The Art of Retaliation (8 page)

Raymond Matisse was going to work with her to find evidence on the
man for his laundering and the murder.
 
She was going to ensure not even
Stephane
knew
about it.
 
Her hold on her emotions
tightened again as she realized how important her escape was and closed her
mind to the billionaire’s manipulation and humiliation.
 
Relieved with the return of her control,
she took a cool shower and dressed in shorts and a sleeveless summer top.
 

She made her way downstairs out the back of the house into the
grounds, taking time to stop next to a fountain at the top of the cascading
steps the led beyond the house.
 

Stephane
was staring
out of the long windows, bored with the discussion his business colleagues were
conducting on their position in the French market and over the world in a
meeting in his study.
 
His mind was
too preoccupied with thoughts of that morning and Mara.
 
Her surrender had been so sweet and
revenge satisfying.

His eyes widened and a warm glow radiated around his body as she
came into view standing at the fountain.
 
The voices of the men and women in the room were distant echoes
retreating.
 
Discreetly he strained
to obtain a better view watching her dab water on her forehead and the top of
her chest from the fountain to cool the heat of the day on her body.
 
She stood at the top of the steps
removing her sunglasses to get a better look around.
 
He found himself nervous, excited with
anticipation that they would lock eyes.

 
The billionaire held his
gaze steady as she turned her head and felt a surprised jolt of electricity
surge through his veins when her eyes met his.
 
His mouth turned upwards in a smile that
deflated quickly when her eyes narrowed and a scowl lit her lips.

Mara tossed her head regally into the air and stalked off down the
steps into the grounds.
 
Embarrassed
his head dipped away from the window only to
raise
to
find Leon looking out of the window watching Mara disappear into the
grounds.
 
He’d seen the whole
thing.
 
He shook his head at
Stephane
.

“She isn’t worth it.”

Stephane
ignored
him and turned his attention back to the meeting taking control of the flow of
conversation.

Mara continued her walk through the grounds.
 
There were a few clouds gathering and
every sign that there would be a storm at some point.
 
It wasn’t a cause for worry; she would
have walked to the boundary of the grounds and back before it started, according
to the tourist map she had picked up from the hall for visitors that were
allowed during some months.
 
She had
to know what was beyond the house and whether she could reach help.
 
It took a whole forty minutes to reach
the perimeter wall walking in a straight line, through the ornamental gardens,
the small water garden, and an orange grove and along a canal.

The
stone wall
stood tall and forbidding in
front of her, a testament to the billionaire’s strength and power.
 
She looked for signs of crumbling or
where
it had been replaced by a fence
but it was as
though recent extensive repairs had been made.
 
Mara gripped the vine that was
straddling the wall and began to use it to slowly climb up the wall.
 
The action was more of a struggle than
she thought it would be.
  
The
vine felt like melting plastic in her sweating palms and was slipping through
them, threatening to snap.
 
She
eventually gained a foot hole in the wall where there was some small erosion
and thankfully found others that led to the top.

Worn out she sat astride the wall wiping moisture from her
brow.
 
All she could see were fields
of sunflowers swaying in the breeze and fingers of corn stretching far out into
the distance, and a solitary farmhouse that stood at the foot of the
fields.
 
There did not appear to be
any signs of life but the market garden at the side of the house appeared to be
well kept.
 
Her heart sank, but what
if no one lived there and only came back now an again?
 
It was a chance she would have to
take.
 
Further doubts rose to be
displaced by new ones once she had retracted them.
 
If the farmhouse wasn’t occupied there
was nowhere else to go and the afternoon was late.
 
She would end up in the dark on her own,
besides she couldn’t leave Maxine.

But it didn’t stop the burning temptation to climb down the other
side of the wall and run to the farmhouse screaming bloody murder.
 
She would tell Maxine and they would go
together.
 
Satisfied her decision
was
correct,
she climbed down and began the lengthy
walk back to the house.

After passing the canal she caught the sound of water from a
fountain hidden in the nearby trees.
 
It was one she hadn’t already inspected and she chose to investigate
further.
 
She walked along the path
that led into the trees, glancing at her map, towards a leafy everglade opened
in the middle by a fountain.
 
