Filthy Rich Alpha - Virna DePaul Page 0,2

of work clothes in Cara’s closet, but only slightly. Cara had a few slinky dresses shoved in the back, though she only wore them when she went out dancing. For some reason, she hadn’t even told Iris about those escapades. Although she felt guilty about keeping a secret from her friend, she liked having a secret, something just for her, a small way to break free of the burdens working at D&M placed on her.

“I’ll do my best not to embarrass you with my choice of outfit, Iris.”

Iris scoffed. “You don’t embarrass me. You make me damn proud, honey,” Iris said, a rare show of emotion in her voice. “You do so much for your family. I just wish you’d take some time to live your life for a change. I hate seeing you give so much of yourself and take nothing in return.”

Cara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then forced herself to smile. Iris couldn’t see it, but maybe she’d hear it in her voice. “It’s not forever, Iris. I’m lucky. I’ll have my time eventually.”

“When?”

“I’ll start by trying to have a little fun tonight.”

“That’s the spirit! Maybe you’ll meet someone fabulous.”

As streetwise as Cara’s friend was, Iris was a closet romantic at heart. Thankfully, Cara had flushed that out of her system a long time ago. Romance was for those who had time and money to waste. Not her.

Still, instead of arguing, Cara merely said, “Maybe.”

“If you do, don’t let the opportunity go to waste. Reach out and grab something for yourself for once, even if it’s just a night of hot sex.”

For hot sex, she’d have to meet a hot guy who actually interested her, and what were the chances of that? “Got it. Reach out. Hot sex. If the opportunity comes along”—which it won’t, Cara knew—“I won’t let it go to waste.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Two hours later, Cara quietly drained what was left of her drink before setting her glass down on a marble table with a clunk. Across the room, Greg and his friends were still doing what they’d been doing for the past hour, slamming down drinks, making dirty jokes about females at work and checking out women at the party. Greg was obviously pissed that she’d declined to be his date because he’d never acted more obnoxious to her. Then again, she was pretty sure he was high on something. She’d steered clear of him until he’d tugged her into a corner and tried to kiss her, ignoring her attempts to pull away. Fortunately for her—or for Greg, since she was getting ready to knee him in the balls—her friend Gail had come up and interrupted them. By the time Gail had taken off, Greg had once again joined his group of friends and occasionally they all looked over at her and laughed.

Assholes.

She’d wandered the party by herself and now a drawn-out conversation about equities with Jackson Riley, one of the young traders who sat on the bullpen on her floor, had her fighting to keep from yawning.

Gail had already taken off, claiming a headache, and her friend Tammie hadn’t shown, leaving Cara on her own. Her boss, Max Dubois, had awkwardly chatted with her for a short while before noticing one of their big clients and abandoning her at the drinks station. The host of the event hadn’t even made an appearance yet, and the major announcement that was to take place was on hold until he did.

Maybe he had gotten lost inside his own house. Hell, it certainly was big enough. When she’d arrived, she couldn’t help but compare the behemoth mansion, with its extensive verandah, vast lawn, and breathtaking view of the shimmering black water in the distance, with her small, worn down, childhood home in blue-collar Ashtogue, Long Island. Same city but world’s apart. Yet Cara had loved her home. It had been humble, yes, but she’d known only love.

Before everything came crashing down.

A cloud of sadness settled over her and despite how hard she tried to shake it off, it wouldn’t go away. More and more, it was as if the calm and competent facade she worked so hard to put up had slipped and every chink in her armor was being exposed. She felt like she was swimming in a fishbowl, vulnerable and alone.

Come on, Cara. Pull yourself together.

She just needed a minute to herself. Just needed to find someplace dark and quiet to catch a breath of air not redolent with five-hundred-dollar-a-bottle perfume and expensive liquor