Cara’s breath hitched and she stilled instantly at the brush of her soft, warm lips on her skin. “Please Marcus, this isn’t right. “You should stay away from me,” she whispered breathlessly. Marcus’s hold tightened around her waist and he whirled her around to face him.
“Why should I?” He said, a storm of defiance building up in their eyes as they looked more gray than blue. They seemed to pull her in like a magnet and she was powerless to look away.
“I work for you, Marcus. I don’t want to lose this job,” she said in an almost inaudible whisper.
“Why should you lose this job? “I need you, Cara,” he said, looking surprised that she should think so.
“I don’t know what you need me for, Marcus. You can do all the work more efficiently than I can,” she pointed out. Marcus stared at her, battling in his mind whether to tell her what he needed or not.
“Can’t you understand what I need? Can’t you feel that I’m burning for you day and night?” He asked earnestly, making her eyes widen and her heart skip a few beats. She shook her head at last slowly when the meaning of his words finally seemed into her mind.
“I can’t give you what you want. I’m sure you have many women all around you to fulfill your needs. I have three little siblings to take care of. I’m the only breadwinner of my family, Marcus. “I don’t have time for relationships, I don’t have time for these things,” she said, extracting herself from his hold. Marcus’s eyes blazed more as he gave her a look of disbelief. Was she for real? Was she declining him, the famous Marcus Donnelly who can arouse even a stone with his lovemaking skills? As far as he knew, there wasn’t a woman born who could refuse his charms. Maybe he had to change his views now because there was a girl who had proven him wrong. Although she wasn’t interested in him, she melted whenever he touched her. It was such an interesting combination, too good and exciting to be left alone.
“I’m not interested in a relationship. All I’m asking for is a kiss. Just one kiss, Cara. You can continue to earn for your family. Please, just one kiss and I’ll leave you alone,” he begged her, his arm going around her waist and pulling her into his chest. His eyes gazed at her with longing, begging her to agree. Cara was surprised and tongue-tied, not knowing what to do. Should she give in and kiss him already? She too had been wanting to kiss him for quite some time. Maybe she should after all experience what a kiss felt like. Maybe it would be the only one she’d ever experienced in her dismal life. Who would want to kiss a poor girl like her?
Marcus watched the emotions flickering across her face with longing. Was it so difficult for her to kiss him? He had never begged anyone in his entire life for anything and now he was really shocked at his own behavior.
“I don’t know, Marcus. Can we go back to being professional with each other after a kiss?” she asked with dread. Marcus’s jaws dropped at her simple query. He hadn’t thought of that at all. Of course, they couldn’t but he would be able to get rid of his obsession after one kiss.
“Why not? Don’t tell me that you would expect me to marry you just in return for a kiss?” he asked with a smirk. Cara felt insulted at his taunt. She didn’t expect anything from him. She was just working for him in return for money. She can never forget her position in her house.
“I’m a very down-to-earth girl, Marcus. I know my position. I don’t expect anything from anyone. “I don’t know why you would want to kiss someone as low as I am,” she said, wrenching herself free from her hold and walking away to the laundry room, leaving Marcus stunned. He had never expected that answer from her! In fact, he never expected her to put up such a battle for just a kiss! The women he knew could go to any length for a kiss and here he was begging her for it. Her retaliation, her words made him all the more determined to get a kiss from her.
“You can’t escape me, Cara. I’ll drive you insane until you finally give in and kiss me, of your own free will,” he swore, his eyes burning with a dangerous and unfulfilled desire. The whole morning, Cara seemed to be busy with work, in her attempt at avoiding him. Not once did she go to her bedroom to rest. Marcus was restless and stayed in his studio with a scowl on his face, working on endless paintings of her. His mind was in turmoil as the wish to kiss her played havoc in his head, driving him crazy. He had never felt anything this intense in his entire twenty-six years of life. His obsession to feel her soft lips shocked him. It was lunchtime already and yet there were no signs of Cara. Did she leave? Unable to control himself, he walked out of his studio to look for her, like a predator on his prowl.
However, all his craziness flew out of the window when he saw her lying on a couch, the vacuum cleaner lying on the floor beside her. He rushed towards her with concern. Kneeling beside her, he touched her cheek and flinched. She was burning with fever. “What will I do with you, Cara? Why can’t you just give in and be mine already?” He murmured as he picked her up gently and walked towards his bedroom. She snuggled more into him and all the fight, all the restlessness, all the tension vanished from his body, leaving him soft and mushy. He walked over to her bed and placed her down, covering her with a duvet. If only she would have listened to him! She could have kissed him and then slept here peacefully instead of fighting a battle against him!
He went back to the kitchen to make some lunch in case she woke up but it seemed like she had already done it beforehand. He didn’t feel like doing anything else but lie down close to Cara. Walking back to his bedroom, he climbed onto the bed and laid down beside her, watching her. He rolled over to her and pulled her closer to his body.
“Marcus,” she breathed. It sounded like a moan and made him tingle all over.
“Forks?” he asked, embedding his face into the crook of his neck. He wanted her to wake up, eat something and take her medicine first. “Wake up, Cara. You need to eat and take your medicine,” he said, planting a kiss on her neck. She trembled like a leaf and slowly opened her delirious eyes and looked at him.
“Are you mad at me?” she asked in a whisper. Marcus was floored by that innocent question and his heart seemed to melt instantly.
“Forks. “Will you kiss me now?” he asked, making her eyes widen at him.
“I’m hot and burning with a fever. You wouldn’t want a hot kiss. You’ll get the virus,” she said as her face broke into a small smile. Marcus’s eyes bore into hers.
“I don’t mind the virus. “I can do anything for one kiss,” he insisted. Cara laughed.
“Really? Do you say this to every woman you meet?” she asked teasingly. Marcus shook his head while his pierced eyes gazed deep into hers.
“No, only you,” he said in a solemn tone as he got up and walked off towards the door. Cara’s mouth hung open hearing his words. What exactly did he mean by that? Why was he pleading with her for a kiss? There were so many women ready to kiss him. He returned with the food that she had made, bringing her out of the reverie.
“Eat up, take your medicine, and sleep. No arguments on this,” he said, handing her a plateful of food. Cara took it from him and started eating meekly. She was tired of fighting him and wanted nothing but to sleep cocooned in his arms. Why can’t she enjoy the attention that he was ready to bestow upon her? Why can’t she once give in to her own desires without thinking of the future? Why can’t she live a little and forget reality for a few minutes? Why can’t she enjoy her first kiss with him?
Marcus watched her like a hawk as he ate his own food. “What’s bothering you?” he asked, at last, seeing her deep in thought.
“Umm, nothing. I’m done. “I’ll just rest a little and then go home when the fever reduces,” she said with a sigh, snubbing all the thoughts erupting in her head. There was no point in giving in to her desires. She needed this job.
Marcus scowled at her, got up, and walked out of the room abruptly. She knew that he was mad at her but she couldn’t live here with him forever, could she?