So, who is to say what I’m doing is wrong…?
The Intimidator
Book 9
Chapter 1
CAMILLA
Pulling up to the college in the red Lamborghini, I feel more than a bit ostentatious. Everyone looks at me as I get out of the attention attracting door that lifts up.
“Whoa,” a young dark haired guy says as he stops and looks at the car. “What do we have here?”
Closing the door, I hit the button on the key fob to lock it and take a step back to appreciate the car with the guy. “We have a pretty nice car my boyfriend gave me.”
He cuts his eyes away from the gorgeous car for only a moment to say, “You should marry that man.” Then he’s right back to looking at the car.
Walking away, I think about what he’s said and wonder why it is Cyprian has yet to ask me that all-important question. We’ve been living together for a bit over a month and he talks all the time like we’re definitely going to get married and he mentions having kids a lot too. But the actual proposal and an engagement ring have yet to be heard or seen.
Not that I want to rush anything but I am beginning to wonder if I’ll get a real proposal or if one day, out of the blue, he tells me to pack a bag and whisks me away to Las Vegas. I don’t know how I’d feel about not having a real proposal.
Maybe I should let Cyprian know that. No, that’s much too forward. I’d better just wait to see what he has up his sleeve.
Making my way into the lab for my first class of the new year, my last year, I find the smell of formaldehyde, stinging my nostrils and get ready to get back into the mindset of learning all I can, while I still can.
Checking my phone, before I shut it off for class, I see my sister has sent me a text, asking me to meet her for lunch. She, her husband, and kids are staying in a house, Cyprian rented for them while they scout out a great place to make the new hotel.
Catarina is over the moon about it and must have something she wants to show me or talk to me about. I text back that I’ll meet her for lunch and turn the phone off to get down to business.
This year is going to be so different with no job to go to every night. And I have Cyprian to thank for that. He’s such a good guy, now that his past seems to be behind him.
CYPRIAN
“Thank you for meeting me, Peter,” I tell Catarina’s husband who’s stepping off the elevator at my office building. “Follow, me. My lawyer is waiting for us in the small meeting room.”
“So, you really had the contract drawn up?” he asks me as if it was ever a question.
I stop and turn to him and look him over. The man is tall, dark, and mysterious looking. I can see why Cami’s sister fell for him. He’s a charismatic man and seems to be used to getting his way. He’s not a bit happy about the contract that’s the main part of our deal.
“Peter, would you do right by her, if there was no contract?” I ask him as he looks at me with a blank expression. It tells me he wouldn’t.
“Catarina and I made our vows and she’s well aware of what they were and what she can and can’t do and what I can and can’t do. I do not feel this contract is a thing I need, to do right by my wife and family.” He shoves his hands into the pockets of his expensive Armani suit I had delivered to him, along with top of the line clothing for his wife and kids.
I gave him and his wife cars to drive, I’ve already started his salary for managing the hotel that’s not even purchased yet. I’ve set them up in a nice home. I’ve done all that and he still thinks I should merely trust him to do what his wife feels is the right thing to do.
Peter is obvious to me. I can see right through him. If I don’t make him sign this contract, he will go back to South Africa and add that other woman into his life, as well as Catarina’s. I know it would break that woman.
Taking him to my office, instead of the meeting room, I decide to give him two offers. “Let’s stop off at my office for a minute. I have something else I’d like to offer you.”
He follows me into the office and I close the door behind us. “Good, I’m glad you’re seeing things my way,” he says.
With a chuckle, I say, “Far from it, Peter. You see, I’ve found a part of me I didn’t know I had. Seeing Cami as my future, has me seeing her family as my future too. Protection for them has begun to course through my veins and that has me thinking you should be given a chance to change your mind.”
“About?” he asks as I gesture for him to take a seat in the chair on the opposite side of my desk while I go take a seat in mine.
“How would you like to start fresh?” I ask him and see a puzzled expression could his face.
His dark brows furrow over his dark as night eyes as he asks, “I would like to know what you mean by that.”
Lacing my fingers and leaning my chin on them as I place my elbows on the desk, I tell him what I mean, “Divorce your wife. Leave her and your children here and I will see they never do without a thing. You can go back to your country and live life the way you want to. I’ll pay you to do that.”
“Leave my wife and children?” he asks as he shakes his head. “Do you think I could even do that? They belong to me!”
“Then what’s the big deal about what I’m asking from you? All I’m asking you to do is accept my gravy job offer and take care of your family. You’re making it out like I’m asking you to do something you don’t want to do.”
“I should be able to take another wife if I want to. It is in my religion, after all,” he says, and I find myself getting pissed at him.
“And you can, but divorce Catarina first. Let her go. It’s not her religion to do such things,” I tell him as he looks at me with a stubbornness in his eyes.
“She is mine. The children are mine. I’m not about to let them go,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Then you’re saying you will, willingly, sign the contract that states if you marry another, you will be sent back to South Africa, alone, leaving your wife and children here.”
“Fuck! I guess I can sign the damn contract but I would not call it, willingly. I would call it, you forcing me to.” He glares at me and I find a smile creeping across my lips.
