Beauty and the Billionaire Bad*ss Read online

  Scarlett ignored the rest of his statement, choosing to focus on the beginning. “I really don’t care what you’d like,” she whispered. “If you recall, I agreed to be your collateral for six months. I didn’t agree to be at your beck and call.”

  “Of course. How could I forget the terms of our bargain?” She watched as her turned to go back to the dining room, never once looking back.

  Scarlett spent the remainder of the evening in her room. She found herself unable to sleep after the long afternoon nap, so she read a book until early in the morning, when her eyes finally started to close. She laid aside the novel and curled under the comforter, forcing herself not to think of Carter.

  She’d been so hopeful, and she freely admitted that. Sometime in the past few weeks, she’d seen past Carter’s hard exterior, to the man beneath. She’d responded to him in a way that was new to her, and she’d started to love him.

  When they were away, Scarlett was convinced he’d come to care for her too. She knew that people didn’t have to be in love to sleep together, and she hadn’t thought he loved her, but she’d hoped he cared for her at least. Carter was such a contradiction, at times gentle and considerate, other times cold and aloof. She’d thought he was learning to trust her, and that maybe he would love her in return someday.

  Sighing, Scarlett punched up her pillow and turned over, brushing off the weak tears that trickled down her cheeks. She wasn’t going to waste any more time on Carter, trying to figure him out. Contrary to what she’d imagined, he was a cold, ruthless man, and he’d used her for his amusement. She’d given him the opportunity once, but she wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  She was roused from a deep sleep by someone tapping on her bedroom door. Scarlett blinked her eyes, calling a groggy, “I’m coming,” as she slid from the comfortable bed. In bare feet, she padded to the door and opened it to find Ekaterini and Vanna on the other side.

  “You aren’t dressed yet?” asked Vanna, clicking her tongue. “Well, hurry, Scarlett. The chopper leaves in thirty minutes.”

  Wild hope and some intangible sadness stirred in her stomach. “Is Carter sending me home?” she asked, blinking.

  Ekaterini giggled. “No, silly. We are shopping today. We’re flying into Athens to see the exquisite designs, and we will spend a ridiculous amount of money, then we will have lunch, and some girl talk.”

  “No thanks,” said Scarlett, pushing the door closed until Vanna’s well manicured hand stopped her.

  “You must come with us,” she insisted. “You have to tell us all about Carter’s horrid scheme, and fill us in on...” she paused, before finally say, “Er, what he’s been up to.”

  “Why would you want me to go?” Scarlett demanded. “Don’t you know I’m a Terini?”

  Ekaterini nodded. “Of course, but it doesn’t matter to us. Thea is coming along to look at a fresco in one of the museums, but Lydia is pouting in her room. You will not be harped at or insulted. Please come with us, Scarlett. We would like to get better acquainted with you.”

  Scarlett gnawed on her lip, thinking it sounded tempting. She hadn’t had much female companionship lately, and she missed having her sisters around. A day of shopping and girl talk held appeal, even if she had no money to shop with. “All right. Let me get dressed, and I’ll meet you downstairs in twenty minutes.”

  “Make it fifteen,” Vanna urged. “We have to be at the airstrip in twenty-five minutes or Leondris will leave without us.”

  Scarlett hurried through her morning routine, dressing quickly in a lightweight shorts set, before hurrying downstairs, still braiding her hair. She arrived in the sitting room to find the children crowding around Darren, pulling on his arms, begging for, “Horsey rides.” He looked both put out and amused, and he grinned at Scarlett.

  There was another woman whom Scarlett hadn’t met yet. She was introduced simply as Nanny and didn’t seem to mind not having a name of her own. “We will be back before dinner,” Ekaterini assured the children, giving Cat an extra squeeze.

  After parting from their children, the women walked outside, where a town car was waiting to ferry them to the airstrip. Scarlett sat quietly as Vanna and Ekaterini conversed with Thea, who actually wore a smile and wasn’t shooting daggers at Scarlett with her eyes. Scarlet was relieved and hoped the day would go better than she initially though. Maybe Lydia really was just drama.

