by M. L. Ray
Rico’s shirt was completely wet when I realize I was showering him with ‘blessings’. But shit! It was the total opposite. I showered myself with blessings when I saw his ripped abs through his wet white shirt, completely erasing the bad moon I was into.
I swallow hard when I look up to meet his gaze. “Ooops,” I mumble, letting out an unsure expression when I see him clench his jaws. He looks pissed.
“Sorry?” I say again, trying to regain my composure when his chest rises and then falls. Damn. I could look at him all day.
“It’s fine,” he grumbles coldly. “Just answer my question.”
Pffft.
I rolled my eyes then shrugged. Did I look like the kind of woman who’d get pregnant without a man to call the father of my baby?
“Of course not!” I barked angrily, my nose flaring up when he looked at me doubtfully. Sure, gossip would say I’m a bitch for dating a long list of men. But that didn’t mean it was true.
Yes, I dated them but I never went to bed with them – not even once.
I dated them for revenge.
It was the purpose of my life, after all.
To seek revenge on men who had the balls to promise a woman their love and loyalty but left them like it was some joke; to men who drove women to do things they were not supposed to; to men who brought women to their insanity; to men who broke women’s hearts.
Rico raised a brow with a mocking expression. He looked unconvinced and I could tell he’d be shooting me with rude words in no time.
“If my memory serves me right and if school had taught me properly, only pregnant women throw up when they become sensitive to food, odor and things…and maybe people as well.”
My mouth swung wide open in a mixture of awe, disbelief and anger.
“I am not pregnant. I am ending this conversation.”
With that, I stormed out of the kitchen not letting him apologize for his false accusation – not that he would really have the conscience to do so. Rico Miller was just a plain jerk!
Asshole! I grumbled under my breath as I headed back to my room, stomping in the hallways like a lunatic. My face was crumpled up and I almost barked at Mickey when he passed me by.
I slammed my bedroom door shut, my nostrils flaring with anger. I have never felt so insulted my entire life. I don’t usually give a damn about what people think about me. And I’m aware that words have spread I’m a whore for dating a bunch of men but they didn’t actually know that I have never slept in any of them. So, naturally, they’d also say that I aborted a child a lot of times but that never bothered me. Just now…
And I commend Rico Miller for being able to get on my nerves. He’s done it!
Breathing heavily, I stripped away all of my clothes and headed to the bathroom for a refreshing bath. I should not spend my time thinking about nonsense. Rico Miller was just another passing character in my life. He’d be long gone before I knew it.
Under the shower, I studied my figure in front of the misty mirror. I was endowed with healthy curves at the proper places that matched my beautiful face. Yes, I’m confident that I’m the kind of woman any man would want.
Men sought after me. Because I was not only beautifully sexy – I was also one of the most popular faces in the modeling world. I worked so hard to be noticed by men who had the money and influence. And when they did, they came running after me – sending gifts and inviting me to parties.
There’s only one thing I learned after all these years as I juggled work while putting my revenge on action – men talk. Every time I break up with someone, another one comes in. And all of them were after the same thing – to get me to bed. But they did not succeed. They all went mad and started spreading rumors because they were not able to get me to play with them – even after spending a lot of money. They’ve given me houses, cars, jewelries, and even pocket money for trips abroad. Thanks to them, I was able to buy back the cosmetic company my family originally owned.
And screw them of thinking that women were nothing but sex toys.
Letting the water run on my skin, I let my mind wander on things I did just to regain the things I have lost a long time ago. Yes, I have done things I never thought I could. But now that I’m here, I couldn’t feel a shred of regret inside me.
Those men deserved it.
Honestly, it was really hard to protect my chastity after getting myself into this kind of life. Men would always find a way to get me to strip to my underwear. There was even a time when I found out I was drugged. And it was a good thing, I had bid him goodbye before I passed out.
All this time, I’m untouched because of the promise I made in my father’s grave – that I would never give myself to some pig in a luxurious pen. And if I’d ever find someone who would be as loving as him, I’d be willing to give him everything. But I doubt that would ever come. Men these days are literally self-centered assholes – incapable of loving anyone whole heartedly.
I closed my eyes and sighed heavily, trying to calm my temper that was threatening to explode again. How did I get this aggravated in the first place anyway?
Rico Miller! My mind reminded me. Yes, he was the reason why. How dare he? He was probably thinking I’ve had countless animal sex with those men. Screw him, too!
But why do I feel like I don’t like the idea of him thinking about me that way?
Ah, I’m must have been out of my mind for taking his thoughts into consideration. It’s not like he’s someone who’d I want to be with for a long time. He’s just my bodyguard.
I decided to stay a little bit longer in the bathroom, filling the tub with water and my favorite chamomile essence for aromatherapy, for a bubble bath. I took a scented candle that was kept in one of the cabinets and lighted it before turning the stereo on with the remote that was on the cupboard.
My lips arched into a smile when the music filled the four-cornered bathroom. It was the best piano instrumental playlist, which I made when I was fourteen. It was my father’s favorite.
I miss you, Daddy.
