Cara couldn’t miss the look of intense lust in his eyes as she approached him. It had been almost fourteen months since they last were together. The outcome of their heated moment was happily playing and gurgling beside them, oblivious to the undercurrents passing between them.
“It’ll take months to heal. I don’t think I’ll survive till then,” said Marcus with an eye roll.
“You’ve survived a year, haven’t you? So what’s in a month?” chuckled Cara, sitting beside him. However, Marcus didn’t have any plans to wait as his arm went around her shoulders and he planted a kiss on her neck. Cara’s body trembled with need, a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a year. “Marcus, our baby is staring at us,” she whispered breathlessly, her cheeks burning with embarrassment seeing Marianne’s gaze stuck upon them.
“She needs to get used to seeing us together. Don’t you think so?” asked Marcus, stroking Marianne’s hair out of her face. Marianne gurgled with happiness seeing all attention focused upon her.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. So are you really thinking of moving in here?” asked Cara eagerly. Marcus looked thoughtful for a moment while his fingers absent-mindedly played with Cara’s hair.
“Yes, I’ll move in here with all of you. Whenever I need to showcase my work, I can go back to New York or maybe build a new gallery here. We’ll see about that,” said Marcus, giving her a dazzling smile. It blew Cara’s mind away as she tried to believe what he just said. Was he willing to relocate and leave everything behind just for her?
“Oh, wouldn’t that be a problem for you?” she asked, still looking puzzled. Marcus tightened his hold on her a little as if to confirm that he wasn’t leaving his little family this time.
“No problem at all, mia Cara. All I want is to stay with you and Marianne. Your work is here, your family is here, you already are settled here whereas I can function from anywhere. All I need is you,” he said, his beautiful blue-gray eyes staring back at her with so much intensity that it took her breath away. She planted a kiss on his cheek making him groan in response.
“Thank you, Marcus. It’s the same with me as well. You’re all I need,” she whispered back when Marianne suddenly started to howl, making them pull apart and look at her wordlessly.
“What’s up with her now? She was fine a few minutes back,” said Marcus, looking clueless.
Cara picked her up in her arms and started rocking her slowly, cooing to her. Miraculously, she again started gurgling happily. Marcus breathed a sigh of relief but a small smile played on his lips seeing his daughter’s antics.
“I think she just needed attention. She’s a diva in the making,” said Marcus with a chuckle.
“That she is! I think I’ll just feed her and tuck her in,” said Cara. She got up to go to the nursery when Marcus caught her hand.
“Come back here after you’re done with Annie. I’m waiting,” said Marcus, his eyes glinting with promises. Cara blushed and rushed out making him groan with more need.
She quickly fed Marianne and her eyes filled up with tears. It had been so long since she had last fed her. Frederick hadn’t allowed her to visit her family for almost a month. She just wished she could breastfeed her baby like she always wanted to but the effects of drugs were still in her body and she had stopped producing breast milk a month ago. Therefore, Marianne had never had a taste of breastmilk in all her four months of life. Sometimes Cara felt very guilty but she couldn’t help it. Ever since Marianne was born, her life had been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride.
Marcus’s mom walked into the nursery and sat down to give her company. “Nicholas is returning home today since Frederick is dead and there’s no threat. I’m going back with him. Lucas will stay here for a day or two till he ensures that everything is fine,” said Marcus’s mom with a dejected look on her face. Cara had the feeling that she wanted to stay but couldn’t ask her.
“You can stay here if you want, Mrs. Donnelly,” she said softly, making Marcus’s mom give her a look of disbelief.
“I will only stay on one condition, Cara. You’ve to stop calling me Mrs. Donnelly. Call me mom instead,” she urged her.
“I can’t forget my position, Mrs. Donnelly,” she whispered. She wanted to say more. She wanted to remind her that she was still the poor girl who used to work as a maid in her house. The girl whom she never liked. She wanted to say that she knew that Marcus’s mom was disappointed that she sneaked her way back into her son’s life but she did try her best to stay away. However, Cara couldn’t say a word further as she lay Marianne down and wiped her eyes. She didn’t want to call her mom. She never behaved nicely enough to be addressed as her mom. All her life she had hated Cara for the crimes neither she nor her dad committed. Although Cara never spoke to Mrs. Donnelly much, the hurt she inflicted upon her was etched in her soul. She couldn’t forget them so easily. Just because now she had money and fame didn’t mean that Marcus’s mom could suddenly decide to be nice to her.
