by Polly Carter
“Pearl,” he said sternly. She glanced up, then quickly down. “Come on. Eat your dinner.”
She raised her head and wriggled bashfully as she opened her mouth so he could push the spoon in.
“Good girl,” he said, watching her chew. “Do you want to eat the rest yourself, or shall I feed you?”
I want you to feed me. Pearl took the spoon from him. “I can feed myself,” she said, scooping up a small amount and putting it gingerly into her mouth. She chewed it and swallowed and put her spoon down. “I can’t eat another bite. Honestly. I’m so full.”
Marcus regarded her sternly and she thought he was cross, but then he smiled and her heart skipped with happiness.
“All right. Just one more mouthful of vegetables, and we can take the rest with us. I’m a bit concerned about you not eating properly, though. I will keep an eye on you. You don’t have an eating disorder, do you? I’m not going to disappear if you do,” he added quickly, “but it would be better if I know about it.”
Pearl shook her head vigorously. “No. Promise. I usually eat plenty. I’m just not hungry.” She quickly took another spoonful of food and ate it as quickly as she could, wishing her throat didn’t feel so constricted. It was making it difficult to swallow.
“All right.” Marcus said. “I don’t want you to be sick.” He called the waiter over and organised to take the leftovers with them.
Chapter 6
Marcus
Marcus paid the bill and escorted Pearl to his car feeling well pleased with the evening’s events. He’d had no trouble finding her, she was as captivating and heart melting as he’d remembered, and she seemed as keen on him as he was on her. He smiled to himself remembering their conversation about previous relationships and sexual experience. She hadn’t exactly said she was a virgin, but it sounded like she was or at least very inexperienced. He wouldn’t have minded at all if she hadn’t been, but she was so endearing the way she’d told him the story, and he would have to remember to go slowly and be gentle. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt or scare her.
He was particularly captivated by the way she seemed to automatically defer to him in so many situations. She was by no means incapable of taking care of herself; she’d proved that when she’d moved to the city, found and held down a job and lived alone. But she was more complex than that, he could feel it.
Watching her open her mouth when he’d told her to so he could feed her, and then feeding herself when he’d told her to had aroused both his heart and his cock. He loved the way she obeyed him. He’d been testing what she would do if he asked, but hadn’t pushed too hard; it was too public and too early in their relationship, but he was more certain than ever that he wanted to have a relationship with her and more determined than ever to be careful not to frighten her away.
They didn’t speak in the car, both lost in their own thoughts, then Pearl broke the silence as they neared their destination.
“Are you going home tonight? Or would you like to stay?” she asked breathlessly, inspecting her finger. “You can get a bed in town if you don’t want to stay at our place, but we have a guest room you can use. I understand if you’d rather stay somewhere else though,” she added quickly.
“Could I stay at yours?” He’d been trying to decide whether to try and find a bed in town or drive home. Staying at Pearl’s was by far his preferred option even though he’d not considered inviting himself. “I’d rather not drive home tonight. Are you sure your folks won’t mind?”
“They won’t mind at all,” she replied. “You saw Mum. She loves having people around to fuss over. As long as you don’t mind that. And you haven’t met Dad yet. He was outside when you came, but he loves having someone to have a good yarn with.”
“Your mum certainly made me feel welcome, so if you reckon your dad will be okay, it sounds great.”
“Come on, then,” Pearl said as he brought the car to a stop outside the farmhouse. “We’ll go and ask, but the answer will be yes.”
Rusty, a black and white border collie dog, who’d still been out and about with his master when Marcus had arrived before, met them at the door, wagging his tail at Pearl and half raising his hackles and sniffing suspiciously when he saw a stranger.
“It’s all right, Rusty,” Pearl said. “Ignore him,” she added to Marcus. “He’s friendly really but he likes five minutes to pretend he’s not. Come in.”
