“I’d love to. Let’s go do it now. You can go next door with Lola and Cece while we clear her out.”
“Are you sure?”
“She’s positive.” Alison beams at them, then at me.
“Why do you both look positively happy about firing someone?” Lola asks warily.
“Because it’s a stress reliever,” I answer, waving her off.
“Shall we go now?” Alison asks me. Lola and Brooke eye each other, probably wondering what they’ve gotten themselves into.
“Yep,” I answer cheerfully, my day definitely looking up.
CHAPTER TWO
I’m glad I brought Alison along with me for this trip. At first it was to make sure I didn’t walk out on another job, but now I’m just glad she’s here to keep me sane.
What should’ve been a five-hour drive has turned into eight due to traffic, a pile-up on the motorway, and the much-needed rest stops. My legs feel like jelly and my arse is completely dead. I’m choosing to ignore the rumbling in my stomach and the pressure in my bladder because we’re pulling up to what have to be the largest iron gates known to man. I’m pretty sure Buckingham Palace doesn’t have this kind of security. I wouldn’t be surprised if soldiers jumped out of the trees and proceeded to search us.
“Holy fucking shit-balls,” I gasp, taking in my surroundings.
“I told you.” Alison grins. “You should see the pictures I found online. They did an article for Now Times magazine and it featured the house. This is nothing.”
I gape at her, wondering what the hell we’re walking into. She presses the buzzer next to the gate and a voice sounds over the intercom.
“Hello, may I help you?”
“Hi, we’re from Salvatore Events. Mrs Donovan is expecting us,” she tells him politely.
“Come on through. If you drive to the end of the path, someone will be waiting outside the main entrance and will help you with your luggage and park your car.”
“Thank you.”
When the gates open, my jaw drops further. The lights leading along either side of the gravelled road turn on and I’m in awe. Trees line each side with Christmas lights swirling from each one. My breath hitches when we near the end.
“Holy shit. It’s a fucking castle.”
Alison giggles. “It’s not a castle, it’s a mansion. Stop gaping. You’ve seen houses just like this.”
“No, Alison. This is not a fucking house, this is something else. I feel like I should be wearing a ballgown. Oh my God, they’re going to kick us out thinking we’re riff-raff.”
She laughs at my expense, steering the car around a large water fountain―yes, a freaking water fountain!
“If they have staff, why didn’t they just get them to organise the wedding and events leading up to it?” I mutter, my nerves fluttering inside my chest. I never get nervous―ever! But this… this is intimidating.
“Stop panicking. You’re going to be fine, and they’ll love everything. Now come on, they’re coming over,” she whispers, opening her door.
Panicked, I pull her back in, ignoring her shocked gaze. “We need to go. We can’t be here,” I screech.
Seemingly flabbergasted, she turns to me. “Why the hell not?”
“Look at the place! I’ll break something. I’ll fuck this up. What if they think we’re common as muck and kick us out? How does that look for my reputation?”
She laughs in my face. The nerve. “Pagan, you’re doing that overreacting thing again. You need to calm down. It’s just a house.”
“Just a house?” I scoff, looking at the beautiful mansion once again. “Just drive. We’ll think of some excuse for why we couldn’t come.”
“They know we’re here,” she reminds me dryly before stepping out of the car.
“Alison,” I hiss.
I sit for a moment, still in shock, before following her out of the car. It’s not like she gave me a choice. I’m totally going to fuck this up for my business. This is a palace. If Prince Harry greets me at that door, I wouldn’t be surprised. I’ll pass out, for sure.
Instead we’re met by three men impeccably dressed, their expressions blank.
Well okay then.
“You must be Ms Salvatore. I’m Shane, head of security here at Donovan’s Manor. Mr and Mrs Donovan will be out shortly. In the meantime, Jeff here will help Lee with your bags, and I’ll park the car around the back.”
I push past my nerves, straightening my spine, because I can do this. I can.
I hope.