I submerged my already wet body to the tub after turning off the lights, enjoying the ambiance and solitude. Ah, I wish my life could be as peaceful as this. I wish everything was going to be alright the moment I step out of this bath.
I wished my life was simpler and blissful.
I wished all of those things that happened a decade ago were just dreams… a hallucination.
With that thought, I bit my bottom lip, bitterly, knowing that it was a useless expectation because reality has been slapping me hard on the face since forever. Ever since my father died, I was forced to understand what was going on in my life.
My mom left me and my sister as she pursued her plan to be with the man she had fallen in love with – with the man who was the reason my dad killed himself. A year later, she came back to the mansion with a stressful expression. And when she saw me, she started crying. At first, I thought those were tears of joy – because for over twelve damned months, she saw me again. But I was wrong…again. She came home because she didn’t have anywhere else to go after killing the wife of the old fool she was with. She was scared to death and it drove her out of her wits. And it didn’t take too long before she was sent to a mental institute.
My mother had gone crazy.
I felt sorry for her, really. She was a good parent until she was fooled with the idea of love. She was a loving mother until that so-called ‘love’ drove her to selfishness. And I still love her after everything she did. She was my mother, after all.
But my older sister, Megan, thought otherwise. She believed our mom deserved what she got after leaving us behind. She even swore she’d never do the same things that could ruin herself and her future. But it was too early for her to tell…
When Megan started on her apprenticeship, she met a man named Jacob Moore. He was an agent who, without any efforts, caught my sister’s heart. They dated and partied together and I was really happy to see Me
gan enjoying her life. And when the two of them decided to go abroad to explore and start a new life, I was the first person to support them.
And I want to kill myself for doing that…
Jacob and Megan’s relationship were ruined the moment they arrived in Paris. Jacob had a long string of women while my sister worked hard to get by. She was madly in love with the man; she did not have the guts to break up with him even though she knew he was cheating on her.
And then one day, when her modeling contract ended, she had nowhere to go. She couldn’t earn enough money to support Jacob’s requests. Megan was so damned scared that he’d leave her if she didn’t have money and she ended up working in a bar – as a prostitute, ruining herself for the man she loves.
While Jacob enjoyed Megan’s money, she got addicted into drugs that enabled her to swallow her pride and sell her body to men she didn’t know. She got addicted to sex…and eventually lost her sanity when she got pregnant. But instead of staying by her side, Jacob left her. He took away all the money she earned.
But I got it back.
I took everything back from Jacob. And he took his own life because he lost all the money he had stolen. Call me an evil bitch or even witch, I couldn’t care less. But I didn’t feel any guilt when I heard he committed suicide.
My sister died because of him.
It was his entire fault.
Wiping away the tears that were starting to flow down my cheeks, I set the thoughts aside. I just didn’t know why I kept on having these ideas lately. Now that my revenge was almost over, I wanted to be at peace.
Would I ever be at peace?
After playing with bubbles, I closed my eyes and allowed the music to soothe me. A little nap in the bath would be good, I guess…
Chapter 7
Rico
I was heading back to the room where the monitors for the CCTVs were set, when I heard a muffled voice screaming in Clark’s room. I thought she was watching a movie but the screams turned into loud sobbing. It was alarming, so, against my every will, I knocked on her door to check if she was fine. Once, twice, thrice, I knocked loudly – actually banging her door – but there was no answer.
Is she okay?
Without hesitation, I kicked the door, forcefully getting myself inside her white-motif bedroom but there was not a trace of her.
Damn! Was I too late? Have they taken her?
I sighed, having the urge to punch myself in the face to recollect my clattered brain. I’m overreacting. It was impossible for anyone to get in there while they were just downstairs. Looking around, I saw another door at one corner of her room. It was closed and I heard her sobbing again.
She was crying again. Just like the first time I saw her in the hospital.
Not even thinking twice, I found myself rotating the doorknob and went inside the bathroom only to find myself astounded with the sight of her in the tub. The bathroom was dimly lit with nothing but candles. Switching the lights on, I saw Clark submerged in the water as she cried like hell, calling out for her father like a baby. She looked like she was in pain and somehow something inside me didn’t want to see her hurting.
“Maxine,” I muttered, slightly patting her cheeks to wake her up. But instead of regaining consciousness, she shook her head and her sobs went louder. As much as I didn’t want to pry, my curiosity was getting the best of me. I was starting to want to know the reason why she was being like that.
What’s her issue?
“Hey, wake up,” I continued, my hand travelling on her wet shoulders. I squeezed her arm a little as she went on in her trance. She was completely lost in her dreams.
Was she having a nightmare? Or was it because she just missed her father?
“Wake up!” I urged, shaking her shoulders which finally brought her back to reality. She looked around the bathroom and realized that there was proper lighting. Her eyes widened when she saw me and her hands, as if having a mind of their own, quickly moved to cover her bare breasts – hugging herself.
With that gesture, I just realized she was naked. And if it weren’t for the bubbles, her body would be completely exposed. In response, I jerked away from the tub, not breaking my stare. I knew she was going to say I was being a pervert. But I was not there for such thing. I’m not guilty of anything.
