business okay? This meeting never happened. Now…you’re free to go.” He took another swig of his drink and put the glass down on the table not looking at her. His face seemed as if he was burning up inside. Was this all part of some elaborate scheme to overthrow Carlos? Elsie was stumped. Her breathing became laboured. Had he threatened her cousin`s life? The nerve of him. How did he know so much about her? This game of the rich and the powerful was getting more dangerous by the minute. Elsie felt sick to her stomach. Elsie jumped out of the bed before he changed his mind, grabbed her bag and slipped on her shoes and ran for the door, her heart still pounding hard in her chest. She thought her knees would give out on her and she’d faint to the floor but thankfully, she was out of that suite and in the hallway. She recognized it was the same floor as Carlos’s suite and ran for his door. She swiped the key card and entered and closed the door behind her and slid to the floor. God, she was in so much trouble. This romantic fantasy had turned into a nightmare in one catastrophic moment.
“ If Red had laid one finger on you, I would have had him killed before he knew what hit him.” Elsie jolted up. She lifted her head to see Carlos standing over her in the room looking delicious and sexy as always. She was relieved to see him. His steps must have been quiet because she hadn’t heard him walk over to her. The scent of his sweet cologne wafted past her nostrils and brought her senses back to life. He must have been somewhere else in the enormous suite when she came in. “ W-what? You kn-knew I was kidnapped?” What was going on here? “ Not quite, my dear. Your sexy panties are quite sophisticated. Not only do I have a wired remote to play with you when I desire but I can hear what you’re saying and who you are conversing with.” He cocked a sexy brow in a James-Bond style pose. “ What? You planted a bug on me? Is that what you do to all your women, Carlos? Who are you? This is crazy. What`s going on?” Her head was spinning like the spin cycle of a clothes drying machine. “ Relax. No, I don’ t place surveillance on everyone I date—though I should. When you left, I saw Red leave behind you and had my men follow both of you.” His hand was coolly in one pocket while he held a glass of wine to his lips with the other hand. “But I didn’t see anyone.” “ When you’re being followed by professionals, you’re not supposed to… They took the express elevator and got up to the floor fast to Red’s suite. I know he’s working with my brother John. I don’t fuck around when it comes on to my enemies, Ms Sherwood.” He gave her a deadly stare and a cool glance. “Care to have a glass?” he offered her a drink to which she shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again. “ I’m always one step ahead of the game,” Carlos continued. “I know there would be those who despise me at the event tonight. I’m just surprised you just walked off without first hearing my explanation.” His eyes grew dark and dangerous. The color of his skin tone seemed darker. His body appeared more tense. She could see a muscle twitch in his jaw. “ What are you going to do about Red?” “ That crazy son-of-a-bitch made the worst mistake of his life. He just touched my woman and held her against her will. Not smart. His just reward is coming. Don`t worry about him.” He gave a wicked grin. Elsie was dazed. Did Carlos just refer to her as his woman? Oh, God! And this man gorgeous sophisticated man before her who’d given so much to help disadvantaged youth from every background and donated so much of his time and money to helping the unfortunate…could he have a heart of stone as well as a heart of gold? “S-so you heard everything?” “Yes.” His words were sharp and sent daggers to her heart. Was he upset with her? She racked her brain trying to remember what she had