ARINA'S MATE (Shifters of the Bulgarian Bloodline Book 2)

by Dalia Wright

  “So what?” said Emilio. “She’s just a maid. What, you got a thing for this girl?”

  Liam’s eyes shot daggers at Emilio. Caroline could tell that he was almost as embarrassed as she was. It was evident that he was defending her against Emilio. Why would he do such a thing? Again, Caroline entreated visions of the two of them together, as a couple. White and black. Rich and poor. The very idea sent shivers through her and gave her goose bumps. At the same time, she knew it could never be.

  “Emilio, one more word out of you on the subject and I will buy your dingy little million-dollar company, fire the staff, and export the business to Mexico, leaving your ass without a job.”

  Emilio and the other friends had a good, hard laugh at that statement. Caroline felt relieved. Liam had managed to divert the attention away from her and back onto the friends.

  “I’m going to clean, now,” said Caroline.

  Liam gave her a nod of approval and the friends went back to discussing the state of the economy. When Caroline had finished cleaning the vast penthouse condo, she gathered her things and once again entered into the long commute home. She did not know what to think about the encounter this evening. Liam had defended her, there was no denying that. For some reason, whenever Liam made eye contact with her, Caroline could sense some small attraction beneath his gaze. The possibilities flowed through her mind as she sat on the uncomfortable seat of the subway. She envisioned herself and Liam, on a plane to Paris. She pictured herself eating caviar with him on a beach in Hawaii. She pictured making love to him in a five-star hotel at some exotic location half-way around the world. Most of all, she envisioned herself having his child, and raising a family with him. With his wealth, the universe would open up. She could escape her mundane day-to-day life and enter a world she could only dream about. It wasn’t just the money. She was attracted to him. It was a strange attraction because she wasn’t used to wanting to sleep with white guys. He was so handsome and so different from the guys that she usually went for that her fantasy began to cause her to ache all over.

  That weekend, Caroline resolved to call her little sister and see if she wanted to get together. Maybe she could bring her new boyfriend as well. She called Alicia on her cell phone Friday afternoon.

  “Hello?” answered Alicia.

  “Hey girl, it’s your big sis,” said Caroline

  “Hey Caroline! I was just thinking about you. What’s up?”

  “I want to hang out with you tomorrow. With you and Mike. I’ll treat you both to a nice sushi lunch and some ice cream afterwards. What do you say?”

  “That sounds wonderful. How does two-o’clock sound? I have to spend most of the morning studying for an exam with Mike. You should come over then. Mike can drive us to the restaurant. Mom will be happy to see you. She always is.”

  “Great! See you tomorrow at two then.”

  The rest of the day passed quickly enough, and before Caroline knew it, it was time to meet Alicia and Mike. She took the bus to their place on the outskirts of the city and once there, rang the doorbell. Her mother came to the door.

  “Mom!” exclaimed Caroline. “So good to see you!”

  Caroline wrapped her arms around her Mom in a loving embrace. The two hugged for a few moments.

  “Alicia is just getting ready,” said Patricia. “Come on in and have a seat. I’ll bring out some tea and crackers. Have you met Mike before?”

  “No, Mom, I haven’t,” said Caroline.

  Mike came thundering down the stairs of their home and entered the living room. He was a tall, young, black man with an athletic body. He extended out his hand for Caroline to shake in a very proper manner.

  “Nice to meet you, Mike!” exclaimed Caroline. “I have heard a lot about you.”

  “Likewise,” said Mike. “Alicia talks about you all the time. You are a goddess in her eyes.”

  Caroline laughed.

  “I highly doubt that. It’s nice of you to say. Thanks,” said Caroline.

  Alicia came thundering down the stairs next. It looked to Caroline as though she had grown since they had last seen each other. She was turning into a very beautiful, very fetching, black woman. Her hair was also longer than when they last had met. It looked as though her chest had filled out. Caroline could see what Mike saw in her.