“Thank you, Shane. I’m Pagan Salvatore, and this is my personal assistant and good friend, Alison Mills.”
“Pleasure to meet you both,” he says, bowing slightly. I turn, giving Alison a wide-eyed look. She just grins, her excitement showing, and I shake my head.
“Pagan, it is so lovely to meet you.” I turn around to the sweet voice and find the most stunningly dressed woman I’ve ever met. She’s in an elegant cream suit with a white blouse, accessorised with white pearls around her neck. Her dark hair seems to be in some sort of updo that I would never be able to perfect. Next to her is a handsome older man, his silver-fox hair and soft features reminding me a little of George Clooney.
“Hello, it’s nice to meet you too….”
“Oh how rude of me. I’m Pamela Donovan, but you can call me Pam. This is my husband, Adam Donovan. We’re so happy you could make it. How was your journey?”
“Long,” I sigh, smiling. “As you know, I’m Pagan, and this is my personal assistant and good friend, Alison Mills.”
“Oh how terrible for you both. Come on in. I bet you’re hungry from the long drive. And it’s a pleasure to meet you face-to-face, Miss Mills.”
“Please, call me Alison. And we ate not too long ago. We needed a rest from the dreadful traffic.”
Adam grunts. “We heard about the traffic on the news, my dear. Why don’t we show you two girls to your sleeping quarters? You can rest for the night, and we can talk about everything else tomorrow,” he says, gesturing for us to head inside.
We follow and I have to try my hardest not to keep gaping at my surroundings. The ceilings are high enough for me to start wondering how the hell I’m supposed to add twinkling lights at the wedding reception. The floors are marbled, and there are stone pillars on either side of the door as we enter. However, it’s the various antiques and furnishings that have me wary.
I’m totally going to fucking break something.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a klutz. I just have a serious case of bad luck. I could walk through Poundland and not break a thing, but walk me through a store with the lowest item in its hundreds and I’m fucked. Seriously. Last time, my luck cost me four grand.
But this place is something else. I’m almost too scared to touch anything. Knowing my luck, I’d leave sticky fingerprints all over the place.
A grand wooden staircase breaks off into two directions. Looking up, I can see they lead to different sections of the house.
“Your house is beautiful,” I tell Pam.
Smiling kindly, she says, “It is, dear. It’s far too big for just the two of us, but we promised Adam’s parents we would keep it in our family, just like it has been for generations.”
“I don’t know… I’m feeling claustrophobic,” Alison teases.
My eyes widen and I turn to look at her, wishing the ground would swallow me up. I’m surprised when both Pam and Adam start laughing, Adam taking Alison’s arm.
“You, young lady, are a breath of fresh air. Most people never know what to say.”
“I can see why. This place is kind of intimidating,” she chuckles, walking ahead of Pam and me as we turn to the right at the fork in the stairs. I notice it splits again, my eyes widening further as I wonder just how big this house is.
Pam must see where I’m looking because she explains, her voice polite. “To the right is where our old staff quarters used to be. Emily, our housemaid and cook, uses one for her knitting and sewing, which she s
ells at a church car boot on the weekends. She lives with Jeff in the guest house at back of the property. They’ve been married twenty-five years. Shane and his men did stay in that side, but with the rotation and different men working, we built the building on the side of the house for them to use. To the left is where my son stays when he’s here. He likes being close to the stairs that lead to the gym,” she tells me as we reach the end of a corridor. I notice the stairs and look down them, seeing them spiral at the end. “This wing of the house mostly goes unused, but we thought you and Alison would like your privacy and had the rooms set up.”
“It’s a beautiful home. I don’t know how you don’t get lost,” I laugh, amused.
She chuckles. “The plan on this side of the house is pretty simple. It’s the other side where people tend to lose their way.”
“I can imagine. Are you sure you don’t want us to book into a hotel? I hate to intrude when you have guests arriving in a few short days.”