As they entered the kitchen where Jack and Mary were chatting after dinner, Jack with a beer and Mary with a cup of tea, Marcus was once again struck by the warm, friendly, relaxed feel, so different to the starched atmosphere at his mother’s house. Mary greeted them as they entered, and Jack stood up to be introduced. Marcus guessed he was late fifties. Like his wife and daughter, Jack was below average height. His hair was thinning on top and greying around the edges, and his skin showed the effects of a lifetime working outdoors. A few creases in his brow suggested he might not always have been free from worry, but there was a friendly twinkle in his eyes.
“Dad, this is Marcus Holding. Marcus, my dad, Jack Sinclair.”
Marcus shook hands with Jack and immediately liked his firm, friendly grip and direct gaze as he said, “Pleased to meet you, Marcus. Pull up a chair. You might have to bring that one over,” he added pointing to another chair. “I’m afraid this one is Moppy’s personal throne.” He bent and stroked a large ginger cat curled up on the chair at the end of the table. Moppy’s only response was a brief deep purr. “Beer?” Jack offered Marcus.
“I’d like a beer. Thanks,” Marcus said, putting the bag of leftover food he’d brought from the car onto the table and fetching the chair. Pearl had seated herself on the other side of the table next to her mother.
“How was it?” Mary asked.
“Excellent,” Marcus said enthusiastically. “I like Chinese food and I reckon that was as good as I’ve had anywhere. We couldn’t eat it all, so we brought the rest for you. If you’d like it.”
Mary took the bag he pushed over to her, and licked her lips. “Oh, yum! Thank you! We can have this for lunch tomorrow… if you’re sure you don’t want to take it with you.”
“I’m sure. Please, you keep it.”
“Well, thank you again. We’re pretty big fans, aren’t we, love?”
“We are that,” Jack replied handing Marcus a beer he’d fetched from the fridge. “It’s a good cheap feed when we can’t be bothered cooking, or if we feel like getting out of the house of an evening for a change. Not that that happens much.”
Mary laughed. “No, generally we’d rather just put our feet up at the end of the day.”
“Oh, Mum,” Pearl said, suddenly remembering. “Would it be okay if Marcus uses the spare room so he doesn’t have to drive in the dark?”
“Of course,” Mary said warmly. “There’s clean linen on the bed, and it’s all made up. Did you bring a bag or anything? I’m sure we can find anything you need.”
“Thank you,” Marcus replied gratefully. “I really appreciate the bed, but I have everything else. I brought an overnight bag in case. I’ll fetch it in.”
“Bring your beer and come have a gander at the cars in the shed as well, eh?” Jack said getting up. “You like vintage cars?”
“Sure do. What have you got?” Marcus asked as he followed him out.
The two men disappeared, Jack telling him proudly about the two old cars he was restoring, bit by bit whenever he had spare cash or came across a part he couldn’t pass up.
When the men returned, Marcus found Pearl in the spare room, a duster in her hand, a clean towel, face cloth and soap on the bed.
“Is this okay?” Pearl asked. “Do you need anything else?”
“It’s perfect,” Marcus said, putting his bag down. “I can honestly say there’s no room in the world I would rather be sleeping in tonight.” Except maybe yours. “Are you tired?” he asked not ready to say goodnight to her yet. “Would you like to go for a walk outside? It’s quite bright out there
. I think the moon is full tonight.”
“Yes,” she replied, so eagerly he wanted to grab her and kiss her right there, but didn’t. They would share their first kiss under the moonlight, he’d decided.
The night air was cool without being cold. Pearl had her cardigan on and Marcus had a jacket over his shirt. Once their eyes had adjusted, they could see quite well as they wandered around the garden and along the orchard fences. Marcus slipped an arm around her shoulders while they were walking and felt a tingle of excitement as she leant against him. With the moon in full view, he stopped to enjoy the quiet, broken only by the symphony of the cicadas, the call of a hunting owl, and the occasional bark of a dog in the distance which caused Rusty, who had accompanied them, to raise a half-interested ear.
