His Domain

by Ashe Barker, Katy Swann, Rosalie Stanton, Lucy Felthouse, Anarie Brady, Rose C. Carole

  As though suddenly realizing he still held the knife, he glanced at it in his hand, then quickly put it down on the counter. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to greet you with a blade! I’m so used to using the things that it’s like they’re an extension of my arm.”

  Hmm, so maybe he’s Edward Knifehands. I suppressed a shudder.

  Those stunning eyes—such an unnatural yet beautiful blue—twinkling, he held out his now empty hand. “I’m Maddox Black. Pleased to meet you. And very pleased to have you here.”

  We shook. As we did so, the heat that had sparked inside me when we’d made eye contact began to intensify.

  Christ, no, Penny. You just ditched one bad boy. The last thing you need to do is swap him for another one.

  But then, how bad could he be if he was giving up his own time to work in a soup kitchen? Unless, of course, he was there for a similar reason as I was. “Penny Anderson. Pleased to meet you, too, Maddox. Unusual name, that,” I couldn’t help adding.

  He shrugged, but he was still smiling. “I’m an unusual guy. Are you ready to work? We’ll be opening in an hour, and there’s still lots to do.”

  I looked around incredulously. “It’s just the two of us?”

  “‘Fraid so, today.” He turned back to the worktop and resumed his speedy chopping. “It’s not easy getting people to help out. Folk are happy to just throw a bit of money our way to appease their consciences, but not actually get their hands dirty. One of my regular helpers is down with the flu, so the timing of your arrival couldn’t be better. I know you’re here under duress, but still, I’m grateful.”

  I frowned, but decided not to take him to task about the comment. He was only telling the truth, after all. There were a million other places I’d rather have been. “So,” I said, too brightly, “what do you want me to do?”

  * * * *

  Four hours later, we’d handed out the last meal and were well stuck in to getting everything cleaned up. Maddox was tackling the kitchen while I was covering the dining area. Given the state of some of the pans we’d used, I think I got the better end of the deal.

  As I wiped tables and chairs, flipped chairs upside down to rest on tables and swept and mopped the floor, I was deep in thought. Helping to serve up food to those who couldn’t afford it had been nothing like I was expecting. Far from it being the grim, depressing experience I’d imagined, it had been pretty damn uplifting.

  The people were just so grateful. None of them really wanted to be there, taking handouts, but their circumstances left them no choice. And those circumstances were wide-ranging, from what I’d gathered from Maddox. It was a display of just how fallible humans are, of how we all make mistakes, or just get a really bum deal in life. As I took in each genuine smile, each ‘thank you’, each ‘looks great’, I realized that perhaps I was being too hard on myself. These people were human, they deserved compassion and help, a chance to get their lives back on track. And if they did, then so did I.

  Yes, I’d screwed up. But nobody had died, or even gotten hurt. And it wasn’t like I’d planned any of it—I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Admittedly, with the wrong people. I wasn’t a bad person—just one who was a little gullible, perhaps. Well, I wouldn’t be making that mistake again. I’d heard somewhere that you’re only stupid if you make a mistake and don’t learn from it.

  Feeling much more positive, I hummed a tune as I carried on with my task. I became so engrossed, having fallen into a rhythm—wipe, flip, sweep, mop—that I didn’t notice Maddox until I almost hit him in the face as I upturned a chair. Gasping, I then almost dropped the chair on his foot.

  He took it from me with a grin and put it on the table. “I just came to see if you wanted a drink. You’ve been flat out since you got here.”

  As our gazes met, it occurred to me what a damn shame it would have been if I had hit him in the face with a chair. Because it was a very nice face. Aside from the eyes—which still captivated me no end—and the mad hair, which he’d now liberated from its net, he had cheekbones to die for and luscious, expressive lips. Ones I could well imagine kissing, and much more besides.

  Shoving the lustful thoughts aside, I forced a smile. “Yes, please. That would be great. I’m almost done here, actually. Give me five minutes and I’ll be with you.”

