Ren’s [POV]
I’m not nervous.
Okay, I was more than nervous, but I was also really curious when I reached the door and peeked inside, finding a workshop that was a lot larger than I thought it would be.
“Wow.” I sighed, my eyes taking everything in with awe that scrambled my brain.
Before I could stop myself, I shuffled into the space and stopped in front of a painting that, frankly, I had no words to describe what I felt as I stared at the landscape depicting trees, a lake, and a sunset so filled with color it was enchanting. All I could say or think was, wow, and wonder if this was Caleb’s work.
It must be. I mean, Alpha Walker was clear about Caleb when he told me to come out here. The man lived alone, hardly ever saw anyone, and when people did show up uninvited, he wasn’t exactly friendly. I could deal with that, though. I was married for two years, and Shane was far from friendly then, never mind after I left him and made it clear we were done. Unfriendly meant nothing to me. Well, that was not exactly true. Unfriendly just means I tried harder to be nice, and eventually, after I’d worn people down, they were nice back.
Sometimes.
Life’s not perfect, okay? What do you want me to say? At least I tried. I mean, it wasn’t always easy, but honey attracts more flies, right?
“Who the fuck are you?” a deep voice growled, making me scream and jump, my hand clutching my chest when I twisted around and…
“Oh, God.” I gasped when I got a load of the hugest man I’d ever seen, his big body so wide and muscular, I saw muscles on his muscles since he was shirtless.
So sexy.
I shut that down hard and fast before I did or said something to embarrass myself and blew out a breath while I pinned on a friendly smile and looked up. Into the bluest eyes, I had ever seen. Oh, Lord. I couldn’t work for this man. I knew deep inside me where my inner hussy lived and when she giggled, it was made clear to me she’d already noticed.
Which was bad. It was really bad considering I’d been divorced for a while, hadn’t had sex in a long time, and this was the first time in ever that I’d laid eyes on a man that not only me but my wolf found attractive.
Keep it together, Ren. Don’t think about these things. You’re still healing emotionally and mentally.
Oh, give it a rest! It’s been a year already, Ren. You know you’re lonely. Doesn’t he look yummy? I bet he’d be good.
Just stop it, I groaned, my cheeks so hot they burned.
Clearing my throat, I forced myself to think clearly and promised myself a session with my vibrator. Later. And I wouldn’t fantasize about Caleb Chase. I wouldn’t. That would be weird, and I swore a few months ago I’d stop being weird.
“Mr. Chase?” I croaked, somehow collecting myself enough not to drool, sigh or, ya know, throw myself at him.
Recently divorced, Ren. Remember? You just got cleared for murder. Remember?
The man, Caleb…
I mentally slapped myself to clear out the remnants of my unclean thoughts and got myself to focus when he stepped further into the space and glared down at me. He was so handsome it was hard not to stare, but hell, at this point, I was calling it good because at least I wasn’t staring at his chest or attacking him like a maniac.
In my defense…heck, I have no defense other than to say he’s hot, and I like pretty things. There’s no harm in looking, though. Right? I mean, he wouldn’t be this cute if the Lord didn’t want me to look at him. Oh, brother! Get a grip, Ren.
“Who are you, and what the hell are you doing in here?” he repeated, his full mouth tightening when I smiled instead of backing down and holding out my hand.
“I’m Ren Sheppard, your new housekeeper. Alpha Walker sent me out here to introduce myself and talk about your schedule.” I said brightly, my smile never wavering, even when he glanced at my hand but didn’t take it.
Okay. This one’s gonna take some work. That’s okay. Just move along, Ren. Don’t get stuck.
“Well, okay. I like it here. Don’t worry though. I know artists don’t like people in their spaces, so I won’t come out here unless you ask me to.” I assured him, breezing by him with bright ease I didn’t feel but wouldn’t let go of because he was struggling to keep up, and that was good.
I found it easier to just blow through objections with a sunny attitude, and it was no different now as I kept chattering and walked back to the porch and opened the front door.
