Emily was thankfully not late to work the following day. And yet, despite being arriving just in time, she received a glare from Mrs. Steams, even as she greeted her good morning.
Rude, she mentally rolled her eyes. What did I do?
“Morning, Ms. Nill,” she basically hissed the words, as if she was forcing herself to say them. “I hope you won’t trouble young master Theodore the way you did yesterday.”
Emily smiled at her sheepishly, and resisted the urge to tell her that it was her dear young master that insisted on seeing her home.
“Wipe that impudent smile off,” she all but barked out the words.
The teenager’s eyes widened in shock.
“I will not sit by and watch as you try to seduce him instead of doing what you are paid for.”
This time around, Emily couldn’t contain her ire, and voice out her thoughts, “Obviously you are delusional if you think I am seducing him.”
“Why, you little…”
The stern housekeeper, who had seemingly lost her cool completely, didn’t get the chance to finish before the estate’s owner’s voice was heard, “Will you stop harassing her already, Mrs. Steams?”
Why did he always have to appear at any and all chance he got? Didn’t he realize that coming to her defense only made matters worse for her? Did he have a hidden agenda?
Oh, don’t be silly, girl, Emily chastised herself. Besides, it’s his damned estate.
“Mr. King,” Mrs. Steams was blushing in utter and complete mortification as she uttered his name. She had not expected him to lean over the balustrade of the second floor and chastise her so. What was he doing outside his room? This wasn’t like him. The change in his well-established and well-known routine troubled her. She was used to getting away with nearly everything with the staff. He never cared whom she yelled at or fired…
“Yes, Mrs. Steams, I’m listening,” he said in an even tone even as his eyes narrowed on the elderly woman.
“I hired her because I thought she could be groomed into a good maid to the estate, given her young age,” she said in a dejected tone. “As it turns out, I made a mistake.”
“Really now?” He said in much the same monotonous tone.
“I realize now that I shouldn’t have hired such a young girl. Girls nowadays are frivolous and hard to control,” was her explanation.
“Control?” Emily echoed after her incredulously and was ready to make the woman regret her words… but the owner of the estate beat her to the punch.
“You are not meant to control her in any way, shape, or form,” his words were almost mocking her.
“But, Mr. King…”
“You might have done the hiring, Mrs. Steams, but I’m the rightful employer. Never forget that.”
“Yes, Mr. King,” the woman bowed her head slightly and basically choked on the words.
“Emily,” he then called for her name.
“Yes, Mr. King,” she answered meekly, wishing he wouldn’t berate her as well. Her resolve to remain as a maid in the estate couldn’t take it.
“From now on, you’ll be in charge of cleaning my room and bringing me food.”
Emily’s eyes widened at that. She didn’t comprehend what he wanted to accomplish by assigning her such chores.
Did he want to torment her some more with his good looks?
He was as unattainable as they came. She couldn’t even dare to dream of him… and yet, she already had.
“But, Mr. King,” Mrs. Steams objected, her face painted with shock.
“You’re too old to carry on doing such chores, Mrs. Steams,” he stated matter-of-factly, not enough of a gentleman to spare the old woman’s feelings. “You’re the housekeeper, have been so for quite some time, it is only normal that you stop acting as my personal maid.”
The woman’s shoulders slumped in defeat and she said in a resigned tone, “Thank you, Mr. King.”
So, from being a maid among many at the estate, Emily now found herself promoted to the owner’s personal maid role.
She wondered if her sanity could take it. She wasn’t nearly as old or experienced as Mrs. Steams to keep a level head when in the man’s presence.
“I believe you can find your way to my room on your own, Emily,” were his smirk-accompanied parting words.
She merely nodded at him, remembering one particular door at the end of the corridor in the second floor which had been off-limits only yesterday.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Let’s do this. You can do this. You got this.
Emily chanted in her hand this mantra so as to keep herself from panicking as she walked down the corridor, making a beeline to that intriguing door.
She raised her hand to knock and then paused.
What are you doing? She chided herself. Stop being so damn flustered. You got this. Just don’t look at him and you’ll be fine. DO NOT LOOK AT HIM.
She was about to knock when the door flung open, and she came face to chest with him – face to bare chest, mind you.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” he said as his lips curved into the ghost of a smirk.
She stammered an unintelligible response as she tried hard not to ogle the taut muscles of his bare chest.
His smirk became even more prominent at that. “What was that?”
“I’m sorry.”
She hadn’t wanted to keep him waiting.
She was close to breaking down and crying that she felt tempted to beg him to let her remain a regular maid.
For the second time since she met him, he initiated contact. He grabbed her hand and brought her inside the room and then closed the door.
And once again, the contact of their joined skin was tingly and oh so deliciously pleasurable. It made shivers of pure physical awareness running down her spine.
How was she to resist her urges to jump the man?
She had no idea, but she’d be damned if she allowed her employer – she had to remind herself that he was her employer – to just sweep her off her feet and turn her into a wanton insatiable woman.
He leaned in so his beautiful gray eyes were level with her own.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” He asked in a soft tone that was at odds with the tone he usually preferred – detached.
“Nothing,” she was quick to say as she freed her hand.
“And yet you have the most adorable frown on,” he countered.
Adorable frown? She mentally gasped.
What was he on about? Was he out for her heart or something? Because she was somehow sure this wasn’t a careless comment that was thrown at her.
Don’t read too much into it, she chastised herself.
“I’m sorry?” She didn’t know what else to tell him.
He chuckled for the first time in her presence. And the sound made her almost delirious with desire for the man.
She couldn’t contain her blush or her pout.
Why was he laughing at her?
“Oh, don’t pout now,” he said simply, eyes malicious. His words, albeit casual, held some sort of menace in them.
She could almost imagine him saying, I’d have to kiss your pout away.
She wouldn’t mind getting kissed.
Get your head out of the gutter, she admonished herself for what seemed like the hundredth time in his presence.
She then averted her eyes and looked around. His bedroom was, much like the rest of the estate, humongous.
It was also squeaky clean. Mrs. Steams despite her age had been doing a good job, it would seem.
“What should I do?” She asked softly.
Silence met her question, as if he wasn’t prepared for such question.
“How about you bring me breakfast for starters?” He suggested instead of just ordering her around.
She nodded her head and was about to leave the room when he carried on, “Just tell the cook to send the usual breakfast, along with some grapes.”
She nodded anew, unable to form a coherent sentence, and unwilling to make a fool of herself. Why must he affect her so?
“You can answer me with your words, you know,” he told her in a soft tone. “I don’t bite.” This last bit was added in a humorous tone.
What was he attempting to accomplish? If he continued this charade, he’d have to deal with her inability to answer him properly.
In between her wildly beating heart and her shortness of breath, she merely squeaked a “Yes, sir.”
And then, she was out of the bedroom before he could tell her anything else.