Fair Play

by Mia Ford

  He accepted the hug and then patted her on her back, his anger was slowly subsiding now.

  “I understand, Ivy. Sorry I lost my temper. I just didn’t want to disappoint your mother.” He said, his voice was now slightly muffled by her hair, as she pressed her head to his loving chest.

  “I know daddy, but she would have wanted me to do what I want, to do something productive with my free time. Gain some real world practical experience.” Ivy said, looking up at him and smiling. She knew her father couldn’t resist her playful smiles, he always indulged her.

  “Alright, alright, child. You’ve convinced me.” He said and she released him from her grip.

  “Thank you, daddy. And I’ll come visit you often, and I promise you, it’ll only be for a few weeks, till something else comes up in the city.” Ivy said, biting down on her lip.

  “Good.” Her father said, picking up the dishcloth again. He didn’t look like he was happy with her decision, but he also knew that he couldn’t do anything to change her mind. Ivy always got what she wanted, and right now she wanted this job.

  “I’m going to go home and pack a few things, daddy. I’ll see you in the evening.” She said, waving at her father as she rushed out of the pub doors. She didn’t wait for her father’s reply, she wanted to be out in the light, in the sun. She wanted to run so that she might be able to do something about her madly beating heart.

  She was running towards the house, with a smile on her face, unconcerned now about the harsh sun beating down on her now. She had too much on her mind.

  How could she have explained to her father, the effect that Leon Cooper had on her body, on her senses? The real reason why she was taking this job. He had done something to her, the moment he walked into that pub. She knew instantly that she would agree to anything that he asked of her, she would do anything to please him. She only wanted to look at him. She wanted him to look at her. She was taking this job only so that she could be closer to him, so that she could seduce him. Even though she had seen Leon Cooper only once, Ivy had already made up her mind that he was going to be the man she would give her virginity to.

  Ivy shaded her eyes against the harsh sun, as she blinked at the vast expanse of the ranch that stood in front of her. Her father had driven her to the gates of the ranch, kissed her goodbye and then driven away. She could tell that he was still upset. When he left, she dragged her cell phone out and sent him a quick text. ‘Thank you daddy’ She had written to him. And now she stood staring up at the sign that greeted her at the entrance.

  ‘Old Marigold Ranch’

  On the ride-over, her father had hesitatingly told her a little about the ranch, and what he knew. Leon Cooper was new to these parts because he had recently bought the place, for some millions of dollars, and then spent even more money to repair it and build it up. Nobody knew much about him, because he kept himself to himself. All they could tell was that the man was very rich, and liked to be left alone.

  A well brushed dusty path led up to the newly painted white mansion that stood in the middle of the ranch, with a backdrop of the Montana mountains behind it. Ivy sighed, bit down on her lip and started dragging her bags behind her as she walked towards it. She had barely slept the previous night from the anticipation of seeing him again. She had a sudden new purpose in life, and she was planning on grabbing it by the horns.

  As she drew closer to the mansion, she heard the sound of horse hooves. Ivy shielded her eyes again to look out in the distance. As predicted, Leon Cooper was approaching her, on a fast riding horse, and it looked like he had no intention to stop. Her mouth hung open slightly, her heart was beating fast, she had never been this sexually aroused by just looking at a man before.

  “You’re late, Ivy Hart.” Were the first words that escaped his lips, as he made a sudden stop on his beautiful chestnut horse, only a few feet away from her. A dust cloud, formed by the hooves of the horse was settling in around Ivy, and she could feel the dust in her hair.

  “It’s only half past eight.” She found the strength in herself to say.

  Leon jumped off his horse and patted it on its neck lovingly, before stepping towards her. He had the same hat on his head, his face was just as well sculpted and rugged as she remembered it. In the surroundings of the ranch, he looked even more muscular, more athletic, like he could crush her in his bare hands if he wanted to.

  Ivy could feel her nipples harden under her loose peasant blouse as he walked closer to her. She had never before been this awash with sexual desire for a man.

  “Only? I asked you to be here at eight, young lady.” He said, his voice was as harsh and grim as before, and Ivy dropped her eyes from him. His gaze made her uncomfortable, as much as she wanted to continue looking at him.

  “I’m sorry, we got delayed with the packing and I had to…” She was fumbling with her words.

  “I don’t want to hear your excuses. From now on, please stick to the orders given to you. I took you on, because you are able bodied and seem smart, but I also need you to be obedient.” He had interrupted her. Ivy’s brows crossed and she jerked her head up to look at him. Who did he think he was? She could feel her nostrils flaring. Which century did this man think they lived in? He wanted her to be an obedient housekeeper?

  “I will do my best to get the job done, Mr. Cooper. But please do not expect me to be a meek obedient slave to your wishes and fancies.” Ivy said, gritting her teeth. As much as she wanted him, wanted his lips on hers, his fingers in her hair; she was also prideful. She matched his fiery gaze with her own, and glared back at him, daring him to dismiss her. They stared at each other for several moments.

  “I don’t intend on you being my slave, Ivy. Just my employee.” He said and took a few steps closer to her. She could see that he was studying her again, his eyes were drinking in the shape of her breasts under the cotton fabric of her blouse, how her jeans fit slenderly on the curves of her hips. Then he looked back at her eyes again.

