Only then did she see someone sitting on one of the several couches. His presence was so commanding that she immediately stopped her gawking and froze on the spot. The man was tall, and she could see that even as he sat. His frame was muscular; biceps practically breaking the seams of the long sleeved t he was wearing, and he was the most strikingly handsome man Clara had ever laid eyes on.
He was staring right at her. His sea green eyes felt like they were piercing her soul and it was several seconds before she realized that she’d been staring right back without taking a single breath.
“Miss Davies. I present Jacob Fulbright.” said the old man.
“Thank you, Howard. That will be all.” said this Jacob in a mellow and deep voice. Nodding, the butler left.
“Come and sit down. Clara, isn’t it?” Jacob gestured to the seat next to him and picked up an iPad, scrolling. “I have several questions. I can see you’re from Illinois. Twenty-two. Dress size…?” he looked her up and down, “I’m guessing a sixteen. Good grades. Drama student. Ah, I’ll bet that explains why you’re in New York then. No previous convictions.” He went on, not giving her time to get in one word. “Do you have many friends in New York? Are you dating? Are you able to take the live-in post? This post is full time so I’ll need your commitment.”
Clara opened and closed her mouth so many times she felt like a goldfish. When was this guy going to give her a chance to speak? Finally. He stopped talking and looked at her expectantly. Those eyes of his threw her momentarily before she replied.
“Um. Yes, I’m able to live in…” she wasn’t sure which question to answer, did he really want to know if she had friends or boyfriends? How was that relevant to the job? In fact, “I'm just wondering, Mr. Fulbright, what the work would entail. It’s just the advert in the paper was a bit vague. But, I thought you needed a caretaker?" Clara asked, raising her eyebrows, and looking around the room for an aged or physically challenged person.
“Yes, you’ll be caring for me. I’ll need you to be here every evening. Nights off will have to be planned in advance. During the day, you will be able to do your own thing. Right. Well, that’s all I need. Howard will see you out.”
Completely agog, Clara lifted herself from the chair. That was, without a doubt the weirdest interview she’d ever had. She had hardly spoken, or been asked anything remotely associated with the job. Too stunned to ask more, Clara only stammered her thanks and followed the butler back down, out of the building in a slight state of shock. To an outsider, it might seem like she’d applied for a job as a live-in prostitute And, Clara, as an insider, didn't exactly know if that wasn't the truth. It would have been awesome to have been able to call that penthouse her home, though. But Clara wasn’t about to stoop that low. No matter how desperate she was.
Chapter 3
It was the smell of theaters that Clara loved most. As she huddled up on a crushed velvet chair in the auditorium, she inhaled deeply: a musky scent of stale popcorn, dust, and anticipation. Perfect.
“Why on earth can’t they ever put the heating on for these auditions?” Emily, her one and only friend in this lonely city, flicked the seat down and pulled her thick coat around her tighter. “Ooo. Did you do something to your hair? I like it.” said Emily, pulling on a loose, jet black tendril that had fallen from Clara’s top knot.
“I had an interview today. Don’t ask.” She said quickly. “God I hope this audition goes well. I need this so badly.”
“You and me both, kid.” agreed Emily. “Oh hey, Matt’s here.” Clara looked in the direction that Emily was waving and saw Matt, wearing such a big jacket that it drowned his skinny frame.
She’d met both of them through the audition circuit, though she knew Emily much better than she did Matt. Even though they were often competing for similar roles, Emily had been kind to her. A balm on the sore that had been her life so far in this city.
“Matt. Clara had a job interview today.”
“Awesome.” He sat next to Emily and leaned over to Clara with a grin. “How’d it go? Will you be able to move away from that bitch of a roommate?”
Clara looked at her friend accusingly.
“What?” Emily protested, “It’s hardly a deep, dark secret that your roommate’s a massive cow, is it?”