  “See you in five.” He turned to head back toward the kitchen, then threw over his shoulder, “Great job, by the way.”

  I didn’t respond. I’d been too busy enjoying the view of his backside as he walked away, then his words had rendered me speechless. I hurried to finish what I was doing, hoping the heat in my cheeks would dissipate before I had to face Maddox again. There was no way I wanted him to know what sort of effect he was having on me. He’d probably think I was some stupid kid. Actually, he probably already did think that, given he knew the reason for my attendance at the soup kitchen.

  I sighed. Bloody hell, it hadn’t taken long for my positive mood to disappear. Ah, well, hopefully a nice cup of tea and some more close up time with Mr. Unusual—not to mention gorgeous—would perk me up again.

  Chapter Two

  “Ah, perfect timing,” Maddox said as I walked in. “Kettle’s almost boiled.”

  “Anything else I can do before I sit down?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. Looks like we’re all done—seems we make a good team.”

  This time it was harder to hide the blush. I slid into a seat and gazed intently at the tabletop, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

  I heard the clanking of crockery, then, “Tea or coffee?”

  “Tea, please. White with one sugar.”

  “Coming right up.”

  A couple of minutes later, he placed two mugs on the table, then slid into the spot opposite me. “There you go.”

  “Thank you.” I forced my gaze up. On the one hand, I didn’t want him to know how easily he made me blush, but on the other hand, nor did I want him to think I was some moron who couldn’t hold an adult conversation or make eye contact. I wasn’t normally—Christ, most people classed me as bossy and overbearing—but there was something about Maddox that was twisting me up inside. Not necessarily in a bad way. Just different.

  “So.” He picked up his own mug and took a sip of his drink, making me wince. It had to still be really hot, yet it didn’t seem to bother him. “Tell me more about yourself, Penny. It’s been so busy today we’ve barely had chance to exchange a word.”

  I gave him a feeble smile and fidgeted in my chair. “Um…” I had no idea what to say. He already knew the circumstances of my ‘volunteer’ position, and therefore probably also my chosen career path. “There’s not really much to tell,” I eventually said. “What do you want to know?”

  He raised his eyebrows, then frowned, narrowing his eyes as though sizing me up. “Okay…shall I go first?”

  I nodded enthusiastically. Perfect—it both got me out of talking about myself and gave me lots of juicy information on him. From looks alone, I suspected he’d lived a more exciting life than me. I know one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but still…that tattoo, the hair, the piercing I could now see in his tragus—it had previously been covered by the hair net. This book had intriguing, exciting contents, I was sure of it.

  He took another swig of his drink. I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, resisting the temptation to gulp myself. Fucking hell, how had I gone from thinking he was the sort of guy I’d cross the road to avoid to madly lusting after him? Whatever it was, I needed to get a handle on it, and fast, because we were going to be working together quite a bit in the coming weeks, and if he booted me out of the soup kitchen, I very much doubted that Daddy would be able to swing me a third chance.

  “Well,” he said, putting the mug back down and curling his long fingers around it, “it’s a pretty long story, so I’ll have to stick with the highlights. Otherwise we’ll be here till midnight!”

  He chuckled, and I forced myself to join in quickly, so he had no inkling of what I w
as thinking—that being alone with him until midnight wasn’t a bad thing.

  “When I was younger, I was a bit of a wild child.”

  I knew it. Another bad boy. Steer well clear, Penny. Look where it got you last time!

  “I won’t depress you with the details, but let’s just say I did some bad things, my life went into a downward spiral and, as you’d expect, I hit rock bottom. I was living on the streets, relying on places like this for meals… You get the idea.”

  He had another drink, then settled back in his chair, looking at me expectantly.

  What! He expects me to talk when he’s given me not even half a story! “Whoa, that’s it? Highlights, my arse! That’s more like chapter one, then a big fat cliffhanger.” I hadn’t meant to say any of that out loud, but he’d just been reeling me in, and had then left me high and dry.

