She leaned on Marcus’ shoulder, too scared to even lift her head, pleading, "President Hartley, I beg you, get me outta here."
Snakes were Cornelia's worst nightmare, no doubt about it. She saw one when she was a kid and had nightmares for days. Scared out of her wits, she didn't give a hoot about acting ladylike. She just clung to Marcus like a lifeline, only letting go once they were out of that hellhole.
Even though Cornelia didn't want to let go, Marcus held her even tighter. He liked the fact that Cornelia needed him. He lifted her up gently, so she could lean better against him, "Hold on tight, don't fall off. I'll get you out of here."
Marcus carried Cornelia a good distance before she dared to peek back at where they'd come from. No sign of that creepy snake, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Only then did she realize she was holding onto Marcus tight. She could smell the faint minty fragrance on him, as well as feel his body heat.
Her heart pounded, felt like it was about to jump out of her throat.
Cornelia hastily slid down from Marcus, "President Hartley, I…”
She was so scared earlier, she hadn't realized how unladylike she'd acted.
Marcus was feeling all sorts of emotions, but he was good at hiding his feelings. He adjusted his glasses and pretended to be cool, asking, "What happened?"
Pretending nothing happened, Cornelia tried to act normal too. But her face was as red as a beet.
To ease Cornelia's embarrassment, Marcus said, "I'll have the gardener tidy up the garden tomorrow, and this won't happen again."
Cornelia tried to change the subject, "President Hartley, what would you like to eat tomorrow? I'll get up early to make you breakfast."
She was earning 500 bucks a day, she had to earn her keep and not just take the money and run.
Marcus played along, "Breakfast is already taken care of, and you don't have to get up early. The holiday is about to end. You won't have the chance to sleep in soon."
Cornelia said, "Just doing lunch and dinner, and I'm taking 500 bucks off you a day. I feel a bit guilty."
Marcus chuckled, "Sometimes, a person's worth isn't about how much they do, but about their own worth. I don't want to eat their food. I want to eat yours, that shows you're important to me. You're so important to me, even 5,000 a day wouldn't be too much."
Cornelia asked, "Am I that important to you?"
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