Carrie's Answer
Carrie’s Answer
Corporate Affairs, Book One
One weekend. That’s all Marcus Worthington asks of his assistant Carrie Anderson when she resigns. One weekend to teach her the pleasures of dominance and submission, to satisfy his never-ending craving for her and to get her out of his system. Then he’ll let her go.
Two days. That’s all Marcus has promised Carrie. But as he pushes her past the limits of pleasure and satisfies her darkest desires, she knows two days will never be enough.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Carrie’s Answer
ISBN 9781419933905
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Carrie’s Answer Copyright © 2011 Sierra & VJ Summers
Edited by Carrie Jackson
Cover art by Darrell King
Electronic book publication August 2011
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
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Carrie’s Answer
Sierra & VJ Summers
Dedication
It takes a village to write a book—
Carrie’s Answer
is proof of that! Thanks to Lora for planting the seed, Dori for helping it grow, Deanna and Carrie for sticking with us on the learning curve, and every person who met and loved Carrie and Marcus. We hope you enjoy seeing them in a new light.
Chapter One
Marcus Worthington pulled his Lexus into the parking space in front of his condo, eager to see his wife after a lengthy business trip to Chicago. In the next space, Daniel Ellis had parked his blue Aston Martin. It was Marcus’ second anniversary and he wanted to surprise Karen, his adventurous wife, with a night of wild sex. Anticipation slithered up his spine as he imagined his hot wife sandwiched between him and Daniel.
He had shared Karen with his best friend twice before they were married and she had loved it. Daniel hadn’t volunteered to join them again after the wedding and Marcus, completely wrapped up in his new status as a husband, hadn’t asked. He’d been completely surprised when Karen had brought up the idea last week as he prepared to leave for Chicago.
It had taken some fast talking to convince Daniel to go along with it. Daniel didn’t do ménage with married couples, even if part of that couple was Marcus, with whom he’d been sharing women since college. For all of his liberal views on sex, Daniel’s stance on marital fidelity seemed odd to some, but Marcus understood. With all the shit that had gone down between Dan’s parents, it made sense that he didn’t want to participate in adultery, even when he was invited.
Marcus grabbed a bouquet of roses from the passenger seat. Karen insisted on blood-red roses. She’d laughingly told him that if he couldn’t pony up the cash for her favorite blooms, not to bother with flowers at all.
He adored his wife. She was smart, classy and sexy as hell. Tall, almost six feet in height, her body was long and willowy. She’d modeled while attending law school. Her body was perfection wrapped in tanned, toned flesh. She worked out more than most men and commanded attention wherever she went.
Marcus had taken a lot of shit from his friends and family when he’d married her. They thought she was cold. They thought she was a witch. His siblings Matthew and Meri had even taken to calling her “The Viper”. Marcus knew they just didn’t understand her.
He
understood her better than anyone. On the outside she was tough, maybe even a little bit brittle. As one of the premiere defense attorneys in Detroit, she had to be. She took control of the audience whenever a camera and microphone pointed in her direction. She won case after case and even had firms from New York and Los Angeles fighting to give her partnerships.
But when they were alone, she was all warm, willing woman.
When they were alone, her tough public persona slid away like a mist. She was attentive, fawning all over him. She gave him almost anything he asked for. And the things she wouldn’t, well they weren’t really that important. He was happy. He’d be greedy to ask for more.
Marcus started to put his key in the door but it was slightly ajar. He pushed it open to hear Karen’s voice drift from the living room, low and sexy.
“Come on, Daniel, he won’t be home for another hour. Traffic from Metro is backed up all along Ninety-four.”
“I’m leaving, Karen.” Daniel sounded pissed. “You are one crazy bitch.”
Marcus started forward, ready to defend his wife, but her next words stopped him dead.
“When he gets here, he is going to want to tie me up and I can’t stand that stuff. God, I can barely stand it when he touches me anymore.”
“You knew what Marcus was like when you married him. He was honest with you about his sex life from the beginning.”
Her shrill laughter filled the air. “Oh please, Daniel. Do you think he really expected a woman like me to deal with that for any period of time? He wants a possession. But Marcus doesn’t own me, I own
him.
”
The bottom dropped out of Marcus’ world as she continued her venomous rant.