“Peter, you’re a very lucky man. You have a beautiful family and now you’re going to be a very wealthy man. It’s more than most dream of,” I tell him as he looks grim. “So, let’s go get that thing signed and then I’ll take you to look at a building I think might be perfect for the new hotel. I’ve come up with a name too, Catarina’s Quarters. It is because of her that you have anything, after all.”
He slams his fist on top of the desk and growls. “I cannot do this! I will not allow this! She is my wife and those are my children and I am going to take them home. I am not a man who can be pushed around. Fuck you, Girard!”
I let him get up and walk to the door, then I say, “Have it your way, Peter.”
He stops and turns back to me, slowly. “You don’t mean to let me leave this building without signing that contract, do you?”
“If you walk out the door of the main lobby, without having signed that contract, I’m afraid a terrible accident will happen to you. But that’s your choice to make. It doesn’t matter at all to me.” I lock eyes with him to let him know I’m the one who’s calling the shots, not him.
Getting up, I make my way to the door and open it, walking out, I find him following me. I assume he’s made his decision. It’s too bad he had to be made to do the most basic thing in a marriage, be faithful.
As I open the door to the meeting room and see my lawyer sitting at the table, waiting for us, I notice a smile is on Peter’s face. Maybe he’s decided to be happy about things. He should be. He’s getting more than he’s ever dreamt of, after all.
I hope I’m doing the right thing…
Chapter 2
CAMILLA
“I’m meeting Catarina for lunch, you should join us, Cyprian,” I tell him as I’ve called him to see how his day is going. “I don
’t have another class until two, so I have a couple of hours to kill.”
“We’ll meet you two then. I have Peter with me. I took him to see a building I think might be good for the hotel. Meeting with you girls will give me the opportunity to let you in on the name I’ve chosen.”
“Great, see you soon then.” I end the call and pull up in front of my sister’s house and honk the horn.
She hurries out, leaving the kids with a nanny she found soon after moving to Clemson. She looks happier than I’ve ever seen her as she gets into the car. “God, this car is so badass!”
“It turns heads, let me tell you,” I say as I pull away. “Our men are meeting us at the restaurant. Text yours, tell him where we’re going.”
She pulls her cell out of her purse and taps in the information then puts the phone in her lap and sighs. “I’m so happy, Camilla. Happier than I’ve ever been.”
“Good,” I say and give her a smile. “It makes me happy to see you this way, Catarina. It’s been a week since I’ve seen you. How’s it all going?”
“Great.” She nods as she looks out the window and sees people pointing at the car. She waves at them like they can see her, which they can’t through the darkly tinted windows. “Peter has been a bit cloudy-headed with all the changes but he’ll come around. He’s never been given such an opportunity before. I think he’s kind of blown away by it all.”
“Cyprian has been very generous, I admit.” I look over at her as I’m stopped at a red light. “But I have to tell you, it makes me love the man, even more, knowing he’d do anything for me and my family. He’s a keeper, that’s for sure.”
Taking off from the light, I find a car full of young guys pulling up next to us and gesturing for Catarina to roll her window down. She giggles as she sees them too and rolls it down. “Hey, boys!”
They laugh and hoot and holler. She laughs and rolls the window back up. “You have a fan club, Camilla.”
“I know. So, has Peter said anything about Cyprian? You know, does he like him?” I ask as Cyprian’s not said much.
“I suppose he likes him. Peter’s never been the type of man who lets me in on things. He’s reserved and I have to say, I like it that way. The man remains a mystery to me and that keeps my interested in him. But, I’m sure he likes all the things Cyprian’s doing for him.” She pulls her lipstick out of her purse and pulls down the visor to look in the mirror.
“Cyprian’s good at talking and telling me things. But he’s not said much about Peter, even though they’ve spent some time together, looking for places to make the hotel. Cyprian doesn’t know how to make friends. It wasn’t a thing his father thought was good for him. He was groomed to take over his father’s role as CEO of his company. Making friends would’ve gotten in the way of that.”
She puts her lipstick away and looks at me. “Camilla, have you met his family yet?”
“No,” I say and don’t want to say any more about it. I’ve kept Cyprian’s family and past, hush, hush.
The restaurant comes up and I pull into the valet lane and find Cyprian’s BMW pulling up behind us with Ashton at the wheel. Two men open our doors and I look the one, who will be driving my baby, right in his eyes. He nods before I say a word. “Got it, ma’am. Be extra careful with this little beauty. No need to worry. I’ll treat her like she was my own.”
Placing a twenty in his hand, I say, “Please do.”
Catarina laughs at me as we step up to the entrance and watch our men get out of the car behind mine. “You’re moving into the role of a wealthy wife quite easily.”
“It’s weird, I know. But being with Cyprian is rubbing off on me. Is that a bad thing?” I ask her.
Shaking her head, she says, “I don’t think so. He’s a great guy. I hope he rubs off on Peter, to tell the truth.”
Our men meet us with kisses to our cheeks and we all go inside. Cyprian’s arm runs around my waist as we’re led to a table by the hostess. His lips touch my ear as he whispers, “Did you miss me, baby?”
