Cara opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. It was late afternoon and she needed to go home but her body felt weak and the bed too comfortable to leave. She glanced at her side and saw that it was vacant. It meant that Marcus was still at his studio. Did he avoid coming into his own bedroom because of her? She felt a little guilty for occupying his bedroom. Getting up, she quickly freshened up and walked out of the bedroom towards the kitchen when her eyes fell on the open door of his studio. Should she take a peek and see what he was up to?
Curiosity took the better of her and she tiptoed towards his studio. Peering through the gap, she found that Marcus was nowhere inside. Where did he go? She saw the mess around his studio and her eyes went wide with horror. There were canvases mounted everywhere and paint splattered across the floor and walls, stationery scattered on the floor. She shook her head at the mess. Marcus Donnelly was worse than a toddler! She had no idea when she went inside to take a look at the mess he had created, forgetting Marcus’s warning. It would take her all day to clean it up.
Her eyes fell on a canvas mounted beside her and she gasped seeing the painting. It was a painting of her lying on his bed with her eyes closed. It was a very beautiful and realistic painting and she couldn’t look away. Did he come into the bedroom while she was asleep to paint that? Confused, she looked around and her eyes fell upon another painting. It was another very realistic watercolor portrait of her face, where her eyes seemed to reflect a sadness that he had perfectly captured. Did she really look that beautiful? Cara walked over to the rest of the canvases mounted all around the room. All had different paintings of her, in different postures capturing her emotions, her smile. One of them was of her silhouette, with her face partially visible. It was a very innovative piece of art, with both light as well as darkness playing upon her features, shrouding her in mystery! Cara was floored by it all. What did it all mean? There was no doubt that he was very good at his work but why did he only paint her?
Cara walked out of his studio in a daze. She couldn’t figure out the meaning of it all. Why did Marcus Donnelly only paint her of all people and things on earth? She was so absorbed in the thoughts of her latest discovery that she forgot about her initial wish to go back home. She stood in the kitchen imagining all the paintings she had seen in the studio. So, that was what he did the whole day. Paint her! It felt a little creepy but yet her heart skipped a beat thinking about the whole thing. Did he like her? She wanted to do a happy dance at the thought. She was just eighteen after all, innocent and gullible, not used to the ways of men. Her heart wanted to sing thinking how Marcus had asked her for a kiss. Was he crushing on her? It blew her mind thinking that such a famous man could be crushing on a nobody like her!
She looked at the soiled clothes she had been wearing since the day before. How could he like her in these tattered and faded clothes? She hadn’t been able to take a shower the whole day. She needed a change of clothes badly. She would drown in Marcus’s clothes. So should she go home instead?
Sighing, she walked out of the kitchen and looked around. There was no sign of Marcus anywhere in the house. Should she go home while he is away? But what if he got furious and threw her out of the job? She stood near the main door and bit her lips, clearly in a dilemma. Just then the door clicked open and Marcus walked into the house carrying some shopping bags with him. He did a double-take seeing her near the door, clearly not having expected her here. Then his face turned grim and an angry scowl marred his face, realizing what she was up to.
“Were you planning to go home in my absence?” he asked gruffly. Cara’s eyes widened with apprehension at being caught.
“Uh, I needed to shower and change out of these,” she said in a small voice. “I’m better. I’ll come to work tomorrow,” she added to pacify him. He looked at her with a strange expression on his face as if he was ready for war on the issue.
“Why do you need to go home for that? I’ve bought some clothes and essentials for you. Here,” he said gruffly, handing her all the three shopping bags that he was carrying. Cara’s mouth hung with surprise. So that was where he had disappeared off to.
“What was the need, Marcus? I have clothes at home,” she said, shaking her head. Marcus caught her hand and forcefully placed the bags in it.
“Just change, Cara. You’re not going anywhere now,” he said adamantly. Cara stared at the expensive clothes and shook her head. She had never worn such expensive clothes in all her eighteen years of life.
“I’ll wear yours. These are too expensive. I can’t accept them. Please return them, Marcus,” she said with a pleading look on her face. Marcus shook his head.
“Mine is more expensive than these,” he shrugged, walking away towards his studio. Cara sighed and walked towards his bedroom to shower and change. She finally felt fresh and human after a shower. To her utter amazement, the baby pink lingerie fit her perfectly and so did the matching baby pink, sleeveless sundress. She twirled around in front of the mirror, loving its A-line silhouette and round neck. It was simple yet classy. Walking out of the en-suite, she combed her hair using the comb that she always carried in her handbag. Tying her hair up in a bun, she walked out of the room to make dinner. She was feeling better and didn’t know why Marcus wouldn’t let her go home.
Just as she crossed his studio, Marcus’s voice stopped her right in her tracks. “Cara, come here,” he growled. Cara’s eyes widened and she peered into the studio.
“Yes?” she asked with apprehension, seeing the furious glare that was pinned upon her.
“You can come inside since you already did so in my absence,” he growled at her, standing in the middle of his studio. Cara froze in her tracks. How did he know about that?
“I, umm, I,” she stammered indecisive. Would he punish her now? Marcus walked towards her angrily and her heart started thumping wildly in her chest.
“Don’t even think of denying it, Cara. I thought that I had clearly warned you not to come into this room. Your footprints on the paint on the floor have given you away. I didn’t even need to check the CCTV footage,” said Marcus, standing inches away from her. Cara’s eyes flew down to the floor and her heart sank with dread. Her footprints were indeed there on the floor!
His fingers caught her chin and compelled her to look up at him. “I had warned you, didn’t I?” he asked impatiently. Cara nodded slowly, her heart sinking with dread thinking about what lay ahead of her.
“I was looking for you when I saw the mess in this room. I didn’t want to enter,” she told him in a squeak. Marcus continued to stare at her.
“Whatever it is, you need to be punished,” he said, his eyes flashing menacingly. Cara’s heart started beating wildly by now. What would he do to her? “Did you see yourself in my paintings?” he asked in a grim tone.
“Yes, they’re beautiful,” she gasped but before she could ask anything, he placed a finger upon her lips.
“No questions at all,” he stated impatiently, his eyes drinking her in as if she were an open book. Cara had no idea how he knew that she had a million questions bubbling inside her head and was dying to ask them. But right now, all she could concentrate upon was the rough touch of his finger upon her lips. She nodded meekly and took a step backward but Marcus maybe had other plans in store for her. His hand shot out and caught her by the waist, pulling her flush onto his hard chest. A gasp escaped her lips when she was trapped in his arms.
“I’m sorry, Marcus. It won’t happen again. I won’t ask anything,” she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest as her glance went to his hot, kissable lips.
“Good but what you saw wasn’t meant to be seen. You need to be punished for your crime. Right?” he whispered hoarsely, his face inches away from hers, his thumb brushing against her lower lip making her lose her focus. The touch made her delirious and intoxicated and she held his gaze, challenging him to punish her. If a kiss was the punishment, she was eager for it. Her first kiss!
“Marcus, I didn’t mean to invade your privacy,” she whispered, seeing the fire burning in his eyes.
“Yet you did. Do you know now how crazy I am about you? Do you know now that I won’t let you go home at all? Do you know now that I want you to be mine? You inspire me to paint and I won’t let my inspiration leave me this time. Do you get it Cara?” he whispered, his mouth grazing the soft spot below her ear. Cara trembled like a leaf at his admission. His hand caught her head and turned it up to his, making her close her eyes in anticipation.