The Billionaire’s Mistress
By
Georgia Somers
COPYRIGHT © 2014 by Talent Writers ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication is allowed to be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author. Only reviewers are allowed to quote brief passages from this publication.
Contents
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
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I
Reyna Barnes shivered beneath her flimsy, black coat, as she walked down the long, asphalt driveway toward Thorne Manor. She lugged behind her a small suitcase filled with most of the clothes she had. Reyna pulled her jacket collar tighter around her neck as an icy wind blew in her direction. She sighed deeply, looking at the large stone-faced mansion in front of her. She was surrounded by rolling green hills, beautiful rose bushes, and the backdrop of a magnificent castle in perfect solitude, in the heart of the Evergreen State. Reyna trudged on toward the front door, thinking of everything that had brought her to the place she now stood.
The sixth daughter of a mechanic and a maid, Reyna grew up in exceptional poverty in the heart of sunny Santa Fe. She was a whizz with numbers, a mathematics star, but had been barely able to finish high school when she was forced to work to help support her family, all her own hopes and dreams lived in the shadow of long forgotten childhood. Now she was here, in Washington, in the home of one of the richest families in the country. She had recently received a phone call, notifying her that one of the two maids at Thorne Manor had recently left, and the vacancy needed to be filled as soon as possible. The salary was more than anything she could have dreamed of, and even though she would be living on the property in a state far from her family, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. Reyna assumed she had gotten the job because she had been a maid since she was sixteen, and now at the blossoming age of thirty, she knew what she was doing. Reyna had worked for many families over the years, mostly in middle class suburbia. She had encountered countless personalities, from the plain noxious and naïve to the lecherous and lascivious. From what she had heard about the Thorne family, she assumed she would only encounter them on rare occasions, and that was fine with her. Her purpose was to get the job done, and receive a paycheck at the end of every month to send home to her family. Slowly, Reyna made her way up the marble steps of the entrance that led to a magnificent oak door, and gently pushed the doorbell.
Grayson Thorne rolled his eyes as he heard the doorbell ring for the third time. Violently he pushed himself out his leather office chair and stomped out of his den. “Does no one work here?” he yelled into the empty halls as he marched to the main foyer where the ringing was coming from. Heatedly, he pulled open the front door, an angered look on his face. His expression immediately softened as he took in the beautiful woman in front of him. The cold afternoon sunlight shone through her shoulder-length brown hair, highlighting its various shades of gold and making her amber eyes stand out vividly. She was breathtaking. “Can I help you?” he asked, swallowing his earlier rage.
Reyna inhaled deeply, a sudden warmth flowing through her shivering body. This must be Grayson Thorne, she thought, as she looked at the handsome man standing in front of her. Only in his early forties, Grayson had made a fortune for himself by becoming the biggest oil tycoon in the country. Reyna’s cheeks flushed as she watched herself follow the line of his strong jaw and settle on his lips. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Grayson looked somewhat amused, a twinkle in his eye. Suddenly a flurry of activity in the house caught their attention, as a middle age woman scurried toward the front door, a harried expression on her face.
“Mr. Thorne,” she whimpered, a heavy German accent rolling off her tongue, “I am so sorry, I was on the other side of the Manor and did not hear the bell. James is off this afternoon, I am so sorry.”
Grayson shook his head, his anger completely gone by now, “It’s alright Ivana.”
The blonde woman looked at the guest and smiled, “You must be Reyna,” she said quickly, stepping in front of Grayson and rushing Reyna in. Reyna smiled in an exasperated manner as she was dragged down the hallway, and she and Grayson exchanged furtive glances.
II
Reyna spent the rest of the afternoon becoming acquainted with the Manor and Ivana, the other maid. Thorne Manor was four stories high and doubly as wide; it was really more of castle than anything else. Reyna couldn’t believe only three people lived in the house, they most likely never saw one another. From what she had learned from Ivana, part of the Manor was never used unless guests were invited over, so most of the cleaning and caretaking was cordoned off within the middle of the gigantic house. Reyna would be in charge of cleaning the main bedrooms, and laundry for now, while she settled in and Ivana showed her the ropes. She was courteously introduced to James the butler, who arrived in the early evening and Carmen, the cook. Her living quarters blew her away. She had never had an entire bed to herself before, let alone a whole room with a bathroom. The setting was more luxurious than she could even imagine, more than she was used to, but judging by what she had seen of the house so far, it was a plain and simple room.
Dinnertime was signaled by the wafting aromas of hours of cooking coming from the large granite kitchen. Reyna sat on a bar stool at the counter and watched as Ivana, Carmen and James moved around in perfect harmony coordinating the dinner service. At exactly 7’ 0 clock, James left the kitchen carrying a silver tray laid out with a sumptuous meal followed by Ivana who also had her own tray. As they left, Reyna peeked through and saw two beautiful women sitting at the twelve-seat oak table, laden with wine and flowers. The older woman, Camilla Thorne, Grayson’s wife, was striking, with long auburn hair, bright green eyes and lightly freckled skin. Her manicured hands had never seen a day of hard work in their life. To her left was a younger version of her mother, Ella Thorne. From what Reyna had learned, Ella had just turned 21 and she was very spoilt. Ella had her mother’s hair, and skin tone, but those tender blue eyes were definitely from her father.
