David spluttered and choked on his wine but he knew exactly what I meant. I had a plan and it involved the large Jacuzzi bath. David's eyes filled with heat as he drank in the swell of my breasts. He knew what I had to offer him. He certainly wasn't a stranger to my body. I stood and smiled at Aaron and Robert before turning and walking away.
Without looking back I knew David watched the swing of my hips and ass as I exited the restaurant and made my way back to the lift. Room service would send me up the champagne and I would run the bath. David wouldn't stay away for long. Not when I knew that he had already beaten Robert and there was no hope of him ever getting his grubby hands on the business. Not only that but I had intrigued David.
No one had ever initiated anything sexually with him before and I would be the first. Self-conscious me, would attempt to seduce someone as handsome and dominant as David. The thought gave me butterflies in my tummy.
Standing in the lift I entered the code David had given me for our room and I waited for the doors to open. Stepping into the darkened apartment a small sound caught my attention. I paused and listened closely. Another noise hit my ears and I made my way cautiously to the bedroom door. I pushed the door open and started to let my eyes adjust to the gloom beyond.
"David?" The voice came out of the darkness.
I flicked on the lights as anger coursed through my veins. Angelica lay across the top of the sheets. Her green dress from earlier was discarded on the floor and she was naked. She had scattered rose petals across the bed and she was idly playing with some of them.
She held one of the satin petals in her hands and she drew it across her erect nipples. Her eyes were closed. I cleared my throat and crossed my arms across my chest.
Angelica's eyes flew open and she stared at me as though I was the intruder and not her.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was filled with accusation.
"What? Are you serious? Angelica, you're in my bed. I'm with David, not you."
She sat up and her expression turned murderous. "He feels sorry for you. He doesn't want you, not when he can have me."
"Get out!" I pointed to the door with a trembling hand.
She stood and stalked towards me. Even without heels she was far taller than I was and I couldn't help but take a step back from her. She was clearly crazy, crazy people were capable of anything.
"Can't handle the truth, Carrie?" Her voice had dropped and she spat the words in my face. "He doesn't want you. He never has. He told me to meet him here. He wants me in his bed and not you." She jabbed her finger into my chest sending a tiny flare of pain through me.
I stood my ground. I wasn't going to let her ruin what I shared with David. She wasn't worth it and I wasn't going to let her inside my head.
"I make him feel things that you can only dream of," she said. "Men don't just want me for my body, you know. I let him do dark things to me and he enjoys it. You can't make him happy, Carrie. You are far too vanilla and plain. You couldn't take the types of dark fantasies that David has. I can." She turned and showed me a long white scar that ran down the length of her back. It marred the perfect golden tan she had and my mouth dropped open in surprise.
"David marked me. He marked me as his own. I see no brand on you, Carrie. He doesn't want you the way he wants me."
I shook my head. There was no way that David had done this. She was with Robert. He was far more capable of this sort of behaviour than David was... Wasn't he?
The door opened and David entered with Aaron, both men laughing and slapping each other on the back. That all stopped when they spotted Angelica standing naked in the bedroom and me in the door. I turned to move towards David but a hand wrapped itself tightly in my hair, jerking my head back painfully.
"You can't have him."
I could hear screaming and someone knocked me to the floor and climbed on top of me. Blows rained down on me as I huddled in a ball trying to protect myself. The weight disappeared off me, then two strong arms wrapped around me, lifting me up from the floor.
Aaron held the struggling Angelica in his arms. She continued to struggle and fight, spitting venomous words of hatred in my direction. I watched in astonishment as two burly security men entered the room and hauled Angelica away.
David spun me around to face him, his hand brushing the frightened tears from my cheeks. My head was still ringing and a few moments had passed before I realised he was talking to me.
"Are you hurt? Carrie, are you alright? I'm so sorry." He hugged me tightly, practically crushing the air from my lungs.
"She was waiting for you. She said you had told her to wait here, that you would meet her here..."
David looked down at me, his eyes filled with sorrow. "And you believe that? You believe I would do that... to you?"
I shook my head and buried my face against his chest. But his fingers fitted under my chin and he lifted my face to look at him. "Tell me you mean that. Tell me you don't believe her crazy lies."
"I don't believe her." I spoke the words but something else niggled at me. The scar on her back and the way she spoke of David's dark side. She hadn't been the only one to mention it before. It couldn't be a coincidence... Could it?
I sucked in a long shaking breath before untangling myself from David's arms. "I'm going to take a walk and clear my head." I smiled at him.
"Uh, Carrie, after everything I don't know if that is such a good idea." David's voice was filled with worry.
I stood on tiptoe and pressed my lips to his in one fleeting kiss. "I won't be long. I promise. I just need some air and to get my head around how crazy Angelica was."
David nodded slowly. "Fine, but be careful. I have one last business call to make and then I am free for the rest of the week. I will be all yours and you won't be able to get rid of me." He grinned wolfishly at me and it sent heat racing through my body. I couldn't help but hope we could have a repeat of the night before’s fun on the beach.
I turned and headed for the door. I gave him one last look over my shoulder and left him to tidy up the final stray pieces of business with Aaron.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Walking along the beach I let my thoughts go. I didn't need to worry about David. He had shown me no side of his darkness, yet, anyway. There was no point in dwelling on something that a woman crazed with jealousy had concocted.
I carried my shoes as I let the cool water lap at my feet. Turning, I caught sight of the dunes that David had taken me to the night before. Unable to resist, I walked up to them in search of our place.