Care: Book One

by A. Marie

  Adrik was so close to her that if she lifted her head from her shoes, their lips would touch.

  Johnathan slowly backed away from the two of them, leaving her heart to thump heavily in her chest. She wasn't sure what he was doing.

  "Is she a virgin?" He asked.

  Avelina wasn't sure what he said, but whatever it was, Anton widened his eyes before shaking his head back and forth.

  Avelina took a step back from the intoxicatingly sexy man. He grabbed onto her arm before pulling her right back to where she was originally.

  Johnathan only chuckled, leaving Avelina to frown.

  "Sir—"

  Anton tried to reason with his boss, but it was no use.

  "Ask her," Adrik said with so much authority that it caused her to back up in a bit of fear.

  "He asked if you are a virgin.”

  Johnathan's eyes widened as he looked at the girl apologetically. Avelina finally looked up at Adrik to catch his eyes. His face might've been expressionless, but his eyes showed every bit of emotion. As she investigated the pools of gray, she could see his curiosity.

  "Oh.”

  Her cheeks coated a deep pink color. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and stared down at her feet. Adrik’s eyes were too intimidating, mostly because he was so close.

  "Oh?" He repeated before raising his hand over to her neck.

  She could feel him gently squeeze around her throat. Her eyes never seemed to leave his. She tried to pry his hand off her, but his monster grip never eased.

  "Adrik, she's scared," Johnathan spoke up, taking a step closer to them.

  "You're scared?" he asked with his Russian accent protruding quite a bit.

  Avelina quickly nodded her head as she felt tears threatening to fall from her eyes. His grip slowly began to loosen.

  "Good," Adrik stated.

  He then let go of her neck completely and walked off with Anton following right behind him.

  The second he was gone, she let out a shaky breath. Johnathan was fast to walk up to Avelina, who touched her neck at the realization that no one had ever gone as far as grabbing her in that way. She didn't know if she liked it or hated it.

  "Don't be shy to tell him when he goes too far. He doesn't know," Johnathan said.

  Avelina shook her head, her face still full of shock by what had just occurred. "I'm not sure this job is for me.”

  He let out a sigh before gently grabbing hold of her arm. She didn’t say anything as he walked her towards the couch.

  "Look, he can't help it. He often told me that I look ugly in blue suits or that I started to get fat. It's all a part of being on the spectrum. Yeah, he asked you if you were a virgin strictly out of his curiosity. He likes to know everything about everyone and what he doesn't know—he asks. His brain doesn't detect the fact that it was rude," Johnathan explained.

  “I understood that. I researched ASD to the pinnacle last night. It stated that they tend to speak their mind without worry about how it would make others feel. When he asked the question of me being a virgin, did it take me by surprise? Yes, but it didn't upset me.”

  Looking down at her fingers, she began to play with them in her lap. "I know that when that man grabbed my neck, it wasn't his autism. He did that simply because he wanted to. I'm sorry, but it's not something I signed up for."

  "He's a lot to handle. It just takes some getting used to. Just please give him a try," Johnathan pleaded.

  Her granny used to tell her all the time that she shouldn't give up on something without giving them a fair chance. That was something she wanted to stick by.

  "Okay.”

  Johnathan smiled brightly at her words before standing up from the couch. "I'll show you around the house.”

  Avelina nodded her head before following him up the stairs. She glanced over in the place that Adrik had just exited and let out a sigh. It was going to be difficult taking care of him, and she knew that.

  "This is Adrik's room where you can go in and clean as you want. He usually keeps the door open, but when it's closed, make sure to knock because that means he is in there," Johnathan informed her.

  She stepped inside of the room to feel the entire atmosphere suddenly turn dark. It was a massive room with huge curtains that reached an exceedingly high ceiling to block out the light. The bed was up against the wall with a gigantic painting above it.

  Avelina found herself staring at the painting intensely before attempting to walk into the bedroom. Suddenly, she stopped herself and turned to look at Johnathan. "Is it okay if I go in?"

