My Billionaire Stranger (15 page)

“What is a house of this size called, it seems wrong to merely call it a house?” I ask him, craning my neck and shading my eyes with my hand to look at one of the towers.

“A manor is probably most accurate I suppose,” he answers.

“The Castillo Manor then,” I murmur. 

“Sure, but if you need a name to call it, you could just call it home, you know,” he says, blatant about his desire to have me living under the same roof with him. Honestly, the idea is starting to sound more appealing to me. I can’t imagine tearing myself away from him for a second. That can’t be healthy, moving in here may be setting myself up for a world of pain, I’d have to leave at some point, when he didn’t need a nurse anymore, wouldn’t I? Yes, I need to force myself to put distance between us until we know if this side of him is permanent, for my own good.

“I still have a home, I promised to stay and I will while I’m needed.”

Knowing this isn’t what he wants to hear, I mentally cringe and wait for the argument about to ensue. Stopping next to his bed, he turns to face me and captures my eyes, saying very deliberately,  “You’re needed here
all
the time, and I can’t imagine a time when you won’t be.” Sitting down on the edge of the bed and swinging his casted leg onto the pillows left there this morning, he nudges his crutches toward me to take, since I’m speechless again, I go about helping him as if he hadn’t said words that melted my heart and made my knees weak. “When do you think they will have the results of the MRI?” he asks.

I insisted on leaving the hospital before the results were back. It had been a long full day, and I could tell he was worn out.

“I’ll call right now and see if I can find anything out.”

“No. Sit.” He pats the mattress on the inside of the bed next to him. I round the bed and crawl across to him and he tucks me under his arm. I lay my head on his warm, smooth, hard chest and sigh, listening to the steady beat of his heart. I inhale his unique combination of scents, could there be a better place to be? I answer that in my mind,
hell no
!  He reaches across my head and removes the rubber band that’s holding my hair up, shaking it loose and tangling the fingers of his other hand in it. “I love your hair, I’ve never known a women with hair as long as yours.” My hair is pretty long; not intentionally really, I’m just lazy about having it cut.

“It needs cutting.” 

“No. Leave it,” he insists, and takes my chin in his hand to tilt my face up to his. “Imani, I really do want you to stay here with me, and I won’t take no for an answer.” Well shit! He turns me to mush with his compliments and then goes in for the kill, the master manipulator in action; if he smirks I’m finished.

“Well I can’t help you with that one, I’m going home tonight to sleep, but I’ll be back first thing in the morning.” I need to start now with a little distance before I risk having my heart shattered into a million pieces. His eyes search mine, so close that I can see a ring of purple around his pupils surrounded by the brightest green I’ve ever seen in a person’s eyes, except for maybe in magazines or Internet photographs that have been Photo shopped to look this way. But never face to face. They’re beautiful and penetrating, as though he can see right through me. I have to look away before he hypnotizes me into staying right here forever.

“How about another compromise, you stay with me all the time for a week, just so I can get accustomed to getting around on crutches. And then we can reassess the situation.” With the heat of his body against mine, nestled in his arms and with his hand massaging my scalp, stroking my hair I am utterly at his will, I concede.

“A week, and that’s it, I go back to twelve hour days, or evenings whatever is better for you.”

“Deal.”

What a sucker Imani, he knew exactly what he was doing here and you totally fell for it, as usual.  got what he wanted, if only temporarily.
I feel his body relax immediately, and after a short time his soft breathing indicates that he’s sleeping, I closed my eyes and nap away the afternoon in his arms.  This nursing job is such a sham.

Chapter 19

“Imani...Imani…your phone.” I open my eyes to a dark room wrapped in Marcus’s arms, my phone vibrating in the pocket of my jeans.
How long did we sleep?
He releases me from his side as I lift my hips up to get my phone.

“Hello?” I answer, while whispering to Marcus that I’m sorry I’ve woken him up. “It’s the hospital,” I tell him, covering the phone briefly so as not to interrupt the person on the other end of the line. “Yes this is she.” They have been given my name as his nurse to contact.  I listen while they tell me the results of the MRI, the results I don’t want to hear. Possible nerve damage in the frontal lobe and a large tumor. After that my hearing begins to buzz and I’m not able to make out what the physician is saying anymore. I hand the phone to Marcus absentmindedly and scoot to the opposite edge of the bed while he recovers the call. The frontal lobe is responsible for a person’s personality, behaviors and emotions, fuck. The part of the brain that are responsible for who he is. I perch on the edge of the couch in front of the warm fire and attempt to clear the fog from my brain. Ok. So this may be permanent, and that would be good, I’m falling for the Marcus I know, but what if it’s just temporary? The MRI has done nothing but confirm my deepest fear. There is no way of anticipating our future, if there even is a future together. Time will tell, but the longer I expose myself to him, the deeper I’m plunged into this precarious relationship. The man I’m beginning to have deep feelings for could easily turn back into the tyrant he used to be. Marcus approaches click clacking on his crutches interrupting my thoughts. He arranges himself at an angle next to me on the couch while I stare into the fire.

