by Rose Francis
The hours were long, but if all of her days were anything like today, she had definitely hit the jackpot.
After meeting the other workers and getting a feel for the place, her eyes started developing an addiction to the fine beauty of the sprawling estate, and she dreaded going home that evening.
Things seemed to glitter at the mansion, the endless space and stately architecture making her mind teem with possibilities and hope.
After being in a place like this for the day, how could she ever head back home without feeling depressed again?
Surely, working at a place such as this then having to go back to some frumpy home took a toll eventually.
Maybe that was also a reason the domestics were kept on the grounds—to keep them happy. To help fight off the mental weight of having to go home to place so far beneath what they’d be around all day.
Already, everything in her was dropping at the thought of the nine hundred square feet of ordinary awaiting her.
Plus, she just knew another fight with Jenna was coming.
The previous day, she didn’t go home after getting fired; instead, she dallied around until her usual shift end time—getting her car sorted out, then grabbing a fast food meal and eating it in the parking lot, then borrowing another book from the library.
Once she got home, she closed herself up in her room immediately.
Jenna didn’t bother her, and she breathed a sigh of relief once Jenna finally left for her evening shift.
She knew she’d be fast asleep once Jenna returned later that night, and conflict would have been avoided for the day.
But now, Jenna would be home—she only worked a few shifts a week, and if she didn’t have a date or anything that night, they would no doubt clash again.
Naomi could feel it coming—she couldn’t stay quiet. She had to say something again and impress upon Jenna how important it was that she feel safe in her own home.
As she mentally prepared to leave the serenity of her new workplace, the butler, Jeffrey accosted her.
“Mr. Davenport requests your presence in his office,” Jeffrey said.
Of course, he would—it was close to the end of her shift, and he would no doubt want some kind of feedback or provide it himself.
She headed to the second floor toward the space he’d shown her earlier, her body seeming to heat up a bit more with every step as she got closer and closer to being one-on-one with her new, sexy boss again.
She figured it was nervousness at first—that an assessment and grading of her first day was coming, and who wasn’t nervous when about to receive a scored test back? It was almost like a visit to the principal’s office.
But she couldn’t keep up the delusion for long—she knew exactly why she was filled with nervous energy again.
All day long, she couldn’t stop thinking about the way her new boss’s body moved under his clothes—the strength emanating from his tall, broad, muscular form.
She couldn’t stop herself from wondering if he was as muscular as he seemed, as cut as she imagined.
His arms bulged a bit with muscle—did he have an eight-pack of abs too? Was his chest hard as rock?
All day long she had to fight off imaginings and fantasies of his shirt suddenly blowing off so she could see.
He did something to her—the way his gray eyes pierced hers, the way he gazed at her like he couldn’t tear his eyes away, almost like he could look into her soul.
It was sort of unnerving, but his eyes seemed so soft and warm that they put her at ease.
Plus, his casual confidence drove her crazy, and he smelled so good too—a clean, masculine aroma that took her mind to unexpected places. Like being nude with him on a secluded beach.
It wasn’t fair—how was she supposed to work here every day and not see him in wildly inappropriate ways? What was wrong with her?
Don’t be so hard on yourself, she reminded herself. The guy is indisputably good-looking; your response is perfectly natural.
The door was slightly open, but she knocked anyway.
“Come on in, Naomi.”
His deep, rich voice caressed her body.
She was horrified to discover that by now, her panties were damp.
How was it that he did this to her without even touching her?
What was happening to her mind and body?
She stepped inside, her cheeks warming even more as her eyes rested on him.
He was so ridiculously handsome, and the way he looked at her so openly made her feel self-conscious and unsure.
Why did he look like he liked her so much? She didn’t see him looking at any of the other workers with those eyes.
Then again, he had met her at a pretty desperate place—no doubt she was witnessing his leftover compassion for the distressed damsel he’d met.
“Have a seat,” he said, indicating the chair opposite him.
Her heart pounded harder.
“How did you like your first day here?” he began.
What the heck? Wasn’t he supposed to be the one handing out a grade?
“Sir?”
“Oh, Christ. Please don’t do that. It’s not that sort of arrangement.”
She had no idea what he meant.
“I just want to know how you feel about the job. Does it seem like something you’d like to continue to do?”
She already signed the papers and everything, didn’t she? Why was he asking this?
He had to know by now that practically nothing would make her give up this opportunity; it was the answer to all of her current needs.
Almost.
“I just want to make sure you’re comfortable here,” he said. “With your duties.”
“I love it, Mr. … Kevin.” Nah. It sounded strange coming from her mouth; it didn’t feel right at all. Calling him by his first name felt far too intimate and personal, and she needed things to stay strictly professional between them in every way. She’d have to plead her case for the address later. “I mean, I’m pretty sure I’ll continue to enjoy my job here. The other workers are nice, the place is gorgeous, the job seems pretty straightforward and…well, it’s not all that taxing—what’s not to like?”
