"I'll take this to the kitchen. I'll be back." I mumble to Jerol as I pick up the tray, but he grabs my hand, stopping me.
I turn to him, trying so much to mask the smile and the blush on my face. Smile, because today is exceptional. He ate a decent portion of the meal. Not exactly what is expected of a man like him, but a hundred times compared to other days. And a blush, because that heated kiss we had earlier is tickling me. The fact that he knew it was me he was kissing hits differently.
"We have a team of nannies around us. Just let them do their work." He says, standing up and giving me another reason to blush.
Ahem! Ahem!
He is wearing nothing but a boxer - a white one which is doing enough justice in displaying the tent between his legs. This meat that looks so charmingly huge. It is mind-bewitching. How would it feel to even just feel that tent, you know, even just running my hand on it? Would he even react to my touch? My! Before I make a fool of myself slobbering on this beautiful tool of his, I pull myself from Jim and walk to the closet.
I pull out a pair of jeans and a tee and hand them to him. He pulls them on without saying a word. He doesn't even seem bothered that he was standing in front of me almost naked. I know I have seen him like that countless times, but at least today he seems to be in his senses, and I like him this way. Yeah, almost sane, and covered.
The first thing I need to do when he and I part ways is probably to get myself a man. Yeah!
"Is everything okay?" He speaks again.
"Yeah. I... I'll just take this to the kitchen." I need some fresh air after what I have just seen. I need to get his manhood out of my mind.
I start turning away from him, but he doesn't allow me. He holds my hand again and walks with me back to the bed, pressing a bell on the wall.
Huh? I have seen that bell since he brought me here but I never bothered to ask what it was meant for.
We settle on the bed, and he pulls my hand, resting it on his thigh. He starts playing with it, his mind travelling somewhere afar, but not for long as a slight knock on the door distracts him.
"Come in." He orders, his bulky voice louder than I have ever heard. Well, except when he was yelling. It echoes with so much authority still.
Terry walks in, bowing her head a little to us. She is standing quite a distance from us.
"At your service, sir!" She mumbles, her head still bowed down. A real picture of a servant before her master.
"Clear the table." Jerol orders.
"Okay, sir."
She walks to do what she has been ordered to do. In a glint, she is starting her way out again.
Wow! So, this is how simple life is here, huh? My!
I turn my gaze to Jerol after Terry walks out, and I find him still looking at my hand again. What is going through his head?
"What are you thinking about?" I ask, placing my other hand on top of his. I should change his bandages and check on his wounds today.
He looks at me weirdly and I begin to shiver. He is just browsing my face without saying a word.
"Hey!" I call.
"At least, not... Her. I am not thinking about Ellie."
Good! Bravo! I hope that is true.
"Then what? Or...who?" I ask.
"Why did you stay even after I turned this way?"
Where did that come from, huh? Has he forgotten we are bound by a contract?
"Because I was bound to be here. I still have two months left to be here, right?"
"But, this was not part of the agreement, Tessa. I was not supposed to hurt you. You didn't deserve to get hurt. You should have just left."
He is feeling guilty. Today the beast has left him and I hope it never returns.
"Listen, Jerol. I wanted to stay, okay? I am still here and I am not leaving until my time with you is up. I wanted to help but...i...just didn't know how."
Ahem! Stare challenge again.
"Thank you." He mumbles after a long silence, and I shudder. "For bringing me back to life."
What?
"I don't understand." I whimper.
"Come." He stands up and pulls me with him out of the door.
I am stunned and delighted at the same time, but unlike other days, at least today I feel safe around him. There is no sign of violence in him and I hope this is a start to the journey of his recovery.
I follow him without a word, and he leads me to the gym - the room that I detest the most in this castle. I'm sure my expression changed the moment I have set my feet inside. Even the aura in this room is awful.
"You always wondered why I turned into a demon whenever I came to this room, right."
His voice is so soft, making me curious and worried at the same time. I stand in front of him, nodding my head, urging him to speak.
His eyes take a tour of every corner of this room before turning to me.
"This is where everything started, and also where it all ended." He closes his eyes, heaving deeply.
I wait patiently for him to get ready. I am sure this is a huge load he is about to offload. I know it's difficult for him to do this, especially confiding in a total stranger like me. But like I promised, I am going to be here every step of the way until he gets better. And this, this is my best way to help - to listen to him whenever he feels like talking.
He breathes out a heavy sigh, opening his eyes, and I take his hands in mine, pressing them, letting him know that I am here for him.
"This is where she said yes to me. This room then because our pleasure room. It was her crazy idea and I fell in love with it. She said that sex in this room was the best. We made plans here, a lot of plans and big dreams. This is also where she gave me the best news. That she was carrying my child. But it is also where she broke me into pieces that night she left, after telling me she lost the baby. She blamed me for not being there for her, and for the reason why our baby was dead. But I swear it wasn't my intention, Tessa. I was in a meeting when she called and by the time I was returning her call... Everything was just gone. Everything - our baby, and her love for me. I..."
He can no longer speak. He just closes his eyes, but he was too late if he was trying to hide the tears. A tear drops, and he attempts to turn away from me but I stop him. I pull him in for a hug, and he collapses in my arms.