  He quickly nodded his head, leaving her to step further into the room and over to the painting.

  "He doesn't mind anyone in his room. Like I said, he just hates when people are in here while he's in here," Johnathan reminded her.

  She nodded her head and then reached over to touch the beautiful painting. The painting was of a flower that looked to be blooming, and it made her heart sing in happiness at the sight of it. It was only done in black and white, but it only added to its symbolization.

  "His bathroom is over there," Johnathan said, completely interrupting her thoughts by walking into the room and pointing towards an open door.

  She peeled herself away from the painting and walked over to the bathroom, where she turned on the lights. Her jaw dropped at the sight of it. The bathroom was the size of her entire house, from the marble flooring to the bathtub with a fireplace near it. It was beautiful and screamed out exactly how expensive everything was.

  Johnathan nodded his head in understanding with a smug grin on his face. "It's gigantic, isn't it?"

  Avelina was quick to nod her head. She didn't even want to guess how big the closet was.

  Johnathan waved her over to follow him.

  They walked out of the room and headed towards a pair of double doors. When Johnathan opened them both up at the same time, her jaw dropped once more.

  It was a railing of the entire lower portion of the house. As she gazed down, she saw the enormous indoor pool that looked inviting.

  "You're free to use everything here. This place is going to be your home for the next three months, so you might as well enjoy it," Johnathan smiled.

  She beamed down at the pool in happiness. Hopefully, the men had packed her bathing suit.

  "Come."

  She looked over at him to see that he had already left the railing and was back in the hallway. Avelina walked over to him and watched as he shut the double doors. They began to wander throughout the entire house, where he showed her a movie room, the second kitchen, and Adrik's office. He even showed her the other living room along with the dining room and bar. The house was big, and she could not wait to have the chance to explore it all.

  Finally, he showed her to her room for the next three months. The flooring was wooden, and there was a fluffy white rug that sprawled out in the center. What she loved most was the bed seeing as it was simple yet very comfy. There was a dresser, a few hung pictures, and a beautiful view of the city through a gigantic window. The room was perfect.

  "Your bathroom is over there, and the closet is right there,” Johnathan spoke after pointing in the direction of her bathroom and closet. “Also, I had written out everything you need to know in that journal on top of your bed. I have to go now, but you have my number, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions,"

  "How many people live here?" She asked, furrowing her brows most adorably

  He smiled kindly. "Adrik, and now you. That is all.”

  She nodded her head slowly, feeling herself become nervous once more as he shut the door.

  Avelina walked over to her bed to see her suitcase beside it.

  Then, her eyes trailed over to the journal on her bed. The second she picked it up and began to read all the rules, she groaned. Avelina finally understood why she was getting paid so much just to care for a man for three months.

  The strict instructions stated that he wanted his food to be the same and served
to him at the same time every day. It also brought up the 'knocking' thing. As she read through his words, she memorized everything that she needed to know.

  Avelina glanced at the clock. It was time to cook Adrik his lunch. Shchi, a Russian dish. Avelina had to use her phone to look up a recipe to make it. As she looked through the pictures, she realized that it was just a cabbage soup.

  -

  After many tries, she had finally succeeded at making the Shchi. Her eyes gazed down at the cabbage drowned in yellow soup along with the many veggies that surrounded it. She smiled proudly.

  Placing the bowl on a tray, she hurriedly walked over to Adrik's office only to see that he wasn't in there.

  She walked all around the house until making her way to the pool. When she walked in, her eyes almost popped out of her head.

  His hair was no longer in a bun; it was running down his back completely soaked. His body was glistening from the water as his abs and muscular pecs seemed to become even more appetizing.

  He began to climb up the stairs of the pool towards her.

  She was frozen in place as she stared at him. Adrik looked like a Greek God with the way perfection seemed to coax his face and body.