  At the airstrip, the driver opened the door, and they hurried to the helicopter, bending low to avoid some of the strong wind whipped up by the propellers. Scarlett had never ridden in a helicopter, and she tried to focus on the lavish interior as the door was closed by the chauffeur, and the helicopter began to rise. She was unable to bite back an involuntary scream, and the others giggled.

  “It’s perfectly safe,” said Vanna. “Leondris is the most experienced pilot you’re likely to find in all of Greece, and this is a top-of-the-line machine.”

  “Right,” Scarlett said in a wobbly tone as she peaked out her window. They were hovering above the Aegean, and she swayed sickly. She shut her eyes tightly and leaned back against the seat, not relinquishing her death-grip on the creamy leather.

  “If we crashed, the seats are flotation devices,” Ekaterini said, clearly trying to be helpful.

  “I feel so much better now,” said Scarlett with a hint of sarcasm, making them giggle again.

  As the chopper continued on course, Scarlett gradually relaxed. She didn’t think she would ever love flying in a helicopter, but she was no longer afraid of plunging into the sea. Leondris seemed to be a very capable pilot, and her fear was forgotten as she got caught up in the conversation.

  “I love Greece.” Ekaterini looked down on the patches of land they passed. “Such a romantic place to live. I often miss our island.”

  “Rome is very romantic too,” Vanna defended staunchly. “There is the Fountain of Trevi, and all the men are so handsome.”

  “Greek men are very handsome too,” Scarlett said without thinking. All eyes turned to her, and she was helpless to fight back a blush. “The few I’ve seen,” she added hastily. “I’ve been to Mykanos.”

  “Ah, Mykanos,” Ekaterini nodded, giggling.

  “With Carter,” Thea informed her sisters. “Overnight.”

  “We attended a wedding and couldn’t come back to the island in the dark,” Scarlett added hastily, knowing the blush creeping across her cheeks and down her neck was not helping her convince them.

  “Of course,” Vanna said in a neutral tone while winking at Thea and Ekaterini. “It is impossible to return to the island at night. It is very unsafe, and I’m sure there weren’t any phones nearby that would have allowed Carter to call for the helicopter.”

  Scarlett’s mouth fell open in surprise at Vanna’s revelation. Calling for the chopper had never occurred to her, but surely Carter, a man used to being conveyed by the machine, would have thought of that? Her brow furrowed as she considered the implications. Had Carter deliberately maneuvered her into staying the night on the island, planning to seduce her? Why go to all that trouble if she were only a pawn to him? She realized the others were watching her and laughing outright now. “It was more convenient to stay at the inn,” she said lamely.

  Thea nodded. “Of course.” Her deadpan expression sent them off into another round of laughter.

  “He’s very taken with you,” said Ekaterini. “His eyes follow you everywhere, especially when he thinks you aren’t looking.”

  “It’s amazing they aren’t always staring at each other, the way their eyes watch the other,” Vanna commented with a gentle smile.

  “That’s not true,” Scarlett denied hotly, but she knew they were right. Her eyes seemed to follow Carter’s movements of their own volition. “Why would he watch me?” she demanded. “I’m a means to an end for Carter, and nothing more.”

  Thea blushed delicately, dropping her eyes. “Did you hear our conversation?” she whispered.

  “No, I don’t know what you’re t
alking about.” Scarlett averted her eyes.

  “We drove him to say that,” said Thea, sounding miserable. “He got tired of us harping at him, and he just said those things so we would shut up.”

  Scarlett shook her head, unaware of the sadness in her eyes. “I doubt that, Thea. Carter has made no secret of his impatience with me. He doesn’t like me, and he doesn’t trust me. You don’t have to worry about him falling in love with me.”

  “That wouldn’t be the end of the world,” Ekaterini said. “Though he hates your father, he doesn’t necessarily hate you.”

  Scarlett’s skepticism was evident, and she subsided into silence. The trip into Athens was a wonderful success, and they returned after several hours, laden with bags of purchases. Their stomachs were full from the excellent seafood they’d consumed, and their eyes were half-closed from the heavy wine.