  “What are your tasks for me today?” She asked him, the silence between them was growing to be very uncomfortable, she couldn’t control her ragged breathing any more. She wanted to get a moment to catch her breath, away from him.

  “The maintenance of the house is your responsibility. I don’t intend on setting you any tasks. You can figure it out yourself. You can set up your room, it’s the one at the bottom of the stairs, next to the kitchen.” He said, and before Ivy could respond; Leon had jumped back on his horse.

  She looked up at him, confusion, anger, desire all streaming out of her eyes as she glared at him. He tipped his hat at her, and then out of nowhere, he smiled. His smile was wide, warm and reached his eyes, and just like that, he had turned his horse around and he was galloping away.

  Ivy could feel her breasts rise and fall as she tried to make sense of her own feelings. She was offended by his behavior, and yet dangerously attracted to him. Maybe her father was right, she was foolish to think that she could work as a housekeeper for an absolute stranger. But she wasn’t a quitter either, she was going to give this one chance.

  The mansion, which was Leon Cooper’s house, was unlike one that Ivy had ever seen before. It was luxurious on the inside, decorated tastefully with beautiful new upholstery, carpeted floors, platinum fixtures in all the bathrooms and porcelain figurines. She was even more surprised to see the house because she hadn’t quite pegged Leon to be the kind of a man who might decorate a house in this fashion.

  No wonder he needs a housekeeper, she thought to herself as she walked around the rooms silently. Everything was neat, clean and polished, everything was in it’s place. She had to be careful as she walked around, afraid to touch anything, afraid to move too quickly. She had no idea how expensive any of the things were and she was afraid to break something.

  Her bedroom was lavish too; much more beautiful than any bedroom she had ever stayed in before. She unpacked her bags and then sat down on the large springy bed, looking out of her window.

  She
could see the ranch as it spread across, around the house. She could see a stable of horses in the background, and hear the sound of their hooves. But Leon wasn’t in sight.

  She sighed, a sudden feeling of being overwhelmed washed over Ivy. This house was too big, too expensive, too tasteful for her to look after. Especially since she had never looked after a house before. Where was she even supposed to begin?

  Ivy stood up from the bed and walked out of her bedroom, walking gingerly towards the kitchen. At least she could start preparing lunch, she considered.

  Leon hadn’t told her what time he took his lunch, what he liked to eat, or if he was even coming back to the house for it. When she looked up at the clock in the kitchen, it told her it was nearly eleven already. She realized she had wasted too much time exploring the mansion.

  She got started on the food and found that the pantry was stuffed with ingredients and supplies, although it looked like the kitchen hadn’t once been used yet. At least thankfully, her mother had passed down her famous cooking skills, so she could whip up a meal with very little effort.

  Within an hour, Ivy had baked a batch of fresh cheese rolls and a pot of thick chicken cream soup. Along with a bowl of berries and yogurt that she placed at the center of the dining table, she arranged the rest of the simple yet hearty meal and sat down to wait.

  Ivy waited for some time, by herself, wondering if she had made the right decision to make lunch. It wasn’t until one that she heard the front door of the house being banged shut and the crunching sound of Leon’s leather boots as he walked towards the dining room.

  Ivy stood up from her chair with a jerk, not sure what she was expecting from him. Leon walked in, with his hat in his hands, and only grunted when he saw her. He looked at the food on the table, and without a word pulled out a chair at the head of the table and sat down to eat.

  He hadn’t looked at her since he walked into the room, and yet Ivy could feel her heart beating wildly against her chest. She noticed the way some of his sandy locks fell boyishly over his forehead, how his stubble had grown darker, how his skin looked tough after working out in the sun all morning.

  “Why aren’t you sitting down?” He suddenly looked up at her, with his dark chocolate eyes boring into her.

  Ivy sat down on the chair with a thump, watching him tear one of the cheese rolls in half and popping it into his mouth. Leon looked at her again as he chewed.

  “Have you found yourself things to do around the house?” He asked, after several moments of silence. Ivy hadn’t even served herself her food yet, she didn’t quite know what to do. She had never been in this sort of environment before, and she was also aware that just his presence was enough to freeze her limbs.

  “I was thinking I’ll start by dusting the rooms, then polishing the wood…” She began to say but he interrupted her again.

  “I didn’t ask for your schedule, just wanted to know if you have one.” He said, taking quick large spoons of the soup and shoving them into his mouth.

  Ivy breathed in deeply, trying to control the building rage in her body. She couldn’t understand what he expected from her, how he wanted her to behave. She felt like she was displeasing him, by not even doing anything.

  She looked down at her fingers on her lap as she heard him eating his food quickly. Within just a few minutes, Leon had finished his lunch. Ivy looked up again when she heard the sound of his chair-legs scraping the pine wood floor.

  He flicked his hat back on his head and licked his lips.

  “You said that you don’t intend on being treated as a salve, and yet you didn’t eat with me.” Leon said, meeting her gaze. There was fire in his chocolate brown sparkling eyes, and Ivy had to muster up all the strength in herself not to look away. She glared back at him, holding her chin up.

