Page 22 of Burning Beauty

Maria didn't know what to say, so she opted to say nothing.

Cassandra didn't seem to notice or care. "Come, I'll show you around." She smiled brightly and the words seemed kind enough. She tugged on Maria, forcing her to follow as they left the front entrance and made their way through the main floor. Maria's brain started to kick in while Cassandra was showing her through the kitchen.

"You're Nic's wife," she said, the bewilderment still clear in her voice.

"Yes," Cassandra confirmed, throwing open a door and showing Maria into the biggest pantry she'd ever seen. Rows and rows of cans, dry food and boxes lined the shelves. "Help yourself to anything you want in the kitchen and pantry. Yara will put a sticky note on it if she doesn't want you to eat it. She comes in Monday to Friday from 8am until 4pm. She primarily cooks and prepares meals, but she also organizes the cleaning staff. She's amazing, but you'll want to stay out of her way. She can be abrupt when she's interrupted, and she has a really good throwing arm."

The last sentence was spoken with wryness, as though Cassandra had firsthand experience with Yara's throwing arm.

"You're Nic's wife," Maria said again. "But you kissed Luke in the driveway, not Nic."

"Correct," Casandra said with an indulgent smile, as though humouring a child who was rather slow to pick up on a concept. "Now, if you like to cook, which I definitely don't, then all you need to do is talk to Yara and let her know what ingredients you'd like and when you'd like to have the kitchen. She'll make sure to clear out for you."

"Okaaay," Maria said slowly, trying to take everything in.

"Now through here, you'll find a formal dining room and back behind it is a breakfast nook." Cassandra sailed through the rooms, her heels clattering on the wooden floor. Maria hurried to keep up with her and almost bonked into the other woman when she threw a door open and stood still to allow Maria a moment to take in the majesty. "The ballroom."

Maria blinked and gazed in astonishment at the huge empty room.

"Not that Nic does much entertaining, but when he does, it's usually in here." Cassandra closed the door and turned on her heel, chattering as she walked. "In here is the formal sitting room and next to that is the library and Nic's office. You are never to go in there without being summoned."

Maria snorted. Summoned.

"Here is our entertainment room with a connected library. Anyone residing in the house is welcome to use this space whenever they want. So, please make yourself at home here," Cassandra said graciously.

Maria was deeply confused by the situation and she was done with that feeling. She grabbed Cassandra's arm to stop her from walking away again. "Let me get this straight, you're married to Nic, but fucking the bodyguard?"

Cassandra frowned a little and crossed her arms. "Well, yes, if you want to put it in vulgar terms."

"And Nic is okay with this?" Maria's confusion was only growing. "He doesn't mind if his wife is sleeping with his bodyguard?"

"I'm in a relationship with Luke," Cassandra said defensively. "It's not like I'm using him to scratch an itch. We've known each other for years."

"But you and Nic...?" Maria trailed off, throwing her hands up a little to emphasize her confusion.

"Me and Nic have been married for almost 20 years," Cassandra confirmed. "Our marriage is in name only. It always has been, and it always will be."

Maria stared at the painfully gorgeous woman and shook her head. Not for a moment did she believe that Nic never hit that. Cassandra DeLuca looked like the love child of Cindy Crawford and Penelope Cruz. So beautiful, it almost hurt to look at her.

"No, I don't believe it," Maria said, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "You are too insanely gorgeous for Nic to ignore you for 20 years."

"Awe, thank you!" Cassandra patted Maria's shoulder and beamed at her. "You're very pretty too. I'm not surprised, Nic has excellent taste in everything."

Nope, Maria was still Alice, and this was still Wonderland. She watched incredulously as Cassandra walked away yet again, and beckoned Maria to follow her up the stairs to the second floor. She walked down the hall, pointing this way and that at the various rooms. "The west wing is where I live. Nic is in the east, and you'll be set up close to him. There are several guest rooms and another entertainment room up here if you want to watch TV or read a book in relative peace." They stopped at a door at the end of one of the hallways. Maria had a vague idea of where they were, but she couldn't be sure she could retrace her steps. "And this is your room."

Cassandra threw open a door and waved Maria inside. Maria walked past her and into the room, helpless in both Cassandra's and the room’s thrall. Both were stunning in completely different ways. The room was beautiful, with a four-poster canopy bed. A big wooden hope chest sat at the bottom with a lovely blue and white quilt draped strategically over top.

"It's lovely," Maria murmured, sitting on the mattress and immediately sinking into the lushness of the bed. "But I don't get it."

"Don't get what?" Cassandra asked, coming to sit beside her uninvited. She looked like a beautiful eager puppy.

Maria was starting to suspect she was going to be Cassandra's new best friend whether she liked it or not. She wondered if this was one of those, ‘keep your enemies close and your friends even closer’ things. Note to self, don't accept food or drink from Mrs. DeLuca.

"I don't get why you aren't upset. Like, you don't mind my being here?" Maria asked, tilting her head at the other woman.

Cassandra looked at her with surprise. "On the contrary, I'm quite pleased that there'll be another woman in the house. It gets so boring out here in the country and there's only so much shopping I can do." She titled her head to the side as though thinking. "Actually, that's a lie. One can never do too much shopping."

"But you're his wife!" Maria exclaimed incredulously, ignoring Cassandra's rambling. "And I'm being set up in your home as your husband's mistress. Why aren't you upset?"

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