"Lol." I stare out the window at the vast yard of greenery. It's really pretty but there's nothing but green. Those gardens need flowers.
"Madam?"
"I need a favor." I glance back at him. He's sitting on the couch on his laptop while I lounge on the window bench.
"Name it." He closes the laptop.
I've been here over two weeks and I've seen Callum twice. I'm not stupid. I don't think he likes this idea. But I won't let him make a fool of me. What's suddenly irking me is something I didn't really care about until I had a conversation with my sister. She was the one to make me realize he didn't want me here. I just thought maybe it was nerves, but he's not a nervous man. Well, I hate to say the realization hurt my feelings. Not that I have feelings toward him. He's incredibly attractive, as well as incredibly stuck up. But either way, I'm marrying him. I can't back out now and I won't let him mock me. I'm not going to play clueless fiancée and wife while he cheats with some whore that doesn't mind texting men full-on, spread eagle nudes. I saw his phone when we walked together the one day he paid me thirty minutes worth of attention. Actually, his attention was on his phone and I was just at his side. A woman named Evelyn was sending him nudes and he had the balls to open them in front of me. Stupid man.
"Who's Evelyn?"
Lol stiffly shifts on the couch to look back at me. "Madam?"
"Cut the shit." I giggle when a pink flush brightens his forehead. That's how I know Lol is uncomfortable.
"Evelyn Schneider is Mr. Carbon's ex-girlfriend."
That makes sense.
"They broke up?"
"Yes." His nod is clipped and he turns his back to me like that's the end of this conversation.
I strut to the couch and plop down. Raising my legs, I drape them over his lap, under his computer. "Lol," I drawl.
Quickly moving the computer, he sets it to the side. "Madam." His focus is on my bare feet and his hands are raised like he's not sure what to do with them.
"Ugh," I groan. "No madam. Come on, we talked about this." I wiggle my feet. "How's your foot massage game?"
With his brows high, he looks at me. "Come again?"
I huff and rub my feet together. "Will you give me a foot massage?"
"I can call a masseuse," he suggests and I roll my eyes.
"My feet gross?" I lift one leg and look at the bottom of my foot. They're clean.
"Of course not." Tentative hands are placed on my flesh and he rubs gently. It's better than nothing.
"Back to Evelyn." I lay my head back and close my eyes.
"Mada—dude." His throat clears and his hands take on more strength, making me groan as I relax. "Perhaps you should ask Mr. Carbon about Evelyn?"
"Ew, no." My eyes pop open and I scowl at him. "Why would I tell my fiancé I saw him looking at her nudes when she texted them over?"
"Oh lord." Quickly standing, he almost flips me off the couch.
"Lol!" I bark. "What's your deal, man? Sit down." I move my legs again.
"Ms. Reif, no offense, I'm not sure what to do in this situation. Mr. Carbon being unfaithful." He fans his face and I chuckle.
"Is not going to happen." Pointing, I say, "Sit," and he does. I like it. "That massage was good. Please don't stop." I shift my feet in his lap until he gasps and grabs them steady. Looking at him, I wince, thinking I turned him on. His eyes are closed and he's holding my feet away from his crotch. Poor Lol. He needs to get laid. "Um, so, this Evelyn bitch." When he exhales a shaky breath of worry I smirk. "I just need you to get me access to his phone."
"Madam Dude?" He cocks his eyebrow and looks at me.
"Come on, Lol. I'm going to marry him, shouldn't I have access to his phone? He has access to my entire life." And doesn't even want it.
"I agree fully, but you should ask him."
"I can't," I mock in a voice like he's dense. "He'll never be like, yes, Ms. Reif, please invade my privacy." I try to mimic his accent, but the bad rendition only makes us laugh. "So I only need it for like five minutes. He won't even know."
"Mag—"
"Lol!" The growl that came from the doorway makes me rip my feet from Lol's lap as if we were doing something we weren't supposed to.
We weren't. Even if I did accidentally rub my foot on his dick and turn him on. Callum is outraged and looks like a damn fool, but Lol is already standing in front of him. When he dismisses Lol, his nasty glare lands on me. Right back at you, cheater.
"Ms. Reif, are you in need of a masseuse?" The accusation in his tone makes me snicker.
"No. Lol was doing fine."