“Oh, sweet Jesus.” I gasped when I walked in and got a load of the house, my chatter stopping dead because it was possibly the most…
I mean, filthy wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t nice to use that word when referring to people, but it was damn close. There were clothes strewn everywhere, dirty dishes, glasses, and beer cans. I couldn’t see the couches properly either, and when I forced myself to walk into the living room, I purposely ignored the way my sneakers crunched against the hardwood.
“Well, this is great. Nice and big! I like your, er, TV. Big. I bet the picture quality is just phenomenal. I still use one of the old sets, you know, the boxy, big kinds with the bunny ears? But it’s okay. I don’t watch much TV since the signal sucks this far out without cable or Wi-Fi.” I said, resuming a steady stream of chatter when I ducked out of the living room and walked down a short hall to the kitchen.
It was worse in there. No problem though. I loved cleaning, and this meant I’d have a chance to prove myself.
“Nice. Those cabinets are great. I always wanted blue cabinets, but I’m a nightmare at DIY projects.” I mumbled, blowing by Caleb again and climbing the stairs.
Hold it together, Ren. Keep going. He can’t stop you if you keep moving.
But Lord, I wasn’t sure I wanted to when I breathed in.
I’m a shifter, I smelled things a lot more intensely than humans, and I had to swallow a little as I reached the landing and turned right towards a hallway. Ignoring the growl behind me and any chance the man had to object, I opened what I assumed to be the door to the master bedroom and skipped inside.
I wouldn’t say anything about it, but the word feral came to mind when I got a load of the huge bed, tangled sheets, and the utter chaos that was Caleb Chase’s bedroom.
Moving on!
“This is just gorgeous. I like that painting. Did you paint it? Of course, you did. The one in your shed was just lovely too. Oh, your bathroom is huge. Nice double vanity and that tub.” I trilled breathlessly, turning to smile cheerily before I walked right by him again and sailed back downstairs.
I wouldn’t laugh at the shock I saw on his face because that would just be rude, but I mentally high-fived myself when I reached the living room again and stopped with a sigh.
“Okay. So I’ll start tomorrow. My battle plan is simple. I’ll just clear up on the first day, and make sure all the laundry is situated where it needs to be. Get the dishes sorted and the kitchen clean, and then I’ll move on to the bedrooms and bathrooms, and I’m assuming that’s the study?” I mused, pointing to a doorway tucked away to the right of the stairs.
When Caleb just nodded, grunting a non-verbal affirmative, I smiled again and reached out, taking his hand in mine this time to avoid an awkward repeat of before.
“It was so nice to meet you, and I’m so happy I’ll be working for you and helping you with this beautiful house.” I belted out in one breath, almost wheezing as I jabbered and tried to keep talking so that he couldn’t. “I have to go now though. My Grammy Lacy, that’s the one from mama’s side, lives with a friend of hers here, and I cook for them every Thursday, Sunday, and Tuesday. Judie’s daughter Yolanda does the other days. I told her she didn’t have to, but Grammy followed me here, leaving the pack. It was so sweet. I mean, it’s what helped me after Shane and his…well, that’s a whole other story. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.” I croaked, sucking a big breath into my lungs while I skittered out and back onto the porch.
I managed to keep my giggles into the car and as I pulled out, but the moment I glanced up, peered into the rearview mirror, and saw Caleb Chase standing on the porch, his face still covered in the dazed, confused look of a man who’d never met me, I let out a hard laugh.
And laughed all the way home as I thought about Caleb Chase, his hotness, and the fact that I’d just steamrolled my way into a job. What would happen now? Would he let me stay? Was I going to finally be protected?
Mostly, I wondered if I was going to be okay working for a man I found as attractive as I did Caleb Chase. The man was angry, that was clear enough, and he didn’t want me around. I could work with that since I wasn’t a stranger to being unwanted. What I wasn’t sure I could work with was how very much I felt for a man I’d just met.
I couldn’t allow myself to feel for him. This was a job, one I desperately needed, and I couldn’t risk it by feeling anything for Caleb Chase. There was one problem, though; I already felt something, and knowing me, I’d feel a whole lot more soon.
I had a feeling this may just be one more in a long line of mistakes I’d already made, but as usual, I shrugged it off and kept smiling.
And prayed that everything would be okay.