A
large bronze fish sat upright in the middle of a pond releasing a jet of water
from his mouth upwards to the sky.
 
The smell of stale water and algae that emanated from the fountain told
her that it was not turned on very often and must have been for visitors
Stephane
would have been entertaining.

The water spurted high into the air nearly reaching the top of the
trees from a jet inside the fish’s mouth twisted skyward.
 
Four statutes of men and women in all
states of Greek undress flanked the round pond in circular fashion, positioned
at the ends of four stone seats.
 
She sat down on one of the seats feeling her dizziness return, glad of
its hard but refreshingly cool surface next to her bare skin.
 
Alarmed at the malady’s determination
she lay down curling up patiently waiting for it to pass.
 
She closed her drowsy eyes listening to
the soft noise playing a soothing tune on her senses, the water’s spray
covering her body with what felt like fine strands of silk to cool her with the
aid of the breeze that was picking up through the leaves on the surrounding
trees that stretched over her body shielding her skin from the harsh sun
..
 
A few minutes
later nature lulled her into the comfort and safety of sleep.

Several hours later she woke from her slumber into a blanket of
darkness, only the small lights around the fountain that was now still,
providing a beacon.
 
At first she
was unable to work out where she was and what happened, when the truth dawned she
was concerned.
 
She must be a mile
from the house.
 
There would be no
way she could follow the map and find her way out of the small forest and back
onto the path.
 
A sudden blue flash
lit up her surroundings making her jump.
 
She folded her arms around her body and bent her head cringing at the
customary clap of thunder.
 
Ever
since a child she had been scared of thunder and the thoughts of being out in a
storm alone were terrifying.
 
She
stood rubbing her arms finding that they were numb with cold from the wind that
had swept over her in sleep.

Mara fumbled on what she thought was the right path leading out of
the forest keeping her panic under strict control.
 
The first heavy spots of rain started to
fall and the lightening flashes and bursts of thunder became fast and
frequent.
 
Wind howled casting an
eerie sound around her ears, almost knocking her to the ground.
 
The spots of rain turned into a downpour
pelting her skin with the ferocity of hard pebbles and seeped to soak and
freeze her insides.
 
A sharp
cracking noise cut the air as branch snapped and pulled away from a tree.
 
She managed to dodge its path, only to
twist her foot and fall awkwardly to the ground.
 
She bent down and looked at her ankle
that lay bent at an angle causing shooting pains that made her wince.
 
She sat up clutching the ankle trying to
position it for easy standing and tried to stand only to crumple in a heap
shocked with the pain.
 
Water
streamed down her face and she was unsure if it was the rain or
her
own frustrated tears.
 
She took a deep breath and pulled her
self up, this time she was successful and began hobbling along the path on one
foot praying that they were looking for her.

It seemed an eternity before she heard her name being called.
 
After acknowledging as loudly as she
could above the noise of the storm
Stephane
was
approaching her within minutes.

“Are you all right?
 
Are
you hurt?” he shouted above the din.

Mara shook her head unable to speak for fear of letting him know
that she was trying not to cry.
 
She
was holding herself rigid and he clearly wasn’t convinced she was all
right.
 
Stephane
frowned and sought the source.
 
His
sudden movement made Mara cry out and realize how much she had been resting on
his arms for support.
 
His eyes
followed her bent head to look at the limp ankle she was holding above the
ground.

“You are hurt,” he said annoyed she’d lied to him.
 
“Why do you have to act so dam tough all
the time?
 
I was right you do need
taking in hand and looking after.
 
Let me help you.”

Mara was about to protest but an arrow of lightening brightened the
area and hit one of the trees.
 
She
let out a cry and propelled herself into
Stephane’s
arms burying her head in the protective enclosure of his chest.
 
She felt him pull her tighter against
him as he aimed the torch he had been carrying upwards to get a better look at
the burning orange fireball that had engulfed the tree and was a little too
close for comfort.

There was a creak and a groan and the sound of leaves brushing the
air with fire.
 
Mara watched the
billionaire react instantly.
 
Lifting her up by her waist he positioned her against another tree and
covered her with his body to shelter her from any debris scattered by the
falling tree.

