Discipline (11 page)

The next morning she was certain that Carlos would want to talk to her before she left for work, but he didn’t appear and she hardly saw him or Livia over the next few days. They were always in bed when she got up, and out when she arrived back in the evening.

‘Are you okay?’ asked Lizzie on the Friday as Chloe slammed her desk drawer shut.

‘The florists say they can’t do orange and white flowers for the dinner next month. They swear that we asked for various shades of pink and cream, which is rubbish.’

‘I meant you personally,’ said Lizzie. ‘You haven’t been yourself these past few days. It’s not because some of the
committee were difficult about you being at the top table with Carlos, is it?’

Chloe sighed. ‘Of course not. I’m sorry, Lizzie. I feel a bit on edge at the moment. I’ve no idea why.’

‘Sounds like love to me!’

‘I wish I could tell you how wrong you are,’ said Chloe.

Lizzie looked at her with concern. ‘Why can’t you tell me? I’m your friend; that’s what friends are for, listening when there are problems. It’s got something to do with Carlos Rocca, hasn’t it?’

Running her hands through her hair, Chloe tried to ease some of the tension out of her neck and shoulders. ‘In a way, yes, but the real problem is me.’

‘In what way?’

‘I don’t know who or what I am any more.’

‘Listen to me,’ said Lizzie urgently. ‘You’re basically a nice girl, with unusually high standards for this day and age. There’s nothing wrong with that. Innocence isn’t a crime, and don’t let Carlos or anyone else make you think otherwise.’

Chloe didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ‘That’s a very nice thing to say, but you really don’t know me at all, Lizzie. The trouble is, neither do I.’

‘Of course you do. Trust your instincts and you can’t go wrong.’

Chloe nodded and picked up the phone. It was because she’d allowed herself to trust her instincts and go along with what Carlos suggested that she was so confused. Sensible Chloe, the girl who’d been a novice nun in Rio de Janeiro, would never have had sex with Jamie in the open air, or used Felipe in the way that she had. It was a different Chloe who was now living in Carlos’s house, and her instincts were far from innocent.

*

Carlos lay naked on the bed, watching Livia dressing. He smiled to himself as she pulled on her scarlet thong, wincing as the material slid between her buttocks and pressed against the opening to her anus.

‘You really hurt me this afternoon,’ she complained.

‘Nonsense, you know you enjoy it.’

She glanced at him, her dark-brown eyes puzzled. ‘I don’t always understand why I enjoy it.’

Her lover shrugged. ‘I hope you’re not going to start analysing your responses at this late stage in our relationship. Watching Chloe struggle to come to terms with what she really likes is fascinating. I know you too well to find a similar conflict in you intriguing.’

He knew that Livia would recognise his words for the warning they were meant to be. He enjoyed her because of her intense sexuality, and because she wasn’t restricted by any sense of right or wrong. If Livia enjoyed something, then she did it, regardless of the consequences. It was an uncomplicated relationship, and he intended to keep it that way.

‘Chloe is an interesting diversion. You know how much I enjoy corrupting innocence,’ he continued as Livia dressed in silence. ‘You and she are complete opposites, and that’s what I find exciting. I don’t want you to try and copy her. I want you to help me make her like you.’

Livia stared at his reflection in the mirror. ‘And then what? Once you’ve totally corrupted her, what will you do with her? Abandon her?’

‘I hadn’t thought about it,’ he said with total honesty. ‘Once she’s completed the discipline, then I imagine that we’ll part company. You and I may see her from time to time, at some of our parties perhaps, but that’s all.’

‘I suppose I should feel sorry for her, but I don’t.’

‘That’s because you’re uncomfortable around her. For some reason, innocence makes you feel guilty.’

Livia put on her dress and looked away from the mirror. There were times when she hated Carlos, because he knew her too well. ‘I think you’re making a mistake ignoring Chloe like this. She might decide to find somewhere else to live if she thinks you’ve lost interest.’

‘I enjoy keeping her on edge. Besides, I shall speak to her this evening. I have to; tomorrow night we have guests for dinner, and I intend Chloe to be there.’