“Well, I’m not getting my hopes up. Something about the job I went for seems off. Although it was a live- in position. In a penthouse in West Chelsea no less, but I’m not sure…” She was interrupted by the shrill ringtone of her cell. Everyone inside the theater glared at her. Not having your phone on silent was a huge faux pas during an audition and embarrassed, Clara ran out of the theater to answer it away from the evil stares.
“Jacob Fulbright would like to offer you the post, Miss Davies. We will send a car to collect you now, and one of the staff will collect your belongings from your residence.” She recognized Howard’s voice, though that was the most she’d ever heard him speak.
“I…hang on, I’m not at home, I’m at The Acorn Theatre. And, I can get my own things…”
“No need, Miss. We have a car in your vicinity; it can be with you in three minutes. Mr. Fulbright would like you to start right away.” And with that, he hung up.
Clara shook her head, her heart pounding in her chest. What the hell? She thought. I can’t just move into that place and start this job now. I don’t even know what ‘this job’ is.
During her bewildered deliberation, a sleek, black Mercedes pulled up to the sidewalk. The driver got out, confirmed her name and opened the passenger door so she could climb in. Clara looked back at the entrance to the theater - to where her old life lay. Then she looked at the car - and possibly her future. It was an uncertain one, sure. But, possibly out of curiosity above anything else, she found herself climbing onto the back leather seats and into the unknown.
Chapter 4
Howard received her at the building’s front door and led her into the pimped out elevator again. Jacob was nowhere to be seen, and she was taken past the kitchen and down the hallway. After what felt like a five-minute walk, I’ll never find my way around this enormous space, she thought. Howard opened a door for her and gestured for her to go inside.
“This is your room, Miss. Everything you need should be here. Please use the landline and dial zero should you require anything else. There is a dress hanging on the mirror. Please change into that and join Mr. Fulbright for dinner at 7 pm sharp.”
Clara’s room was like a six-star hotel suite; it was massive enough to make the king sized bed look small. There was a walk in wardrobe, an en suite bathroom bigger than the living area of her Mum’s house, a chaise longue in silver velvet and an ornate, silver-framed full-length mirror, over which was hung a teal dress.
This was all too good to be true, wasn’t it? What had she signed up for?
“Howard. I don’t even know what this job is. What the pay is, what the hours are?” She did not bother to hide the alarm in her voice or her face.
Though the old man’s face was stern, when he smiled all his features softened, and it put her slightly more at ease. “Mr. Fulbright will explain everything to you over dinner.”
When the butler had left the room, Clara walked around slowly, taking in every detail. From the million thread, snow-white bedding to her dressing table which was complete with superstar light bulbs dotted around the edges of the three-sided mirror. Tongs, straighteners, curlers, and brushes were in holders next to it. The whole place had everything she could have possibly needed and more. More than just a little overwhelmed, Clara sat on the ginormous bed, looking around to process her surroundings. I’ll have dinner with him, she thought, bargaining with herself. I’ll find out what I’m being employed to do, ask about time off for auditions and if I’ve just signed up as a sex worker. I’ll leave straight away. It’ll be okay.
But the truth was dawning on Clara; she was already in love with this place and hoped more than anything that her new position was going to be something legit, so
that she could stay here.
Checking her phone, Clara saw that she had a dozen missed calls and several texts from Emily, worried about where she’d gone and why she’d not come back into the audition. She replied quickly, letting her know the situation and promising to update her properly later. For now, though, there was only one thing on Clara’s mind. She was going to soak in her very own, giant bathtub and enjoy this luxury while she could.
It surprised her to see that Jacob was already seated at the dining table when she arrived in the dinner hall. She’d half expected him to have kept her waiting; he’d so far come across like that kind of guy. She hesitated slightly, but as soon as he became aware of her presence he looked up at her with a broad smile.
“Clara. You look ravishing. I knew that would be your color. Please, come and have a seat.”
