“He’s my personal assistant and bodyguard.” Carter sat down with a small sigh.
Scarlett quirked her brow. “Do you make a habit of pissing off people enough to want to kill you?”
“It’s happened a few times,” Carter admitted with a small grin. “And believe it or not, I haven’t always provoked the person. Darren is just a precaution.”
The food was brought in by Darren, and he joined them at the table. Scarlett was a little surprised by Carter’s lack of formality with Darren, as her father maintained a stiff distance between himself and his staff at all times. She ate the sandwich amid almost continuous yawning.
“Darren, will you show Scarlett her room? She looks exhausted.”
“I’m not tired,” she countered, continuing to eat.
“Scarlett, go to bed.” He paused and she rolled her eyes defiantly. “You won’t miss anything down here and I promise you can continue your inquisition tomorrow. Fair?”
“Fine,” she huffed pushing herself back from the table. She didn’t like being told what to do, but now that she was his prisoner, she would have to pick her battles carefully.
Darren led Scarlett from the room. They walked up a spiral staircase covered in pristine white carpet. He took her down the hall, stopping before a pair of French doors to swing them open. “This will be your room.”
Scarlett surveyed the room, liking the warmth of the sand and peach coloring. It was no more or less impressive than her room at home, so she didn’t express any enthusiasm. “Thank you, Darren, and good night.”
“If you need anything, four on the phone will connect you to me,” said Darren before leaving.
Scarlett hefted her suitcase on the bed to begin unpacking. She’d brought a few clothes and toiletries, but the majority of the items were books. Books for school, and books she read for pleasure. She cleared a space on a standing shelf to display her books. After putting her clothes away, Scarlett looked around the room, feeling depressed that she’d already made her mark. She shouldn’t be here. This wasn’t right.
She threw herself across the bed, wanting to cry, but refusing to give in to the tears. How could her father do this to her? How had she ended up here, agreeing to this madness? What was in it for Carter to agree to such a deal, anyway?
Six months. With him.
Six months to find out what made him this way.
3
Scarlett
To Scarlett’s surprise, she slept like a baby in the huge four-poster bed. When she awoke it was after ten, and she thought she was late for World History before remembering the change in her circumstances. No more classes, no more school. The one thing she loved about her life was gone. The semester had barely begun, so she should still be able to withdraw without failing. But she wasn’t a quitter, it just wasn’t her style. Yet here she was forced to leave one of her most precious things behind.
With a sigh, she lay in the bed, staring up at the ceiling and wondering how she was supposed to fill her time. She’d brought her favorite books, but couldn’t spend all day reading. She was about to force herself out of the sinfully comfortable bed when there was a knock at her door. Though she wore a modest white nightgown, Scarlett pulled the duvet up to her chin before calling, “Come in.”
A maid dressed in a black dress with a white apron entered. “I’ve brought you some breakfast, Ms. Terini,” she said with a smile. “Mr. Braxton asked me to have a tray brought up to you.”
“Thank you.” The maid set the tray on the table near her bed, then left. Since he’d sent a tray to the room, did that mean she wasn’t allowed to leave? Surely he wasn’t planning on confining her to this room for the next six months? There couldn’t be a more luxurious prison, but it would still be a prison, all the same. She also found herself wondering why he hadn’t come to see her himself. She wouldn’t mind digging further into the man that was her keeper.
As her stomach growled, Scarlett turned her attention to the tray. There were fluffy pancakes topped with strawberries and cream, her favorite. Did Carter know that? Or a simple coincidence?
After satisfying her appetite, Scarlett forced herself from the bed, anxious to know if she was allowed to leave the room. She would take a quick shower and get dressed. She needed to know the lay of the land.
Scarlett just reached the front door when she heard someone behind her. Turning, she found Carter staring at her coolly. “Running away?” he asked sarcastically.
“Taking a walk.”
“Don’t get lost.” He continued his walk through the bottom level of the house.
With a shrug, she let herself out of the house and walked into the hazy sunshine. The day was cool and crisp as to be expected for October, and there were fresh leaves on the ground that hadn’t received attention from the gardeners yet.
Making her way into the dense growth of trees that surrounded the lavish home, Scarlett inhaled the scent of the woods. The tree growth wasn’t thick enough to be considered a forest, but it was still nice to be in here. For a short time she could pretend that Carter Braxton did not exist, and that she had not agreed to this crazy bargain. She could pretend that she was home once more, walking through their small patch of trees while trying to briefly escape the pressures of college.
Scarlett ambled down the path for a short time before deciding to venture into the denser undergrowth. She tried to keep the trail in sight at all times, but lost it suddenly. Turning around in a circle, she desperately sought some trace of the path, but found none. Frowning, Scarlett walked the opposite way for fifteen minutes, knowing that she hadn’t strayed that far away from the path. She set off in a northeast direction, and came across a stream. Forgetting about being lost for the moment, she plopped down by the bank, running a hand through the delightfully chilly water. So this was her grand escape, sitting by a small stream enjoying a moment of freedom. How quickly her life had changed.
There was a makeshift bridge composed of fairly flat rocks lined up within stepping distance of each one. Scarlett couldn’t resist the lure of the stone bridge, and she took a cautious step onto the first rock. It was firmly set, so she crossed to the next one. She was halfway across the shallow stream when the rocks became slippery. Solidly stuck in the middle of the makeshift bridge, she could either go forward or turn around and go back. There were two less stones if she went forward. Biting her lip, Scarlett decided to turn back, knowing that direction would eventually lead to the path.