Cara’s mood was spoiled last night and she avoided Marcus, going straight to sleep while he was in his studio. However, since the moment she woke up, the breathtaking views from the master bedroom uplifted her mood immensely. Freshening up, she walked out in search of Marcus who sat sipping coffee on the open deck outside.
“Good morning, baby. Did you sleep well?” he asked, patting the chair next to him. Cara sat down with her coffee and gazed into his beautiful eyes.
“Good morning, Marcus. Yes, I slept so well that I didn’t know when you joined me.” Marcus smiled and shook his head.
“I didn’t.” Cara gaped at him, looking confused.
“What? Didn’t you sleep last night?” she asked, feeling a little guilty. Marcus shrugged, staring at the blue waters shimmering like jewels under the pale rays of the morning sun. He couldn’t tell her that he couldn’t stay away from her, that he needed her warmth to sleep. The whole night he had spent in his studio longing to have her in his arms, wanting to make love to her all night. “Marcus?” she caught his chin and turned his face towards hers, searching his tormented eyes for an answer.
“I can’t sleep without you, mia Cara,” was all he said. Cara sighed, holding his hand in hers.
“I’m sorry I overreacted, Marcus,” she said softly, looking down at their intertwined hands. “My dad suffered so much that it hurts every time I think of him. He was an accountant at a multinational firm in New York when he was falsely charged with theft and financial fraud. The scandal blew up to such dimensions that we had to flee and spend the rest of our lives in anonymity. He never found a decent job thereafter as they ruined him for life. We struggled to survive till both my parents died suspiciously at a construction site where they were working. What’s surprising is, everyone escaped unscathed except my parents. I know it was a cold-blooded murder, but I don’t have any evidence to prove it.”
Marcus frowned as the facts registered in his brain, shocking him completely. “What’s your dad’s name?” he asked gently.
“Henry Sullivan. You must have heard about him. His pictures were everywhere for a month or two.” Marcus paled and closed his eyes. Of course, he knew about it. His dad suffered a mini-stroke immediately after the scandal since the whole fiasco happened in his dad’s company, Donnelly Financial Services. He opened his eyes and stared at Cara who was oblivious to the whirlwind going on inside him as she stared blankly ahead of her. It was then that Marcus realized that maybe his mom was suspicious since she was actively involved in the office when his dad was alive.
“An interrogation would be expensive but maybe one day I’ll be able to clear my dad’s name,” said Cara, lost in her own world. Marcus sighed and squeezed her hand. He knew that she was innocent in all this and he should never let the past affect his relationship with Cara.
“I’m sure you will, Cara. Just have faith in God and in yourself,” he comforted her. Cara nodded and smiled at him warmly. It blew his mind away from the harsh reality and he drowned into the depths of her alluring eyes. “I’ll make some breakfast and then we need to start with our second painting of the series.” Cara nodded and picked up the coffee mugs and walked inside.
“Why don’t you gear up while I make breakfast? You can help with dinner.” Soon they wrapped up breakfast and started working. This time Marcus wanted to portray tranquility and peace through her expressions and posture. He made Cara lay down on a huge wooden deck lounger with only a turquoise satin sheet covering her nude body while he sketched her. It was almost lunchtime when he gave her a break. As she picked up her clothes, she felt him approach her and stop, inches away from her. Looking up she blushed seeing his dark dilated pupils as he gazed down at her.
“Haven’t you tortured me enough? Kiss me before I lose my mind,” he ordered, lowering himself into the space beside her. His fingers tangled into her hair and he gripped her head while his other hand pulled her closer to him. The satin sheet slipped off her hands leaving her completely bare. A moan escaped him when he touched the bare skin of her hips to pick her up and place her on his lap, all naked and flushed. His lips roamed all over her, kissing her everywhere while his fingers continued to torment her. He increased his tempo and she moaned out his name finally finding her release, not once but three times on his lap. It was sheer madness as they both knew that they couldn’t stay away from each other. Marcus stripped off his clothes and plunged himself deep inside her. This time the lovemaking was far better than before and as they lay sated afterward, Marcus knew that he still couldn’t get enough of her.
Lunch was a quick affair and then they again started working on the painting till evening. The sun was about to set and Marcus led her outside for a stroll along the shores of the huge tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. The seagulls, cormorants were busy picking up their last meal of the day before retiring to their nests. They walked hand in hand, staring at the New York skyline when Marcus sighed.
“I haven’t informed anyone about this trip. Maybe when they find out, they’ll be mad at me.” Cara turned to look at him.
“You can always call up and inform them.”
“I don’t want Nicholas to arrive here tomorrow with mom and granny.” He looked petrified, making Cara chuckle. She liked his brothers as well as his granny but she didn’t like his mom at all. She was the last person Cara wanted to meet.
“I don’t mind, Sienna, Lucas, Nicholas, or your granny.” Marcus sighed but didn’t reply. He knew why his mom behaved the way she did but he couldn’t tell Cara anything.
“I do. I won’t tolerate anyone now. I’ll only concentrate on my paintings for a year. No distractions.”
“Won’t you meet your family for a year?” asked a surprised Cara.
“Who cares? They’re all too busy to miss me. I need to complete this series to prove myself, to stand up on my feet again. I faced a painter’s block for two years. I’ve been unproductive for two long years but not anymore.” Cara nodded in understanding but her interest was piqued. What made him suffer from a painter’s block?
“Oh, a painter’s block is bad,” she said, looking concerned. “How did you get it?”
Marcus looked hesitant and grim as if the memory of it was too much for him to bear. “My fiancee betrayed me.” Cara froze and searched his eyes. She had no idea that Marcus was engaged. Maybe he loved her too much and therefore couldn’t bear the pain of her betrayal. None of them spoke as they sat on the deck, each to their own thoughts. Marcus didn’t say a word more about his past and Cara didn’t prod further. The sun had already set and it was time to make dinner. Marcus got up and pulled her to her feet and they went inside.
Soon the air cleared up between them and they made dinner together, feeding one another. Later a hot romantic movie improved his mood more and what followed was wild lovemaking that exhausted them totally. The next day was even better and they even managed a romantic candlelight dinner on the deck overlooking the Long Island Sound. As the days passed by in bliss, they were too absorbed in one another to miss anything. While Cara kept in touch with her family, Marcus was too intoxicated in her sweetness to care. Her unconditional love, their passionate lovemaking, the sights, and the feel of the tranquility all around was enough to keep him totally drowned. The outcomes were outstanding works of art that he never realized he was capable of creating. He adored their routine so much that returning home was far from his mind. After the first day, they left their past demons behind and hardly ever brought them up. Connecting more and more each day, they spend their free time just like first lovers did, having se* and more se*. It felt as if they were on an extended honeymoon with sun-drenched moments and plenty of no-strings-attached se*.
Despite the bond they shared, Marcus avoided the L-word like a plague. Cara didn’t bother to ask him as she knew that he didn’t love her. She was just a fling, an inspiration and maybe he would get over her after a year when his paintings were done. It was unlikely that he would ever grow to love her. Maybe he hadn’t been able to move on from his fiancee to love another. Maybe she was just a rebound for him!
“This is the last painting we’ll be doing here. We need to return in a day or two,” said Marcus as he sketched her silhouette. Cara nodded with a sigh. She had no idea when a month had passed by. They were the most cherished moments of her life, in the arms of the man she loved.
“I wish we could stay here forever!” she mumbled, almost to herself. But all wishes don’t come true, do they?