Her cheeks flushed bright red, not only from receiving such a warm and genuine sounding compliment but also because Jacob actually got up from his seat and pulled out a chair for her to sit on. He was even taller than she’d expected, and he looked solid, like eh spend every waking hour lifting weights. His dark hair was neat and styled to perfection. His jaw was strong and clean-shaven. But it was those eyes that got her. Swirls of green and blue mixed so uniquely it was as though she were watching the rippling surface of the Caribbean.
It was all she could do to tear her gaze away as she sat down. He sat next to her, made an arm gesture and out of nowhere a man appeared carrying two bottles.
“Red or white?” Jacob asked.
“White please,” said Clara, having never been so grateful to take a swig of alcohol in her life. She hoped it would calm the swarm of butterflies in her stomach.
“Now. I’m sure you’ve got lots of questions, but first, I’d like to thank you for accepting the job when you had been given such microscopic detail about the post. I like that you’re willing to go with the flow and be a bit spontaneous. I need someone fluid like you."
Clara was caught off-guard by this new, charming approach her employer had taken on. Not even twenty-four hours ago, he’d been so bullish and dominating, and she was taken aback by how pleasant he was coming across right now.
“ I have to be honest with you Mr. Fulbright; I’m not entirely sure I have accepted this job. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing or when I’m expected to be doing it. Any chance you could fill me in?”
Their food arrived, carried in by waiters clad in black aprons who came and disappeared in a flash. “I know it must all seem a bit formal around here but please, call me Jacob.” he laughed, “Okay. So I need you to be around every evening - though I can make exceptions if we can only discuss them in advance. I’ll have to show you what needs doing, it’s less complicated than explaining verbally, but we’ll eat first. Secondly, during the day, just make yourself at home here. I’d like it if we could have dinner together again on occasion…but that’s it. So, for now, we’ll just get to know each other and relax.”
Clara busied herself with her food and raised her eyebrows. She was still no clearer as to what the job actually entailed, though the longer she stayed in Jacob’s company, the less Clara found she cared. He was such a contradiction, being so stacked and imposing. His manner was also tender, playful and kind, and she found herself incredibly relaxed around him, which was bizarre given the circumstances.
As the wine flowed, and she realized she was genuinely enjoying herself, she also noticed just how funny Jacob was. Funny and sweet. They chatted easily,; like they'd known one another for years. The only problem was, as they got to know each other, she found herself more and more attracted to him with each passing second. Each time he spoke she couldn’t help her gaze wandering to his lips and imagining what they would feel like upon hers, or how his protective arms would feel around her body.
“So I come from simple beginnings, a small town not unlike where you grew up…” It had taken a while before Clara realized Jacob had been talking to her and that she’d been far too preoccupied with fantasies about his body to listen. “I got into real estate at the right time. That’s the only secret to my success. I do very little work these days; it’s not like I need any more money. I do very little of anything anymore.” He chuckled, almost shyly, “I do apologize. I’ve been going on and on. I see so few people these days, I guess I’ve got a lot stored up. You’ve been a wonderfully patient listener.”
Clara smiled as sweetly as she could and pushed her wine away. I’d better not have any more of that, she thought. My fantasizing is getting out of control, and this guy is your boss.
To her disappointment, Jacob also pushed his wine glass back and stood. She had been hoping that they could have just stayed and talked into the night.
He checked his watch. “Right. It’s time to show you what your role will be here.”
There was a definite change in atmosphere. The bond that had been forged over dinner now seemed broken, even Jacobs eyes appeared darker, somehow. It filled Clara with a cold foreboding; she was worried that the dream-like day she had had was about to turn into a nightmare. Small talk was gone and the staff she had seen earlier, were nowhere to be seen. She followed Jacob down the grand staircase in silence, keeping pace behind him as he made his way down the opposite corridor to her room. At the very end, there was a door that, although the same color scheme as the others, looked different in its material; dark and sturdy. Jacob pressed a code into an electronic lock that Clara hadn’t noticed sunken into the wall next to it. She heard the door unlock loudly and then he pushed it open. Clara had been holding her breath the whole time, and seeing inside; she exhaled loudly.