“W-W-What are you doing here?” she questioned, her eyes were bulging out of her sockets. I could tell that she was trying her best not to move, to allow the remaining bubbles cover her nudity.
I wanted to scoff. She was acting like some virgin who had never had sex and the idea itself was preposterous. It would be impossible for a woman who had dated a string of eligible bachelors to be untouched. She was known as a notorious gold digger and playgirl, after all.
“I’m not doing anything, Clark,” I responded stiffly, gathering every bit of strength in me to not study her body. But I was bound to be doomed, just the sight of her cleavage made my belly grow hot. I didn’t need to see her whole body because the sight of her being wet in that bubble bath was enough to send unfamiliar lust into me.
Get a grip of yourself, Rico.
She shot me a deadly glare, waiting for an explanation.
“I was walking by the corridor when I heard you screaming and crying. So–”
“Pervert!” she accused, sinking more in the tub as if it would change the fact that I’ve seen most parts of her.
Damn, what am I thinking?
“I am not! And I didn’t have to be one!” I defended myself, taking a step back when she took the bottle of liquid soap from the counter.
“Really? So, that’s why you came in here? That’s why you are still here? Enjoying the view, are we?” she responded sarcastically, throwing the bottle at me. Instead of dodging it, I caught it with my right hand before putting it back on the sink.
I smirked. “Stop acting like a virgin, Clark,” I mocked. “And next time, don’t sleep in your bath. You’re lucky that it was me who saw you.”
She raised a brow. “And why should I be?”
I chuckled dryly. “Because I’m not interested in you – and will never be.”
With that, I saw her grit her teeth. This was probably the first time she had met someone who would not go crazy for her charms – or body. A glint of anger crossed her face before she smiled.
“Well, that’s good to know. Thank you for worrying about me. You can leave now. And be warned, the next time you barge in here, I’ll take out your eyeballs and rip your tongue out off your mouth.”
I raised a brow. “It is my job to keep you alive until the day you appear on the witness stand, Clark. Whether you like it or not, you will see me barging into your precious room if you are not being careful yourself. I don’t care about what you think or say. I promised you, didn’t I? I’ll keep you alive because I don’t break promises.”
Maxine’s eyebrows and the corners of her mouth twitched in fury. To my contentment, I watched her bite her bottom lip before shooting me daggers. And to hell with me, I found her seductive looking like that.
Shit.
She was so sexy, biting her lips like that, submerged in bubbles with her hands on her wet breasts. Fuck it. I cursed quietly when I felt myself starting to get hard. That was the cue for me. I needed to leave before the monster inside me took over.
I needed to get away from the woman who stirs me up like no one has ever done.
“Continue what you’re doing. I’ll see you around,” I spoke, desperately trying my best to sound normal despite the pain that was growing in my belly.
Fuck her.
Marching quickly back to the corridors of the second floor, I released an exasperated sigh. I never liked the way my body reacts to Maxine. She was definitely one sex goddess.
Why am I acting like a famished cow?
My feet took me to the staircase of Clark’s house, leading me to the bedroom where my stuff was placed. When I reached the door of the room, I found m
yself rushing to the bathroom, realizing that I was getting harder and hotter. Fuck the lustful thoughts in me. Fuck Maxine for doing this to. Fuck the world for making me feel this way.
I locked myself in the bathroom for a cold shower, hoping to calm myself and the hard thing below my waist. And if only the water and soap could take away the thirst I was feeling then it would have been better. But it didn’t…
I closed my eyes, groaning when the pain in my belly did not subside. I don’t have a choice, do I? I literally have to fuck myself to let all of this foolish feeling go away. Stroking my meat fast and slow, pictures of Maxine’s nakedness started crossing my mind once more, making me feel hungry for her. I bet it would feel a whole lot better being inside her; have her adjust to my thickness and length; rotating her hips with the help of my hands; kneading her full breasts; licking and kissing her from head to toe. Damn! I would give everything just to have her underneath me right here, right now.
The idea itself made me cum. How much more if it was real?
Groaning in relief, I released myself, exploding like a volcano. I haven’t fucked myself for more than fifteen years. Thanks to Clark, I’m acting like a middle-schooler. I swear, I’m going to have my fill of sex when this case is over.
Pfft. C’mon, you had sex with a woman you met in a bar last week.
Exactly. It was frustrating enough to know that I’m getting more than enough sex. But Maxine was driving me nuts. And I was not supposed to feel this way.
But god, those firm breasts!
Chapter 8
Maxine
I was sitting quietly in the backseat of the vehicle while studying the documents I needed to sign when I got to my office. It was the same van which brought me from the hospital back to my house – heavily tinted and bulletproof. I wanted to roll my eyes to the exaggeration of Rico Miller. But was also pleased with the professionalism his team was dedicating to protect me.
After a week of absence to recuperate from my injury, I was finally going back to work today. I’d got loads of things I needed to catch up with and it would probably take about a week of overtime. The security agency tried to persuade me to stay in a safe house, lot of times. But being the stubborn person that I am, I decided to continue living normally – though it was impossible.