She felt the ground underneath her feet vibrate with the weight and
clung to
Stephane
.
 
He quickly placed his hand firmly on her
neck, forcing his captive to bend her head against his chest.
 
She could hear his heart wildly beating
in unison with her own whilst his lips urged whispered reassurances against her
hair that he would keep her safe.
 
The tree landed with a crash narrowly missing them, the fire put out by
the weight of its fall.

“Are you all right?” he asked allowing her up for air, his hands
holding her face, brushing her hair away as though checking for any further
injuries.

“Yes thanks,” she answered still trembling.

A smile broke
Stephane’s
handsome worried
features taking off the edge from their close encounter.

“Good.
 
But you are
freezing,” he told her suddenly.

He rubbed his hands along her arms attempting to generate warmth in
them and took off his suit jacket.
 
He had jumped up in the middle of another meeting when the housekeeper
and Maxine reported her missing and there was a storm brewing.
 
In Mara’s absence the detective he had
sent to find Ryan and his sister had made contact informing them that he now
knew
of
 
their
whereabouts.
 
Maxine’s tongue had
been biting when he had rushed to organize a search for Mara worried sick that
she might have passed out and been injured.
 
She’d accused him of only caring about
making a deal with Ryan but she couldn’t have been more wrong.

All he could think of was Mara being frightened, alone,
unable
to find her way back in the dark.
 
The woman was incapable of looking after
herself when it came to her health and safety.
 
Anything could have happened to
her.
 
What if she had collapsed with
another dizzy spell and was lying out cold somewhere?
 
They had been his only thoughts.

Stephane
commanded
Mara to put on his suit jacket when she refused.

“If you do not put it on, I swear, Mara I will spank you,” he
threatened meaning every word even though the rain poured down on top of them.

Startled and thankfully willing to obey after his stern words she
put on the jacket giving him a delicious pout and stubbornly started to try and
walk stumbling on her damaged ankle.
 
The billionaire gave a heavy sigh of impatience.
 
Before she could argue he took hold of
her arm and dipped his body to swing her over his shoulder with ease.

Mara closed her eyes horrified but remained silent, secretly
relieved.
 
He carried her with
speed, his burden an easy effort and rejoined the others who were running in
the direction of the fallen tree.
 
Once back at the house he unloaded her body onto the bed and ushered a
frantic Maxine from the room before kneeling down in front of her.
 
Gently he slipped the shoe from her foot
and carefully pressed her ankle that was already swollen.

“
Ow
that hurt,” she snapped.

He ignored her comment and continued his examination.

“You will have quite a bruise in the morning but I don’t think it is
broken.”

The billionaire run a hand through his soaked hair that had
flattened against his scalp and noticed Mara’s pupils widen with attraction as
he did so.
 
He suppressed a smile.

“Come on lets get you out of those wet clothes into a warm bath,” he
told her softly.

For once the woman sat obediently in front of him, clutching his
suit jacket around her tightly seeking its warmth, her small hands protruding
from the sleeves that were miles too long for her.
 
His heart leapt and unexpectedly a
strong protective feeling warmed his body.
 
He reached up and began to slowly open the jacket and ease it over her
shoulders that were shivering with her damp skin.
 
His voice lowered to a gentle whisper as
he noticed her cheeks flushed by the wind and
rain were
beginning to pale.

“I’ll soon have you out of those clothes and then I can slip you
into a warm bath,” he informed her gently while he moved his fingers to the
button of her shorts.

His hand was stopped.
 
Her hand brushed against his cool and smooth as alabaster.

“I can undress myself thank you.
 
I can manage from here,” Mara’s voice
was firm, a note of command in the tone.
 

But she’d made a mistake.
 
Stephane
Garreau
wasn’t in the habit of obeying commands from anyone especially a woman he was
trying to protect and take care of.

He gave a laugh admiring the way she had dared to challenge him.

“I don’t think so,” he said confidently.
  
“You look as if you are about to
faint again and you can’t walk very well.
 
How are you going to make it to the bath? No arguments I will help you
before you get pneumonia.”

