A Jar of Dreams

by Cartharn, Clarissa

  Eric grabbed the first chisel he could get his hands on and began to walk away. The least he wanted was complications. And a man who recognized him was just that.

  “Do you work in constructions?” John Adelstein asked, stopping him short.

  “Excuse me?” Eric lifted his brow.

  “You’re at a hardware store and you have a concrete chisel in your hands. I’m assuming you have some knowledge on how to use it.”

  “Or I could just be buying a gift,” he replied bluntly.

  “That is quite an unusual gift then.”

  “Yeah well.” He shrugged and then turned to walk away again. “Be seeing you.”

  “I have a job opening for a construction worker,” John said and then quickly gave out his hand. “I am the director for Adelstein Constructions, John Adelstein.”

  Eric took it hesitantly. Had the man really believed his lie?

  “Eric Tanner,” he said.

  “Hi Eric. So if you’re interested in a position, I have an opening at a local site.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m not. But I will spread the word about it.”

  “Right,” John replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

  “I’ll see you around then?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  Eric gave him a final nod and then walked into the next aisle, relieved to finally get away from the man. Why would the man want to offer him a job? Did he look as if he wanted one? He brushed the incident aside as strange and then began hunting for his next tool; a scraper.

  “Anne?” he called out as he entered the house.

  “I’m in here,” she replied from the kitchen.

  He ambled towards it and found her wiping down the counters. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” She smiled.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Can’t you see?” She laughed, shaking her head.

  He grinned at her joke. “You should have left it to me. I would have done it.”

  “”It’s my eyes that can’t see. My hands work perfectly fine, thank you.”

  He caught her hands and tugged her to him. “It still amazes me how you can do all this without anyone’s help.”

  “Yeah well, I wish my father could say the same. He’s a great business man. But when it comes to the abilities of his daughter, his brain shrinks to the size of a pea.”

  “I’m sure he’s just being protective.”

  “Not when it suffocates the life out of you.” She sighed and rested her head tiredly against him.

  He pulled up close to her to hold her but she winced instead. “You okay?” he asked. “You must be tired after all this cleaning.”

  “No, not really.” She bit her lip with pain. “You’re stepping on my toes.”

  “Oh, shit.”He stepped off her feet quickly. “You okay? Are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine… really, I am,” she stressed when he made a move to lean down and check her feet.

  He glanced up at her and then smiled cheekily. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up.

  “Eric!” she cried. “What are you doing?”

  He sat her on the kitchen bench, “Sitting you down like you should have been.”

  “Really now? And if I did all the sitting, who is going to clean my house? I’m no princess, just so you know.”

  “You’re my princess,” he whispered against her lips.

  “You’re such a flatterer,” she whispered back.

  “I try.” He chuckled. He played with the loose strands of her hair framing her face. “But seriously, why don’t you hire someone to help you clean at least once or twice a week?”

  “Is there something wrong with the way I do it?”

  “No-”

  “Then you think I’m not capable of doing it on my own.”

  “Of course not!”

  “Then why-”

  “Would you just shhhh?” He put a finger to her lips. “Stop and I’ll tell you why.” She quieted, but he could read she was thoroughly annoyed. “I worry about you. You could trip over something while cleaning. And you vacuum without shoes. What if you stepped on a broken glass or pin or even a nail?”

  “I know people who can perfectly see and yet they have stepped on a pin or a glass. And what would a nail be doing in my house?”

  He sighed. “You are so stubborn sometimes, Anne. Can’t you relent this once?”

  “It keeps me busy, Eric. And besides I love to do it myself. It gives me a sense of fulfillment.”

  He could see she was determined to have her way and he knew it would be a futile task trying to convince her otherwise. His over-protectiveness was probably kicking in. She had been fine doing her tasks on her own all this while. Why should she have to change because he had moved in?

  “Okay, so tell me why is it that you like vacuuming with bare feet?” he asked, changing the subject.

  She grinned. “It’s not because I like vacuuming with bare feet. It’s more because I use it to feel for any dirt on the floor. I can’t do that with my shoes on. It’s the same when I’m cleaning. I’d have to touch the counter tops for dirt.”

  “In that case, try and avoid using your bedroom for the next couple of days.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He coughed. How should he break it to her without appearing too pushy? “I’m re-tiling your bathroom. And there is gonna be one hell of a mess there.”

  “Eric,” she uttered in surprise. “You don’t need to do that. I can always get someone else for the job. And besides, there are only a few tiles off. I swear I rarely trip on them. Last night just happened to be one of those times.”

  “There are not only a few tiles off. I’ve checked them myself. There are more coming loose. And they will cause some serious injury if we don’t deal with it now.

  “But Eric-”

  “I’ve let you clean. You should let me tile. It’s only fair.”

  She puckered her lips in thought.

  “Oh come on,” he groaned. “You know I’m right. I’m not going to have any peace until that floor is even. In the meanwhile, we could use the guest bedroom next door. I don’t want you breathing in any of that tile dust.”

  She grinned. “We? Are you saying we’re going to share a bed again tonight?”

