by M. L. Ray
Good for him. That’s what he got for humiliating me. He was acting all high and mighty but in the end he was just another perverted male.
Just like every man you’ve met, my mind cooed. I wanted to disagree but it was stupid. It’s not like I’ve known him well. But I really wanted to get to know him better. I wish I could…not as someone he knew as a play girl and gold digger.
Will he be willing to know you better, too? Maybe he’s just like those pigs you’ve met before. Maybe he’s just interested in you because he wanted to get you to bed – to get into your pants.
Maybe…
But I’m not dropping the tiniest possibility that he is different. Because at the back of my mind, I’m really hoping that he is.
You’re acting like a typical woman. Get a grip of yourself, Maxine. He was just interested in you because he fucking saw you naked. He told you he’s not interested in you, didn’t he? And that he doesn’t mix business with pleasure but he was about to fuck you hard earlier? Wake up!
I closed my eyes to relax. My pussy felt so freaking wet while my ‘alter ego’ contradicted my thoughts about Rico. I didn’t want to think about anything for now. For the first time in ten years, I didn’t want to think about my revenge or men like Congressman Williams. I just wanted to think about Rico…I just wanted to think about how to make him genuinely interested in me – to like me – because for the first time in my life, I was attracted to someone.
And I’m getting him by hook or by crook.
My solitude didn’t last long when I heard the door creak open. I didn’t bother to open my eyes because I was pretty sure it was Rico. Of course, he would never let any one of his subordinates to get closer to me. Now, that I have shown him my interest. Or maybe I was wrong?
“Miss Clark? I’ll be taking over here for now. It seems like Rico is not feeling well,” I heard Jackson speak in a hesitant voice. He was the shyest member of the team – too timid for a man as bulky as he was.
I opened my eyes and gave him a smile. I’m not very sure if it was because I was relieved that I won’t be spending the rest of the day with the man who drives me crazy or because I was able to make him uncomfortable around me. But I was sure of one thing: this time I won. 1 for Clark; 0 for Miller.
“Oh, really? He probably got bored sitting on the sofa,” I replied, then chuckled, fixing my eyeglasses on the bridge of my nose. Jackson shrugged before sitting back on the couch.
“Probably, he never liked staying in one place,” Jackson responded, settling on the same spot where Rico was seated before leaving me behind. The bulky man then picked up the paper and studied the half done crossword puzzle then smiled. He took a pen from his pocket then said, “Or maybe he was annoyed because he couldn’t complete this one.”
Or maybe he was having a hard time releasing himself in the men’s room.
I wanted to laugh at the thought but did my best not to. It would be bothersome if Jackson finds something weird going on.
“Probably,” I replied instead, bouncing my attention back to the papers that were in front of me. How could I forget about the documents I needed to finish today? Fuck Rico Miller for taking too much of my time…for making me horny…for stirring me up.
When lunchtime came, I decided to take a nap in my office. I never get hungry when my mind rambles on things I didn’t like. Jackson excused himself, saying that someone will take his place in a few minutes. I didn’t mind a little moment of solitude. In fact, I needed it. I still couldn’t get used to the idea of having someone follow me around.
It didn’t take too long before I dozed off but my rest was cut short when I felt someone watching me. It was growing intense so I opened my eyes only to see Rico leaning over, his face just an inch away from mine.
“What are you doing?” I barked angrily, feeling a bit embarrassed. Was I drooling? Oh, my god. I usually sleep with my mouth wide open. Did he see me in that position? What in the world!
He shrugged and moved away.
“Watching?” he responded mockingly, removing my eyeglasses before leaning again. “I just want to tell you that I enjoyed the foreplay. We can finish it later if you want,” he whispered, his breath touching my face. I didn’t know if I was dreaming or not but he sounded way too sexy for me to resist.
I wish I could punch you so you’d regain your rationality, said a voice at the back of my mind making me blink. Of course I’m awake.
“What if I don’t want to?” I challenged him, folding my arms on my chest. He was looking at me with such intense lust. And I shivered in fear when I saw his hands turned into a fist. He gritted his teeth and placed my glasses on the table.
Rico smiled at me sweetly. He looked like a boy next door and I couldn’t stop myself from blush. He’s so gorgeous when he flashes that smile.
“I will make you,” he uttered with confidence, while touching my lips with his fingers – the very same fingers which he slid inside of me.
I swallowed hard before opening my mouth but he stopped me from saying anything when his mouth touched the tip of my ear. I held my breath hoping that he could not hear the loud beating of my heart against my rib cage. I was literally freaking out on the inside.
“I’ll make you beg for it, I promise,” he muttered, before leaving me blushing crazily. He lay on the couch without sparing me a glance, making himself comfortable before covering his eyes with an arm. And I was not even able to say a word.
Did he just get back the point I won earlier?
Damn.
Chapter 11
Rico
“You really hate me, don’t you?” Maxine asked out of the blue. I was desperately trying to take a nap on the couch in her office. It was just two in the afternoon and I needed to stay with her until we got back to her house. I wanted to praise myself for being able to hold back from my sexual urges.