  She was considerably more relaxed than she’d been when they had left. Scarlett felt accepted by the sisters and dared to hope that it was a good omen. Surely Carter would tell her how he felt so their future could be settled. Scarlett hoped his sisters were right about his feelings for her.

  They returned to find the house in an chaos. Athena drew Ekaterini slightly apart from the group, grasping her hands. “Don’t be alarmed.” Scarlett remained within easshot.

  “What’s wrong?” Ekaterini demanded, clearly assuming the worst.

  “Cat has wandered off.”

  “No,” Ekaterini wailed. “We have to find her.”

  “We will.” Athena squeezed her hands. “The others are searching for her. I was waiting here for you.”

  Scarlett accepted a two-way radio from Athena and hurried to her room to change into more practical clothes. Everyone had departed, so she set off on her own. Cat was just a baby, so Scarlett assumed she couldn’t have gone very far. She listened to the radio as positions were given, and updates were made.

  Selecting the rough trails that led away from the house and to the center of the island, Scarlett began to search for Cat, stopping every few minutes to call out the little girl’s name. The vegetation became progressively denser, and it was evident that this part of the island received little care. It was uninhabited, and Scarlett seriously doubted Cat would have gone this way.

  After pressing on for almost two hours, Scarlett was about to return to the villa and choose a new area to search. She’d just turned around when she heard a mewling sound off to her left. Not believing it could be Cat, but still knowing she had to check, Scarlett eased through the thick growth. The mewling fell silent and Scarlett was unable to find the source.

  “Scarlett,” her radio hissed as Carter spoke to her.

  “Yes?”

  “Dario found her, asleep in the speedboat. She’s all right.”

  “I’m happy to hear that,” Scarlett said sincerely, her relief evident.

  “Where are you?” Carter asked.

  “The interior of the island. I’m returning now.”

  “How long?”

  “Maybe two hours,” Scarlett guessed.

  Carter sighed. “Do you want me to come find you?”

  “No, I can handle it,” Scarlett assured him before looping the radio through her belt. She turned around to find the trail, worrying she might have lost it. To her relief, it was easily visible, right in front of her. Scarlett thought she saw a way to reach the path with fewer obstacles. She walked through the undergrowth a few feet, veering toward the trail.

  After resuming her course on the trail, Scarlett let her mind wander a bit, no longer worried about finding Cat. She was busily thinking about Carter, imagining him saying he loved her, when she realized she wasn’t walking the same direction as she’d come. She turned around in a circle, unable to see where she’d come from or establish the location of the correct path. If she was lost again, Carter would think she was a complete idiot.

  “It’s an island,” Scarlett said aloud, trying to be logical. “Eventually I’ll come to the shore and can find my way back to the villa.” With that sensible course in mind, Scarlett followed the trail she’d accidentally taken, growing more tired as the time passed.

  Just when she thought she couldn’t stand any more walking, Scarlett heard the sound of water lapping on shore. Impatient to get in a hot bath, Scarlett increased her pace, bursting out of the overgrowth, expecting to see the beach, and the Aegean.

  One moment both feet were solidly planted, and the next she was balancing precariously, one foot extended into space. Scarlett flailed her arms, trying to regain her bearings, but she continued to plummet forward, falling down a high hill. It wasn’t quite a cliff, but it ended abruptly in a sheer drop.

  She crashed onto the rocky shore, lying there, winded, and her breath was slow to return. Her jaw ached from the impact with the hard packed sand, and she’d cut her shoulder on a jagged rock. When her breath returned, Scarlett gingerly sat up, wincing as assorted aches and pains made themselves known. She wasn’t dying, but she sure felt like hell.

  “Why do these things keep happening to me?” Contrary to her recent luck, she was not generally prone to accidents. She looked up the hill she’d fallen from. The side was almost as smooth as glass. She wouldn’t be making it up by herself.

  Knowing she couldn’t put it off, Scarlett reached for the radio to contact Carter. She was rehearsing what she would say and didn’t immediately notice that the radio failed to make a hissing noise when she depressed the button. When she realized, Scarlett shook the radio gently and heard several components rattle around. She hadn’t been too damaged from the fall, but she couldn’t say the same for her radio.

