Chapter 24

THE PUNISHMENT

Liam’s P.O.V.

“Wait, Liam! We have to pray first,” she declared, and at the same time, she did a sign of the cross and closed her eyes in a slow-motion manner.

“Hmm… all right,” I reluctantly replied. It was obvious that I wasn’t used to praying before eating.

Tsk! Am I already a turn off for her?

After we prayed, Diane and I silently ate together in the bed we shared last night. I couldn’t read what was on her mind, but I didn’t pray for myself. I prayed for her, and that was the first time I prayed for another person. I prayed that she would soon conquer her bad dream whatever it was.

And if this wasn’t the last time I would see her, I would help her conquer everything if she would let me. Together, we would defeat all of her fears.

Seeing her eat would make me want to eat more. So, instead of just eating garlic bread and coffee, this was the first time in history that I ate white rice in the morning. I used to eat dirty rice* in the United States, and that was one of my favorites.

For a while, I realized that I was able to do lots of first-time things with Diane and my hopes dialed up way high that we could do another first-time stuff some other time. But above everything, I would never forget that she would feed me something I never experienced eating before.

“Dried fish has been my number one favorite food. You should try this one. Say ah,” Diane was extending her right arm and fed me with her bare hand. I did not want to eat it at first, but I could not say no to her.

I was not expecting that she would do that, but her smile was so contagious. I found her gesture sweet and caring—that I could not help myself but spoil the moment while silently wishing that time could stop for us to be with each other for a little bit longer.

In the end, I had no other choice but to open my mouth and accept what she was giving me. After all, I did not want her right arm to get tired even though she was uncomplainingly extending it in front of me. In fairness, it tasted good. I would request Nana to cook some dried fishes for me once she visited the mansion.

It felt like I was not blinking as I could not help but be amazed at Diane.

Seriously? Was she practicing gluttony? Woah, she was such a very strong-eater! Where does she put all those foods, and why does her stomach still flat at all?

The least I could do was to eat pancakes and sausages, and the rest, the woman in front of me took care of them. Diane effortlessly consumed everything as if it was still not enough. I felt like she was still famished. But if she wanted more, I could offer myself to her for free. He could eat me wherever she wanted.

And that naughty thought made me choke my food as I deliberately coughed in front of her.

“Are you alright?” Diane asked as she worriedly handed me a glass of water.

“Y-Yeah, thanks. I’m fine,” I replied after drinking from the glass.

It was the first time in my life to eat a lot for breakfast. We placed the trays on the table, cleaned the plates before we fixed the bed and its white comforter. Actually, it was Diane who almost took care of everything and I was only here to assist her. I could fathom that she was a keeper.

It was a good thing too that we did not stain the clean bedsheets. I could definitely pay for any incidental fees, but it was not the case. I had this attitude that I could not look ever again over something that was already tainted.

“I’ll just go to the shower,” I told her as I put the towel on my shoulder.

Ready to get through the bathroom, I was surprised when Diane suddenly pulled me closer to her. Everything happened so fast that she made me twirl, causing her face to bumped with me, and from the impact, we both got out of balance. We stumbled together as we both fell into the bed, causing me to be on top of her body. I was able to protect her head thinking in advance that we would fall to the floor.

The incident made me slightly kiss the tip of her nose. But how I wished that my lips could have landed on those magnificent red lips of hers and not on her nose!

“Oh my God! Sorry, Liam. I would like to remind you that taking a bath is a dangerous act after meals. You have to wait at least an hour before you take a bath,” she explained.

“Why? Are you a nurse, Diane?” I smiled at her.

“No, and there was no way I could be a nurse. I just really liked to read sometimes, and of course, I also took a short First Aid training course. I am actually an Accountancy student,” she affirmed before swiftly removing herself underneath my body. I sat on the edge of the bed, and she stood in front of me.

“Are you still studying? No offense meant, but why were you at the club last night?” I asked her quite forgetting what she told me last night. That she was Claire—working as the club dancer who was constantly being followed by my brother.

“I am already in my final year and soon to graduate, Liam. I just badly needed to be a working student because I had to support my siblings’ education. Then, for my mom’s medication too. She always has high blood pressure. Our father died when I was only twelve, so I had to be the breadwinner. But you know what? You can freely go to the club some other time to see me. Don’t worry, I’m just dancing there. No other things involved,” Diane chuckled as she confidently waved her hands in front of me.

“Then, I only talked to Leandro. You know him, he always wanted to be number one, but I didn’t have any more customers aside from him. He wouldn’t let me. But just in case you’ll come, you will be the number two to whom I could talk to,” she continued.

As she elegantly opened her mouth to speak, I found her even more captivating than usual. I guessed I already got drawn to her. No matter what life threw at her, she remained optimistic in life. I wished I would still get the chance to know her more.

“You don’t have to explain yourself, and I am sorry to hear about your late father, Diane. Once you graduated and passed the CPA board exam, would you like to work for me? I mean, in my company? How about a Cost Accountant or a Payroll Supervisor?” I gladly offered the kind of jobs that suited her better.

She could not believe what I told her at first, based on her eyes that would come out of their sockets. She was still flabbergasted until her lips formed a heartfelt smile that could almost reach her ears—something that made her even more exquisite. “Really, sir? Oops, I mean—”

I did not even finish what she was going to say, because I immediately stood up and claimed her lips while firmly cupping her face. If I let her, she would only make up an alibi. I was suppressing the desire to kiss her ever since last night, and I just could not control it now that she was in front of me in clear daylight. Not to mention the fact that her lips were indeed inviting me to taste them all along.

Her lips were soft and voluptuous that it was so hard for me to let go. It was only a quick peck, but why do I seem to regret not pursuing it into something deeper?

Diane was stunned after that, making her body freeze from head to toe. Her face was red as if her cheeks were screaming shame, and she could not stop swallowing real hard. Her eyes were also silently pleading as if asking me why did I do that.

Before I turned around, I painted a genuine smile on my lips. “I told you. You will be punished the next time you will call me that endearment, Diane, and that was your first punishment. You can simply call me ‘sir’ again if you want another punishment anytime soon. Just wait here, I’ll take you home.”

Diane was not able to reply when I walked into the bathroom and opened it to take a shower. The smiles on my lips could no longer be erased before I closed the bathroom door.

Then, it made me remember everything that happened to us last night, or rather, earlier this morning. If she would open the bathroom door and would see me naked again, I might not be able to restrain myself anymore, knowing that she was only wearing a thin sleeveless shirt while braless. Her nipples were even protruding so hard I could not forget that image.

_________________________

Dirty rice* is a traditional Louisiana Creole dish made from white rice which gets a “dirty” color from being cooked with small pieces of pork, beef or chicken, green bell pepper, celery, and onion, and spiced with cayenne and black pepper. Parsley and chopped green onions are common garnishes. Fried rice is its equivalent food in the Philippines.