Cara’s eyes blazed with anger hearing his cheap allegations. “Please don’t overwork your non-existent brain. I just came here to return the money. Goodbye,” she said, whirling around and heading towards the door.
Cara tried hard to open the main door and walk out but to her dismay, the door didn’t at all budge. Sensing Marcus Donnelly's presence behind her, she tried harder but the door just wouldn’t open.
“You’re wasting your energy, Cara. It’s auto-locked and I’m the only one who can open it,” he stated from right behind her. Cara stiffened as she could feel his hot breath at the nape of her neck. She dared not turn around at all. Who did he think he was? How could he throw such baseless allegations at her? Just because she was poor, didn’t she possess any self-respect? Why would she need to sell her body for money?
“Then please open the door,” she said, a sense of panic settling at the pit of her stomach. Why was he not making any effort to set her free? The work she had come here for was already done. She had no other reason to stay here any longer. She didn’t want him to think she had come here for anything else! In fact, after today, she would never see him again!
“I won’t accept the money I already gave you, Cara,” he said in a solemn tone that made a tremor go down her body. She could feel his warmth as he inched closer to her. What was he up to?
She tried to jump away still seething from his allegations. If he considered her so hateful, why couldn’t he just open the door and set her free?
“Please can you open the door? We don’t need to see each other again in this life,” she said, trying to put more distance between them.
“I have a better proposition that you might like,” he said, his eyes flashing with desire as his glance swept over her body. Cara’s eyes widened thinking what he might be thinking again in that crooked head of his.
“I’m not interested,” she said gruffly but he closed the distance and came up right behind her.
A gasp of horror escaped her mouth when his fingers caught her by the arm and turned her around. Cara gasped seeing his face a few inches away from hers. She refused to look up into his eyes in case he got the wrong message. Marcus released her and picked up her baby soft hand and placed the envelope upon it. Cara’s eyes flew up to his with confusion. He held her gaze, his eyes dark, and searched hers minutely. What exactly was he trying to find in them? His touch caused a tremor to shoot up her traitorous body. She felt ashamed of her body’s reaction to the rude jerk! But why was he returning the money? It wasn’t hers. She hadn’t earned it and she had no wish to. If he hated her so much why was he dragging the issue?
“I don’t want it, Mr. Donnelly. I didn’t earn it. Please let me go,” she started but he released her hand immediately and interrupted her with a look of pure hatred in his eyes.
“Keep it. If you want to earn it then do so. Who’s stopping you?” he asked, his gaze burning into hers, taking in her jaws dropped stare.
“I have decided that I want to give you exactly what you came here for. Take the money as your pay for spending a day in my bed,” said Marcus, his eyes blazing with raw hunger.
Cara was shocked by his offer! Was he insane to insult her in this manner? Did she ever give any indication that she wanted to sleep with him? All she came here was to return the extra money. Was that a mistake?
“I’m sorry, Mr. Donnelly. I’d rather clean toilets than do what you want me to do,” she said looking hurt and angry. She didn’t want to spend a single second in his company. How could he accuse her without knowing her? She placed the envelope on a side table and tried to walk away.
“Fine then, let’s see how long you can clean my house and toilets. If you change your mind, you know where to find me,” he said, looking furious as he walked away towards his art studio, leaving Cara staring at his retreating back with confusion. At that point in time, Cara was amazed at herself for even thinking about him before. If only she had known his true colors. She would never have set foot here, not even to return him his money. She slowly walked over to the kitchen to make breakfast to start with. She noted the empty alcohol bottles and glass and the dirty living room. That could wait a while! She would do all the work, cooking, cleaning the whole day, and then go home once the money is paid off. She checked his pantry and refrigerator and set about making breakfast.
A strange sense of excitement shot through Marcus’s body seeing her decide to work for him instead of satisfying his need. He was confused at the stunt he pulled earlier. He had no idea why he offered her se* when he hated having her around. She was eight years younger and obviously not his type at all! But what surprised him was the way she rejected him to his face! He was the most gorgeous male species on earth and there wasn’t a woman born who didn’t fall for his charms. Then why didn’t this teenager accept what he was offering for such a lump sum amount of money? Maybe she wanted more money! Yes, that could be the only reason.
From the studio, he could see her in the kitchen, concentrating on her work.