“It’s magic,” he said softly, stopping to admire her, her hair and eyes shining in the moonlight. “It’s so much more beautiful than in the city. The sound of nature instead of traffic. And a sky filled with stars. Must be a billion at least! And look how bright and shiny the moon is.”
She gazed up at the moon and nodded. He could feel her leaning lightly against him, waiting, compliant, in his power. He bent his head and brushed her lips with his. He felt her tremble and caught her to him so she couldn’t fall. She felt so small and vulnerable as she hesitantly returned his kiss. Keeping his arms around her, he leaned back so he could see her face.
“Do you like me kissing you, Pearl?” he asked. She nodded but wouldn’t look at him. “Look at me.” She watched her foot as it poked at the ground. “Pearl?” She wriggled and her foot poked harder. “Pearl!” This time she looked up, slowly, her eyes darting away the moment they connected with his. He kissed her again, then released her with a chuckle and a muttered, “Naughty girl. Are you shy?” He took her hand in his and led her toward the outbuildings near the house.
She shivered as a cool evening breeze picked up, and he stopped, took off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. Holding the inside of it, she pulled the jacket together across her chest, and Marcus put his arm around her. “Come in here for a moment. Out of the breeze,” he said, leading her into a shed. Moonlight was pouring in through the window giving them enough light to see each other and so they wouldn’t trip over anything. Marcus found a flat surface he could sit on and pulled her onto his lap. She snuggled against him laying her head on his chest, once again arousing both his heart and his cock. He closed his eyes savouring the feeling of being, for this brief moment, utterly complete.
“Hey, baby,” he whispered. She raised her head enough so he could kiss her. Her lips were as soft and sweet as an old-fashioned flummery dessert. He pulled her close against him as his lips roamed over hers, and gradually he felt her moving her mouth against his. He pressed her lips with his tongue, and she opened hers, hesitantly at first but with growing confidence. He loved how she fitted perfectly into his lap. The kiss ended and she nestled her head on his shoulder.
“What is this shed?” he asked, peering around at the shapes visible in the semi-darkness. “It’s not a woodshed, is it? Did you get spanked in here when you were a little girl?”
She wriggled and he heard a small muffled giggle as she shook her head.
“No?” he asked, grinning in the dark. She hadn’t recoiled in horror. She’d giggled.
“No.” She giggled louder.
“Come on, then,” he said, gently stroking the nape of her neck. “We’d better go in. Your parents will be wondering where you are. It’s getting late and time you were in bed. And I don’t want your dad coming after me with a shotgun the first time I meet him.”
This time she didn’t stifle a fit of giggles as she jumped off his lap. He kissed her one last time, snuggled her against him with his arm around her and walked her to the house, only releasing her as they went inside. Mary smiled at them as they entered the kitchen and spoke to Marcus.
“I’m off to bed, but wanted to check you have everything you need first.”
“Yes, thank you, Mary. I’m sure I shall be very comfortable. I think Pearl’s going to bed, too.”
“Yes,” Pearl replied, aware of three pairs of eyes on her. “Goodnight, everyone.”
“Would you like another beer before you turn in?” Jack asked Marcus, who rightly guessed Pearl’s father was keen to find out who this man was who had come calling on his daughter.
“If you’re having one, yes. Thanks. I’d be pleased to join you.”
Jack fetched two open beers and handed one to Marcus. “Cheers,” Marcus offered once Jack had sat down opposite him at the kitchen table. Both men raised their bottles and then took a swig.
“So, I can’t say I remember Pearl mentioning you,” Jack began. “Have you known each other long?”
Marcus settled in for a long chat and it was well past midnight before the two men shook hands with mutual respect and liking and headed off to their respective beds.
Chapter 7
Pearl
After she’d walked Marcus to his car the next morning and he’d kissed her goodbye and promised to be in touch, Pearl went inside to find her mother waiting for her, a big smile on her face.
“Marcus seems lovely,” she said. “And he seems to be quite taken with you.”
“He is lovely, isn’t he?” Pearl replied as she hugged her mother, even happier, if that were possible, that her mother obviously liked Marcus too. “I can’t believe he came to see me.”