  Maddox’s lips twisted into a grin, making his cheekbones stand out even more. Then he laughed, a big belly laugh that did funny things to my hormones. “I knew she was in there somewhere.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The real Penny. Not this quiet little mouse you’ve been showing me. You don’t have to be all nicey-nice around me, you know. As long as you show up on time and do as you’re asked, we’ll be just fine. I’m not going to kick you out. And judging by the work you’ve put in today, I don’t think we’re going to have a problem. So just be yourself. You never know, you might even have some fun while you’re here.”

  I opened my mouth to reply, then closed it again when I realized I didn’t actually know what I wanted to say, and that sitting there with my jaw hitting the table would be deeply unattractive. He was only half-right—I was treading carefully, yes, but a lot of that was down to me trying to hide the fact I fancied him, rather than because I was frightened he was going to boot me out of his kitchen. I didn’t want that to happen, obviously, but I thought it’d be unlikely given there was currently no other help and I’d been doing an all right job. Or so I’d thought—seemed Maddox thought I’d done more than all right.

  Testing my tea, I found it was now cool enough to drink without scorching my mouth and throat, so I had some, using the time to think about exactly what I was going to say.

  “Okay,” I eventually said, “tell me the rest of your story, without cliffhangers, and I’ll show you the real Penny. Deal?”

  “Deal.” He gave a decisive nod, which flipped a lock of his hair down over his forehead, making him look even more rakish than before. My stomach somersaulted, and I hid behind my mug once more as I waited for him to continue. At some point, I’d have to work out what the hell I was going to tell him—I might not have been a quiet little mouse, but I sure wasn’t very interesting, either. He’d probably nod off before I was finished talking.

  “So I was at rock bottom, like I said. Naturally, I hated every moment of it, but for a while I couldn’t figure out how to change my situation. It was so hard—I needed a job, but it was nigh on impossible to get a job without a permanent address, but I couldn’t get a permanent address without earning some money to pay for it. It was a vicious circle. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that I knew if I’d hit the bottom, then the only way was up. The only way things could possibly have been worse was if I was dead, and no way was I going to allow that to happen.”

  He paused, drained his mug, then flashed me a quick smile before continuing. I concentrated hard on his words, resolutely ignoring the tugging sensation low in my pelvis. “There was a restaurant owner that used to give me leftovers. I was grateful, always thanked him, of course, but I wanted to do more. So I went in and spoke to him early one morning, before any of his staff had arrived, and threw myself on his mercy. I practically begged him for a job. I assured him I’d work hard, keep quiet, stay out of the way. I couldn’t blame him for being cautious—I mean, how many paying customers would be happy knowing a homeless person was helping out in the kitchen their food was coming out of? But when I explained my dilemma, and begged a bit more, he caved.

  “Never have I owed so much to one person. He let me clean up in the staff bathroom, even bought me some clothes for work so I’d look presentable. The customers would never lay eyes on me—I was only washing up to start with—but he didn’t want the other staff gossiping, or treating me differently. That opportunity literally turned my life around.”

  “Wow,” I said, meaning it. The restaurant owner had really taken a risk, which could have backfired spectacularly. “Sounds like a nice man. You really got lucky.”

  “I did. Very, very lucky. But I made sure he never regretted it for a moment. I worked my fingers to the bone, proved myself, and after a while I managed to find someone to rent a room from. That had the additional benefit of making me someone employable, since I now had an address—he didn’t have to hide my existence, then. So when the commis chef announced he was leaving, I made damn sure I was considered for the role. You’ve probably guessed I got lucky again…and I’ve never looked back.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Ah, that explains the skills with the knife. You’re still a chef, aren’t you? Though I’m guessing you’ve moved up the ranks since then.”

  “Yeah, you could say that.”

  “Do tell…”

  “I’m now a head chef. Of my own restaurant.”

  Chapter Three

  My jaw almost hit the table before I could do a thing to stop it. Snapping my mouth shut—almost biting my tongue in the process—I wrangled to get a grip on my surprise. “Wow.” I cleared my throat, as I’d sounded a bit squeaky, betraying my astonishment at his words. “That’s…impressive. Really impressive. Especially for your age. Good for you. Easy to see why you’re giving your time so generously here.”