“I haven’t had a blackout for a while.”

“No. No, you haven’t.”

“Maybe it’s over,” he says softly. “Maybe.”

“What are you so afraid of Imani? Talk to me.” I don’t know if I can explain my concern without sounding selfish, he could be facing permanent brain damage and all I can think about is protecting my heart.

“I was really hoping they wouldn’t find anything, that’s all.” I turn and face him, smiling weakly. 

“Forget it Imani.” He says shaking his head back and forth. “I can see it’s more than that, although I can not imagine why. I’m fine, so what if they say there is a problem, I feel fine. You wanted the test, now you have it so relax, do not make me regret giving you what you wanted.” I don’t regret it, the test was necessary, and it’s the only way to know how to proceed. The problem now is that I’m unnerved by the results.

“Are you fine? I mean if you have amnesia how do you know if your personality has changed or if you’ve forgotten things, who is here to remind you? Not me, I barely know you.”

“I don’t know what you think I’m forgetting, I feel fine, a little stir crazy being stuck in this damned cast and not having my finger in every aspect of my work. I am a very independent and controlling man Imani, but you seem to believe this accident has caused me to lose my mind. I assure you I have not.” Externally he appears calm but I sense an elevating irritation as his eyes dart back and forth from one of mine to the other and his fists clench in his lap.

“Calm down, I’m not saying you’ve lost your mind.” 

“Then what exactly are you saying?”

I make a split decision to tell him the truth about my fears.

“I…I feel something with you,” I stutter and hesitate to continue.

“As I do for you,” he interjects, misinterpreting what I’m trying to say.

“No, I mean I have
strong
feelings for you that I haven’t felt for any man before…I’m afraid of losing you.” He furrows his brow and I continue to try and explain myself.

“What if this isn’t you?” I whisper, his frown deepens and he replies.

“What do you mean
isn’t me
?”

“I mean…what if that damage has caused you to be… someone different, not  the person you were before the accident.” My attempt to explain myself is failing, big time.

“You’re fond of me, I know you are, so why does it matter if I’m different? You are not making any sense Imani. Are you sure you aren’t the one with a head injury?” he teases tapping the side of my head with his finger. I smile briefly and return to my grim thoughts. I should just tell him why I’m afraid, but what if my fear is unwarranted?  What if he
is
the same and he really
does
just care for me? I would just be planting a seed of doubt and uncertainty in his mind that could lead to me loosing the only man I’ve ever desired. I wish I had more time to sort this all out but I don’t. I’m just going to play dumb for now and work on it later when I have time to think it through.

“I don’t know what I’m worried about… really, I’m a nurse, I tend to think about things clinically. I’m sure you’re fine; don’t mind my grey mood. “What did the Dr. say about a plan of care?” I pretend to perk up but I’m just hiding my fear.

“Nothing…because there’s nothing wrong.” His penetrating eyes search mine for honesty and truth, I’m not sure if he knows neither are there or if he’s just taking the easy way out of this conversation by ignoring my fears.  Either way he appears to be accepting the front I’ve put up. “All right, now you have gotten your test now we can forget about it and concentrate on more important things.”

“What could be more important than your big brain?” I laugh.

“Oh Imani, I have other big parts that are far more interesting, let me show you.” The smirk that invariably heats my core spreads across his face while he doubles the effect with a wink. I abandon any thoughts that this isn’t the real Marcus as he pulls me onto his lap easily so that I’m straddling his hips. I feel his rock-hard cock jutting against my belly through our clothes.

“See?” he says, grabbing my ass and aligning my core with his bulging cock. Wetness pools between my legs, our mouths collide, tongues searching, demanding, claiming each other. Marcus gathers my hair behind my neck to twist it around his wrist and pull my head back exposing my neck. Panting, I close my eyes and move my hands under the hem of his shirt, sliding them up his hard abs exploring his smooth chest, my God his body is borderline obscene. When he pulls back releasing my hair I open my eyes to protest. There is no need though, he is only making space between us to gather his shirt and pull it over his head. He wastes no time doing the same with mine. My blood pounds in my ears as he removes my bra and I hope like hell he’s not speaking to me right now because his words would be falling on deaf ears. That damned flash of awareness that we’re in the living room where his staff could enter at any time flashes through my thoughts but dissipates just as quickly as it developed. Pressing my naked, warm breasts against his bare chest a sigh escapes me. He groans thrusting up against my willing core while he begins to trail a path of kisses down my neck to my shoulder all the way to my breast. A tug on my hair gently controls my position on his lap; I shudder as he lowers me until my back is against his thighs. He circles my navel with his tongue following my treasure trail to the waist of my jeans while feathering both hands along the tender flesh on the inside of my arms passing over my taught nipple I arch my back begging for more. I can feel him gazing at me and hold my breath until he circles my waist with his powerful hands. One slides between us against my back lifting me until we are again chest-to-chest.  I open my eyes as he nuzzles my cheek with his nose, I feel him smiling against my cheek

“What?” I whisper.

