Chapter 8

 DESIRE 

"See it wasn't that bad" Romeo commented as he drive through the rain back to his pent house.

"It wasn't bad because I chose to keep quiet" Marie replied as she eyed him.

"And thats because you promised to do so" Romeo said reminding her of their time in the boutique.

"It wasn't due to the promise I made, it was due to something else entirely. If I had wanted to get out of this marriage, I could have spilled the whole thing to your mom and am sure that your mom would have help me but I didn't" she said.

"Which got me wondering why you didn't tell her" He said as he stared at her and when he would have replied, he bumped into something which got the car stopping.

"What the hell was that?" He asked as he started the car again but it wouldn't budge.

"I better go and check it" he said as he got out of the car and into the rain before she could tell him to use an umbrella.

"Seems like we've bumped into a stone and the car has turned faulty because of it, we will have to call a toll truck and wait right here for it, if it hadn't been for the rain, we would have looked for a taxi" he explained as soon as he was back into the car dripping wet.

"So we will have to wait in your car?" She asked and he turned to look at her.

"Do you know somewhere else we might stay?" He asked and she chose to ignore that question.

He searched through a bag and found a spare towel he always keep in his bag, he was about using it to wipe the water from his head when he noticed that she was curled up on the seat.

"Feeling cold?" He asked.

"Ignore me" Marie told him as she turned her back on him.

"You silly goose" he said as he put the towel over her.

"Don't you intend to use it?" She asked.

"You need it more, I don't want you accusing me of pneumonia in the nearest future" he said as he turned away from her.

Marie sat with the towel starring at him, she thought he wouldn't notice her feeling the cold so why is he suddenly being generous? Is this a way to get back at her for talking back at him? 

"Get some rest and stop looking at me, it will take a while before the toll truck gets here" he said softly and Marie shurgged to herself not caring about his reasons and within time she fell asleep.

It was a while later that Romeo opened his eyes, checking the time he saw that an hour has passed since they've been stuck on the streets.

He was about sitting up when he saw the towel around him, the last thing he remembered doing was giving it to Marie, did she wake up and put it around him,he thought as he coughed slightly, knowing he was close to having a cold.

He turned to see Marie soundly asleep and somehow he found himself starring at her. She made a baby face while she sleeps which makes her look cute, he thought still starring at her.

He had a yearning to touch her and he was about to do that when his phone began to ring. Quickly he answered and a while later with the help of the toll driver they got a taxi which took them home.

"Is at times like this that I miss Willow" Marie said as soon as they walked into the pent house and that made Romeo scowl at her.

"And why would you miss Willow?" He asked.

"While you were gone for a whole month doing your thing, Willow and I got close and he's been a good friend, there was a time that I was stuck at the bus stop due the rain and he came all the way to help and..."

"Should I be suspicious of you and Willow?" He asked suddenly while she rolled her eyes at him.

"You are too annoying to talk to, when will Willow return from his trip?" She asked trying to calm her anger.

"I don't know,why not ask him " he replied knowing he was acting like a child but he couldn't care less, the thought of Willow being close to Marie got him infuriated.

"I just might do that" she replied hotly and turned to leave only to hear him sneeze loudly behind her.

"Got a cold?" She asked and he looked up to stare at her.

"Trying to play the caring wife role?" He asked and not bothering to give him an answer, she went to her room.

She didn't know why he got on her nerve and somehow he seems to enjoy it each time he made her angry. The thought of going to the hospital tomorrow got her feeling worried.

She wondered what the doctor will tell her and that got her feeling restless, she couldn't sleep and wanting to do something, she left her room on her way to the kitchen when she heard Romeo coughing.

The door to his room was left open and she saw him asleep on his bed but the paleness of his face got her walking into his room to check on him.

Never had she been into his room not even when he traveled, she had always followed his instructions which was to stay away from his room and things that have to do with him but tonight is different.

"You are burning up Romeo" she muttered as she touched his forehead.

"I will be fine" he replied softly with his eyes still closed.

"What do you mean by you will be fine? Your burning up badly and at this rate it might get worse,I will be back" she said as she left his room still dressed in her cotton night dress.