“Nonsense, dear. It’ll be a joy to have young ones in our home again. We enjoy the company, and we have the room. Most people live nearby or will be sleeping in the other quarters. Please don’t worry.” Pam stops as we reach the door at the end of the hall where Alison and Adam wait just outside, listening to our conversation.
“She’s absolutely right, dear. We’re alone a lot now that the kids are all grown up and have their own homes. It’s nice to have the house full again,” Adam says, agreeing with his wife.
“If you’re sure?” I ask, knowing how generous this is of them. Normally I’d say no to a client, opting to stay at the nearest hotel or bed and breakfast, but with the Donovans, I’ve found they don’t like taking no for an answer.
“We are. Now, the stairs to your left, the ones we just passed, lead down into the gym area. We have a pool, fully equipped gym, sauna, and steam room. You’re welcome to use any of the facilities here at the manor. We’ll give you a proper tour tomorrow, but for tonight, you have everything you need.
“There’s a phone in your rooms. If you press extension one, it will go straight to Emily. Ask for anything you need and she’ll bring it right to your room. Each room has an en suite bathroom that’s stocked with fresh towels and toiletries. Breakfast is served at eight thirty, and I’ll have someone waiting to greet you at the bottom of the grand staircase to show you the way. This will be your room, Pagan, and Alison’s will be next door,” Pam finishes as Adam opens the door for me.
I look inside the spacious room and feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven. In the middle of the room, pushed against a dark wooden wall with carved patterns, is a four-poster king-size bed. Big, puffy gold pillows and blanket make the bed welcoming and inviting. And with the drive I just suffered through, I can’t wait to collapse on it.
That’s as far as I look before seeing my suitcase and bags at the end of the bed.
Well crap, that was pretty quick.
“Thank you so much. This room is fantastic,” I beam, happy when Pam’s shoulders seem to relax as she smiles widely back at me.
“I’m glad. We’ll let you get settled and see you in the morning. We’ll see Alison to her room. Goodnight, Pagan, and thank you again for coming and agreeing to work with us.”
I want to say I had no choice, that they just kept upping their price and I didn’t want them to think I wanted them to go higher, so I said yes. But looking at the glorious couple in front of me, I’m glad I took the job. They’re nothing like I imagined them to be and seem to be really good, down-to-earth people.
“Goodnight. I’ll see you in the morning.” I watch as they lead Alison down the hall a little, standing between two doors. I don’t see which one she walks into before I shut the door for some much-needed sleep. Fourteen hours, preferably.
The room is much bigger than I thought, painted a warm red, matching the dark mahogany furniture in the room.
On the left is a bathroom, gleaming white with marble flooring similar to the flooring downstairs, but what has my eyes widening is the glass fireplace that separates the bedroom and the bathroom, letting you see right through. It’s burning bright, adding to the warm glow in the room. It only makes the bathroom look that much more tempting, but a yawn escapes me, reminding me that I’ve been awake since four this morning, making sure I left everything organised for Catherine. I plan to take full advantage of it in the morning though.
Picking up my overnight case, I grab my toiletries and pyjamas before heading to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
Once I’m changed and ready, I walk back into the room, heading over to the large window that looks out over the front of the entire estate.
A box seat is set against the window, a throw blanket and a few pillows strategically placed on the cushion. Looking at it, I’m glad I brought my Kindle along with me for when I get some downtime. If I get some.
My hands are on the curtains, ready to draw them shut, when the lights leading down to the house flash on, gaining my attention. The water fountain at the front switches on next, beautiful from this view with the water lit up a sparkling blue. The place is magical, truly breathtaking, and by far one of the nicest houses I’ve ever seen or been to.
When the sound of tyres crunching gravel reaches my ears, I look up to see a Range Rover Sport SVR coming down the lane. The car is slick, the lights from the road shining off its gleaming white body. I sigh, wishing I could afford a baby like that as I step away from the window, not wanting to be caught ogling the beautiful car.
