Marcus’s phone again buzzed with an incoming call from his mom but he just shoved it into his pocket. “Is anything wrong?” asked Cara as they sat on his terrace. It was late and they were planning to retire for the night. Marcus looked a little uncomfortable as he was unable to explain to her what exactly was wrong. He couldn’t tell her yet that he wanted to marry her while his mom was trying to object to his decision. It would scare her away. He had to take this slow and deal with it wisely.
“It’s no big deal. I’ll talk to her when I’m free,” he said with a smile, getting up and pulling her to her feet.
Cara didn’t prod further and they walked into his bedroom. “Now comes my favorite part!” exclaimed Marcus pulling her to the bed. They lay side by side while Marcus gazed at her lying beside him.
“Obviously, you’re such a man-wh*re!” she said with an eye roll. Marcus laughed, a happy sound that echoed in the still room.
“I am uncontrollable but only around you!” he admitted, his fingers stroking her hair and cheek tenderly, almost as if he loved her.
“Cliche line, Mr. Donnelly. I’m sure you’ve said that to every woman you brought here,” said Cara. Marcus raised himself on his elbow to stare deeply into her eyes.
“I haven’t brought anyone here apart from Cassie when we were engaged but I renovated the place to erase all memories with her.” Cara gazed into his eyes and saw the sincerity reflected in them.
“Oh,” she gasped, a little disappointed that she wasn’t engaged to him like Cassie. Cassie might have been very special to make him love her and want to marry her. A stab of jealousy pierced her heart and she looked away.
“Let’s not talk about her and spoil my mood,” he said, hovering over her and gazing at her. “Look at me, Cara. You have nothing to feel jealous of. She was my past.” Cara nodded expecting him to say more but when he didn’t, she felt a little dejected. If Cassie was his past, was she his present and future? Was he planning to marry her as well? Her heart wanted to hope but her mind knew better. Marcus kissed her neck, trailing to her cheek, peppering small kisses all over her face to cheer her up.
“You’re mine, mia Cara, forever. So let’s make love and be happy, hmm?” he whispered in between kisses. His admission blew her mind and made her heart thump with joy. Did it mean that he loved her? Could she hope? Could she hope that someday she could take Cassie’s place and be married to him?
She held her face lovingly and her beautiful doe-shaped eyes filled with love and she kissed him passionately. Marcus was too overwhelmed and blind with the desire to talk. He went on a kissing spree that soon led to passionate lovemaking.
“Oh, Marcus, I love you,” she breathed as her eyes started to close after being totally exhausted. Marcus was floored by her confession, having craved to hear it for almost a year. No one had ever said it with more meaning than her. She never kept harping on it but everything she did proved how much she loved him. So did he deserve her love?
He stared at her happy and radiant face as she slept soundly, cocooned in his embrace, glowing, flushed, and exquisitely beautiful. He couldn’t look away from her, realizing how addicted he was to her. Was he in love with her? This was a different feeling from what he felt for Cassie. This was so intense that he almost died when Cara left him for three weeks. His heart had involuntarily sought Cara out, unlike Cassie who was the daughter of her mom’s best friend, Malory Thornton.
It had always been their wish that he and Cassie married one another. Therefore, ever since he achieved success and established himself as a painter, they were after his life. He went on a couple of dates with her and a friendship had developed between them. She was a charmer and excellent in bed. So when their parents decided to get them engaged he hadn’t minded till that fateful day when he discovered Cassie’s reality. His best friend, Bryan had taken over his family’s multi-billion dollar diamond jewelry business and was featured on the covers of the most popular magazine as the most eligible bachelor in the country. No wonder Cassie swarmed towards him like a bee towards honey.
He blinked away all thoughts of Cassie and turned to gaze at Cara. His life, his Cara! She was so pure, so adorable, so innocent and she loved him so unconditionally. His heart could feel her love, she didn’t need to say it explicitly every day. So what did it all mean? This craziness, this heart-wrenching wish to see her all the time, to hold her in his arms forever. There could be only one explanation for all this. He wasn’t just crazy about her, he was insane. He was madly in love with her!
A giddy smile washed over his features. He couldn’t believe that he was finally in love! He was so wrong when he thought that what he felt for Cassie was the nearest thing to love he would ever feel for anyone. At that time, he hadn’t expected himself to ever fall in love with anyone. But he had! It wasn’t just love, it was an all-consuming, overwhelming, bewitching, exhilarating feeling that could only point towards something much more intense, something that’s deeper than the ocean. It was the type of love to die for, to fight for, the type you see in the movies! It was the magic of true love!
Floored by the intensity of his feelings, he wanted to announce his feelings for her! He wanted to climb on top of the mountains and confess to the world that he loved Cara! But first, he wanted to tell her how much he loved her! Marcus finally dozed off to sleep with a blissful and contented smile on his face. Tomorrow he would take her out on a special date and confess his feelings for her.
The next morning, he woke up with a smile on his face which soon vanished after seeing around 5 missed calls from his mom. Frowning, he freshened up and went to the kitchen to get some coffee. His heart skipped a beat seeing Cara making breakfast wearing one of his shirts, making her look totally ravishing. His whole body tingled with excitement and he could feel his friend down there twitching to life.
“Good morning, mia Cara! I’ve always dreamed of waking up to this,” he said, walking up behind her and pulling her into his arms. Cara smiled with the spatula in her hand.
“Good morning, Marcus. So are we going to the gallery today? I want to start working immediately,” she said but Marcus was lost in his own world and concentrated on her delicious neck instead. “Marcus, the eggs will get burned! What are you doing?” she said as he continued to suck the sweet spots on her neck. His hand slipped under the shirt and roamed around her naked body. A groan escaped him and he just switched off the flame making her gasp. Picking her up in his arms, he carried her to the sofa.
“Marcus, what about breakfast?” she breathed but soon was lost in his intense lovemaking. It was an hour later that Marcus offered to make breakfast while she went to take a shower. He was in a very good mood, having started his day with a delicious taste of her sweetness.
It was only an hour later that they could finally leave the apartment and drive towards the art gallery. “I don’t have any idea about setting up for an exhibition. What if I make a mistake? I think it’s wiser to hire a professional for this,” said Cara with wide eyes full of uncertainty. Marcus smiled but shook his head.
“There are people to guide you. I know you can pick it up. It’s nothing you can’t do,” he reassured her. He showed her his granny’s house on the way as he drove past.
“Lucas and Nicholas live in their own apartments. Only granny, mom, and Maria live there,” he informed her. Cara tensed at the mention of his mom.
“Oh, your mom had been calling you since morning. I think you should call her back,” she said, looking a little apprehensive.
“Oh, hope you haven’t taken her call on my behalf?” asked Marcus, looking alarmed. Cara shook her head vehemently.
“No, no, why would I? The phone calls woke me up. That’s how I noticed,” she said with a shrug.
“I’ll have a word with her soon.” They reached the art gallery housed in an all-white, translucent, huge, and majestic glass structure. The stylish and contemporary design made the place stand out. The name Inspirations by Marcus Donnelly inscribed in golden hues, shone under the morning sun.
“Wow! It’s amazing,” she gasped. This was a completely new world, Marcus’s professional world. She had never experienced this side of Marcus and started feeling anxious as they reached the place. He parked the car and led her towards the main entrance when reporters flocked to them like bees from all sides, as if waiting for the opportunity to catch him!