“I have never had to ask for help removing a woman’s clothes before, I can’t fuck you properly I’m a little incapacitated here….”

“Oh,” I squeak. “Stand up.” he orders nudging his hips against mine and it’s all I can do to remove myself from the heat of his body, but I manage somehow. For the first time I notice music playing softly around us, it’s similar to the music from this afternoon at Dominus, erotic and slow with a woman singing eastern European sounding lyrics. Standing over Marcus with the hot fire warming my back I feel for the first time the power of being a woman, beautiful and cherished I watch him as he adores me with his eyes. Never before have I associated power and sex in a positive way it’s always been quite the opposite. My newfound feelings irrefutable, I’m unable to hold back another day, another minute, another second. Marcus reaches up to unbutton my jeans; I place my hands on his and shake my head back and forth. He immediately drops his hands and his face twists in confusion. Smiling wickedly I begin the process of unbuttoning and peeling them off myself slowly, leaving the panties he provided me with this morning untouched. Nearly bare I kneel to remove his jeans, never taking my eyes from his. Dark lust floods his bright green eyes turning them black when he recognizes my need to take some of the control back. The glory of Marcus Castillo naked is unmatched by any sight I have ever seen. Trembling, I reach around him on both sides taking two of the huge pillows off the couch I gently prop his casted leg on them. My hair blankets my body hiding it before he smooth’s his hands along my face to gather it behind my neck, baring me to him. I rise from my knees slowly; never losing contact with my skin, he slips his fingers into the edge of my panties and drags them down my legs. Closing his eyes, his hands travel the length of my legs from my ankles to my ass where he stops to pull me astride him again. I hover over the tip of his steely length, every muscle in my body trembles as I grip his shoulders and sink down, impaling myself on his throbbing head slowly, stretching to accommodate to his size. Our eyes close for only a moment as I take him completely inside of me. Pausing I feel him pulsing within my walls. A guttural moan from deep in his throat escapes his lips.

“You’re so tight, you feel so fucking good Imani,” he says through gritted teeth. “Can you move yet?” he asks, I nod my head yes as I’m unable to form words. Gripping my hips he easily glides me off of him until I am suspended just over the tip of his thick cock. I inhale sharply with anticipation and follow his gaze to where our bodies connect. We watch together as he eases me back down, gripping my hips painfully I know he’s grasping at the last threads of his control. The sight is so erotic it’s burned into my memory forever.

He’s holding back for me, trying to allow me some comfort, but that’s not at all I want. Taking over, I push him deeper, further than I knew was possible and that seems to be all the permission he requires. We begin pumping together in a steady rhythm, gripping each other tightly, skin blazing, Marcus takes my mouth in a deep, winding kiss. I whimper in bliss and   finally string together an intelligible sentence. “I’m going to come,” I whisper in his ear.

“Wait for me.”

Wait! He may have super human control over his body but I do not!

“Can’t!” I shout and with no alternative but to follow we spiral down into ecstasy together every part of my body convulsing as he spills into me. We cling together in a spiritual connection that seems to bring life into perfect focus. Sweat trickles down the center of my back and bits of the moment we just shared race through my mind searching for a permanent place to rest where I can easily pluck them out and replay them… often!

“You still concerned about my brain?” he asks, panting, I can hear the smile in his voice. I peel myself from his chest until we are nose-to-nose with my hair sticking to our sweaty bodies everywhere and I inform him, “You were right, there is another part of your anatomy that I’m much more concerned with at the moment.”

“Told ya.” He winks.  “So, along with always getting what you want I suppose you’re always right too?” I sass. “You’re a quick study with a smart mouth, which happens to be  a favorite combination of mine.”

“Glad to know I please you Mr. Castillo.”  I lift myself off of his already semi hard cock and reach out to help him up. “I can’t believe we just did that with you in a cast, I’m a terrible nurse.”

“It did not hinder my performance one bit, and by the way you are the best nurse I know.” Now it’s my turn to smirk…

“On a scale of one to ten, you were a perfect ten, baby.”