With determination he took hold of the waistband of her shorts
firmly tugging her body closer to the edge of the bed to show her he meant
business and began to loosen the buckle of her belt.
 
She gave a shocked gasp at the
directness of his movement and once more her hand shot out to cover his.

Stephane’s
brow
furrowed and he took a tighter grip of the material using it to push her
backwards on the bed.
 
She gave a
startled gasp as he came to lean over her body.
 
He moved his face inches from her feeling
the urge to kiss her reveling in the way his body brushed against her wet
clothes.

“Like it or not, I am in charge here and if you don’t do what I
order you to do I will do it for you and by force if necessary.
 
Do I make myself clear?” he made sure he
said it calmly in a dark voice sweeping his eyes over her body unable to help
himself wondering what it would look like naked beneath him in his bed.

“Yes,” she answered in a small breathless voice.

“Good.
 
I will never hurt
you, Mara.
 
You are going to trust
me as far as you can.
 
My intention
is only to remove your wet clothes and nothing else.
 
I don’t want you getting any more ill
than you already are.”

Mara appeared to have no energy left to fight him.
 
She was very pale and the cold seemed to
be engulfing her body leaving her weak and shaky.
 
Convinced he would not receive any more
trouble from his captive the billionaire began loosening the belt on her shorts
and pulling down the zip.

His eyes flicked over the satin panties that his fingers had invaded
earlier making him harden as he remembered just how wet she had been for him.
 
He left them on but tossed her shorts on
top of a chair before working on her sleeveless cotton shirt.
 
He opened it as though he were opening a
present and then lifted her with his arm to remove it.
 
She sat clutching his shoulder for
support nervously waiting for him to finish the job dressed in only her panties
and bra.

“You’re soaked through to the skin,” he whispered sweeping a palm
over her back before finding the clasp of her bra. “Don’t tense Mara, the
sooner you allow me to do this the quicker it will be over,’ he said huskily
into her ear.

Stephane’s
fingers
cruelly played with the ridge of her bra and either side of the clasp enjoying
watching her pant with anticipation of being naked in his hold.
 
The feel of her breasts pushing against
his shirt was enough building his need for her.
 
What kind of a game was he playing with
her?
 
He wanted her and she him she
had proved that by coming for him so hotly in the car.
 
But it was wrong so damn wrong.
 
Was she really involved with that
bastard Ryan?
 
He doubted it but it
was easier to tell himself she was.
 
It had helped him keep his distance and his anger flowing but he knew
better.
 
She was innocent and a pawn
in his game with Ryan.

Reluctant to wait any longer to see her naked he undid the clasp and
felt her breasts bounce against his wet shirt once more but this time free from
their constraints.

Mara suddenly closed her eyes as he started to remove the bra and
bare her breasts.
 
Her head and body
swayed and with dizziness and she fell against his shoulder.

“
Shh
, it’s all right,” he whispered
stroking the back of her head and depositing a small kiss on her neck concerned
for her health and his own contribution to her illness.
 
“Let’s get you in to a warm bath and the
doctor called again.
 
He told me you
might have more trouble,” he informed her holding her body, quickly sliding the
straps of he bra down her wet arms grateful even for the small glance at the
delightful large bouncing milky globes before acting the gentleman and holding
her against him so he couldn’t view her body making sure her modesty was
protected.

He reached for her silky robe lying on the bed next to her and put
it around her shoulders covering her body.
 
He laid her back down on the bed again, gently, carefully and before she
could object he slid his hands along her thighs taking hold of the sides of her
panties and pulled them down off her body with speed.
 
She moaned with objection but thankfully
did not curse him and he was rewarded with a glimpse of the neatly trimmed dark
curls of her sex he’d run his fingers through in the car.
 
He ached to touch her again but now was
not the time to be intimate with her and coax her in to lovemaking.

Stephane
wrapped
her silk robe around her and was tying it at the front when the housekeeper
entered the room informing him that the doctor was on his way as he had
instructed when carrying Mara up the stairs.
 
Alarmed Mara tried to wriggle off the
bed.

“I don’t need to see a doctor again,” she told him.
 
“I don’t want to take any pills
and
 
I
don’t want
to be sedated like he threatened yesterday when he came.”