  He shrugged and then smiled. “I was hoping we would.”

  “I think I could settle for that.”

  “Yeah?” His eyes smoldered with a desire for her. He cupped her face and kissed her lightly and gently at first. But when she slipped her tongue into his, he deepened his kiss, his hands running down her body and to her buttocks to tug her against him.

  She moaned when he grinded his cock through his jeans against her pussy. “Eric?”

  “Shhhh,” he whispered back and pulled off her top. He undid her bra in one snap, a mark of his expertise and dropped it to the floor.

  He then laid her down on the bench top, proceeding to pull off her pants. He was desperate to see her in the raw, to kiss her where she would be the most pleasured, and to drive into her until she cried for more.

  He kissed her breasts, sucking on her nipples and then slowly trailed down to her pussy. He circled her clit with his tongue. She groaned, pulling his head further into him.

  “Please, Eric,” she begged.

  He couldn’t wait any more either, unzipping his pants and letting them slide down to his knees. He pulled her further to the edge of the counter and pushed her legs apart. He wanted her so much. He thumbed her clitoris, slipping two fingers into her. She was slick and wet. Placing the head of his cock at the entrance of her hole, he eased into her.

  Their breathings grew heavy and labored as his slow pushes turned more urgent and hard. He held back just a little to watch him ram into her. Finally, he felt her constrict around him, triggering him to let go as well.

  Spent and drained, he fell on her breasts as she ran her fingers through his hair, caressing him. This was where he belonged. This was home.

  CHAPTER 15

 
; “And how was your family?” Philip Mullen asked his daughter’s former aide as he studied a stack of papers on his desk.

  Lucy flexed her fingers by her side. “They were fine.”

  Philip raised his eyes to look at her. “Thank you for coming back early. The dinner with the company executives is important, so it would be good to have you by my side.”

  She walked around to a book shelf and picked up an ornament gracing the shelf. She ran her fingers over the intricate metal weaves and then began tapping it nervously against the wood.

  “That’s expensive African black wood, just so you know,” Philip said with a frown. “Lucy, is there something you want to tell me?”

  “No.” She rubbed her temples and turned around towards the door. “I’m sorry I am bothering you.”

  She saw from the corner of her eye, the man return to his papers without a word and stopped abruptly.

  “You’re going to just let me leave?” Her voice was shaking with anger and hurt.

  He sighed nonchalantly. “I can’t force you to stay or speak your mind, can I?”

  “No, I suppose not. But you will insist I do certain other things if they particularly are a benefit to you. Otherwise, you don’t really give a damn about what happens to me!”

  “Is this about cutting short your vacation with your family? If it is, then why didn’t you just tell me what you felt about it? I called you over because you’re the one who accused me of being afraid of parading you in my company events not too long ago. If it is something you can’t handle, just let me know and I’ll find someone else to accompany me. It’s not such a big a deal. Especially not all this drama,” he added with a low grumble as he returned to his papers again.

  “Drama?” She threw hands in the air. “Did you just call me a drama? I gave you the best years of my life, Philip. I stayed by you, supported your wife when she was ill and loved your daughter. And this is how you label me?”

  “I compensated you for all that,” he replied flatly. “I’ve given you a nice life. And you’ve had nothing to worry about since you’ve been with me.”

  “Everything isn’t about money, Philip!”

  He frowned, sitting back in his chair quietly for a brief while. “I can’t marry you if that’s what you want.”

  “Oh, I know that. You made that abundantly clear when you refused anyone to touch your dead wife’s closet twelve years ago.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You’ve never spoken about Stephanie in such despicable terms. What’s got into you?”

  “Maybe the fact that I have to continually compete for the affections and attentions of a man with a dead woman. And believe me, that’s not easy.”

  He rose up from his chair and ambled over to her. “I’ve given you the same respect as I would have given you if you were my wife. You manage the house. I’ve also given you one of your own… money to spend, trips to wherever you want to go…”

  “Just not the decency to introduce me as your girlfriend.” He made to protest but she only shook her head, rubbing her forehead. “Don’t bother trying to excuse yourself from that one. It isn’t why I’m here anyway.”

  He raised a brow. “What is it, Lucy?”

  She pulled in a deep breath. “Anne is dating a man.”

  He began walking back to his desk. “Is that it?”

  “What do you mean ‘is that it’?” she uttered with disbelief. “I thought you wanted her to marry Nicholas Bradley. If this is how you were going to react, I would never have bothered her about Nicholas Bradley.”

  “Wait, are you saying she is with another man other than Nicholas Bradley?” he said, stopping short.

  “It’s simple. She is a woman and a very beautiful one too. You think she would have lived her life without a man even getting the slightest bit interested in her?” she snickered.

  He shook his head. “Who is he?”

  “I don’t know. But I did see him at her house.”

  “You didn’t get his name?”

  “Anne did tell me, but I can’t remember it.”

  His eyes lowered to the ground in thought. “It’s probably just a crush. She should be over it soon.”

