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The door to my office closes softly behind me and I lean against it, taking a deep, calming breath as I watch Caitlin’s nervous fidgeting in amusement.
“Go on.”
She drops her bag on the coffee table, and with a big inhale, she reaches inside. “I’ve… I’ve got sketches and… I’ve created a sample.”
She holds a standard jewellery box my way. I don’t move. Flustered, she realises I’m standing too far from her, so sheplaces the box on my desk and takes two steps back, folding her arms over her midriff. Her eyes flick from me to the box and back to me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as cute.
Putting her out of her misery, I push off the door and walk up to the desk. I glance at her, my mouth tugging in a teasing half smile as I play with the clasp of the box.
“Oh, just do it already!” she yells, lifting her arms in exasperation.
I laugh then, a deep chuckle. It stops when I lift the lid, the smile melting off my face.
“Is it that bad?” the girl whispers.
I shake my head once, then again. The metal is cold under the pad of my index finger. Carefully, I lift the necklace out of the box, holding it up. “I want to see it on you.”
“W-why?”
“I need to see how it rests against skin.”
She swallows tightly as I approach her and I’m acutely aware of her breasts as her chest lifts and falls rapidly. She reaches for the necklace, but I shake my head. I open the clasp and stand so close I can feel her puffs of breath as I bring the chain around her neck. The chain drops on top of her blouse. I keep her gaze locked as I slowly unbutton one, two, then three buttons, and fold the sides away to allow the necklace to rest directly on her pale freckly skin.
I trail my gaze down her face, to her plump lips. Her pink tongue wets them and my nostrils flare. I’m not surprised when my cock fills up with blood. I wonder if her small pouty lips can even wrap around my crown. My gaze drops lower. Until now, I’ve never noticed how slender her neck is, made to be adorned.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmur as I run my fingers over the thin rose-gold chain, down to the small circle with a simple Celticsymbol. The chain is attached to the sides of the circle, almost like on a miniature choker. But then at the bottom of the circle is another chain that ends in a yet smaller circle, resting in between her breasts. A lot of our jewellery has Celtic symbols, Celtic crosses or druid circles, but this design has a simplicity and femininity that is lacking in any of our jewellery ranges. The joints may be a bit bulky, and the chain not totally centred, but I wouldn’t expect perfect craftsmanship from someone’s first attempt.
My fingers trail up again, but on her skin this time, brushing against the goosebumps that appear.
“Your dad would never understand the value of this design. The value that you can bring to this company. He will never allow you to produce this wonderful piece of jewellery.” I find my voice gruff. It’s true. A coil of injustice churns in my chest at how Finbar has held the business back for so long – how he will continue to hold it back with his antiquated views and ‘main owner’ comments. “How does that make you feel?”
I know how it makesmefeel, and at my words, Caitlin’s eyes widen and then she blinks rapidly. Her throat moves under my fingers.
“Hurt,” she whispers.
I wrap my hand around her neck. Her pulse is pounding under her skin and her pupils dilate.
“You want to hurt him back.”I want to hurt him back.
“N-no.”
“Are you sure?” I lift an eyebrow and a wicked grin slowly spreads on my face, as an even more wicked plan forms in my head.
I want revenge over Finbar. I want to get back at him for all the times he’s talked down to me, every single time he’ssmeared his perfect family in my face while belittling me; all the times he’s overruled me, just because he can. I’ve been afraid to fight back, afraid that he, out of spite, would harm the business even more. As I look into the innocent emerald eyes of sweet Caitlin, I know I’ll get my revenge over Finbar, and this young woman will be the one giving it to me.
And the best thing? Finbar will never even know it.
4
Caitlin
We once went to a butterfly farm. All the fluttering wings set off butterflies in my own tummy, and when five big, bright blue ones landed on me – two on each arm and one hanging on to my fringe – I felt like a fairy princess. It’s the same type of feeling in my tummy now, as I punch in the code to the side door ofKeenan Jewellersand ascend the stairs to the second floor for the third day in a row. I wonder if it will be the same today as back then, that all the fluttering will turn into pain and tears.
I try to smooth my hair as my eyes dart to Aidan’s open office door. Mum doesn’t like me walking into town. My hair goes too frizzy, she says, and my cheeks too red. But I enjoy letting my mind flow in all and any direction as I tackle the wind and rain and sun, often all on the same walk, up from the big houses along the tree-lined streets of Donnybrook and into the dirty, old – and crowded – town of Dublin.
Aidan’s office is empty. My hand drops. The disappointment of not seeing the handsome man can’t take away the excitement of knowing that he liked my designs. Maybe Dad will too?
‘You want to hurt him back.’
