Chapter Eight
They returned back to the villa without a word. Carol was dying to ask him why he suddenly married her on that drunken night. He said he loved her yet he said that he didn't do relationships. She was very confused.
He went upstairs for a shower and she roamed about the property. The garden, the swimming pool attracted her immensely. She rushed upstairs to search for a swimming costume. She found a black bikini that would fit her perfectly. She picked it up and went to the adjoining room. The ensuite was small though but enough for her to change onto her bikini. Wearing her clothes over them, she rushed out and downstairs to the swimming pool.
Stripping, she dived in for a refreshing swim. The water was warm and pale sun of the morning felt so good against her skin. She had taken roughly three laps when she looked up to find Max standing by the pool and staring moodily at her.
He suddenly started stripping out of his denim shorts and tee shirt and Carol looked at him with surprise.
"What are you doing?" She asked in apprehension.
"Joining you, " he said, with a smirk.
Her eyes widened. He stripped off to his microscopic briefs and dived in with her. She was acutely aware of herself. The pool looked so small when he started swimming towards her. Why didn't he just complete a few laps and leave the pool? She just couldn't swim away as he swam faster and reached her.
He came close to her but didn't touch her as she thought he would. He simply stared at her with dark eyes full of longing. His eyes took in her wet, pink plump lips agonisingly, "Did Stanley kiss you?" He asked, his face looking angry and displeased.
"No, never. He tried once but I escaped," she told him and he stared at her incredulously.
"You said something about Italy that night. I didn't quite get you, " he asked, with the same expression.
"Yeah, Stanley wanted to take me on a trip to Italy with him. To avoid that, we escaped to Vegas. My friend, River suggested Vegas since she spent her childhood there and had an apartment there," she explained.
"I'm glad you came to Vegas, " he said with a faint smile tugging at his lips. He stared quietly at her as they floated together, so close to each other. His gaze took her in, his sharp intake of breath, his smouldering dark eyes all indicated the state he was in. Carol was no better. She felt drowned in his hypnotic eyes, the water cascaded down his erect, hard pebbly peaks. She felt drawn towards him just like he was.
He suddenly moved away and started a vigorous breast stroke up and down the length and breadth of the pool. He pointedly ignored her and she felt too disappointed by his attitude.
She swam to the edge and out of the pool. She felt like an ugly and worthless wife. Maybe he didn't want to kiss her even. Disappointed, she wrapped herself with a robe. She picked up her clothes and walked dejectedly back inside and upstairs to the ensuite. Tears of frustration streamed down her face. She wanted him to kiss her.
Showering and feeling better, she changed into a blush red sundress and pulling her hair into a bun, she went downstairs to make lunch. It would keep her busy enough and drive all thoughts of Maxwell Stephens out of her mind.
How long will he swim? She couldn't concentrate much on anything. Still she went about preparing grilled halibut steak and coleslaw for lunch. She was mixing the coleslaw mix with the salad dressing and the rest of the ingredients when Max stormed into the villa with a towel wrapped around his body.
He didn't cast even a brief glance towards her as he climbed the stairs and went up to his bedroom. Carol released the breath she was unknowingly holding. What did she expect?
She placed the coleslaw to chill in the refrigerator and started grilling the halibut fillets.
She could sense Max's presence as he came down the stairs and disappeared into some room with his laptop. She felt hurt by his behavior. Did she do something wrong? Was he repenting his sudden decision and marrying her? Did he no longer feel anything for her?
She finished making lunch and sat down on the couch with a book she found on the table nearby. She might have dozed off to sleep as when she woke up she saw Max sitting beside her, busily typing on his laptop with a strange look on his face. She got up and went to serve lunch.
She brought their food to the table and Max got up and sat down at the table. He had his lunch while working on his laptop and then rinsed his plate and placed it in the dishwasher. He then strode to the table, picked up his laptop and disappeared into some room to work. Carol heaved a deep sigh. If this continued for long she would lose her head.
She didn't have anything to do so she went up to her room and curled up on the bed. She didn't have her mobile, nor her books to study. She felt frustrated. Her friends might have returned back to college. What had become of her life? She was dependent upon the whims and fancies of a husband who no longer wanted her.
She might have dozed off. When she woke up it was already late afternoon. Dragging herself up, she freshened herself and went to the patio. Sitting on one of the deck chairs, she stared at the distant ocean, thinking about her parents and her friends.
A movement beside her woke her up from her reverie. She looked towards her side and saw that Max had dragged another deck chair and was sitting close to her. She turned her eyes back to watching the ocean.
"Carol, I," he started and she looked at him when he stopped mid sentence.
He was looking at his hands and then up into her eyes and then down to her lips.
"Carol, will you, I mean," he again stopped and Carol felt more frustrated. Why was he looking so agitated? Was he asking for a divorce?
Carol looked down at her lap, she didn't know why she felt a pain somewhere in her chest. Did she want a divorce? She felt scared of her answer. It was best not to contemplate on it at all.
"Carol, I want, I, " he again started, but Carol had lost it altogether. She got up and walked inside to the bedroom.
She didn't want a divorce but if that would make him happy, yes she would give him his divorce. Two drops of tears fell from her eyes. Why was she crying? Did she start developing feelings for Max?
