CHAPTER 3: (A MATTER OF CONVENIENCE)

DANICA

“I… I don’t understand,” stammering I backed away, only to feel strong arms on my waist, pulling me closer to him. The heat from his touch was unexpectedly electric, sending shivers down my spine.

“Yes, you do. You're smart, McKellar.”

His hands caressed my back softly, as he glanced at my quivering lips, going on to kiss my forehead before nuzzling at my neck.

“You're perfect,” he breathed, brushing aside my hair with his fingertips, revealing my flushed cheeks.

“Mr. Ivan… I don't think this is a good idea. The wine has done—”

He didn't let me finish as his mouth captured mine in a short kiss. I could feel my world tilting on its axis. 

“Shh, call me Ivan,” he silenced me, placing a finger on my lips. “Make me forget I'm your boss tonight… make me forget everything. You'd be kind enough to grant me this one request, wouldn't you?”

“Mr. I-ivan..” my voice trembled as I placed a hand on his chest, intending to push him away, but all I could feel was his chiseled muscles. I couldn't recall when last I felt something that good.

 He silenced me again—this time his lips captured mine in a fierce, desperate kiss filled with so much hunger. 

“I will make it worth your time, feel free to ask for anything of your choice,” he whispered, pulling back, his eyes having a wild look in them. Like a predator sizing up its prey.

“Really?” 

The sensible part of my brain screamed at me to run out of his bed. Run out of his room. But my body was doing the opposite, refusing to move even an inch from the bed and shockingly succumbing to Ivan's lustful desires.

“How about you pay me some money to make you feel better, Mr. Ivan? The truth is, I really need a lot of money for my daughter. Her health keeps on deteriorating and she's all I've got.” The words tumbled out of my mouth, making me shocked at my own confidence.

“If that's what you want, yes. I wrote a cheque for the company earlier–ten thousand dollars, right there on the table. You can take it when you leave.” His gaze followed my line of sight, which greedily looked towards the direction of the cheque.

“Is that all you need, McKellar?” Ivan asked, drawing back my attention to him, his eyes desperate and hungry. 

Fidgeting with my fingers, I refused to meet his eyes. “Y-yes…You can have me..” I had barely finished when his hand found my waist, pulling me against himself. Hard. Unyielding. As he positioned me above him.

With the loud moans and ragged breaths coming to a halt, I slid off him, pushing my weight on the bed. 

“Why so quiet now?” Ivan teased, a soft smile playing on his lips, “you were incredible. Absolutely incredible,” he murmured. “I didn't even know I could have sex with anyone after the accident, you know… with my condition.”

I could feel the heat creeping up my cheeks, as I watched Ivan with a smirk on his face. Perhaps the wine still had some effect on him, I thought. The bed squeaked under my weight as I tried to adjust, facing him.

“You're adorable when you blush,” he said, tucking a loose strand of my hair behind my ear with ease, fingers lingering just a second longer than necessary before nestling me against himself.

“Mr Ivan,” I whispered.

Pulling his head back a bit, his hands cupped my face, thumbs brushing against my cheeks, “how do you feel?” his voice rumbled low, soothing but tinged with desire.

“Good,” I admitted, as I looked up at him shyly, “really good.”

His eyes had a much softened intensity now–a tenderness, which I hadn't seen before as he kept his gaze on me. Perhaps I had misjudged him, or maybe someone else had carved those cold edges into him. 

Amy. 

The name echoed in my mind like a bruise.

“You're mine now,” he murmured, kissing my lips. “Never forget that.”

*************

I woke to the soft glow of morning light filtering the curtains. My body ached in places I'd forgotten existed, but somehow it felt good. I stretched, a contented sigh escaping my lips.

And then my body went rigid.

Flashes of the previous night came rushing back. Oh my goodness! What was I thinking? My thoughts screamed at me. 

Ivan, lay beside me looking so calm–arrogant even in sleep. The sight twisted something deep inside me

“Of all people, Danica... it had to be him. What have you done?” I whispered regretfully.

My clean four-year record of never crossing the line with a client–shattered. I wished I could rewind time, erase the night. 

But another thought hit harder this time—Valerie.

I sat upright, my heart pounding. I scrambled for my clothes scattered across the floor, and hurried barefoot down the hall, nearly tripping in my rush. My hands trembled in panic as I pushed open the guest room door.

There she was. Curled up in a fetal position, sleeping peacefully. The relief flooding through me made my knees weak as I reached out to touch her, feeling her skin. Valerie's temperature was high. A bit too high.

“She needs her medicine,” I gasped, wincing. We hadn't planned on spending the night at the mansion, so I didn't pack any.

“Mummy?” The sleepy-eyed Valerie spoke with a yawn.

“Yes, sweetheart. Are you okay?” I planted several kisses on Valerie before wrapping her tightly in my arms. “Does your tummy hurt? What about your head?”