Drawing the curtains, I move back over to the bed, wondering how on earth I’m going to get out of such a high bed in the morning without breaking my neck. Still, I’m tired, and those sheets really do look welcoming. All I can do is pray I don’t fall out of it in the middle of the night and knock over one of the expensive-looking lamps on either side of the bed.
Yawning, I crawl into bed and close my eyes, hoping the Donovans will be the same tomorrow as they were tonight.
CHAPTER THREE
The next morning I wake up rested after a full night’s sleep. I can’t remember the last time I slept through the night, let alone gone to bed before 2:00 a.m. I’m completely refreshed, and I’m totally on board for getting used to this. I think the fact that the bed is the best one I’ve ever slept in helped a lot too. I wonder if they’ll let me keep it.
A girl can wish.
Stretching, I look up at the ceiling, noting the large gold chandelier that escaped my notice last night. It’s extravagant, something that belongs in a dining room or a grand ballroom, not a bedroom.
Sitting up, I grab my phone to check if Catherine has called or messaged me, but when I see the time, I panic.
Shit!
It’s just before eight in the morning, and I have to be ready by half past to meet with the Donovans for breakfast.
Shooting from the bed, I get tangled in the sheets and land on the floor, my legs stuck in the sheets.
“Fuck,” I curse, kicking them off and rushing into the bathroom.
Moving quickly, I brush my teeth before jumping in the shower.
The feel of hot water running down my body makes me wish I could stay under longer and enjoy it. I’m also kicking myself for not taking one last night when I could’ve appreciated it more.
Jumping out, I wrap a towel around my hair and one around my body, loving the soft, fluffy fabric against my bare skin. It’s luxurious, and I start a list in my head of things I’m hoping the Donovans won’t miss when I take them home with me.
It doesn’t take me long to go through my morning routine, only throwing on a bit of foundation and a little mascara for my make-up, knowing I don’t have time to do anything else. But when I go to grab my hairdryer, I can’t find it.
“Where are you?” I mutter, throwing everything out of my suitcase, making a mess of the room. “Ugh.” Not having time, I leave my room, knowing Alison will have packed one, or possibly have mine. I take the door to my right, barging in.
“Holy balls,” I g
asp, frozen in place.
Standing as naked as the day he was born is the sexiest man I’ve ever seen in my entire life, and I’ve seen a lot of beautiful people in my line of work.
“Hello, you,” he drawls.
Piercing blue eyes with specks of silver stare back at me, his smouldering gaze burning into me. My stomach flutters. I know I should probably look away. I try, I really do, but I can’t stop staring at him.
My gaze follows the line of his strong jaw, liking the rough-shaven look he has going on. My lips part when I see his full plump ones, kissable, biteable.
I lower my gaze to his large muscled chest and wide shoulders. He has a thin layer of hair on his chest, making his dark tan seem dirty. I want to run my fingers through it to see if it’s as soft as it looks.
Then my eyes travel lower and I gasp, horrified when his dick―his very large dick―twitches.
He chuckles, most likely at my expression, and I close my eyes, mortified. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” I squeak before rushing to the door. My head smacks against something hard and I hear the door slam shut. Pain radiates through my head to the back of my skull, and I lift my hand to the small lump forming on my forehead.
Not wanting to be here a moment longer and embarrass myself further, I reach out with my free hand for the door handle and swing it open with more force than necessary.
Thud.
“Fuck!”
I turn around, stunned when I see the gorgeous stranger holding his head, his face scrunched in pain.
“Oh no! I’m so sorry… again,” I cry, rushing to his aid.
I trip over my own feet, falling forwards. I reach out to stop my fall, but it’s too late and I end up on my hands and knees.
“Jesus! Are you okay?” I hear him rumble, his voice close.
Not able to look at him right now, wanting to catch my breath and try to find some dignity, I lift my hand to wave it off, but I come into contact with something smooth and very hard.
Wishing For A Happily Ever After (I Wish Book 2) Page 2