  Alicia threw herself at Caroline, who wrapped her in a loving embrace.

  “It is so great to see you, sis!” exclaimed Alicia. “It has been way too long. We have to see each other once a week from now on.”

  “It’s funny, I was just thinking the same thing. I have decided to at least call once a week. There is so much about your life that I want to know about and be a part of.”

  “Let’s go have some sushi!” exclaimed Mike.

  “See you kids later,” said Patricia. “Have fun!”

  The three of them left the house and got into Mike’s mustang. They made their way across town to a sushi place that came very highly recommended to Caroline by one of her work colleagues. It wasn’t one of those all-you-can-eat places. It was a genuine, sit-down, piece-by-piece ordering place. It was a little pricier than Caroline wanted to spend but she figured treating them was a good cause. She hadn’t really been spending much money lately, so she felt she could afford to splurge a little.

  Mike, Alicia, and Caroline sat at a table next to the window, where they could watch pedestrians stroll by. After ordering the food and drinks, Alicia wasted no time in getting into the gritty details regarding Caroline’s life.

  “Tell me sis, do you have a boyfriend yet?”

  “No, still single. I’m just a working girl trying to make end’s meat.”

  “You mean there is no man in your life? That’s impossible. You are positively gorgeous!”

  “That’s very kind of you to say,” said Caroline.

  Caroline contemplated telling Mike and Alicia about Liam for a moment. She decided that she would mention that he was her newest client, but would leave out the part where it appeared as though he was interested in her.

  “I have a new client that is a pretty interesting guy. His name is Liam Telson. Have you heard of him?”

  Mike nearly spat out his soup at the mention of Liam’s name.

  “The Liam Telson?” asked Mike.

  “Yes. Why, have you heard of him?” asked Caroline.

  “Of course!” exclaimed Mike. “He is all over the news these days. He is going to be one of the richest men in the city, if not the entire country. His family’s assets are in the tens of billions. You are cleaning his place?”

  “Yes I am. Don’t get too excited though. He is kind of underwhelming in person. He has a bit of a rich, spoiled, white boy attitude. He wasn’t very nice to meet the first time we met.”

  “What did you guys talk about?” asked Alicia.

  “Well, he kind of talked down to me the first time we met. He said that I was ‘just a maid’. The second time we met he sort of stuck up for me in front of his friends, which was actually kind of sweet.”

  “That is amazing, sister,” said Alicia. “What a client to have. Wait a minute. I see what’s going on here. You like him!”

  Caroline flustered, turning red with embarrassment. She wanted to deny the accusation but felt that her sister was probably an astute observer.

  “I do not! He is rich, and spoiled, and not very attractive on the inside.”

  “On the outside he is dreamy. You want to sleep with him!” said Alicia.

  Mike laughed very hard. Then Alicia took up the laughter, followed by Caroline. Caroline felt that it was good to laugh about the situation.

  After the meal, Mike drove Caroline back to her apartment and dropped her off in front of the doors.

  “See you later Caroline!” said Mike.

  “Bye sis! Talk to you soon!” said Alicia.

  Caroline waved goodbye and entered her apartment. She walked over to her laptop and checked her e-mail. Oddly enough, there was a new message from Liam. How did he get
my e-mail address? She opened the message and it was an invitation for coffee on Monday at a local shop close to her place. It said that he wanted to talk about business. She was just a maid, she thought. What kind of business was there to discuss?

  That Monday, at three in the afternoon, they met for coffee. Liam was wearing a navy-blue golf shirt and khaki pants, with white tennis shoes. Caroline had on her nicest, blue dress and tanned leather jacket. She sat down in front of Liam and waited for him to say something.

  “Okay,” started Liam. “Here’s the deal. I have to say, when I first met you I wasn’t sure what to make of you. You have to understand, I never talk to my maids or anyone in a lower social status, you might say. There is something about you. When my friend, Emilio, put you on the spot you carried yourself well. I have been finding myself attracted to you. My parents won’t ever approve of my marrying a black woman who is so far beneath us socially. My entire fortune depends on my parents approving of me. They won’t let me see a cent of my fortune if they think I’m dating outside of my class. You have to understand; they are very into appearances.”