Livia wasn’t pleased. ‘She can’t come, it will make the numbers uneven.’

‘I’ve invited Mike along to balance that out. We know she liked him; it should make the evening all the more interesting.’

‘She might spoil things. Suppose she objects to what goes on, tries to leave the party before it ends or … ?’

‘If you no longer trust my judgement, then perhaps you should think carefully about whether or not you wish to stay here with me, Livia. Maybe you’d be happier back in Rio?’ he said coldly.

Realising that she’d gone too far, Livia subdued her natural reaction, which was to shout at him in fury, and instead tried to placate him. She certainly didn’t want to be sent back to Rio de Janeiro, leaving him alone with Chloe. ‘I’m sorry,’ she apologised. ‘It’s only that I enjoy our dinner parties so much, and I’m afraid she might spoil this one.’

Getting up off the bed, Carlos walked over to Livia and caught hold of her long blond hair, pulling her head back sharply. ‘Trust me, Chloe will make this one of the best dinner parties we’ve ever had,’ he said softly. Livia kept very still. He licked delicately at the soft skin at the base of her throat before releasing her.

‘I do trust you,’ she assured him.

‘I hope that’s true, Livia. Trust is something that’s very important to me.’

After he’d gone to shower, Livia touched the place on her neck where his tongue had caressed her skin, and shivered. She knew that she must be more careful in the future. If Carlos thought that she was becoming too jealous of Chloe, he would dismiss her from his life, and that was something she wasn’t prepared to accept. Somehow she had to ensure that it was Chloe who vanished, and she was ready to go to any lengths to make sure that happened.

‘We haven’t seen much of you these past few days, Chloe,’ remarked Carlos as the three of them sat down to eat that evening. ‘I apologise for that.’

‘I don’t expect you to be here for me!’ laughed Chloe. ‘I’ve been busy at work, and you’ve been out a lot in the evenings.’

‘Livia and I enjoyed the evening at Richmond,’ he continued smoothly, and she felt herself beginning to blush. ‘I wonder if that man is still searching for the girl who seduced him so efficiently.’

‘Do you wish you could see him again, Chloe?’ asked Livia, draining her wine glass and immediately refilling it.

‘No! I’d die of shame.’

Carlos raised an eyebrow. ‘Why? You didn’t do anything wrong. From what I could see of it, you both gained a great deal of pleasure from the experience.’

‘It’s not the way I’d normally have behaved.’

He gave a thin smile. ‘I know, I made you do it.’

‘Well you did,’ retorted Chloe hotly. ‘It was my punishment, remember?’

‘It looked more like a reward to me. However, that’s history now. We’re having a dinner party here tomorrow night. I hope you’re free to come?’

Chloe hesitated. ‘Well, I …’

Livia looked sharply at her. ‘Don’t you want to meet some of our friends?’

‘It isn’t that. It’s just that I’m not used to that kind of thing, and I don’t have anything suitable to wear. You always look so glamorous, Livia. It’s kind of you to ask me but I’d be like a fish out of water.’

‘You’ll fit in perfectly. You and Livia can go shopping for a suitable dress tomorrow afternoon,’ declared Carlos firmly. ‘Don’t worry about not knowing anyone, Chloe. Mike will be there.’

She stared at him. ‘Mike?’

‘Yes. I take it you haven’t forgotten him already?’

‘Of course not, but I hadn’t expected to see him again.’

‘You were wrong. Mike’s looking forward to the evening. Now, if you girls will excuse me, I have some business to attend to. If I don’t see you before, we’ll meet up tomorrow evening at seven-thirty in my study, Chloe,’ he concluded. With that he left.

Livia raised her glass to Chloe. ‘Here’s to happy shopping tomorrow!’

‘To happy shopping,’ agreed Chloe, raising her glass of water, but as Livia gave an unamused laugh, she had the uneasy feeling that it wasn’t going to be a happy experience at all.

Chloe looked at her reflection in the mirror of the changing room with utter disbelief. ‘I can’t wear that!’ she told the watching Livia.

‘Why not?’

‘Because it isn’t me.’