After a few moments, Ivana rushed back into the kitchen, the silver tray still in her hands, with an exasperated look on her face.
“What’s wrong?” asked Reyna, standing up.
Ivana shook her head, “Miss Ella wants all the carbohydrates removed.”
Reyna raised her eyebrows, as Ivana and Carmen chuckled.
“Can I help with anything?” asked Reyna, wanting to be useful, even though it was only her first day.
Ivana looked up at her, a grateful smile edging her lips, “If you wouldn’t mind,” she said, pointing to the last silver tray on the counter, “Mr. Thorne is having dinner in his den.”
Reyna gulped, and then smiled. This was her job, she thought, as she picked up the tray and walked out another kitchen door and down a long hallway toward the den.
Grayson flipped through papers on his desk, searching for something in particular. His face was taut with stress, the lines on his brow, furrowing deep. Suddenly he threw all the papers on the floor in a fit of anger. Just then, the door to the den opened and Reyna walked in. Grayson sighed, running his hands through his thick, dark hair and noticing the fearful expression on her face. She slowly walked in and placed the tray on a side table and rushed to pick up the papers on the floor. Grayson sighed deeply, shaking his head as he got up and walked toward her. “Please, leave it,” he sai
d angrily, as she piled up some papers in her hand. Refusing to look him in the eye, Reyna replied, “Mr. Thorne, it’s my job.” Grayson sighed, as he moved to the ground to help her. For the first time Reyna looked up at him, the strain in his face causing her heart to reach out to him a little. “You really don’t…” she began.
“It’s one thing to make sure a house is neat and tidy, it’s another to clean up after a grown man’s tantrum,” he said, a smile edging his lips.
Reyna couldn’t help but smile back, a strange knot forming in her stomach. Grayson’s eyes locked with hers, a dark tension forming between them. Suddenly the den door flew open and Camilla walked in. Grayson jumped up, almost guiltily. “You can’t spend ten minutes with your family?” started Camilla, not even noticing Reyna in the room.
Grayson’s eyes narrowed as Camilla stormed toward him, “Camilla,” he began but she shook her head furiously.
“No, no more excuses,” she yelled, but Grayson had had enough. He furiously slammed his hand onto his now empty desk causing both Reyna and Camilla to jump.
“Having all this money and keeping all this money are two entirely different things, so if you’re happy with selling Thorne Manor and all your priceless possessions to live like a normal person just let me know and I will gladly spend more time with my family,” he yelled, his voice grained with strain.
Camilla’s eyes were slits on her face as she turned on her heel and stormed off.
“That’s what I thought,” said Grayson, to himself, but Reyna was still in the room. Hurriedly she picked up the last few papers and laid them on his table, avoiding his gaze again as she left the room.
Reyna got into her new bed in her new room, and sank into the soft covers. Her eyes struggled to stay open, thoughts and images flitting through her mind. Grayson Thorne. His soft blue eyes. His charming half-smile. He was devastatingly handsome, she thought as she started drifting to sleep. He was also married, as well as being her boss, oh and she was his maid. Reyna rolled her eyes as she turned on her side and shook her head to try and rid her mind of the mischievous thoughts that were creeping in as she dozed off into a deep slumber. She knew men like him, men with too much money and a love of power. They were bad news. Men who thought they could have whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Reyna groaned as a small part of her wished that she was the thing he wanted.
III
A loud knock on the door sent Reyna flying out of bed at the crack of dawn. At first she thought she had overslept, but looking out the window, she saw the sun had barely risen. Sleepily she dragged herself into the bathroom to get ready.
Half an hour later, dressed in her new maid’s outfit, Reyna made her way up the first staircase of the Manor, where all the main bedrooms were located. On the East wing was Ella’s room, the door still firmly shut. On the West wing, stood the master bedroom, and another room, which she had only just learned was Camilla’s separate room. She could plainly see from the little interaction she had had with the family that Camilla and Grayson were not in a happy marriage, but he was an oil tycoon and she was a millionaire’s daughter – a perfect match.
The door to the main bedroom was open, sunlight streaming in. Tentatively she peeked her head in, relieved to see the room abandoned. She walked into the lavish room with a dark wooden bed frame and cushioned bay windows. What it must be like to live like a king, she thought. She made her way to the bed, where grey silk sheets lay strewn. Leaning over she pulled off the linen and started to make the bed.
The creak of a door caught her attention and she jumped when she saw Grayson Thorne standing in a doorway she hadn’t noticed. Clouds of billowing steam exited the en suite bathroom as Grayson walked out, a white towel draped at his waist. “Mr. Thorne, I thought…” she began timidly.
Grayson shook his head, barely noticing her presence, and walked over to the wardrobe, “Carry on,” he said casually. Reyna gulped, then turned back to the bed, the image of his lean, tanned, wet body burned into her mind.