"Lol is not employed to service you in such ways." His red cheeks make him look younger. I wonder how old he is. Each time I ask Lol he tells me to read the paperwork, but I don't care enough.
"Listen, Lol's my friend. If he wants to rub my feet, he's more than welcome."
"Like hell he is." He storms toward me and I wait for this asshole to put his hands on me. I will claw him up like that lion he tried to give me. "Up!" he demands and I shift my legs off the couch. When he sits, I narrow my eyes. "Give me your feet, Ms. Reif." The disgust on his face is what makes me do it. He's dreading this and I love it.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Callum?" I place my feet in his lap, waiting for him to massage bruises into my flesh, but he's gentle. Almost as gentle as Lol was at first.
"What do you mean?" He's so angry I almost start to laugh. He absolutely hates this and probably hates he has to be in here with me right now.
"The pleasure of my fiancé actually spending time with me."
"Please, Ms. Reif, let's not get dramatic."
"Mmhm." I close my eyes and focus on the massage.
The idea to get a foot massage from Lol was out of boredom. I want a connection with someone. I'm alone here, except for Lol and few other staff members, and I'm bored out of my damn mind.
"Callum."
His massage is getting better but I don't want to ruin this by opening my eyes and seeing the scowl on his face, so I keep them closed.
"Ms. Reif," is his response. Stupid idiot.
"My name's Mag." I shift a little when his hand hits a spot that is relaxing my entire body.
"I know."
I roll my eyes behind my closed lids. "Can we get flowers? Out front. In the garden or something?"
"As you wish." His kneading hands press a spot that makes pleasure travel all the way up between my legs and I let out an accidental moan. What ever nerve he hit was a direct link to a nerve right where it counts to make the tingling happen. Hopefully he'll just think the massage is good.
"I like hydrangeas. Blue, pink, purple. They're beautiful." Not meaning to, I arch a little when that feeling continues zapping at my junction and I exhale a shaky breath.
"Speak to Lol." The tone of his voice has changed, as if he knows the massage is affecting more than my feet.
I almost chance a look but I don't want him to stop. This is the first time we're bonding and I don't want to scare him away. I have to marry this man, we need a sexual draw. I have one toward him. Who wouldn't at first? He's extremely attractive. It's his attitude that makes him less attractive.
"I'm speaking to you. Can't you make it happen? Can we communicate as if this is an agreement we both need to make?" I open my eyes.
His gaze moves from my face and is on my feet once again. "When will you change your hair? That's something we need to agree upon."
My lids close as I roll my eyes and he moves to the other foot, going right for the area that makes me moan. Except this time I gasp.
"I'll change it," I murmur and a moan slips. "Callum," his name breathes from me like he's doing way more than massaging my feet.
My left foot is no longer being worked over and is close to his crotch. I'm curious if this is doing anything for him. Does he really hate my presence so much he can't sense the erotic pleasure in this massage? Shifting my foot slightly, I bite my lip to hide my victorious grin as it rubs against his erection.
"Thank you for agreeing to change your hair," he says quietly and clears his throat.
"Don't stop," I moan and let my fingers slide over the small sliver of exposed flesh on my lower stomach.
"Where would you like the gardens?" he asks and I almost open my eyes but decide against it. His voice is heavy, and I know he's enjoying this. I don't want it to stop yet.
"I'd like to go out front and explore. I haven't been outside since I've been here."
His hands still and I crack one eyelid open. He's glaring at me like that's the rudest thing he's ever heard.
"Callum," I whisper, "don't stop." I move my feet and my left rubs against his erection again.
"Ms. Reif," he groans quietly so I do it again.
We've got a good rhythm going now. He kneads and I rub. The fact the man's finally letting me close has me on the brink of finding orgasm just from a foot massage. And the fact his dick is hard for me and he's allowing me to touch it…with my foot, well it's enough.
"Fuck, Callum," I moan and dip my fingers into the front of my shorts, but not far enough before his cellphone rings and he jumps off the couch like a scared cat.
"Good Christ," he sneers.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he looks at the screen and I almost push my fingers into my underwear anyway. The look on his face when his gaze finds mine makes me shrink and remember he doesn't want me here. That is not a look as if the man enjoyed what we were doing.
"See Lol about the garden," he snarls at me as he leaves like a funnel cloud.
"Maybe I should see Lol for more than that," I grumble, not really meaning it. But I think poor Lol might have a crush on me. I'm not sure why. He has a girlfriend, but at least he pays me attention.