  They would eventually come looking for her, and Scarlett consoled herself with the thought that she wouldn’t drown. The Aegean didn’t have tides like the ocean. She looked at her watch, happy to see it was still working. She’d never set it to Greek time, but she knew close to two hours had passed, and Carter should begin to look for her soon. She wouldn’t be stuck on the beach all night.

  After tearing at the hem of her t-shirt and using the ragged cloth as a makeshift bandage, Scarlett settled in to wait. Darkness came swiftly, and the island she found so beautiful during the day suddenly became ominous. Every shadow was a potential foe, and every noise became the sound of a predator, stalking her in the murky darkness.

  16

  Carter

  Carter looked at the clock on the mantle once again, impatiently noting only ten minutes had passed. Still, Scarlett was over an hour later than she’d said she would be, had failed to answer the radio, and he was worried. Fear, dark and cloying, curled in his stomach, and he’d already imagined several dire possibilities. Jumping to his feet, Carter said abruptly, “I’m going to look for her.” He wouldn’t wait any longer. Not if she was in real danger.

  After this, that girl would never be allowed in the woods again.

  “I’ll come with you,” Darren offered. Dario and Elias were quick to offer their assistance, and Athena provided flashlights. They split up into groups of two, searching for forty minutes as they periodically checked in with each other.

  “Where the hell is she?” Carter asked Darren as he moved through the greenery.

  “I don’t know boss. You’re worried, aren’t you?”

  “Damn right I am.”

  “Because she’s your bargaining chip?” Darren stopped walking and Carter turned to illuminate him with his flashlight.

  “Of course,” he added gruffly. But he knew the truth, that wasn’t why he was worried at all.

  “It’s getting too dark,” Darren told him after walking another half an hour.

  Admitting defeat, they rendezvoused back at the villa, and Carter called Leondris to ready the chopper. It was attached with night lights, and would be a more efficient way to search.

  Leondris, accompanied by Carter and Darren, searched the island for twenty minutes before the lights swept over Scarlett. She was down on the beach, frantically waving her arms. Leondris found a landing area a
quarter mile from her, and she met them halfway. “What happened?” Carter demanded.

  Scarlett explained getting lost and falling down the abrupt drop as they went back to the chopper and bundled her inside. Darren handed her a blanket, and she huddled inside it as Leondris transported them back to the villa. Carter wrapped and arm around her and pulled her close. He noticed that Darren looked out the window instead of watching them. Good man.

  Carter was silent as they departed from the chopper. He was still trying to comprehend that she could have died. Her death would have ended his game with Rocco, but it would have meant so much more than that. He knew it would have been a devastating loss to him. Sometime in her weeks with him, she’d broken down the icy reserve he hid behind and worked her way into his heart. He loved her, and it had taken nearly losing her to make him realize that.

  Enough of Carter’s cynicism was intact to prevent him from blurting out a confession of his love. Chances were excellent that she would be pleased, and that she truly loved him too. Still, doubts plagued him, and he was unable to open himself enough to her to say the words. He wouldn’t hand his enemy a knife and stick out his throat, and he wasn’t completely convinced she wasn’t his enemy.

  They walked to the front door, and Carter slipped his arm around Scarlett, holding her close to him. Athena, Thea, and Vanna came running out to greet them, followed more sedately by an angry-looking Lydia.

  One minute she was standing slightly behind him, and the next she was gone. Carter looked for Scarlett in the milling group of people, but she was absent from them. He met the cold eyes of Lydia and guessed she’d scared Scarlett away. He approached his sister, firmly grasping her arm. “We need to talk,” he said quietly, leading her into the study. He placed her in a chair and took the one beside her.

  “What do you want?” she asked, refusing to meet his eyes. Her face was composed, her spine stiff, and her lips were pursed in disapproval.

  Carter wondered if the feelings he’d recently acknowledged having for Scarlett were displayed on his face. “You have to let go of the hatred you feel for Scarlett,” he said in a steady voice. “She was not the one who killed your husband.”