  Maddox nodded. “It’s the least I can do. I’ve been where the people that come here have been. I turned it around, and am now incredibly fortunate. So what’s a few hours a week of my time to give a little something back?”

  I didn’t reply, just bobbed my head up and down. Not much I could say to that, really, particularly since I wasn’t even there of my own free will. It didn’t make me a bad person, exactly, but it sure made me realize I could be a better one.

  “So, that’s it. You’re up to date now. No more cliffhangers.” He grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners and ramping up the sensation in my pelvis. “I believe it’s now your turn.”

  I stifled a groan. “You asked for it. But you might want to imbibe some more caffeine—I warn you, I am dull as fuck.”

  “I find that very difficult to believe,” he shot back, a glint in his eye making me think, for the first time, that the attraction wasn’t entirely one-sided.

  Interesting.

  Suddenly I was incredibly glad my bra was thick enough to hide the fact my nipples had stiffened. Pinned in his gaze as I was, though, my hot face was fully on display. “Well,” I said, too loudly, blundering on and hoping I could come up with something even mildly interesting, “my life thus far hasn’t been as difficult as yours. I feel guilty even saying it, but I’ve definitely had it easy. My dad is a successful lawyer, Mum’s a publicist, a bloody good one, but she didn’t go back to work until I started school, and even then, only part-time. So I had the best of both worlds, I guess. Money, a comfortable lifestyle, but also quality family time. Sounds a bit vomit-worthy, actually, now I’m saying it out loud.” I pulled a face, and Maddox laughed.

  “Maybe, but you shouldn’t take it for granted. It’s better than the alternative, my alternative.”

  “True. So…continuing in the dull as fuck vein, I worked hard at school, got good exam results, went to college, then graduated from law school… And that’s where I’m at now. On the verge of stepping onto the career ladder, barring a brief interlude where I was a twat, got involved with the wrong people and ended up sitting at this table with you.”

  “And that,” Maddox replied, a triumphant expression on his face, “is exactly the part of the story I want to know more about. How did a smart girl�
�a smart woman—like you end up being involved with the wrong people? A late rebellion, perhaps?”

  I shook my head. “No, nothing that interesting, I’m afraid. I met Sean—the ringleader of the wrong people, shall we say—on campus. He was gorgeous, had the real bad-boy vibe going on, something I didn’t even know I liked until I met him. It was coming up to exam time and I was feeling under a lot of strain, so when he flirted with me, then asked me out, I agreed. I thought I deserved a bit of time to let off some steam before I went crazy.”

  “Understandable. So what happened? I’m guessing there was more to the bad boy than just a vibe, then?”

  “Got it in one. We kept it casual while I was doing my exams—I didn’t lose my head over him enough to risk fucking up my results, thankfully—but after that, it got a bit hot and heavy. He was…” I trailed off, and suddenly became very interested in my mug of tea, which was now empty.

  “Hey,” Maddox said softly, reaching over the table and placing his hand lightly on mine, “you don’t have to tell me. If you’re uncomfortable, I won’t tell you off for leaving me with a cliffhanger.”

  I gave him a small smile. “No, a deal’s a deal. It’s just…I’ve never talked about this with anyone before. I’m not much of a talker, really. Not about this kind of stuff, anyway.”

  He sat back, shrugged. “Then why not tell an almost-stranger? Might be easier than you think. And just for the record… I don’t judge.”

  As I took in his open, earnest expression, I decided he was right—it probably would be easier to tell someone I didn’t know very well. And besides, it might be good for me to get a different perspective on things, from someone who would likely say something different than just telling me how stupid I’d been. I already bloody well knew that, after all.

  Screwing up my courage, I continued, “He was my first…you know…sex. I guess it gave me those rose-tinted glasses you hear so much about. I thought he was great—exciting, sexy, fun…even a bit dangerous.”