"Madam Dude?" The frantic knocking at my door makes me open my eyes. "Mag, let me in, please," Lol says as if it's life or death.
I jump out of bed and yank open the door.
"Mag!" he blurts and blocks his eyes.
Looking down, my tit is out on one side of my tank top and I quickly shift my shirt. "It's a tit. Simmer down. What's wrong?" I search him for injury or something.
Closing the door, he turns around and leans against it, his eyes close as he heaves in a deep breath. His hands are pressed against his chest but as he lowers them, he's holding a cellphone. It takes me a minute to realize whose phone it is and then I grin. I asked him three days ago for this favor. Also haven't seen Callum in three days, but no surprise.
"Lol, you dirty little sneak." With a giggle and bounce, I grab the phone. "How'd you get it?"
"Please just be quick, Madam Dude." The panic in his voice makes me feel bad, but not bad enough.
I jump onto my bed and light up the screen, faced with a lock.
"Nine, zero, nine, zero," he blurts and I punch it in, unlocking Callum Carbon's phone.
How exciting.
There is no backdrop to his phone. Boring crab. Just a gray background.
"What's that? Evelyn's birthday or something?" I snicker and click his text messages.
"No, it's his favorite number." When I look up confused, he explains, "The number nine. The zeros are filler."
"Nine is my future husband's favorite number," I mutter as I open Evelyn's texts.
"When you said you see Callum as graphite, did you mean that?"
I look up at him before I start reading. "Yeah. Graphite is really pretty, ya know? It sparkles but it's dark. That's how I picture Callum. Pretty but dark." When I don't get a response, I look at the phone again.
There isn't a ton of texts between them, but way more than there should be and countless pictures. Not just nudes, but of her overly beautiful face, and that actually makes me jealous. I have no feelings for Callum but I'm trying. I have to freaking marry him. I'm trying to like the man but he makes it damn hard. Especially seeing this. The pictures of her face make me more jealous because she is beautiful. And obviously we have nothing in common.
"Who is this girl? A model or something?" I joke.
"Actually." I look up in time to see Lol wince. "She's a supermodel."
"Aw hell no," I grumble and furiously pound out a text.
"Mag…M-Mag. What are you doing?" He rushes toward me.
"Telling this bitch to lay off my fiancé," I snarl and hit send before he can stop me.
"Magdelena," he breathes like I sent a death threat to the president or something. Taking the phone, he starts to giggle. "Oh, Mag." Our eyes meet and I grin. "You know, she's inept enough to believe this. Oh!" He hands the phone back and plops next to me. "She's responding." He points to the bubble at the bottom of the screen.
Evelyn: Blocked and deleted
I tilt the phone toward him and we both burst into giggles. I read over what I sent her once more, just to feel satisfaction.
Cal: It has come to my attention you've been texting MY fiancé nude photographs. You can't be too stupid to realize the man is engaged and why you broke up. I'll only ask you once to stop before these photographs hit the internet and I have you arrested for treason. That is a hefty crime in our country and you will be beheaded for infidelity. This is my one and only warning. -Magdelena Carbon-
I'm satisfied. The claims are grossly bogus, but I feel better.
Cal: Good
When the text comes back as undeliverable, I laugh so loud it echoes.
"Stupid bitch. Now let's delete this." I wince at Lol before deleting the exchange.
When I scroll up a little and stop on a picture of the beautiful model's face, my mouth drops at Callum's response: I need those lips wrapped around me.
He needs those lips punched. I'm not hurt because I have feelings for Callum, but he's betrayed me. I understand our circumstances are jacked up. I didn't ask for this either, but I can be civil. Why can't he? And why has he avoided me for three days since we shared that moment in the Great Room? He hasn't texted her since, but that doesn't mean he'll stop. Clearly.
"I wouldn't stop you if you deleted their entire exchange and delete those monstrous pictures from his phone." Lol smiles softly at me when he catches my frown.
"She's not monstrous, Lol. She's drop dead gorgeous." Going to his call log, I see it was her phone call that disrupted Callum and me that day. It annoys me to no end that bitch was why we had to stop what probably would have ended really well for both of us. "What?" I look at Lol, missing what he said.
"I said you're gorgeous. Her beauty is caused by makeup, you have real beauty."