He smiled and her heart fluttered.
Christ, what was getting into her?
He’s super-hot—who wouldn’t melt under those eyes? That smile?
“I’m glad to hear it; in fact, I wanted to invite you to live-in as well. Totally optional in your case.”
Naomi fought to stay seated, suppressing the urge to fist-pump and scream “Yes!” at the top of her lungs.
Considering the brief mention of it earlier, she should have known that it would be a real possibility, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up.
Mustering up all her control, she said, “That sounds great!” as calmly as she could.
“Wonderful. We’ll make arrangements to have your things moved to your quarters here. I know this is a bit of a short notice, and maybe you have a lease you can’t break at this time, but I can help you…”
“It’ll be fine, Mr. Davenport; I’m sort of in a month-to-month arrangement that I can pretty much leave at anytime, so if it’s okay with you, I’d like to move in as soon as possible.”
His face brightened tremendously, and he reminded her of a kid who’d discovered he’d gotten exactly what he wanted for Christmas.
He didn’t even bother correcting how she’d addressed him.
“Fantastic,” he said. “Is tonight okay?”
Naomi thought about it.
Jenna was working tonight.
She could be in and out with her stuff before she came home.
“I can go home tonight,” she began, noticing his sunny expression fall a bit, “grab my things and return here, ready to settle in. I don’t have a lot of stuff—it’ll probably take less than an hour to pack up.”
His smile returned at full wattage.
“I’ll send Jeffrey with you,” he said, reaching for a phone
on his desk. “You can leave your car here—he’ll take you in one of ours and bring you back, and then we can get you all settled. Sorry today is so long for you, but you’ll be snuggled into your new quarters in no time—still early enough to get enough sleep to start bright and early tomorrow.”
Naomi smiled at him as he barked his orders into the phone, not missing the way his eyes twinkled at her, his softened face a marvelous contradiction to his firm, business-like tone as he orchestrated the rest of her evening.
CHAPTER 6
NAOMI
N aomi felt conflicted as she pulled up to her apartment.
On one hand, she was ecstatic to move out sooner than she could have dreamed. On the other, she felt terrible for the huge surprise she was setting Jenna up for.
She packed up fairly quickly, and on her last trip, she scribbled a note to soften the blow.
You did already warn her, she reminded herself. She had a heads up about you leaving as soon as you could more than once. Plus, she isn’t looking out for your well-being; you have every right to leave an unsafe environment as soon as possible. As she’d said, her rules; she won’t blame you.
Naomi nodded as if assuring herself she was doing the right thing, then left the note in a prominent place.
Jenna should definitely understand; she’d made herself clear after all.
Naomi thought about texting her too, but figured, why bother? Suppose she saw the text on a break or something and it ruined the rest of her night?
No use upsetting her earlier.
Plus, Naomi planned to follow up with a call, and they’d probably meet up soon so she can return the key and sort out whatever she owed.
No matter how much she tried to soothe herself, she still felt horrible, knowing what a shock it’ll be.
As she headed for the door for the last time, she felt a tumble of disturbance in her stomach, a ball of sadness forming.
The place wasn’t all that grand, but it wasn’t terrible, and it had been her home for over two years.
Her heart sagged a little at the thought of leaving it behind, but soon, the fear and excitement of what lay ahead took over.
* * *
“WELCOME BACK,” Kevin Davenport said with a smile so bright that, for a moment, Naomi felt like she never wanted to leave.
Jeffrey started taking her bags away and she resisted the urge to stop him.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get them back,” Kevin said, his eyes twinkling in a way that was becoming familiar to her and tugged at her insides. “I’ll show you to your quarters.”
He turned and it was clear she was to follow him.
As far as she could tell, her boss was going the wrong way—or some sort of roundabout way. Either way, the direction they were headed didn’t make sense.
Why had Jeffrey brought her all the way here with her stuff, and why was Mr. Davenport following the path he took? Why would her stuff be brought to the main residence, only to have to take it to the side quarters soon?
Jeffrey could have just dropped her off then escorted her back into the main house if Mr. Davenport had more to say to her before she settled in for the night.
Mr. Davenport glanced at her.
“Your eyebrows are furrowed. What is it, Naomi?”
“I guess I don’t understand the direction we’re going?”
“I’m showing you to a guest room.”
Naomi still didn’t get it.
Then it occurred to her: obviously, since everything was so new and sudden, they hadn’t quite been prepared to have her, and she’d be in the guest room until everything was ready for her in the servants’ quarters, which probably wouldn’t take long—Kevin was obviously a man who didn’t waste much time.
Before she knew it, she’d be settling into her own unit among the other workers and learning how to fit in there.
She relaxed.
She started wondering what those conditions were like—did the others live like roommates in some six-bed four-bath unit or did they have their own bed-bath units with a shared kitchen and living room or something?