A chill runs through me and I smile. “I did. And you?”
“I did and I have great news. I had my follow-up appointment this morning and have been set free. Prepare to be devoured tonight, all night long.” He leaves a bite on my earlobe and I go all wet in an instant.
Holding the chair out for me, I sit down and find him sitting next to me and moving his chair so close to mine, our legs touch. His hand runs over my thigh, resting on my knee and making me crazy for him.
The month has been long and I’m more than ready to spend a sleepless night with him, even though I have classes tomorrow. I move my hand over his leg too and take in his musky aroma and find myself breathing harder than one should while sitting at a table with her sister and brother-in-law.
When I look away from Cyprian, I find Peter watching us. “We found a place today,” he says. “Cyprian has named the hotel. He’s named it after your sister. What do you think about that, Camilla?”
I turn to Cyprian to find him smiling. “What’s the name?”
“Catarina’s Quarters,” he tells me, making me and my sister smile but Peter’s face remains emotionless.
“How sweet, Cyprian!” Catarina gushes as she runs her arm around Peter’s. “I love it.”
“I thought you might,” he says and leans his shoulder against mine. “Do you like the name, Cami?”
“I do. I think you have to be the nicest man I’ve ever known.” I kiss his cheek and he looks at me with gleaming eyes.
“To make you happy makes me happy,” he says then kisses the tip of my nose.
“He is the absolute sweetest,” Catarina says and I catch Peter making a quick frown.
“That, he is,” I agree and give Cyprian’s knee a little squeeze.
“Baby, I have something to ask you and you can say, no, but I really want you and I to make an appearance,” Cyprian says. “It’s my father’s birthday. He’s having a party, which I don’t want to stay at but maybe an hour or so. We should go for a short while.”
“A party? At your fathers?” I ask, hesitantly.
“Camilla, what’s wrong with you?” My sister asks me then looks at Cyprian. “Of course, she’ll be happy to go with you.”
He looks at me, though, waiting to hear it come out of my mouth. “Baby? What do you say?”
What can I say?
“Okay, I guess it’s time to meet your family.”
He pulls me in for a hug and kisses the top of my head. “I can’t wait. He’s been wanting to meet you.”
“Is your mother going to be there too?” I ask as meeting the two people who screwed him up isn’t a thing I want to do.
“She will,” he says. “So, you can get meeting them both out of the way. I can’t wait!”
His enthusiasm doesn’t help me at all. I don’t know if I can control my mouth with them. The fact they didn’t want him to have friends is huge, when you add in the fact they taught him to be a sexual deviant, well, there’s no getting over the damage they did to him.
Can I actually hold my tongue with them…?
Chapter 3
CYPRIAN
Despite the signing of the contract, Peter seems to be handling it well enough. The main thing is Cami’s sister looks happy about things. As lunch wraps up, we all go back to get in our cars and get back to work.
“Can Catarina catch a ride with you guys?” Cami asks. “We hung out a bit too long and I have to make my next class.”
“Sure,” I tell her then give her a kiss goodbye as Ashton pulls up. “See you at home around five. We’ll be expected at Papa’s at eight.”
The frown on her face was expected. I didn’t think she’d be down to going but I need her to. I need her to show my parents that she loves me. They’ve both been on my ass about how much I’m doing for her family. They think I’m jumping the gun.
I don’t, though. Nothing has ever felt this right. It’s like I’ve finally stepped into the man I could’ve always been. A famil
y man who handles things with ease. The man everyone looks to, to make sure everything is okay.
I let Peter and Catarina get into the car first then slide in, sandwiching her between us. Peter whispers to her, “Did you get what I asked you to?”
“I did,” she says and seems like she doesn’t want to talk about whatever it is. In front of me, anyway.
“Good,” he says then places his hand on her leg.
She cuts her eyes at me and I see something in them that tells me she’d like to say something. “So, how are you liking Clemson?”
“I like it. I really do. It’s great. What you’re doing for us is great. I’m so glad you came into my sister’s life. She’s needed a man like you. She’s had nothing but shit heads.” She stops and looks at Peter who’s frowning at her. “Sorry. A bunch jerks who broke up with her without seeing fit to give her any reason why.”
“I honestly can’t see why any man would ever break up with her. She’s amazing.” I look away as I can’t imagine what she could’ve possibly done to make three men just dump her. It makes no sense.
“In her past, she’s acted very differently with men than she does with you. In my opinion, it was her way of not giving all of herself to them that ended them all. She was reserved most of the time. I’m glad you think she’s amazing,” Catarina says then pats me on the leg. “She’s as lucky to have you and you are to have her.”
Peter clears his throat and I see him looking at her hand as she taps it on top of my leg. She quickly moves it and seems a little nervous. “On another note, what do you think about getting online to look for a place to buy in Paris to make a hotel there too, Catarina? I want it to be small, quaint, like the place I found here. No more than fifty rooms. Both will be exclusive places to stay. We’ll cater to the rich. So, look for something along those lines, will you?”
“That sounds fun,” she says as she pulls her phone out to start searching, no doubt.
Dirty Little Virgin: A Submissives’ Secrets Novel Page 221