"I wear makeup too." I look at the phone and open Callum's pictures.
"I've seen you without it. You're beautiful, Mag." The tenderness in Lol's voice makes me look up. "I apologize. I've over spoke."
Offering him a weak smile, I hand him the phone back, no longer interested in more disappointment. "Thank you. I owe you."
"Did you accomplish what you'd hoped?" Standing from the bed, he moves toward the door.
Do I really feel better? Thinking about her response, I smirk and nod. Yeah, I do feel better.
"Now I just hope Callum stops." I shrug and suddenly realize I don't feel better. It's not just the bitch's fault. It's Callum's too.
"You could always confront him. Communication is key."
"I don't think it is in these circumstances." I lie back on my bed and stare at the mural on the ceiling.
"What circumstances? You're engaged."
"But neither of us want to be." It's a white lie. I don't mind the engagement. Like I said before, I had a life headed nowhere. I've been looking forward to this adventure, but Callum makes it less and less appealing.
Pleased with my new hair color, I stalk the house on the hunt for Callum, wanting to show him I listened to his request and dyed my hair.
"Callum?" I sing as I wander the empty halls.
It feels like miles before I make it to the side of the house where I know his office is.
"Callum?" I knock, pushing open the door, not particularly caring if he's got company. I'm marrying the man.
But he's not in his office. Slipping inside, I look around. He's so boring. Stopping at the mirror on the wall, I smile at my lilac hair, knowing how much he'll love it. Not that he’ll see it. I probably won't even see him at our wedding. It's been a week and a half since the day in the Great Room and I haven't seen or heard from him. I've eaten with Lol and some of the staff, but I haven't even heard Callum's voice. This shit's getting old. I'm starting to feel like a prisoner and this is no longer an experience.
I have a fitting in a few days so my wedding dress can be made and I was looking forward to it until I realized how stupid all of this is. My own fiancé won't face me and I'm tired of it.
"Lol!" I roar, roaming with anger. "Lol?" I bark, unable to find anyone today.
Hearing voices, I storm through a closed door, ready to let Callum have it, or demand Lol to get me in contact with him. Instead, I get pounced on. As I scream bloody murder, a wide wet tongue enters my mouth, going down my throat making me gag. The sandpaper tongue goes up my nostril before it licks my eyes. Finally the animal is pulled off and I shimmy back until I hit a wall, trying my damnedest not to scream. My gift is being wrangled from killing me. Jumping up, I bolt for the door but the cat takes me to the ground and this time its claws penetrate my back. I shriek in pain before I burst into tears, thinking I'm going to die.
"Ms. Reif, please don't run!" a voice demands like I can go anywhere with the heavy animal on my back.
It's not eating me though, it's licking me.
"Please!" I beg. "Please don't let it kill me!"
"Calm down, you're making him nervous," the woman demands and the cat is removed from my back.
"Please keep it back," I cry, terrified to move.
"Ms. Reif." The woman sighs. "Come on. Up."
Peeking open my eyes, I slowly look at the pair of boots that are next to my head. Shifting my gaze up, her hand is waiting for mine.
"Where is it?" I tremble.
"I've caged him." Her hand shakes, waiting for mine.
I hesitantly take it and get pulled to my feet. Huddling close to her, I look around until I find the beast in a large cage, cleaning its paws. Probably licking my blood from its nails.
"You're bleeding," the annoyed woman says and I bring a glower to her. "Don't look at me like that! You burst in here uninvited! I'm training the cat." She gestures like I should have known.
"Let it back out into the wild," I snivel.
"He's not a wild cat." She laughs at me. "Let's get you cleaned up." Her hand pushes at my back and she leads me to a different door than the one I burst through. I don't know who she is, but she knows me and I feel stupid.
"Who are you? The grounds animal trainer?"
"Not exactly. But I have a gift with animals." She chuckles and I look over at the young woman, wondering if Callum says things like 'I need those lips wrapped around me' to her too. "I'm Gee Carbon." She extends her hand and when I move my arm, a sting runs over my shoulder where the cat clawed me.
"You're a Carbon?" I rub my shoulder and hiss.
"I'm Callum's aunt. Lol called and asked me to train the cat because he didn't have the heart to get rid of it."
"Where are you from? Not here," I say as if I'm telling her.