“Here we are,” Mr. Davenport said, extending his arm to the room.
Her bags had already been deposited at the foot of the bed, and Jeffrey was long gone.
The large bedroom made her want to run in and plop onto the welcoming queen-sized bed with the beautiful lavender and white bedding immediately, but she restrained herself.
None of her foster homes had a bedroom like this, and the motel she and Jenna stayed in for a few days before they were able to move into their latest apartment certainly couldn’t come close.
When she toured the mansion earlier that day, all of the bedroom doors had been closed, so she hadn’t gotten a glimpse of any of them to know what to expect.
She’d seen Kevin’s home office, the kitchen, the open areas of the foyer.
Now, it suddenly occurred to her that it had all been deliberate—during the day, the mansion was conducive to work with those doors closed—no suggestion of rest or comfort. But now, with the bedroom doors open, it looked like a home—welcoming and inviting.
Come and sleep on me…the large bed cooed.
No running out of dresser space here, the set of white dressers silently bragged.
No worries about hurting your eyes with insufficient lighting! the lamps and light fixtures whispered.
There was even a makeup table with a dressing mirror, and from what she could see from the door a little further in, her own bathroom.
Naomi unexpectedly felt choked up and fought hard against the emotion building in her.
Why did the stupid bedroom affect her like this?
“Naomi, is something wrong?”
Kevin’s deep, concerned voice jarred her sufficiently out of her sudden emotional whirlwind.
She mentally shook herself and flashed him a wide smile.
“Yeah! I’m just…floored by how nice this place is. It’ll be hard to leave once you guys get my unit together.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My place in the servants’ quarters? I figured I’m here tonight until that’s all sorted out.”
“Oh. No, I’ve decided you’re to retire here in the evenings. Considering what I need from you, it’s best to have you as nearby as possible, easily accessible.”
An unexpected thrill passed through her again.
Was her mind being dirty? Why was she making more of his words than he meant?
Obviously, he meant exactly what he said—as his personal assistant, the way he described it, if he needed a drink of water in the dead of night and didn’t feel like going for it, she needed to be prepared to get up and get for him. Wasn’t she basically his personal slave?
Ugly way to put it, she scolded herself. Besides, he made it clear you’re not required to be available to him twenty-four-seven—you get to go off the clock. As you are now.
She got ready to start settling in, but before she took a step into the cozy room, he said, “Do you want something to eat? I don’t think you’ve eaten since lunch; you must be starved.”
Her stomach chose just that moment to grumble.
His eyes twinkled as the corners of his mouth rose, and she couldn’t help smiling in response.
“I wouldn’t mind eating,” she said, nodding slightly.
“Great. You’ll have dinner with me and we’ll discuss everything further.”
She nodded again.
No harm in that, right?
Suddenly, his gaze started making her uncomfortable. What was going on in his head?
Did he ever blink?
“Um, I’d like to freshen up beforehand, if I may? I’ve just been running around all day, and it’s like everything’s settling on my skin now that things have slowed down.”
“Of course! The bathroom’s just there,” he said with a nod of his head toward the slightly open door on the right, deep inside the room. “Feel free to do whatever you have to do, then meet me in the
dining room at seven sharp.”
She nodded.
He looked at his watch.
“That gives you half an hour. Is that enough time?”
“Yes, sure.”
“And you remember where the dining room is, of course?”
She nodded again.
“Perfect. I’ll see you soon.”
Not soon enough, she found herself thinking.
She couldn’t help checking out his firm butt in his slacks as he walked away.
CHAPTER 7
NAOMI
N aomi tried not to stare at Kevin as she approached the ten-seat table.
He sat at the head of it, and he looked as if he had freshened up himself, his hair appearing a bit damp from a shower.
He now wore a more casual white dress shirt, slightly open at the chest, and suddenly, her eyes refused to stop going to the hint of tanned, muscled chest winking at her from the opening.
Only when she heard his voice rumble in her direction was she able to look up at his face.
“I’m sorry?” she said, feeling her cheeks flush with heat as embarrassment flooded her.
No doubt he had caught her checking him out, and she had no way to play it off.
He smiled briefly, and she was relieved to see the familiar twinkle in his eyes.
He was surely laughing at her.
“I said, feel free to sit here,” he said, indicating the chair immediately to his right.
She realized in horror that she would be just two feet away from him, and she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to pretend his hard, broad chest wasn’t pulling at her eyes.
Maybe she’d simply get lost in his handsome, chiseled face instead; she didn’t need an explanation for looking into that.
Then again, his piercing gray eyes would probably be her undoing.
And damn him—she could already smell his heady cologne from where she was.
She tried to take a discreet deep breath as she stood to move.
Why had she agreed to this whole thing again?
She shouldn’t be feeling this way about her boss, and she knew he was trouble the moment she realized how attractive he was while she was staring daggers at him for daring to reproach her for a sidewalk slip-up.