What was he playing at, claiming she was his that way? Emily wondered but found no reasonable response. She snapped at him like she had never snapped at anyone. And his smirk only unnerved her even more.
She was about to just flee the room when she remembered how her attempt to ignore him went the first time she tried.
She was tempted to give in. But she couldn’t. A part of her realized that he had the power to break her or make her. And she just couldn’t risk it – him crushing her, him breaking her heart beyond repair – no matter how tempting he looked, not matter how mellow his voice was.
She’d have to endure this necessary pain. She’d have to endure his teasing and try not to be affected by it all. She desperately needed the job after all. In the small town she lived, there were close to no job openings. And moving to a bigger city wasn’t an option. Big cities tended to be more expensive. And she was struggling enough as it was.
Besides, what if she gave in to his devastating charm only to be fired afterward? She’d lose her virginity, her dignity, and her job, all at once.
Sounded like a plan she didn’t want to go through.
Although he was on the receiving end of her glare, he only carried on smirking.
“If that’ll be all,” she bit out with more venom than was probably necessary, “I’ll go see whether your lunch is ready.”
“I’ll allow you to escape just this once, dorogaya,” he told her teasingly.
She saw red, but still managed to contain herself. It wouldn’t do to blow up at him for so little. He could call her whatever he wished, dog, dor-whatever. She didn’t know what language that was, or what it meant, and she wasn’t going to stay long enough to find out.
She glared at him one more time and then left the room. She did her best not to slam the door on her way out, and managed somehow.
With some difficulty, she kept herself from stomping down her feet all the way to the kitchen.
She wasn’t that childish. No matter how much he angered her, she shall not act like the spoiled little princess who was throwing a tantrum because things didn’t go her way. She was more mature than that.
When she reached the kitchen, after successfully ignoring the stares and the whispers this time around, the cook was almost close to tears.
“The young master’s meal is not yet ready.”
“Why is that?” Emily tilted her head to the side as she asked him that.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think he’d be having his lunch early, and I believed I could make him the lasagna quickly. If he’d be so kind as to wait for fifteen more minutes. They’ll be ready by then.”
She hadn’t meant to upset him. From the pleading looks he was giving her, she realized he must have suffered the player’s wrath before or possibly the housekeeper’s.
Instead of heading back to the master bedroom to inform the pompous player of the slight delay, she entered the kitchen some more, and as she pointed at a chair, she asked politely, “Do you mind if I sit down and wait here?”
“Sure, I don’t mind,” he said in obvious relief.
She smiled at him and watched him with awe as he got busy around the kitchen. For a man who wasn’t quite in his prime he sure moved deftly and easily around the kitchen.
It wasn’t long before he had prepared the main dish. He prepared the plates – lasagna along with some fancy looking salad. No sweet desert save for some grapes.
At the sight of the grapes, Emily remembered how sweet her employer had been to ask her to eat his breakfast… silly of her to think he didn’t have a hidden agenda.
She picked up the first tray but she didn’t know how she was going to carry the second one. Her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips.
“I’ll take the second tray with you,” the cook offered kindly.
“Oh, no, I think I’ll manage – somehow. I don’t want to bother you.”
“Nonsense,” he waved her worries off.
They were in front of the master bedroom within a minute or so. Emily was about to knock on the door when it opened to reveal her devilishly handsome and disturbingly angry employer.
“Took you long enough,” he narrowed his eyes at her.
“It’s m… it’s my fault,” the cook basically stammered on the words. “Lunch wasn’t ready when she came down for it.”
His glare shifted to the cook, and Emily felt for the man.
“Your meeting hasn’t started though, right?” She pointed out and the player’s attention focused back on her.
“Yet,” he iced out. He looked at his expensive watch and then said. “It’ll start in half an hour though.”
“Just enough time for you to have lunch then,” she insisted with slightly narrowed eyes.
He stared at her levelly. And then, he just took the tray from her and entered the bedroom.
She took that as an indication that she needed to take the other tray from the cook. The man mouthed a thank you in her direction, gratitude shining in his eyes.
She nodded curtly at him, and then followed the ruthless man who had dared to claim her as his inside his room.
“Close the door,” he instructed without looking at her.
She hesitated for a split-second but then obliged him. Jerk or not, he was still her employer.
When the door clicked shut, his gaze snapped up to her face. “Quite the brave face you put on just now.”
She nodded at him, almost ready to hear him declare she was fired. He looked rather angry.
“Choose your battles well, dorogaya,” he said with a smirk. “Was saving his job worth it?”
“Yes,” she nodded at once without hesitating. The man obviously didn’t know much about people’s desperation to keep their jobs.
“I’ll be using the office in a few,” he said before taking a first bite of the salad. “Make sure it is well cleaned.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You don’t have to clean it yourself,” he added.
“Cleaning is part of my job,” she said through gritted teeth.
He looked at her once more, eyes slightly narrowed, and then he said cryptically, “Have it your way for now.”