.
I turned to face him, dropping my robe to the floor. Darius was too stunned to notice my nudity now. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have my bath."
I stepped into the bath and sank down into the water. Lying back, I let the heat seep into me. Darius stood there, looking lost, watching me as I started to wash myself. I didn't look up; I didn't want him to see the tears escaping my eyes because of his hurtful words.
"Your guests are waiting, Mr. Rafal," I snapped.
Darius became rigid at my tone. He turned and left my room.
***
I was only in the bath for fifteen minutes. I dressed in lounge pants and my singlet and threw my heavy satin robe on. Leaving the robe open, I went downstairs to get something to drink from the kitchen. It was a major design flaw of the apartment that you couldn't get to the kitchen from upstairs without passing through the open reception area.
Darius sat with Jeremy at the large stone dining table. Cassandra sat reading a magazine in the living room. Darius watched me descend the stairs and move toward the kitchen with his hard eyes. His fingers started tapping the table as if it was the ivory of a piano. He only did that when he was angry or frustrated about not getting his own way.
Steffen stood sentry just inside the foyer, able to hear if he was called or needed. He also saw me coming and moved forward.
"Miss Ellis, you decided to join the party?" His eyes dropped to take in the clothes he knew I lazed around in, and the look was not one of approval. Cassandra looked up from her magazine with hope.
"No, Steffen. I was just going to get myself a glass of milk." I smiled politely. I would be moving out tomorrow and no longer have to justify leaving my room for anything. Cassandra's face fell.
"I will get that for you," Steffen declared and turned on his heel for the kitchen.
Damn him. Now I was stuck standing in the reception room. Turning my back on Darius, I smiled at Cassandra. "I see what you mean by boring. I expected things to have kicked off by now."
Cassandra closed the magazine and set it aside. "Jeremy and Darius are good friends. They like to catch up first. We've obviously missed a lot, since we didn't know Dare has a new assistant." Her eyes roamed my body as if cataloging my appearance. "Probably another hour of them talking before the fun starts. Please keep me company?"
"Miss Ellis." Steffen held out a glass of milk for me.
"Thank you, Steffen." I took the glass, stepped around the couch and sat with my back to the dining table. I curled my legs under me so I was leaning toward the fireplace. "Okay, Cassandra, I'll keep you company until the men want to join the party."
She smiled. "Thank you." She picked up her glass of wine. "So, you work for Darius?"
"I did. Today was my last day. I'm moving out tomorrow." I felt the regret of that choice catch like a hard candy swallowed incorrectly. I'd miss my job and living here. I'd especially miss Zander and Warren.
Cassandra's eyes grew larger. "Oh. Did you get a new job?"
"Not yet."
"So, you quit this job without another one to go to, the weekend before Christmas? That's rather brave in this current economic instability."
I shrugged, "Better than working in a bad situation."
Cassandra sat forward, intrigued. "Are you sleeping with your boss?"
"Uh, no. Darius and I do not have a physical relationship." Cassandra seemed disappointed. "We work well together, but he can be very judgmental of my personal life. It just d
oesn't make for the best situation. How are you meant to go to work and act respectfully to the man who made you hate him only two nights earlier?"
Cassandra gave me a sympathetic look. "That must be hard. Do you have somewhere to live?"
"I do. My family lives locally."
"That surprises me. You're Australian, aren't you?" Cassandra took a sip of her wine.
I smiled. "I was born and raised there by my Australian mother. My father and brother are English."
"Oh, lucky you. Best of both worlds." Cassandra frowned. "I have only left England once. On our honeymoon. Jeremy travels a lot with his business. He promised to take me with him initially, but I found myself pregnant shortly after we married. I have been staying home to raise our children while he travels."
"You have children?"
Cassandra smiled. "Yes, two." She picked up her phone and moved to sit next to me on the couch. "Two boys. Cody just turned six, Nick is three." She showed me pictures of her boys on the phone.
"They're cute."
Cassandra smiled at the pictures, "They are terrors. They make the biggest messes. I adore them." She put the phone down. "We are trying for a little girl next. It will be our last. I'm thirty-six, Jeremy is forty… We don't want to be doing the late nights and diapers for much longer."
I studied Cassandra. "Aren't you worried about paternity, with your lifestyle?"
Cassandra balked. "It is not like that. I have only engaged in sexual intercourse with Jeremy since we married. This group has really strict rules. When engaging with another man’s wife, there is only one orifice they are allowed to penetrate, and it is my choice if I let them. If I do not want them in my mouth, they can merely touch me and watch Jeremy and I have sex."
Cassandra lowered her voice. "There is one gentleman I couldn't stand. He is not my idea of a good time. I do not even like to look at him while we are together. At first, I would not even let him touch me, but one night he suggested he might spank me while I rode Jeremy. I did not think I would enjoy it, but I did. Now, his wife blows him, he spanks me, and I fuck my husband. It is very exciting for all the wrong reasons."