Chapter 5
It was a plain room, with what looked like reinforced steel walls. The only things that were visible was a pair of thick, metal chained cuffs hanging from the ceiling, not regular handcuffs - large, reliable ones, more like shackles, and a pile of neatly folded clothing. The confusion deepened. Was this like, his sex room or something?
Turning to face her - the once confident and friendly Jacob had all but disappeared. The green in his eyes looked gray, and they were so full of sadness she could have cried.
“Your job is this,” his voice was quieter than normal, “you are to chain me in these cuffs every single night no later than ten pm. Each morning, at six, you will come and remove the cuffs. You are not to ask questions about it, and you are not to speak of this to anyone. And don’t ever, ever enter this room during those hours.” He pressed a small card and a key into her hand.
Clara’s mind was spinning with questions, thousands of them, but heeding his advice she remained quiet.
“The code to the door is on the card.” He checked his watch again. “It’s almost ten. You can cuff me now.”
She looked up at him, their eyes locking briefly and intensely. Clara’s heart was threatening to pop out of her chest. For a moment, she thought that Jacob was going to bend down and kiss her. God, she wanted so bad for him to kiss her. Jacob blinked, turned away and the moment was gone.
She couldn’t think of a single thing to say as she locked the heavy metal strips around his wrists, and so she turned and left her boss in the cold fortress of a room.
Setting her alarm for ten to six, Clara couldn’t quite believe that today had just happened to her - it was so surreal. There was no question anymore, regarding her staying or going. In the short time she had known him and despite the strange nighttime routine, she really liked Jacob. She found him genuine and real, and she was more than a little intrigued by the sadness behind his eyes. Not to mention her curiosity around what she would find when she opened the door to the locked room in the morning. He had asked her not to question it and she wouldn’t, but if all she had to do to stay here was lock him up overnight and see that gorgeous face every day, then she was in.
Chapter 6
Shaking with nerves, Clara stabbed the code into the pad and gingerly pulled the door open. Jacob was slumped forward, his hands dangling from the chains. Around him,
shreds of torn clothing formed a pile. She rushed forward calling his name, worried that he had passed out. Or worse.
With enormous relief, Jacob lifted his head, looking dazed. But that was not all. Once Clara had established that he was alive, it came to her attention that the torn clothing around him had been what he was wearing the previous evening and that he was now completely and utterly naked.
The shock caused her to take a step backward.
“Untie me,” Jacob commanded, his voice rough and gravelly.
“Oh yeah, sure. Sorry.” She stepped forward again holding the key in front of her, desperately trying to keep her gaze on the cuffs and the cuffs alone, although the temptation to look at his naked body was killing her.
Jacob rubbed his wrists once freed and got up from the floor nude. Clara immediately turned her head to the side out of respect for his modesty, but wishing her peripheral vision was better at the same time.“Can you pass me the clean clothes over there?”
She dashed t the opposite corner of the room and picked up the folded clothes, giving them to him with her head still turned. He held onto them but didn’t take them from her hand.
“Clara,” he murmured. “I know this must all be…strange, but you can look at me.” The way he said it was more like an instruction rather than a suggestion. “This is part of your job, and I’m afraid you’re going to have to get used to seeing me naked.”
She turned, first seeking out his face, concerned by the dark shadows etched into his face. They portrayed a poor nights sleep. Boldly then, Clara cast her gaze over his body, unable to resist anymore. Every muscle of his physique rippled. His torso a smooth caramel color under the undulating, firm mounds of his eight pack. Bold she may have been, but not quite brave enough yet to continue looking down. The sight of his body had constricted her throat tightly enough. She didn’t remember how long it had been since she’d seen a man naked. And there’d never been a time when she’d seen a man like Jacob naked. She wondered if any moment in her life now would ever compare. A movie popped into her mind just then. The one with Emma Stone, where she accuses this guy of being photoshopped because he was so perfect.
Clean Regency Romance: The Earl's Temptation (The Pure Heart Triumphs Series Book 1) Page 20