"No." She chuckles. "Arms up." With a gesture, she stares me in the eyes until I do it. "I live in Australia, but I flew back for the cat and because there's going to be a wedding soon." A soft smile meets her eyes and I roll mine and snicker. "Right?"
"Hmm?" I mutter, trying to see the scratches in the mirror of the bathroom she brought me into.
"You don't seem happy to be marrying my nephew."
Pausing, I look at her reflection, wondering if she knows the truth. Lol told me not to talk about the circumstances of why we're getting married, but she's family, surely she knows.
"I haven't seen your nephew in over a week." Keeping my expression neutral, I look at myself again.
"He's been in the states. Why don't you know that?"
My eyes meet hers in the mirror and the pity on her face makes me quickly mask my sadness. He went to the states and didn't tell me or offer to bring me with. I could have gone to see my sister and mom.
"I think it'll be fine." I reach for my shirt in her hand but she tosses it to the counter.
"Let me disinfect it." While she tends to the scratches that feel worse than they look, I keep my head dropped.
He hates me enough to keep me away from my family.
"Have you gone riding?"
"Riding what?" I glance at her. She's young, doesn't look old enough to be an aunt, but I don't really know much about their family lineage.
"The horses." With a confused chuckle she meets my gaze. "Are you not Magdelena Reif?" She takes a step back and I spin to face her.
"Who else would I be?" I eye her curiously.
"You've been here some time and…forgive me, but you just seem a little estranged." Finally her accent matches Callum's.
I haven't done or seen shit since I've been here. TV and magazines have kept me busy. Sometimes Lol plays a card game with me, but I am really living the life of a high-end prisoner.
"Sorry, it was the cat." My shaking head drops to avoid her concerned eyes.
"Would you like to go riding? I've trained those horses and they're doing much better than the cat." She laughs and with a smile, I look at her. "It's really a lovely animal."
"I'll take your word on it. I don't like cats." I shudder. "But I'd like to go riding." Knowing nothing about horses, I'm nervous, but more excited because it's finally some adventure.
Wearing a soothing smile, she reaches out and touches my hair. "Such an odd match." Her Australian accent is back. "I'm not sure what you see in him." Laughing a carefree laugh, I follow suit and walk behind her.
I expected the confusion to be the other way around. What Callum Carbon would see in me is the question people probably wonder. And the answer is nothing, but they can't know that.
Tucking against the wall, I try to sneak out with my life but Gee laughs hard and grabs my arm. "The cat isn't going to hurt you. He's a kitten."
I snort in disagreement. He's a huge cat. It's not even a normal house cat. This is much bigger. Not big enough to be a bobcat, but he looks like one.
"Trust me. He's just playful and curious." Dragging me toward the cage, I dig my heels into the floor.
"Please, no," I practically beg.
"Magdelena, please, the cat's in a cage. He can't hurt you and I wouldn't let him. He's your cat. Stop denying him. Animals feel abandonment."
"I didn't abandon this animal," I protest. "I never wanted it."
"He's beautiful," she sighs like she's in love with the thing.
Good, she can have it!
Before I realize it, she's guiding my hand to pet the purring cat. Not until I feel his whiskers rub against my hand do I come to from staring at his face. I try to yank back and the cat startles, making me yelp.
"Oh god," Gee says in disappointment, "Looks like I need to train you too."
"Hey! I'm not an animal."
"No, you're a sissy." Her lighthearted laugh makes me give in to my own.
"I've always been afraid of cats." I look at the caged animal feeling bad it has to be locked away.
"I'm guessing you were bitten or scratched before. Well, it happens, but they're beautiful."
Not actually knowing why I'm afraid of cats I stare at the thing. "Cage," I whisper.
"Hmm?" Gee asks, looking from the cat to me.
"Can I name him? Has he already been named?" It's technically my cat, I should be able to name him even if I don't want him.
"Oh, no. Go ahead."
"Cage." Because I'm feeling just like this cat right now. Stuck in a cage. We're both surrounded by beauty but neither of us are free.
"Cage it is. Hear that, sir?" She reaches her hand between the bars and pets behind his ear. "Your name's Cage. Much better than cat."
"I'll step outside into the hall, then will you let him out?" I don't want him to be forced to stay in that cage all day.
The smile she gives me before she nods makes me stare at her for a moment. I think she knows I've warmed up to the poor animal. Only a smidgen.