“He’s one of the wealthiest men in the state. Our marriage was one of convenience, not
love
. With his name attached to mine, I can work for any firm in Michigan.”
“Goddamn, woman you really
are
a viper, aren’t you?” Daniel’s voice was deadly quiet. “If he only knew…”
“Only knew what?” Karen scoffed. “Do you think he’d believe you if you told him what happened here tonight? Do you actually think he’d believe that
I
came on to
you
? Oh, please! Which one of us is the whore here, Daniel? I’m married to Marcus. He made a commitment to me and I am committed to him. The only thing you’ve ever committed to is keeping the condom companies in business.”
Marcus heard Daniel cross the room, moving toward the hall.
“Put your robe back on. I won’t tell Marcus, only because I won’t destroy him like this. But stay away from me, Karen. Stay far away.”
Her laughter echoed off the pristine white walls. “Ohhh, Danny-boy, I am so afraid. Go on, get out of here. You’re as pathetic as he is. Sexual deviants, both of you. Get out, Daniel. I have to take something to get me through the rest of this night.”
Marcus stalked into the living room. Daniel glanced up, giving him a look of sympathy he didn’t fucking want. Karen was tying the belt of her black silk robe. She smiled at Marcus.
“Baby! You’re home.” She sauntered over to him on four-inch stilettos. Wrapping her red-tipped fingers around his neck, she placed a loud kiss on his cheek. “Daniel and I were just discussing you.”
A fury unlike any he’d ever known engulfed his body. His stomach churned, acid burning his throat. He pushed her off him and walked past her down the hall.
“Ah…” Her soft sigh stopped him. “I guess you heard our little conversation.”
Marcus didn’t utter a word. He just turned slowly to face the woman he’d thought loved him.
“I think you may have misunderstood what was going on, sweetheart.” She used that soft, girlish voice that had once driven him insane with lust. Now it left him cold. “Daniel got here early and wanted to start before you arrived.”
Marcus staggered up to her, towering above her, his heart shattering into a thousand unmendable pieces. “I heard it all, Karen. Stop fucking lying. It belittles us both.”
Her sharp intake of breath was audible a moment before her hand shot out. Marcus caught her wrist before she made contact with his face.
“This is over.” He threw her hand away and turned, making his way to their bedroom.
“Oh no it’s not, Marcus Worthington. If you think for one second this is over, you are crazy.”
He ignored her and went into their room. Ten minutes later he walked back out, his bags packed, and went to the front door. She was in the kitchen, placing the roses he’d dropped to the floor into a crystal vase.
She inhaled their fragrant scent. “Go ahead, darling. Get drunk tonight, purge your silly anger. With your sexual background, I fail to understand why you’re so upset.”
“My sexual background?” Marcus repeated. “I have never cheated on you, never
wanted
to cheat on you.”
Karen compressed her full red lips and shrugged her shoulders. “I never thought you would expect monogamy, Marcus. I mean, how many couples in our position really do?”
Her words began to sink in, their true meaning taking root in his brain, slicing his heart.
“I expect you back home tomorrow,” she added casually. “We have the charity auction at The Whitney in the evening. Be here at eight. That should give you plenty of time to come to your senses. By then, I am sure you’ll come up with an appropriate apology for ruining my anniversary.”
Marcus slammed out his front door for the last time. Karen had utterly emasculated him. He felt dirty, used. He wanted to scream and rage but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. No woman would ever get that kind of hold on him again.
Daniel stood by his car, waiting for him. Hands in his pockets, he never said a word.
Marcus walked around him to the back of the vehicle. Opening the door, he threw the duffle and garment bags he’d packed onto the seat.
Daniel held out a key as he approached. “Spare room’s yours for as long as you need it. The Jack Daniel’s is in the cupboard next to the fridge. Save some for me.”
Marcus stood stock-still while his best friend dropped the key into his palm.
“I’m sorry. Damn, but I’m sorry. You know I would never have done anything with her.” Daniel stepped back, not waiting for an answer, and slid into his car. He tore out of the parking lot with a vicious squeal of tires.
Marcus got behind the wheel of his own car and pulled out. He drove along Woodward Avenue on autopilot, stopping at a corner liquor store to purchase a bottle of tequila.