Grayson pulled out a crisp white shirt and turned to walk back into the bathroom when his eyes landed softly on Reyna leaning over his bed. She was dusting pillows and placing them on the far corner, not realizing that her black dress was creeping up her thighs as she bent over. Grayson’s eyes burned into her flesh, as his mind wandered what it would feel like to touch those creamy thighs. He stopped himself short as he felt himself begin to harden and stormed off into the bathroom. Closing the door the behind him, he looked at himself in the mirror. Shake it off, he thought. He was just in need of a little action. It had been years since he and Camilla shared a bed, let alone had sex. This was all just a natural reaction to being celibate for so long. Maybe he should take up the offer at the gentlemen’s club and hire someone. Grayson rolled his eyes at his reflection.
After she had tidied up the room Reyna made her way down the hallway to Camilla’s bedroom. The room was much smaller than the master, but equally extravagant. Camilla sat in her dressing gown in front of a large dresser with mirror, typing away on her cell phone. Reyna knocked cautiously. Camilla looked up, “Yes come in,” she said almost irritably, as she picked up a towel and walked into her en suite bathroom. Reyna sighed and carried on. Reyna straightened the bed, fluffed the pillows and neatened the drawers. On a French side table she noticed some files, which she tidied, her eyes grazing the pages. It seemed Camilla was involved in a lot of charity work. Maybe Reyna had judged her too harshly.
The last room on Reyna’s list was Ella’s. Reyna was instructed that if the door was not opened by 9 o’clock, she was to walk in and begin tidying Ella out of the room. The door was still closed and time was ticking, but Reyna did not feel comfortable entering the shut door. She sucked in her breath, preparing herself as she knocked and walked in hesitantly. Ella screamed and threw a pillow in Reyna’s direction, as a naked young man jumped out of Ella’s bed. Reyna’s cheeks burned bright red as she stepped back out of the room. She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes. This was the most dysfunctional family she had ever met, she thought as the door swung open again. This time, Ella was poised, a silk robe draped around her. Her eyes were narrow, her face tense. She signaled for Reyna to come in, then slammed the door behind her and rounded on her, “If you tell anyone…” she hissed.
Reyna shook her head, “I won’t,” she blurted out.
“You better not,” said Ella emphatically as she walked over to her cupboard. “The last maid who spread nasty rumors about me…” she chuckled and then turned to Reyna, a smile on her face, “Well you replaced her, so…”
Ella turned and picked out another item of clothing.
Reyna’s face paled as she stood rooted to the spot. Ella pulled out a pair of black pants, noticing Reyna still staring at her. “Well, don’t just stand there, do your job!”
IV
Over the next few days Reyna did her best to avoid interacting with the family, especially Grayson and Ella, but for very different reasons. She couldn’t seem to get Grayson out of her mind, out of her dreams, and she was sure he noticed her surreptitious glances and awkward stares. She was like a girl with a crush, except that she was a woman and an employee.
The next time she encountered the family was at a Saturday evening dinner, deep into the winter months. The snow had been falling more heavily and coated the grounds in a light dust of white. Reyna and Ivana were the only two employees left in the house before Christmas, so Ivana cooked and Reyna served. Everyone else had families to go home to, but since Reyna was new, she was to spend her first Christmas alone. The Thorne family had an annual vacation planned, and Ivana was off to Germany the following day, and someone had to stay in the Manor, to make sure everything ran smoothly for the family’s return. Reyna was grateful for the extra money, but she was also a little afraid to be in such a big house alone. Ivana had encouraged her with tales of pretending to own the mansion, luxurious hours of freedom in the kingdom, but Reyna would rather be with her family.
Reyna walk
ed into the dining room, the gleaming silver tray in her hand.
“I really cannot believe this!” said Camilla in an exasperated tone, not noticing Reyna’s arrival. Ella gave Reyna a piercing look as she set the tray down in front of her and walked out to get the next one.
When she walked back in, it was Grayson who was talking, “I don’t have a choice Camilla.”
Camilla sighed heavily as she gulped her wine, “What will people think?” she hissed.
Grayson rolled his eyes, and got up from his chair. He looked at Reyna, “I’ll take my dinner in the den,” he said and walked out of the room. Camilla shook her head as she watched him go.
Reyna knocked on the door of the den and walked in. Grayson was sitting on the plush brown couch in front of a raging fire, a glass of whiskey in his hand. Reyna walked over and placed the tray on the coffee table in front of him. He looked terribly stressed, dark crevices forming beneath his eyes, thought Reyna. She wasn’t sure why, but part of her wanted to ask him what was wrong, maybe even comfort him. She ought to slap herself silly, she thought as she regained her wits.
“Is there anything else I can do for you Mr. Thorne?” asked Reyna about to leave. Grayson chuckled as he leaned back into the soft couch and ran his hands through his hair, “Well if you can figure where all my money is going,” he said. He pointed to the piles of paperwork on the coffee table.
Reyna frowned, somewhat disconcerted by his assessment of her, “Don’t you have an accountant?” she asked steadily.
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