“Let’s see how long you can keep on pretending!” he muttered, fidgeting with the brush and easel. He was amazed at himself for allowing her to stay back with him.
He was an elusive painter who always kept to himself, especially after Cassie’s betrayal. It made him able to concentrate more on trying to get over his painter’s block. But strangely, despite knowing her intentions, he didn’t want her to leave at all. The feel of her baby soft hands had made him crave more. Was she that soft all over? He couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to thoughts of how it felt when her baby soft, curvaceous naked body was crushed to his own. He hadn’t been able to drive away the images of that moment from his mind.
Marcus groaned at how hard the tortuous thoughts had already made him. How could he get this desperate? Maybe it was because he had been out of action for a month! He really needed to get laid soon. Maybe he had consumed more alcohol than his body could tolerate. This wasn’t normal, he couldn’t harbor sinful thoughts for a girl, nearly eight years younger than him!
However, it was easier said than done. He expected her to give up and come over to him immediately but she kept on and on in the kitchen without even giving him a look. Frustrated, he walked into the dining room and sat at the table with his laptop but his eyes were glued to his prey in the kitchen. She had an understated grace as she effortlessly worked in the kitchen, deeply concentrating upon her work.
He noted that she had discarded the hideous denim jacket that might have belonged to her boyfriend. His eyes took in the soft pink top she wore. It was a size small for her and clung to her body like a second skin. The jeans were old and discolored from too much use yet the way they clung to her curvy but*s, Marcus was able to clearly assess their shape and size. She wasn’t skinny but curvy and very very se*y indeed. He felt hot and to his horror, he could feel his growing ere*tion just at the sight of her! He looked away and tried hard to concentrate on the email he received. It was from his mentor and teacher, Hugh Salisbury, a renowned painter as well as a professor teaching at the prestigious Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Marcus scanned through the email that contained details of a workshop to deal with his condition. He closed the laptop, his head was killing him and he had no interest in anything else.
Cara brought a plate of bacon and veggies stuffed omelet, ham and cheese sandwiches, and a detox drink with apple, mint, pineapple and lemon served with lemon wedges. She placed it on the table, right in front of him. Marcus’s mouth watered seeing the delicious food but he would rather die than express his real feelings. “Is it edible even?” he snickered.
“Check it out for yourself,” said Cara, going to the living room to clean.
He saw the way she focused on the work at hand, concentrating only upon her work. After clearing the trash, she started vacuuming the living room, the sofa, and everything. Marcus had no idea why she was putting so much effort and hard work when he was offering an easy way out.
He couldn’t restrain himself any longer. One look at her young pale face as she picked up his laundry and walked over to the laundry room made him feel frustrated. Was he that bad? Why couldn’t he stop and give in to him already?
“Cara, come here,” he said in a loud voice that echoed around the room. Cara immediately dropped the laundry basket out of fear and rushed towards him. Why was he calling her? Apprehension set in her heart as she stood in front of him. Would he do what he had been threatening to do? Panic rose inside her and she mentally prepared herself to fight him tooth and nail.