She arrived a while later with a water and towel which she used in wiping his head and also a drug for cold which she forced him to take.

It was in the early hours of the morning and there was still no sign of him getting well, she was tempted to phone for a doctor but stopped herself when she thought of an idea.

She got into bed and layed beside him hoping that her warm body will at least do a thing to bring the fever down. Marie was still thinking of ways to get his fever down when she slept off

THE NEXT DAY 

Romeo opened his eyes to find a towel over his head. Did his cold get more worse, he thought as he felt someone beside him.

He was surprised to see Marie sleeping beside him on the bed while having her arms around him. Did she take care of him last night, he thought as he saw all the evidence that she did take care of him.

He would have thought of her as someone incapable of doing that afterall she hated him just like he did with her.

She stirred muttering something while she moved closer to him. This action got Romeo to rethink what he thought of a while ago.

He doesn't hate Marie but instead he desire her, he wanted her for himself. That explains the numerous times he felt jealous, why he felt drawn to her and hated it that she wasn't given him her whole attention..

Somehow she had gotten into his head, into his skin which got him wanting her for himself.

He turned to stare at her and this time there was nothing stopping him from touching her face.

Her skin felt soft and smooth and when his fingers trailed to her lips, he wanted to kiss it but the thought of Marie's stricken face stopped him from doing so.

Instead he pushed her away from him, not too hard but the push had ended up making Marie fall off the bed.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he sat up starring at Marie who was sitting on the floor touching her shoulder.

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" She asked as she stood up glaring at him.

"I didn't.....I just....why were you in my bed?" He asked Instead while trying to hide his feelings.

"You might not believe me but I actually slept on your bed to keep you warm, you were cold and..."

"You should have ignored me, you should have pretended not to see me. I always handle whatever illness I have on my own, who the hell are you to feel concern about me?" He snapped at her.

He knew he was being rude and cruel with his words but the thought of wanting her drove him to say things he didn't mean.

"Is it too hard to say thank you when you've been helped? You rich folks tend to think high of yourself, you are too big to say thank you to a lowly person like me and so instead you lash out. Well am sorry if I bothered to help, you can be rest assured that I won't ever do a thing to help you again!" She said and walk out of the room.

He felt like a jerk and he felt bad for having lashed out at her when she had only been helping him.

And even when he went to work that day he kept feeling that way. There were several times that he had picked up the phone to call for her just so he could apologise but he keeps on stopping himself.

The door opened and Blake walked in starring at his friend intently.

"What's wrong? Is something on my face?" Romeo asked staring at him.

"No. Just wondering what you've done with Marie, were you messing with her until the wee hours of the morning that she couldn't even show up for work ?" Blake asked.

"Marie didn't come to work?" Romeo asked and Blake nodded.

"Didn't you know? I thought she.....where are you going?" Blake asked as Romeo got out of his seat walking out of his office with his car key and phone with him.

The first place he went to was the kitchen where he confirmed that Marie hadn't come to work.

Its late in the evening and she hadn't shown up for work, where could she be? He thought as he walked out calling her on his phone.

Not wanting to drive, he got his chauffeur to drive asking him to take him to his pent house.

He dialled her number for the fifth time and she finally picked.

"Where the hell are you?" He asked feeling very worried.

"Just out doing something" she replied but he noticed her voice sounded a bit wobble.

"Doing what? You didn't even show up at work?" He accused.

"Work. I should have known that it would be the only reason you would call me" she said again.

"Marie I..." He stopped talking when he noticed her sitting at the bus stop. He told the driver to wait and when he was about to get out of the car, he noticed her crying which got him seating in his car again.

Staying back in the car and with his phone still his ear, he asked

"Are you okay Marie?"

"Of course I am..." By now Marie hadn't notice his car parked at the other streets and Romeo watched as she wipe away her tears.

"You don't have to worry, I will be back at the penthouse and I won't be running away, am married to you after all" she said.

"You know am not talking about..." He didn't get to finish his words because she end the call.

He stayed in his car watching her cry, what could have happened? He thought as he got out of the car wanting to go to her but he stopped when he saw a man moving towards her and that man turned out to be Charles, the head chef in his company.