“My tummy hurts a little, mummy,” she mumbled in her sleepy tone. 

 A fresh wave of guilt swept through me.

“Your body feels too warm, baby. I’m sorry you slept hungry, mummy didn’t finish up in time.” The lie tasted bitter, but what choice did I have?

My heart dropped with a sudden realization.

The cheque.

I had forgotten the ten thousand-dollar cheque in Ivan's room. 

The one I managed to earn after spreading my legs wide for him, like a cheap call girl.

But rent was due, bills were stacked and Valerie’s medical tests weren’t going to pay for themselves. I was going to put it into good use at least.

I clung to the thought like a lifeline. I had to believe it wasn’t all for nothing.

Having asked Valerie to wait a little for me, I slipped quietly toward Ivan’s wing, praying he was still asleep. It was going to be a quick grab-and-go. “Easy peasy,” I muttered under my breath.

“I was expecting you,” his husky voice cut through the silence, halting me in my tracks, as soon as I stepped into his room. 

I hesitated, unsure if that was a good or bad thing.

 “Uh, I came back for the cheque,” shifting my weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other, “the one you promised, Ivan.”

“You mean payment for the ‘unique’ service you rendered last night,” he replied, his voice cold and deliberate. “And I’d prefer if you addressed me properly–as your boss.”

I bit my lower lip in embarrassment. “I… apologize Mr. Ivan.”

“Good.”

The room felt unbearably hot despite the cool breeze wafting in from the window. Or maybe it was the shame prickling across my skin.

“Don’t get any ideas,” he added, just as I moved toward the table. “Last night wasn’t special. It was simply… transactional. You wanted help with your daughter’s bills, I wanted to unwind. We both got what we needed. It was just… a matter of convenience for both of us.”

“I wasn’t expecting anything from you,” I said quickly, firing back, though deep down, something foolish inside me had hoped otherwise. That maybe there'd be a shred of decency in him. Poor me!

“Good. Let’s keep it that way, McKellar.”

I caught the glint in his eye—a cruel satisfaction as he watched me shrink into myself. Like he enjoyed this. Like breaking me was part of the deal. I felt used, nothing had changed. 

I’d like to take the weekend off,” I said softly. “Valerie… my daughter is still running a fever, and she needs me.”

“How convenient,” he scoffed. “Tugging at heartstrings now, are we? Don’t confuse tangling in the sheets for leverage. Trying to crawl your way from my bed into my good graces is an ugly look on you.” His eyes shot daggers at me, “I didn't expect you to forget your place so fast.”

I flinched. “That’s not what this is. My daughter is sick. I just need time to be with her—”

“You’re already playing the sympathy card,” he sneered, cutting me off. “You should really work on your timing. You’re not in a romance novel, McKellar, this is real life. In real life, people like me write the cheques. People like you just… collect them.”

My cheeks burned from his thinly veiled insult. I inhaled sharply, forcing myself to remain calm, resisting the urge to slap some sense into him.

“Is there… anything else before I leave?” I managed to ask, the words sticking in my throat like dry bread.

He didn’t respond, instead reclined in his bed like he was bored of me. Taking the silence as dismissal, I grabbed the cheque from the table with trembling fingers and walked out, each step feeling heavier than the last.

As soon as I let Mia know I would be taking the weekend off, I headed for home, determined to be there for Valerie.

The weekend’s activities moved speedily in a blur of medications and hot baths for rounds of fever. Monday came much faster than I anticipated.

My mobile phone buzzed on the couch, where I sat, preparing for work. My brows jerked up as I saw the caller ID. 

Mia. 

Odd–why she would call this early on a Monday morning, especially as we'd get to see each other in the mansion.

“Hi, Mia,” I answered cautiously.

“Hey! How’s your little one doing?” she inquired.

“Much better.”

“Told you she was a strong one.” Fumbling through small talk about the weather, I could feel a hesitation in Mia’s hushed voice. “There’s something else…” she said.

I sat up straighter. “What is it?”

“Uh, I don't know how to say this but your services are no longer needed at the mansion, Danica.”

“What? How?” I blinked in disbelief, my heart skipping so many beats. “I don’t understand. I haven’t finished helping Ivan… Mr. Ivan with his walking process.”

“Mr. Ivan can walk now,” excitement rang in Mia's voice. “He surprised everyone this morning. We all know how badly he’d been hurt by that terrible car accident… but he’s walking now. On his own.”

My heart stopped. 

“But… that night he couldn’t. I saw him. He was struggling…”

“I’m sorry, Danica. It was Mr. Ivan who asked me to pass this message along. You don’t need to come in anymore, starting today.”

There was a long awkward pause, only the sound of my wall clock, ticking, could be heard.

“Uhm, I have to go, some doctors just arrived. I’ll talk to you later.”

The line went dead.

I sat there, the silence in my apartment suddenly louder than ever.