  "You're a minute late," he said while grabbing the tray from her hands harshly.

  Avelina glanced down at her watch as a frown made its way onto her face. "I'm sorry. I'll be on time for dinner.”

  He looked up towards the ceiling as the blue of the water projected itself onto the tan of his skin.

  "Do you speak Portuguese?" he asked.

  His eyes never left the ceiling, leaving her to look up as well. When she found nothing interesting to look at, her gaze returned to his face.

  "I do.”

  "The shirt you're wearing looks like a napkin; it's hideous. Take it off," Adrik ordered.

  Her frown deepened. She glanced down at her favorite blouse that she thought looked cute. "Okay, I'll take it off when I get to my room.”

  "No. I want you to take it off now.”

  His eyes finally moved to meet her blue ones, leaving her to sigh.

  Johnathan wasn't there to save her this time. She didn't know how she was going to get out of the situation.

  Suddenly, she remembered that Johnathan told her to tell Adrik how she felt. "That would make me very uncomfortable, Mr. Zolotov.”

  "Uncomfortable?" He repeated. "You were just eye-fucking me. Is it fair that you get to call out uncomfortable, and I can't?"

  "Touché," she whispered to herself.

  Unbuttoning her shirt, she pulled it off her body and let it fall to the floor. She was wearing a sports bra underneath, so it didn't bother her to have the blouse off.

  Her gaze then met Adrik's

  He walked even closer to her body. His fingers graced the hem of her pants to the bottom of her bra. Her tan skin was soft against his fingertips. She looked down at his finger, feeling her heartbeat exhilarate.

  "Take off your pants."

  "Do you not like my jeans either?" she asked shyly.

  They were only regular basic blue jeans. There wasn't anything that truly set them apart from the other jeans out in the world.

  "I'd like you without them.”

  Her brows furrowed before she folded her arms over her chest. She knew what he was trying to do, but she wasn't going to allow him to succeed.

  "Your food is getting cold," Avelina stated.

  She bended down to pick up the tray he had placed on the floor. When Avelina looked over at Adrik, she could see his eyes burning into her own.

  "It's too late for me to eat at this time.”

  Avelina frowned at his response. Disappointment quickly trickled in. It took her a while to make his lunch.

  "I was looking for you throughout this huge house," she pointed out sadly.

  He reached over and grabbed a towel before running it through his hair. She took that time to assess his body. He was muscular and tall. As she looked at him even more, her eyes inspected his package. Her cheeks blushed a deep crimson color as she quickly looked away.

  To occupy her mind with something else, Avelina placed the tray back onto the floor.

  "Do you know how to style hair?" He questioned.

  Her brows raised, but she was quick to nod her head. He handed her an elastic, leaving her to grab onto it.

  Adrik sat down on the comfy chair as she stared at him in confusion.

  He turned to look at her with a blank expression on his face before sighing. "Are you mentally incapable of comprehending signs? I presumed that by me asking if you knew how to style hair, handing you a hair tie, and turning around that it would be enough of an implication."

  "I'm sorry," Avelina muttered, feeling her cheeks heat up even more.

  She walked up to Adrik with an unsteady breath. Due to how tall he was, she had to get up on her knees atop the cushioned chair he was sitting in.

  Avelina steadied herself by gripping his shoulder, leaving her heart to skip a beat. His skin was still wet, but it was soft and rigid. She brought her hand up to his long strands of hair. It was a nice brown color, and it fit him perfectly. She used her fingers to comb through it.

  Her fingertips grazed his scalp, and she could tell that he liked it based on the way his eyes closed. She found herself enjoying it as well. Every time she grazed his skin, he leaned back farther into her.

  Biting down onto her lip, she finally began to grip all his hair. Wrapping the elastic around his long strands, she folded it over and made it into a bun.

  As soon as she finished, her hands went down to his shoulder. Even though he had just gotten out of the pool, he was still warm.