“Were you not expecting him at all?”
“No! We only met that once when he came in to Mon Addi and then I got fired the next day and I hadn’t heard from him or seen him since. I honestly had no idea he’d even noticed me, let alone that he would come all the way here to see me. I’m glad he did, though,” she added swinging from side to side looking at her feet to hide a wide, irrepressibly joyful, ear-to-ear grin.
“Did he say why he suddenly turned up?”
Pearl regained some control of her face. “He said he had to go out of town on business the day after we met and was away until the day before yesterday. He went to Mon Addi yesterday afternoon, found out I was here and,” she said, clapping her hands together, “came straight here.”
“Gosh! It sounds like he really wanted to see you, then.”
Pearl wrapped her arms around her middle and squeezed. “I know. I can’t believe it. He’s so gorgeous and his family is fabulously wealthy so I never thought for a moment he would even notice me. Oh, Mum, I’m so happy.”
“And I’m happy for you too, darling. He seems so nice and down-to-earth for someone with so much money. He’s not at all snobby, is he? I mean, you’d never guess just from looking at him and talking to him.”
“Apart from his fancy car,” Pearl said, giggling and wriggling. “And, oh Mum, he’s going to try and get me my old job at Mon Addi.”
“Is he?” Mary’s eyes widened in surprise. “Can he?”
Pearl shrugged. “He said his company is Mon Addi’s top customer; Mon Addi gives discounts not only to the company but to the staff, too, so lots of them shop there. Mon Addi would lose a lot of business if they all decided to go elsewhere. That wouldn’t look good for Marcie.”
“It would serve her right! Would you want to work there again, though, after what she did to you? And where would you live? Is the apartment you had before still available, do you think?”
A small frown creased Pearl’s brow. “I don’t know. It might have already been re-let. I could try, though.” Her face cleared. “But Marcus said he would make sure Marcie treats me properly and that he’ll help me find a flat. How will you and Dad manage here without me?”
“We’ll manage like we always do,” her mother told her firmly. “If you want to work in a jewellery store in the city, that’s what you must do. That’s been your dream since, well, forever, I suppose. If you’ve got the opportunity, you should take it. Now I must get on, but I am happy for you, darling. And so far I like Marcus very much.”
As Pearl started helping her father arou
nd the farm, she wondered if she would ever hear from Marcus. But then, less than two hours later, he sent her a text: I’ve stopped for petrol. Thinking of you xx. Her heart flipped; she’d been half expecting to wake up and find she’d dreamt the whole thing: his visit to the farm, having dinner with him, his feeding her, their walk in the moonlight, and him kissing her as she sat on his lap. When she’d relived it all in her mind after he left, it had seemed impossible that it could actually have happened, and yet here was a text from him the minute he could send one. Thinking of you xx. Her lips tingled as she looked at the kisses on the end of his message, and her fingers trembled as she replied: Thinking of you too xx (blushing smiley face emoji).
From then on, he contacted her multiple times a day, sending her ‘Good morning’ and ‘Good night’ texts, and ones during the day if anything interesting happened like when the woman in front of him in the cafe queue had a tiny, teacup dog in her handbag and it growled at him, or when he got a flat tyre and had to change it in the rain.
He rang her every evening as well and they chatted about nothing much. Then on Friday evening he told her he’d been to see her old boss, Marcie Jones, earlier that day.
“What did you say? What did she say?” Pearl asked, anxious that Marcie might still be claiming Pearl had taken the brooch. Marcus dispelled her fear immediately.
“Don’t worry. She’s admitted knowing you didn’t steal anything, and has agreed to rehire you. Leah, the assistant she had before you, has been helping while Marcie was going through the recruitment process to replace you, but she doesn’t want to stay, so the sooner you start the better. If that’s what you want. You mustn’t feel pressured either way, though. It’s your choice.”
“I do want to go. I do,” Pearl said jumping up and down so Marcus could barely hear her.