  “I think I understand,” said Caroline. “You like me, but you want to keep it secret.”

  “Secret? Yes, I suppose I do kind of think that. At least for now. At least until we can figure out what to do about everything. Are you saying that you might like me back?”

  “Maybe,” said Caroline.

  Liam smiled at her warmly. She could see all the pretentious nonsense disappearing. She could tell in his smile that he actually really cared for her. The feelings she had gotten at his condo were not erroneous. There were genuine feelings for her there. As it became more and more evident that Liam cared for her, Caroline found herself falling more and more for him. Their coffee date lasted two hours and it turned out they had a lot to talk about. Liam had a very interesting life, and was something of a socialite. He told Caroline about all the interesting people he had met, about the exciting trips he had been on. About eating lobster on his yacht and shaking hands with the Prime Minister of England.

  Pretty soon Caroline started being able to picture a life she could share with Liam. That was, if, he was willing to be her boyfriend.

  “I think I like you, Liam,” she said. “You are a lot warmer than I thought at first. So where do you want to go from here?”

  “Just stop by my place tomorrow night as you normally would,’ he said. “I will have a special surprise waiting for you. Can’t wait to see you!”

  With that, Liam left some money on the table, picked himself up, and left. Caroline couldn’t believe what had just happened. She was actually flirting with Liam Telson. Not only that, but by the sounds of it, they were going to have an actual date the following day. She was very excited. She spent that afternoon and evening finishing off some jobs for some of her clients. When she got back to her apartment that evening it was eleven o’clock. She was so exhausted she simply took a shower, watched some TV, and went to bed.

  That night she dreamed about a life with Liam Telson. In it, she was a rich socialite, attending important events overseas and going on relaxing cruises in the Caribbean. In the dream she was care-free, never having to worry about money again. Of course, she was with the man of her dreams, Liam. He was kind and considerate to her, and was every bit a gentleman. When she woke up, she had a big smile on her face. She just hoped that the real Liam Telson would live up to the man in her dreams. There was only one way to find out.

  After another day’s work, it finally became time to head over to Liam’s penthouse condo. This time, however, she took extra special care to make sure than she looked great. She put on her maid’s uniform, but unbuttoned the front so that Liam would be able to see just a hint of the pink bra underneath. Caroline had great tits and wasn’t afraid to show them off. She also wore one of the smaller skirts that she had, which showed off her legs a bit better. The skirt rode up her thighs and was tight around the butt area. She knew she looked very sexy, and couldn’t wait to gauge Liam’s reaction when they met.

  She got to the condo before Liam did. She started going around with a duster, getting rid of all the excess dust that had piled up since she was last there. Finally, after about twenty minutes of cleaning, Liam showed up. He was alone this time. He had a bottle of champagne with him and a box of Cuban cigars.

  “Caroline!” said Liam. “That’s enough cleaning for now. Why don’t you come have a seat on the couch with me?”

  “Sure thing,” she responded.

  The two of them sat on the couch somewhat awkwardly, until Liam scooted over a bit closer to her and confidently put his arm around her. She didn’t know what to do at first but finally she decided to trust him and she leaned in against his chest, getting comfortable.

  “How do I make you feel?” said Liam, rather suddenly.

  “Well, to be honest,” replied Caroline. “I am a bit in awe of you. I want to trust you but you acted like such a jerk to me before, it is hard for me to erase that from my memory.”

  “So, you’re not attracted to me?” asked Liam.

  “No, I am. You are very attractive. Not at all like the usual guys I go for.”

  “Here’s the thing. I am sorry I was rude to you. I just couldn’t help it. My parents put so much pressure on me and with them giving me all their money I have just been under a lot of stress. Sometimes I forget my manners. You are a catch, Caroline. I don’t want to let you go. Right now you mean more to me than all the billions they could ever give me.”