  Her hands had a mind of their own as they crept down his body. He didn't say anything as he leaned back, so his head rested on her breast. Avelina was feeling his chest and going even lower to touch the top of his abs. It felt so erotic with the way her breathing grew heavier with ease. When she looked over at him, his eyes were still closed, but she could pick up on the increase of his breathing as well.

  She quickly pulled away and got off the chair. Nothing like that had ever happened on the job before. It was completely unprofessional of her, and she knew it.

  Adrik’s eyes shot open the second she pulled away from him.

  "I-I'm sorry," she whispered.

  "A book called 'The Power of Apology' where a psychotherapist states that over-apologizing, especially over situations beyond your control, may seem as though you are kind and caring, but you're sending the message that you aren't intellectual, and you lack confidence. It lessens the impact of a genuine apology for needed in the future. Also, it's proven but only based on polls, that people tend to lose respect for those who over-apologize.”

  She stared at him blankly as she thought about his words. Johnathan wasn’t lying about him being smart. "Well, I'm not as dumb as you think, and I would say that I'm pretty confident.”

  "If you were confident, you wouldn't have taken your napkin off.”

  Avelina found herself frowning.

  Adrik got up from the chair and walked right past her, leaving her alone with the soup.

  -

  After placing on a plain t-shirt, she put her hair up in a ponytail.

  Avelina was making her way to Adrik’s room where she had to check up on him before heading to bed.

  She pushed open his door. The sight of Adrik looking out of the gigantic window of his wall was breathtaking. The window overlooked the forest wonderfully. The night sky managed to bounce off of Adrik’s features with grace.

  "Mr. Zolotov, I have to make sure you bathe before I leave. It's a part of my job protocol," she repeated softly. The truth was that he made her feel nervous.

  "Okay.”

  She followed his movements until he pulled off his shorts. Avelina had to quickly look away.

  She could hear the sound of more clothes falling onto the ground until the noise of water running littered her eardrums.

  "You assist when asked, i
sn't that right?" Adrik questioned.

  Slowly, she turned to look at him only to see that he had already gotten into the bathtub. The water did absolutely nothing to cover his model-like body. In fact, it emphasized it.

  "Yes," Avelina answered.

  "Bathe me."

  Avelina slowly walked towards his tub. Her breath was shaky as he undid the bun she had put in his hair and allowed it to caress his shoulders.

  She grabbed something to bathe him with and could ultimately feel her embarrassment peek through her every movement.

  Adrik wasn’t saying a word. He was enjoying the way her hands would shake and her breath would go faltered.

  She put soap onto the small towel. Her hands lightly stroked his upper body as his eyes shut.

  It was instinctive the way her teeth bit down on her lip. She massaged his body before trailing as low as his hand allowed her to.

  Adrik grasped her wrist and held it against his chest. She could feel him pushing her arm past his abdomen.

  It was strange the way she didn’t want to pull away.

  His eyes met hers as her hand traveled over his length. He used her hand to move up and down. His long shaft was hardening right underneath her touch.

  Avelina quickly knocked out of her trance as she pulled away from the tub. Her hand easily slipped from his grasp.

  "Uh, Goodnight,” Avelina stated awkwardly.

  Avelina didn’t even wait for his response because she hurried out of his room. Her heartbeat was still booming in her chest.

  It sucked how she had only just met him but couldn't seem to get enough of him.

  Letting out a dee breath, her mind tried its best to slow down the pace of her heart.

  The last thing on her mind was how troubling it would be to keep her hormones in check.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Care for Beginnings

  Avelina woke up from the sound of her alarm.

  Once her eyes settled on the time, she realized it was precisely seven in the morning. As she recalled from the long list of rules, Adrik liked his food to be ready at exactly eight.

  A groan moved past her lips.

  Her laziness was whining as she got up and placed on a pair of jeans along with a presentable V-neck shirt. The shirt was completely different from the 'napkin' that Adrik seemed to hate so much.