Cara opened her bleary eyes and looked around the place where she was. The room was dark with all the curtains drawn close yet she could sense that she was in a familiar room that wasn’t her own. Blinking with surprise, she immediately recognized the room. It was Marcus’s bedroom and she was lying on his bed! She tried to sit up but couldn’t. Her whole body was aching badly and her head felt tremendously heavy. It seemed that when she had lost consciousness in his arms, he had brought her over to his bedroom. Her cheeks flushed with heat at the thought. Why did he have to bring her over to his own bedroom?
She had no idea how long she had slept but there was a lot of work to do. Looking at the digital clock on the nightstand, she gasped seeing that it was almost 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Did she sleep all morning? She could feel the fever returning but there was a lot of work to be done before she could go home. At last, she got up to go to the kitchen but her head again swooned and she fell down on the bed.
“Don’t even try! I’ve brought you some soup and bread,” said Marcus as he walked into his bedroom, carrying some food. Cara’s eyes went wide with apprehension and she tried her best to sit up. She blushed to the roots of her hair realizing that she was on her employer’s bed while he was bringing in food for her. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
“Mr. Donnelly, I’m better. I have to complete the work,” she complained weakly but he just glared at her as he came over to sit beside her on the bed. Cara was extremely uncomfortable with their intimate situation within the cozy confines of his bedroom. He almost behaved like a doting husband with her now!
“I thought we were past that stage yesterday!” he said, looking annoyed. Cara gaped at him, a puzzled look crossing over her features.
“What stage, sir?” she asked in a weak croak. Why was he talking in riddles when her head was killing her?
“There, again,” he growled, making her eyes widen. “Why can’t you call me by my name, dammit?” he asked impatiently. Cara couldn’t help the smile from breaking out on her lips.
“Oh,” she said, smiling more.
“It’s not funny at all,” he grumbled, leaning closer to her. The smile left her face as the scent of his cologne pierced through her blocked nose right to her brain. Even in her feverish state, she could feel herself getting aroused by his nearness. Was that even possible? “Open up, Cara,” he said in a soft whisper, his face only a foot away. Cara’s breath hitched as his eyes burned into hers. There was no denying the burning attraction that was pulling her towards him. It was too intense to be missed even in her feverish state. “You need to eat,” he prompted her, his voice a little hoarse by now. Cara’s eyes widened as realization dawned upon her. He was planning to feed her! A deep blush stained her cheeks and she looked away.
“I can eat on my own, please,” she said, in a breathless whisper.
“That’s not even an option, Cara,” he said in a raspy tone, holding a spoonful of soup to her mouth. Cara was touched by his concern. Her eyes searched his for some kind of underlying motive but there seemed to be nothing but concern reflected there. She opened her mouth and he fed her gently. With his hypnotic gaze holding her captive and his warm presence near her, feeding her like a baby, Cara was totally lost in him. No one had taken care of her this way after her mom’s death. Was this really the angry, virile, powerful, complicated, and gorgeous Marcus Donnelly she knew? But then she remembered the way he had sneaked into her room to feed her while they were at the Preston Island house. He had shown this caring side to her even before. He wasn’t as ruthless as he portrayed himself to be.
“Do you like it?” he asked, his eyes dropping to her lips as she licked the soup clean.
“Yes, it’s very good. Thank you,” she said, avoiding calling him by his name. She worked for him after all and wanted to keep it professional between them.
“Here, let me do it,” he offered, his eyes still hooked onto her lips. Before she could realize what was happening, his thumb brushed at the corner of her lips. A shot of electricity coursed through her body at his touch. Marcus loved the way she reacted to him every time he touched her. He brushed his thumb against her lower lip, lost in the softness of it, while his eyes searched hers.
“Umm, I can do it, Marcus,” she whispered, blushing profusely as she evaded his piercing eyes.
“Say it again,” he prompted her, leaning closer, his breathing a little heavy and erratic. Cara blushed more.
“I’ll do it,” she repeated looking down at her hands but Marcus caught her by the chin and compelled her to look up at him.
“After that,” he prompted her impatiently.
“Marcus,” she whispered shyly. Marcus simply gazed at her lips, the way they said his name made his insides turn to jelly. If she wasn’t so sick, he would have devoured the lips that pronounced his name so sweetly.
“Again,” he whispered, making Cara blush more. Has he gone crazy?
“Marcus, please,” she begged him, wanting to ask him to release her and let her go home but she was so lost in his blue-gray eyes that she failed to say what was in her heart.
“Again, Cara,” he said, his thumb back against her sweet lips. They looked so juicy and plump, that he could suck them all his life.
“Marcus, I need to finish my work,” she said, tearing her eyes away from him. She had to put a stop to this madness and for that, she had to get away from his bedroom first.
“I’ve done the work. You just need to rest. Here’s your medicine. Take it and go back to sleep,” he said, taking out a pill from his shirt pocket and handing it out to her. Cara took it, her fingers brushing against his roughened ones in the process. Again as expected, a spark coursed through her and she pulled back as if electrocuted. What was wrong with her? Why did she have to react to his slightest touch in this way? She had held hands and hugged Cole, Carlton, and Garry so many times and never felt a thing! What was happening to her now? “Water,” he said, handing her a bottle.
Cara came out of her reverie and her eyes flew up to his. For a split second, she thought that she saw a strange combination of raw hunger combined with tenderness in his eyes. It was obvious that he did desire her. He never tried to hide it from her ever. But did she desire him as well? Her reaction seemed to shout out and tell her that she did. In fact, she was astounded by the fact that for the first time in her life, she desired as well as liked Marcus Donnelly. Her eyes widened at the realization and she quietly took the medicine.
“Sleep,” he said, getting up with the empty tray. Cara caught his hand before he walked away.
“Thank you, Marcus,” she whispered but he just gazed back at her and then at his wrist where she held him. Cara was puzzled by that look. She instantly released his wrist. He stood staring at her for a split second more before just nodding and walking away. Cara freshened up and again lay down on the soft bed that had Marcus’s intoxicating masculine scent all over it. Sinking into the cushions, the bedspread, the duvet filled with his scent, she was soon lulled into a deep sleep, as if she was in his warm embrace!
When she opened her deliriously hot eyes, it was dark outside. “Oh, my God! I need to go home,” she gasped, trying to get up but her head reeled and she again fell to the bed. How did she become so weak? She tried again and somehow managed to sit upright. She somehow freshened up and noted the time. It was six in the evening! Had Marcus drugged her? How did she sleep so much? She could feel the fever rushing back again and staggered towards the door to go home. However, before she could reach it, the door flew open and Marcus strode inside with a tray of food. He looked at her with surprise.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked with a scowl. Cara caught onto the chair nearby to support herself. Marcus placed the food on the table and stood right in front of her nose, looking displeased with her.
“I..,” she started but Marcus intervened impatiently.
“You have the flu. Just eat and take your medicine,” he ordered her but she hesitated. She wanted to tell him that it was getting late and she needed to go home. Although she had already missed the performance tonight, it didn’t bother her as she would lose the job eventually. “Why can’t you listen to me once for a change?” asked Marcus in a displeased tone. He picked her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed.
“Marcus, it’s getting late. I need to go home,” she protested, her arm going around his broad, muscular shoulders for support.
“You’re not going anywhere till you’re better,” he stated like an order.