Livia tapped the toe of her right shoe against the floor in irritation. ‘You’ve been saying that for the past three hours, every time I pick out something for you to wear, in fact. The problem is, the things that you think
are
you would make you look ridiculously out of place tonight.’

Chloe stared at herself once more. The strapless black
and red dress fitted her like a second skin, clinging to every curve. It made her look more voluptuous than she really was, and showed far more cleavage than she felt comfortable revealing.

‘It’s too obviously sexy,’ she explained. ‘I think clothes that cover you up are more erotic than things like this. This doesn’t give me any sense of mystery.’

‘If you want to mystify people tonight, wear your nun’s habit,’ snapped Livia. ‘I’m tired of this. If you want to choose something boring then go ahead, just don’t blame me when Carlos doesn’t like it.’

‘I won’t. Anyway, I think he will like that blue dress I tried on earlier. You know, the one that’s got transparent sleeves and a slashed skirt.’

Livia shrugged with an eloquence that only she could achieve with such a small gesture. ‘Then buy it.’

‘You don’t like it?’

The blond-haired girl pulled a face. ‘I wouldn’t be seen dead in it, but we’re not alike, you and I, so that doesn’t mean anything.’

When Livia left the changing room, Chloe felt a sense of triumph. They weren’t alike, which was why having Livia try to choose a dress for her had been such a disaster. Taking the blue dress over to the till, she knew that she’d made the right choice. This dress was elegant and discreetly sexy. It would suit her, and if Carlos didn’t like it, that was too bad.

‘What are you wearing tonight?’ she asked a silent and sullen Livia as they took a taxi back to the house.

‘A pink Versace dress that Carlos bought me last month. It’s his favourite.’

‘Lucky you.’

Livia glanced sideways at her. ‘You think so?’

‘Well, it can’t be bad, having a lover who buys you designer dresses and—’

‘And what?’

Chloe felt confused. ‘Sorry.’

‘What else is it about my life with Carlos that makes you think I’m lucky?’

Chloe couldn’t understand why Livia was suddenly on the defensive. ‘He loves you,’ she said slowly. ‘Surely that feels good?’

Livia gave her a pitying glance. ‘He doesn’t know the meaning of the word love. Surely you know that by now?’

Chloe was relieved that at that moment the taxi drew up outside the house, and she was able to escape up to her room. It was obvious that Livia felt antagonistic towards her, but she couldn’t imagine why. Livia wasn’t the one being humiliated and disciplined. She was the one sharing Carlos’s bed and most private thoughts. If anything, it should be Chloe resenting Livia.

Putting the other girl’s words to the back of her mind, she started thinking about the dinner party, and what it would be like to see Mike again.

CHAPTER

11

I
t was seven-twenty, and Chloe was just checking herself in the mirror when she heard a light tap at the bedroom door. Guessing that it was Livia, coming to run a critical eye over her appearance, she murmured a weary ‘Come in,’ and then continued studying her reflection.

‘Very nice,’ said Carlos approvingly. ‘A little more modest than I’d expected, but highly suitable for an ex-nun.’

Chloe turned to look at him. ‘You like it then?’

He nodded. ‘Yes. Livia told me she’d had problems with you, but I think you made a good choice. Sometimes it’s more erotic to reveal only a little of yourself at the beginning of an evening.’

Chloe, who had no intention of revealing more of herself at any stage, was elated. So much for Livia’s expertise. ‘I’d hardly call this revealing very little of myself,’ she said with a laugh. ‘When I move, this dress is split to the thigh on one side.’

Carlos nodded. ‘True, but you’re wearing tights under it. Bare legs would have been sexier. Never mind. I wanted to make a suggestion to you. Some of tonight’s guests might well be interested in your charity. You must see if you can persuade them to make donations.’

‘I couldn’t possibly!’ exclaimed Chloe in horror. ‘Not tonight, it’s a social occasion. They’d think me very rude.’

He gave a half-smile. ‘That rather depends on how you try to persuade them. They might enjoy it. Think about it, Chloe. Now I must go and join my guests. I hope tonight is fun for you.’