Mrs. Donnelly looked a little disappointed but checked herself just in time. “I know I should have apologized to you for my behavior. I’m truly sorry for misjudging you. Please if you can, try to forgive and forget the past at least for the sake of Marcus and Marianne. I know I’m the cause of all the hardships that you had to go through and I wish that I could turn the hands of time but I’m afraid it cannot be undone,” said Mrs. Donnelly, looking sincerely apologetic. Cara was stunned to hear her apology for the first time since they met again.
“Please don’t apologize to me,” she sighed. Nicholas came looking for his mom and their conversation was cut short immediately.
“Mom, are you returning with me?” Marcus’s mom nodded at her son. This time Cara didn’t ask her to stay back. It was her decision completely.
“I’ll come back to make arrangements for your wedding. Be happy and make up for the time you both lost,” she said with a smile. Cara smiled warmly at her.
“Sure. Thank you for coming here to support us,” Cara said, getting up.
“You don’t thank your mom. Take care,” she said, waving her off. Marcus’s mom went to meet him while Cara walked over to aunt Maggie’s room to take an update. After half an hour, Marcus’s mom walked into aunt Maggie’s room, ready to leave. When she hugged Cara warmly, she could feel herself softening already towards Marcus’s mom. She realized that Marcus’s mom wasn’t faking it at all. She was genuinely sorry for her behavior in the past.
“I’ll see you soon, Cara.” Cara nodded and hugged her back. After she left, Cara remembered her promise to Marcus and rushed back to his room. He looked up from his laptop and gave her a displeased look.
“I thought you too fell asleep with Marianne,” he grumbled, keeping the laptop away.
“Mom and Nicholas left, so I was with them,” said Cara.
“Okay, five minutes there. What about the rest of the time?” he demanded impatiently.
“Marcus, what’s wrong with you? I was with aunt Maggie, taking an update on her health,” said Cara.
“Done? Now are you free for the least important person in your life?” he asked, making her roll her eyes at him. “Now lock the door. I don’t want any disturbing elements here.” Cara locked the door and walked towards him.
“Do you need a shower? I can help you,” she suggested but Marcus just hissed.
“That can wait. Come here,” he demanded. Cara walked up to him, her heart racing inside her chest. She had no idea what he wanted with his broken ribs and injured back and stood indecisively in front of him. “Kiss me first,” he demanded making her smile. That was easy enough and she wanted it so badly.
“At your service, master,” she complied, gently touching his cheek and leaning closer. Marcus groaned and grabbed her neck with a burning need that already drove him crazy. He claimed her lips in a hungry, sensual, and demanding kiss that made a moan escape her mouth immediately. She could never get enough of Marcus’s kisses. They felt heavenly! Marcus plunged his tongue immediately into her mouth, teasing her, devouring her, branding her. Soon Cara too started to kiss him back, matching his passion equally with hers. With their mouths fused to each other, Marcus’s hands started roaming around her body. At last, he released her mouth and gazed at her with dark, desire-fogged eyes.
“Strip, I want to see you,” whispered Marcus, his husky voice causing a flutter in her stomach. Cara eagerly got rid of her clothes, one at a time as his eyes roamed around her body. “I love you, Cara,” he whispered, his hands stroking every mound and valley, tenderly, with love. Her heart swelled up with love for him and she couldn’t wait for him to touch her.
“I love you too Marcus,” she whispered when his hand reached the sensitive and wet spot that was aching for his touch. He cupped it possessively and leaned a little closer.
“Tell me who you belong to, mia Cara,” he whispered in a hoarse tone dripping with an intense desire.
“You, always you,” she whispered back.
“Who do you desire?”
“You, Marcus.”
“Whom do you want to marry?”
“You.”