  “She seems serious about it,” she snorted. “But okay, if that’s what you think.”

  He looked up at her angrily. “Let her play however she wants. But make her understand she is to marry Nicholas Bradley. There is no way I’m going to let her waste her life on a man who hasn’t a dime to his future.”

  “And how can you assume he is a nobody?” she asked harshly.

  “You think she is the belle of the ball where any man would be happy to take up with her freely without the thought of gaining anything in return?”

  She stared at him in disbelief. “How can you say that about her? She’s your daughter, Philip.”

  “And I love her, damn it!” he shouted back at her with frustration. “But I am also a practical man. Anyone will tell you she isn’t normal. You can deny it however much you want, but Anne isn’t like us. And there will always be people who will take advantage of her because of that. Especially if they learn who her father is.”

  “She is not incapable, Philip. She has achieved so much on her own.”

  “That’s because I give them to her and make her think she’s achieved them. Who do you think bought that house? Hires her gardener? Or gives her money to spend on just about anything she wants? That pittance she earns as a tutor and musician would never be enough to survive on. Anne is too naïve for this world. Does she even know how her bills are paid? Cleaning the house and cooking doesn’t make her capable or independent. It does, however, make her a damn good wife.”

  “Anne is serious about this man. The last time I saw her stand so adamantly was when she wanted to move out and get her own place. And she won that argument. I’m afraid if you continue to push her, she will rebel.”

  “That girl doesn’t know hell what she’s talking about. All she is behaving right now is like a spoilt little rich brat. But she is smart enough to know that if I pull back my support, she would be nothing.”

  “You could be wrong in this case,” she muttered under her breath.

  He glanced at stubbornly. “Anne will know what’s good for her when Nicholas begins seeing her. Maybe, I should talk to him and arrange a wedding date,” he mumbled to himself. “That would put things into perspective. Then he could get on the job of winning her quickly. Nicholas is a good man, Lucy. He is loyal and he will keep her happy. And he is a man of his word. He promised he would always care for her. And I believe that even if I am not around, he will be there for her. In the meanwhile, talk to Anne and remind her she can’t be with this man, whoever he is.”

  “So, what do you think?” Eric asked excitedly.

  After hammering out the old tiles, breathing a cloud of old mortar dust and spending two days on his knees re-tiling her bathroom, he could only hope she liked it.

  She rubbed her feet on the floor, feeling for roughness and jagged edges.

  “Well?” he asked again worriedly when he saw a frowned look on her face.

  And then her lips curled up and she smiled. “I love it. It feels so new and slick. And best of all, there are no loose tiles to trip over.” She ran her hands over the shower screen. “You’ve even changed the glass. How do know how to do all these?”

  “It was my job a very long time ago,” he said, watching her admire his handiwork.

  “It feels so neatly done. I’m sure it looks beautiful as well. But really Eric, you didn’t have to go so far. I definitely didn’t need a new shower screen.”

  “The old screen was hideous. It had to go. There was no way I was going to live with you and see that old thing. It was a torture to even look at.”

  “I just feel terrible, Eric. You have to let me compensate you for your trouble.”

  He smiled cheekily. “And I hate for you to feel that way. So okay, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

  “Really?” she asked with slight
disappointment. Even though she had wanted to give him something for all his expenses, for some reason his answer had also hurt her. “How… how much do you want?” She licked her lips nervously, bracing herself for an unreasonable amount.

  He smiled. She was exactly where he wanted her. “I don’t know. Give me an offer,” he said with a shrug.

  “Oh come on, Eric. You know I wouldn’t have an idea. So whatever it is, just tell me.”

  She was annoyed and he almost chuckled. He stepped into the bathroom and a breath away from her.

  “Don’t tease me,” she warned. “Give me a figure.”

  “Touchy,” he whispered into her ear. “I thought you were happy to compensate me. Now, I don’t seem so certain.”

  She tried to brush past him, but he caught her and picked her up, pinning her against the wall.

  “Eric!” she cried.

  “You want to hear my price or not?” he said as he carried her on his hips, her legs winding tightly around him.

  “You won’t tell me what it is,” she minced angrily, writhing against him.

  “Damn, you can be such a spitfire,” he groaned as he tried to keep her still and then kissed the length of her neck tenderly. “I want you.”

  She froze, still registering his answer.

  “All of you,” he added.

  Her fingers traced his lips. And then she leaned down and brushed her lips against his. She nipped at it and teased it until he couldn’t hold back anymore, taking her fully. He pulled at her shirt, tugging it off her and then hurriedly stripped her off of everything else. She began unbuttoning his shirt, removing him of every inch of his clothes.

  His chest chafed against her breasts, his length jutting between her thighs. He kissed her again, his hand cupping her bottom as he positioned to enter her. Her shoulders grazed the shower faucets and she smiled. She turned it on, the full spray of the water cascading over their naked bodies.

  “Aren’t you a naughty girl?” He smiled back, but when she began to chuckle, he stared at her, mesmerized by her laugh. He breathed hoarsely as he pulled her against his face. “I can’t believe you’re real.”