But I couldn’t.
What we did was wrong. And I should not have given in to the temptation. I should have stopped having those ridiculous thoughts of her. I should not have let her get into my head. I knew she was just testing me after telling her I was not interested in her. She was just trying play with me to prove that she could tame any man if she wanted to.
She just wanted an ego boost.
I released an exasperated sigh after thinking about the things I said to her earlier. That was stupid of me. I regret telling her that. If she did not tease me then I wouldn’t have to bear all the humiliation to myself.
You were fantasizing about fucking her, remember?
Yeah, I was and I’m not going to deny that. But the fact that I actually tolerated her actions – as well as myself – was the biggest mortification. I broke my code because of some damned woman.
“You don’t even remember if you have met me before or not,” I spoke boringly with my arm still covering my face. I wanted to avoid looking at her as much as possible because I didn’t want to have indecent pictures of us in my mind. I knew it was going to be hard but I had to try.
I needed to keep trying.
“I’m certain that we did,” she replied firmly, making me smirk to myself.
“Oh, really? Can I know when and where?” I challenged.
“Are you expecting complete details from me? Of course, I couldn’t tell. I can barely remember you,” she shouted furiously. Her voice shivered and I could tell that she was fuming with rage.
I chuckled loudly to mock her more.
“You just have a long list of men in your past, Clark, that’s why,” I pointed out as a matter of fact. But I wanted to take it back. I sounded like a jealous ex-boyfriend or something.
I cursed silently. I kept losing my sanity when I’m around this woman. I should move fast and get more evidence to convict Congressman Williams for all of this to end. I couldn’t continue having contact with her or else…
Or else what? You will really end up betraying your best friend and yourself?
Or else I
might actually end up falling for Maxine.
I was attracted to her all this time. I thought it would pass if I would not get close to her. But I was wrong. I did not disappear. It was just sleeping all this time. And now that I’m with her twenty-four hours a day, I’m not sure if I’d finish this job without feeling any attachment.
But you have to. You need to.
“And you’re saying?” her voiced bounced me back to reality.
“That you don’t really remember me. You’re just assuming you do. Why? Because I look familiar and you are interested in me,” I stated in a cold voice. I needed to keep my guard strong. What happened today would be the first and last time.
“Fine. You’re right. I don’t remember you at all. But would you mind telling me why I feel too much indifference from you? Did I do something bad to you? Forgive me for my ignorance but I need enlightenment.”
Fuck her for not remembering me! Fuck her for not remembering Jacob!
I wanted to get mad but warmth enveloped me to the fact that she did not deny about being interested in me. Tiny bolts of electricity travelled down my spine and my lips curved into an impish smile involuntarily.
What the fuck dude! You’re giddy!
“You’re lucky for not being able to remember me,” I murmured softly.
Now, I’m starting to wonder if things would be different if I couldn’t remember her, too. Would it be fine to like her if I didn’t know she was Jacob’s ex-girlfriend? Would it be okay to be with her if I didn’t know she was the reason why my best friend killed himself?
“Now you want to switch places? Thinking about it is killing me. How can I trust you after knowing that you really have something against me?” She sounded impatient.
“I’m just doing my job, Clark. I don’t need your trust and I don’t need to reassure you that you’re safe with me and my team because I’m paid to do this. All I need is to keep your head and make you stand as a witness against Congressman Williams. Just spare yourself from the frustration for not being able to remember me,” I spoke, in a very firm tone.
Nothing would change even if she finds out who I am. I’m still the best friend of the man who lost his life because of her. And she would always be, Maxine Alexandria Clark, a woman who seduces men for money.
“I’m going to find it out. You’ll see,” she muttered, after a deep sigh before slamming the bathroom door at the far end corner of her office. I did not bother looking at her but I kept my senses alert in case something bad happens. I was bound to protect her even if I didn’t want to.
It was my job and I was going to fulfill it no matter what.
Chapter 12
Rico
It has been almost a month since we became Maxine’s bodyguards. And we were slowly getting used to her mood swings. There were days when she could be nice and easy to deal with. But there were also times when her attitude was a complete mess. She would be easily irritated and barked at anyone who tried to talk to her.
She has been vomiting more often, too.
My team discussed her attitude and the more often she did things like these, the more we thought she was pregnant. When I asked her about it yesterday, she screamed for me to get lost and threw a shoe at my head. Mickey and Jackson were worried about her well-being and told me to urge Maxine to get a check-up while the other two refused to comment, believing that everyone has their own issues, which I agreed.
And I as much as I didn’t want to pry, I needed to know about it. I wanted to make sure I would be able to do my job properly. And at the same time, my curiosity was killing me. I wanted to know if she was pregnant or not. But at the back of my mind, I wish she wasn’t. Just thinking about her being with someone else was giving me a headache and I didn’t like the way my chest reacted to it. Just the thought of her being in the arms of those men she dated was driving me crazy. It was stupid of me for feeling uselessly jealous. It was like an invisible hand was squeezing the blood out of my heart.