“Yes, Mr. Donnelly? Is the food not to your liking?” she asked anxiously, looking at him with fear.“No, why aren’t you eating?” he asked with a frown. Cara shook her head vehemently.“I’ve eaten, sir,” she said as a faint color stained her cheeks. Marcus knew that she was lying. She couldn’t have eaten that early in the morning.“Get a plate,” he ordered but she shook her head stubbornly.“I’m already full,” she said, licking her lips nervously.“Don’t make me feed you. I don’t want you to faint while working for me. Go get a plate or I’ll have you sit here right on my lap and feed you myself,”
Marcus was shocked by her reaction to his advances. No one had rejected him this way and he was totally confused. What went wrong? She wanted this all along, didn’t she? Why else would she come all the way here for the second time? He didn’t believe that anyone could be that naïve and wanted to return free money.Getting up, he walked out of his room, looking for her. He stopped in his tracks when his glance fell upon the open door and the open gate. So she had been able to figure it out, after all! Maybe he had underestimated her capabilities. Picking up the remote control, he pressed the buttons to close the gates and the door, locking them shut. With his cheek still stinging from the intensity of the slap, he went to take a cold shower. He needed it desperately. Later when he went to the kitchen to get himself a bottle of water, his glance fell upon the envelope that Cara might ha
Marcus reached home and slumped to the couch with his head in his hands realizing what a grave mistake he had made. After waiting to punish Cara for days, he couldn’t take it any longer. He went to the Kingston Club and followed her around for the last few days like a crazy stalker. The slap had been too hard to forget and he wanted his revenge but all his evil intentions completely changed when he saw how hardworking she was. He saw her working non-stop at a small cafe and then rush over to Kingston Club to sing. Initially, he had been apprehensive about going inside but last night he had bought a ticket to watch what she did for a living. Shocked was an understatement to what he felt when he saw her perform. It was amazing to see how the audience loved her performance. She didn’t need to dance or do any tricks to get their attention. All she did was sit on a high stool and strum her guitar while singing. Her clear, melodious voice had th
Marcus spoke to his brother and was summoned immediately to his granny, Margaret Donnelly’s house. After his dad, Jonathan Donnelly died last year of a cardiac arrest, his mom, Claudia Donnelly, moved in with his granny. In the early hours of the morning, he reached the beautiful and calm neighborhood and drove in through the gates of his granny’s house. It wasn’t a huge mansion but a big and comfortable house with a huge front yard and an equally sprawling backyard. When their dad was alive they used to play football every time they visited their grandparents. After their grandpa, Joe Donnelly died, eight years ago, their granny lived here all on her own, refusing to move in with any of them. But now with his mom and their trustworthy housekeeper, Maria living there with their granny, the boys were free to pursue their chosen careers. While Lucas lived in a posh apartment in Manhattan's Battery Park with his fiancée Sienna He
Cara stood dumbfounded by Marcus’s presence in the villa. Was he the one getting married? She hadn’t expected to be working at his wedding! He too seemed equally surprised to see her.“We’re finally here,” said Maria, fanning herself with her handkerchief, as she huffed and puffed into the house, carrying a mountain load of stuff. Cara looked down and followed her shyly into the house, too embarrassed to be here amidst Marcus’s family.“She needed work and we needed help, granny. So I brought her along,” said Maria.“Fine, she’s your responsibility, Maria. You have to assign her work,” said granny.“Yes, yes, leave it all to me,” said Maria. Then turning to Cara she pointed to
His sudden apology surprised Cara and she turned her head and looked into his eyes. Did he really mean it? She had no idea why he was apologizing to her. What made him change his mind about her? Suddenly Maria’s warning rang in her head. Was it all a ploy to punish her for hitting him?“I don’t need your apology, Mr. Donnelly. I’ll be thankful if you’ll just stay away from me,” said Cara with a sigh, looking away.“I won’t. Why can’t you accept my apology? I meant it from my heart. I misjudged you and misbehaved with you. I shouldn’t have done that,” he said, running a hand through his already messed up hair.“Okay,” said Cara in a soft voice, yet she didn’t look at him. Marcus felt frustrated at her lack of response. He
Cara was stunned and rendered speechless. Why was he asking her to use his name? Wasn’t that unprofessional? She was a maid working for him after all! No, she couldn’t call him by his name. Whatever motive he might have behind it, she wouldn’t fall into that.“Sorry, Mr. Donnelly. I’m not in a position to call you that,” she said, but he still didn’t budge and she was stuck in the room with him.“I have other work to do. Please can I leave?” She asked, but his hypnotic eyes seemed to make her drown into their very depths. Even after everything he said and did to her, she just couldn’t deny the butterflies in her stomach at his nearness. There was a warmth and something else emanating from him that was attracting her towards him. Of course, without a doubt, he was the most virile and gorgeou
Cara closed the door to her room and stood against it, her heart racing with dread. There was no knowing what he would be up to. There was a gentle knock on the door and she panicked. No, she wouldn’t open the door. She couldn’t face Marcus now with his whole family outside. What would they think of her?The knocks were louder this time and Cara gasped with fear. What would she do now? There was no other way than to open the door. She couldn’t wake up the entire household. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door but to her relief, it was only Aunt Maria.“What took you so long? I’m dying to pee,” she scolded her, rushing to the washroom. Cara’s eyes widened seeing that it was Maria all the time. She had really grown crazy being around Marcus Donnelly. Aunt Maria was right. He was bad news and she needed to