Making his way to West Jefferson and then into the Cobo Center parking garage, he headed down to the riverfront on foot. Once there, he walked mindlessly, watching the flashes of light from Windsor wink at him from across the Detroit River.
Eventually he wandered into a low-lit area and sat on a concrete bench. Thoughts swirled around in his head, faster than he could keep up.
Karen. She thought he was a fucking joke. She “put up with” his perversions to further her fucking career. Her words stabbed him in the gut over and over.
His sister had warned him on more than one occasion that Karen was wrong for him. He’d laughed at her. She was young and hadn’t lived long enough to know what was right for her, much less for him.
His father Stirling had warned him too, reminding him endlessly that women were faithless and weak, and making Marcus even more determined to take Karen for his own. His father had also pushed for an ironclad prenup, and Marcus had agreed with him on that one point. But she’d easily talked him out of it the first time she let him tie her up.
It had all been there right in front of him but he’d been blinded by the longest legs that had ever wrapped around his hips. He was a fucking fool. Goddamn. Marcus hung his head and did something he hadn’t done since the night his mother died—he cried.
* * * * *
Two hours later, he was all cried out, drunk and comfortably numb from head to toe. On wobbly legs, he rose from the bench. He tossed the empty tequila bottle in a nearby trash can. He stumbled over to the railing. The waters were rough from the wind and slapped up the wall, getting his shoes wet as he leaned over watching the waves rush by.
Fuck, he was tired. So damn tired. Tired of hiding who he really was. Denying himself in order to make Karen happy. He’d always thought he would be able to ease her into the lifestyle. She let him tie her up on occasion. She’d fucked him and Daniel both. He’d had high hopes that she was softening up to his more exotic tastes, though he hadn’t taken her to the club, thinking it would be too much for her. He was damn happy now that he hadn’t.
In the back of his mind, buried deep, he must have known that she would do this to him one day. He’d seen the look in her eyes sometimes, like she had no compassion, but he’d ignored her less-than-kind qualities.
He’d known she was cold and single-minded at work but she’d never been like that with him. Hell, she was the best actress Marcus had ever seen and he was the biggest asshole in the world for turning himself over to a woman like her, for trying to change who he was to make her happy.
He swayed out over the railing, losing his balance, watching the dark water get closer. The cold spray hit him in the face but before he could tip over the rail or back to safety, a large hand grabbed his jacket and hauled him up.
Someone whipped him around, a flashlight shone brightly in his face. Marcus squinted his eyes against what felt like the sun.
“Worthington?”
Fuck, who was that? He knew the voice but couldn’t place it.
“What the hell were you trying to do, man? It’s too fucking cold to take a swim tonight.”
The light lowered and Marcus was able to adjust his somewhat blurry vision.
Jenner. Detective Dorian Jenner. Just fucking great.
“Let’s go, man. I’ll get a patrol car to take you home.” Jenner put his arm around Marcus, holding him upright as they walked back toward Hart Plaza.
“No’ home, Jenner, take me to Dan’s. Tha’s my home now,” he slurred.
Dorian tightened his hold as Marcus tripped over his own feet.
“You got it, buddy.” Dorian did a quick two-step as Marcus lurched to the side. “For this, I better get a bump up to platinum status at the club.” His easy laugh rumbled from his throat, and for the first time in hours Marcus smiled.
“Sure man, firs’ thing tomorrow I’ll make the call.”
“Right,” Dorian agreed. “If you even remember we had this conversation.”
* * * * *
Three days later, the headlines screamed: “Worthington Heir Doesn’t Play Nice”.
When Marcus refused to speak to Karen and banned her from all Worthington properties, she got nasty and went to the papers.
What they printed was the most outrageous pack of lies he’d ever seen. Mixing fact and fiction, the stories gave details of a sexual life they’d never had. Maybe Marcus had always dreamed of doing such things to her but Karen never allowed it. Now it was out there for public consumption.
Good ‘ole Stirling, as always, was so damn supportive, lecturing him on how he should keep his secrets fucking secret.
“I expect this kind of behavior from Matthew, not you, Marcus
,”
his father had said
. “
You are the face of Worthington and that face has been sullied by your actions, preying on your wife like that. Well it’s your mess, clean it up. I won’t help. If the company folds, it’s on your head.”