  “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to eat with you.” She said, looking up at his towering frame at the end of the table.

  “I’ll be gone till seven. Make sure the house is clean and in order. I take my dinner at eight.” He said, and turned around and walked out of the dining room. Ivy remained sitting at the table for a few minutes longer, with her breasts heaving, her nostrils flared in fury. What kind of an employment had she gotten herself into?

  Ivy had dusted all the rooms of the house, polished the wooden furniture and then prepared an elaborate dinner for the two of them. She had baked a spicy chicken pie, cooked up a batch of breaded drumsticks and a bowl of steamed vegetables. For dessert, she had prepared some fruit custard. All of the dinner had been laid out on the table by eight. At exactly seven she had heard Leon walk back into the house and then heard his boots as they crunched up the stairs.

  At eight she stationed herself behind a chair at the dining table, the food was served and ready to be devoured. Leon wasn’t late to make an appearance.

  He looked like he had showered and shaved. He had changed out of his clothes for the day into a pair of fresh jeans and a crisp white cotton shirt, folded to his elbows again. His jaw was smooth and paler than the rest of his face. His hands looked freshly washed, less dusty but still as rugged and rough as before.

  He entered the room, pulled out a chair at the head of the table and sat down. Ivy sat down too, and poured herself a glass of water.

  “I was afraid you’d be too young for all this.” She heard his deep voice and looked up. He had been watching her as he ate. He was definitely older than her, but not that much older. He looked like he was in his late twenties, still too young to own a ranch as lavish as this.

  “But your cooking skills are excellent.” He said and Ivy felt her cheeks flush. A compliment was not what she was expecting from him.

  “Thank you. These are all my late mother’s recipes.” She said, trying to suppress a smile. As much as she detested the way he spoke to her, she still couldn’t lie to herself and convince her brain that she didn’t want his body. Leon Cooper was the first man to set her body on fire like this.

  “Why did you drop out of college? Your father said you were only there for two years.” He said, after a few moments of silence.

  Ivy breathed in deeply, and took a bite of the hot pie.

  “Because I wasn’t good at school and felt like I was wasting my time. I wanted to do something with my hands, something practical.” She said, meeting his sparkling eyes.

  Leon took a sip of water to wash down the food he had been chewing.

  “Getting an education is practical experience. Your father should have never let you drop out of college.” He said and Ivy felt the rage return to her veins. When was he going to stop pissing her off? Who was he to lecture her?

  “I didn’t want to waste my time doing something that I didn’t enjoy.” She said snappily, and looked away from him. She could feel her cheeks growing more bright because of the anger she could feel.

  Leon gave a small sarcastic chuckle that made her look up again.

  “Nobody does what they enjoy for the rest of their lives. You have to do what you have to do.” He said, glaring at her with narrowed eyes.

  “You look like you’re enjoying your life. Why are you criticizing mine?” Ivy found herself saying, and she noticed the way Leon’s face immediately hardened.

  “You don’t know anything about me. What makes you think I’ve not earned this lifestyle?” He thundered at her, his voice was raised and his eyes were focused on her. She could see the rage in his reddening eyes.

  “What makes you think you know anything about me?” She asked, taking another bite of her pie. She wanted to enrage him more, she wanted to set his skin on fire. He had done the same to her, and she believed he deserved it too.

  Leon stood up suddenly from the chair and banged both his fists on the table.

  “Don’t expect you can talk to me that way, young lady!” He thundered again. Ivy scrunched her face, and dropped her cutlery on her plate to look up at him. She was glad that he was angry, that she had made him this angry.

  “I only work for you, Mr. Cooper
. I am not your ward or your wife. You have no control over how I speak.” She said, looking up at him calmly. She could see the way he was glaring at her, how angry he was, how he didn’t expect anyone to speak to him that way.

  Leon banged the table again with his fists.

  “This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have hired you. I will speak to your father so he can come and collect you tomorrow morning.” He said, stepping towards her.

  Ivy wiped her mouth delicately with a napkin on her side, gulped down the rest of her food and then slowly stood up.

  “I will gladly make the phone call myself. And I will be sure to tell him what a displeasure it has been to work for you. Just for a day.” Ivy hissed at him, as she watched him walk closer to her.

  “You are a nuisance.” He barked at her, and she saw a vein throbbing on his forehead, how his eyes glittered with anger, how he had bunched up his fists. Ivy raised an eyebrow and smiled at him.

  “You knew that when you hired me. You saw that in my eyes. Working here wasn’t what made you give me the job.” She said, and stepped towards him herself. Their bodies were now inches away from each-others. She could smell him, a mixture of his sweat with the musky scent of the aftershave he had splashed on his face. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she glared at him defiantly.

  In a flash his lips were on hers.

  Leon had grabbed Ivy by the waist and drawn her close to him. In the surprise of the moment she had thrown her arms away from her body, accepting his kiss hungrily. His lips were rough and wild as he parted hers and thrust his tongue into her mouth. She had kissed only two boys before this, and nobody had kissed her like this. He made her body shiver, her fingers quiver with anticipation for what was going to happen next.