I didn’t like the idea. Not at all.
Wanting to make sure about it, I asked Calvin to provide me with Maxine’s medical records and if possible to get a little background information about her life. I have a hunch that her vomiting has something to do with her father. Because it’s been more than once or twice that I have seen and heard her crying as she slept, calling out for her father – the same thing when I first saw her in the hospital and in the bathroom.
I’m paused in my tracks when my phone started ringing. It was Calvin.
“Yes?” I spoke over the line. The house was dark and there were only dim lightings in the hallways. Maxine had a firm stand about living ‘normally’ because she didn’t want her neighbors to think that she was bringing ruckus to the community.
I took a gulp from the bottle of water I’m holding with my eyes focused at the end of the corridor. It was where the terrace was located. I could see the moon shining brightly, enticing me to pick up my pace.
“Have you read the documents I sent you?” Calvin asked with urgency.
I furrowed my brows, knowing that something was weird. Calvin was not the type of person who leaves me hanging, but this time I could tell that Maxine’s background was something sensitive.
Maybe she killed someone before? Or robbed? My mind guessed.
But I didn’t think so. She could not have possibly done those kinds of things. She may have been a gold digger but I could tell that she was not a murderer.
“Is something wrong?” I questioned suspiciously. I didn’t like Calvin’s tone and it was starting to make me anxious.
When I heard my cousin release an exasperated sigh that was when I knew it was not something easy to understand. He was probably procrastinating if it would be okay to disclose the information.
“Clark’s medical records have been sent to you,” he spoke in a serious tone. “She was Jacob’s ex-girlfriend. Isn’t that why you were hesitant to accept this job?”
I fell silent. Calvin knew me too well and it would be useless to deny the fact.
“Rico, you probably did not know this but Jacob did not quit being an agent. He was fired by the higher ups after being caught fraternizing with drug lords. He was never sent to jail because he was an elite agent and the mission he was in was top secret,” Calvin added, which almost made me drop the device.
Have I been fooled all this time?
“Go on,” I urged, wanting to hear more details.
“This is the shocking part,” Calvin mumbled, like he would be revealing the most unexpected information of all time. “Maxine was Jacob’s ex-girlfriend’s sister.”
I blinked, slowly absorbing the words I just heard. I was too stunned to react and Calvin could tell with the series of sighs I had been releasing over the line. He, too, was silent. It was too much to take in. Especially for me who had always hated Maxine.
“Are you telling me that Jacob got addicted to drugs? And Maxine and her sister were both his ex-girlfriends? Are all of these a coincidence?” I asked, without sparing a second to pause when the information sank in.
If all I heard were true, have I hated Maxine for no reason? Have I been fooled all this time? Have I been forbidding myself to be close to her because of a mistake?
“It’s hard to tell that it’s a coincidence. Maxine’s sister died after breaking up with Jacob,” Calvin muttered, in a soft tone. He sounded like he was carrying a heavy burden that he needed to release.
“What? Why? What happened?”
“I know. It had goose bumps when I learned about it, too. As much as I want to talk more about it, I think it would be better if you check the documents I sent you. It was like a puzzle and you will slowly learn how and why Clark ended up being like that.”
I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes, gripping my phone with more force. I wanted to scream in order to release my frustration. I was not expecting all of this information to fill me in all at once. It was too big of a revelation to acce
pt immediately.
But I’m sure of one thing: There’s no reason for me to keep on distancing myself from the woman who undoubtedly caught my heart.
With that in mind, I scurried my way back to the room downstairs. Mickey and Timmy were scheduled to keep their guards tonight while the other two stayed in the surveillance room.
The urge to know the details of Jacob’s termination and Maxine’s sister’s death was growing stronger as I descended the staircase. But the urge completely vanished when I ran into Maxine who was about to go back to her room. She stopped at the foot of the staircase and looked up to see me.
“How are things going?” she asked. Her voice shivered and I could tell the tension was starting to get into her nerves. Starting tomorrow, she would be on leave to prepare for the hearing against Congressman Williams. She was scheduled to stand witness in three days.
I met her gaze and despite the dim lighting, I could tell that she’d had another attack. She probably went to the kitchen for a glass of water. She looked tired and it broke my heart seeing her in that condition.
“Everything’s fine,” I said in a reassuring voice. I wanted to hug her, soothe her worries and tell her that she was going to be fine. I wanted her to know that I would always be with her – that I would protect her with my life.
But my goddamned feet wouldn’t move. Was it because of guilt? Yes, I’m charged guilty for hating her all this time without knowing the reality behind Jacob’s story. And I’m guilty for falling in love with the woman I hated.
“Good. Just make sure you keep my head on my shoulders until I appear in the hearing. Good night, Mr Miller,” she stated, walking past me. I could smell the scent of her shampoo and skin. She was smelled so damned good to the point that the hairs on my nape stood needle-straight.
As if having a mind of their own, my hands moved, grabbing her wrist and bringing her into my arms. Her body was against me and I could feel the loud beating her heart against my chest. Wrapping my arms around her petite figure, I embraced her tightly.