  “Well, hopefully you can have me and still keep the billions.”

  “That would be ideal.”

  Some time passed and they watched some more TV. Then Liam turned the channel and landed on a movie with a naked scene. Liam could sense Caroline’s sexual tension and decided to make a move. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. Then he kissed her nose. Then he kissed her on the mouth. Finally, she returned his kiss, and they began making out. He slid his hand up her torso and landed on one of her large, full breasts. He massaged it gently, and then unbuttoned her top. He removed her bra and suddenly both of her breasts were exposed. He licked around her nipples, playfully biting them and sucking on them. She moaned and leaned her head back.

  She reached for his trousers and unzipped them. She then undid his pants completely and slid his boxers down his legs. Undoing her own skirt as well, she positioned herself underneath him. Within a few minutes they were having sex, and Caroline felt wonderful. Their love-making lasted half-an hour, and as Liam came, Caroline shouted out his name in ecstasy.

  Afterwards, they moved over to his bed and slept in each others’ arms. Before Caroline knew it, it was past midnight. She had to go home to get to sleep so that she would be ready for the next day and her clients.

  “Just stay,” said Liam. “Don’t worry about your clients tonight. I want to spend the night with you.”

  “What about my job?” asked Caroline.

  “Forget your job. You are with me now. I will make it so that you will never have to worry about money again.”

  “So, I will be your girlfriend?”

  “Well, not right away. We can continue to see each other but I can’t make it official with you until I have figured out what to do with my parents.”

  “Okay, I guess I can accept that. As long as I can continue seeing you.”

  The next day, Caroline resigned her position at the cleaning agency. She continued seeing Liam a couple nights per week and they had a great time every time they got together. The only people she discussed her relationship with was her sister and her mother. They were thrilled with her, but wondered when the relationship could be made public.

  A month later, Caroline noticed that she was having morning sickness. She called up Alicia, who told her to get a home pregnancy test. It turned out that she was pregnant, and she knew the father was Liam. When she broke the news to Liam, he seemed really happy and excited. Once again, he worried how to break the news to his parents. Then, the
unexpected happen. Liam’s mother and father were on their way to a vacation in Italy, when all of a sudden their plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. There were no survivors. It was a terrible event and made news headlines all around the world. At the same time, it meant that Liam no longer had to keep his relationship with Caroline a secret. He had inherited, instantly, the multi-billion-dollar empire. He mourned their deaths, and was truly disturbed. The silver lining was also great and he was happy to no longer have to sneak around.

  One day, after a round of golf, Caroline and Liam were hanging around his condo, eating sushi. The funeral for his parents had passed, and they were deciding where in the world to go to next.

  “I think Spain would be wonderful,” suggested Caroline. “I have always wanted to go there.”

  “Sure, we could do that. I know a lovely little villa near Barcelona that we could rent. There is actually something more important I had been meaning to talk to you about.”

  “Oh? Let’s hear it, sweetheart.”

  “Caroline, since I first met you, you had taken a piece of my heart. I knew you were someone special, and that I wanted to spend my life with you. Now that we have no reason to hide our relationship, and that there is a baby on the way, I feel as though I can finally do this.”

  Liam took out a ring-box and opened it. There was a beautiful, diamond engagement ring, made from white gold and a massive rock inside.

  “Caroline,” he continued. “You have already made me the happiest man in the world. Will you continue to do so, as my wife? I know we can have a great life together.”

  Caroline was so happy she was almost in tears. She managed to get out a few brief sentences.

  “Yes! Darling, why yes.”

  The two of them hugged tightly. He planted a passionate kiss on her lips, which she returned. She then tried on the ring, and it looked wonderful on her finger.

  “I have to tell my mom and sister!” she exclaimed excitedly.

  “Oh okay. I will have to tell my friends that you said yes! I can hardly believe it myself,” said Liam.