I’m on my knees, scrubbing the bathtub in the main bathroom, when my right boob starts to vibrate.
I decided to keep my phone on me in case Anne called, and as these tight-as-hell jodhpurs don’t have any pockets, I had to stash my phone in my bra, hence the vibrating boob.
Reaching in my top, I pull my phone out, seeing Anne’s name on the caller display.
My heart starts to beat a little faster as I connect the call. “Hello?”
“Hi, Daisy. It’s Anne from Social Services.”
“Hi. Thanks so much for calling me back.”
“Sorry I’m a bit late in returning your call. I wasn’t in the office yesterday, and I’m just catching up on messages.”
“No problem at all. I understand.”
“So, your release came through.”
“Yes.” I smile.
“Good. I am pleased for you.”
“Thank you. Anne…I wanted to talk to you about Jesse. What do I need to do to start the process of applying for custody? And when can I see him?”
“Well, first things first, you and I need to have a chat.”
“About?” My tone is edgy. I just can’t help it.
“Just about your circumstances now—”
“I have a place to live. My best friend’s apartment. I’m living with her, paying rent.” Not that Cece will talk to me about paying rent, but I will be giving her money as soon as I get paid. “It’s a really nice place in Sutton, and it has three bedrooms. One is for Jesse. I have a job. I’m a maid at a big estate house in Surrey. So, I’m in a really good position to care for Jesse now, and I really—”
“That’s wonderful, Daisy,” she cuts me off. “I am so pleased that everything is coming together for you. I’d love to see your new place. So, how about I come to visit? We can have a chat and go from there.”
I slump back onto my haunches, disappointed, knowing that I’m not going to see Jesse anytime soon.
“Sounds great,” I say, trying to inject enthusiasm into my voice that just isn’t there.
“Fabulous. Now, looking at my calendar, I’m free on Friday at five p.m.”
“I work until six, and it takes me just over an hour to get home.”
“Oh, well, how about I come at six? You could ask your employer if you can leave an hour early. I’m sure if you explain your reason for needing the time, your employer will be understanding.”
Kas understanding? Ha. Not likely.
However, he was nice to me earlier, bringing me the clothes and apologizing. Maybe his hard shell is softening toward me.
There might just be some kindness in him.
“I’ll ask and let you know.”
“Fabulous. Speak soon.”
Hanging up my phone, I stash it back in my bra.
She wants to come to my place at six, which means I’ll need to leave at four. It takes me an hour and twenty minutes with the train journey and the walks to and from the train stations. And I’ll need to shower before she arrives, so I don’t stink of cleaning products.
That means I’ll have to ask Kas if I can leave two hours early.
I dread the thought.
But knowing I have no choice but to ask—because this is about Jesse, and he’s all that matters—I push to my feet, which are still bare.
I make my way out of the bathroom and pad down the carpeted stairs, heading for Kas’s office. Nerves are tumbling around in my stomach.
Come on, Daisy. The worst he can say is no.
And be an arsehole about it.
Sucking it up, I lift my chin and march toward his office. I reach his office door and knock on it.
“What?” he barks from the other side.
Okay…that isn’t a good start.
Reaching for the handle, I turn it and let myself in his office before closing the door behind me.
I turn to face him, and he’s leaning back in his chair, arms on the rests, staring at me with those coal-black eyes of his.
My stomach flips, and I suddenly feel queasy. I bind my hands together in front of me.
His eyes follow the movement and then shoot back up to my face. “Are you just going to stand there all day, or are you going to tell me what you want?”
I guess the nice clothes-bringing-and-apologizing Kas is gone, and Kas-hole is back.
I swallow nervously. “Mr. Matis, I know this is only my second day working here, and I really do hate to ask…but I was wondering, if I came in an hour early on Friday and worked through my lunch, would it be possible for me to leave at four instead of six?”
“No.” He sits forward in his seat and turns the chair to his computer.
Bolts of frustration and anger fly around me, buzzing like bees in my head. I’m not normally quick to temper, but this guy makes me want to scream my head off.
Dropping my hands to my sides, I curl my fingers into my palms. “Mr. Matis, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important—”
“And what’s so important that you have to leave work? A hair appointment? Nail appointment?” His eyes drag over me. “But then, looking at you, I’d say it’s neither of those things. So, what is so important that you have to leave work early?”
Mother…effer.
I take a step back, affronted. “I’m sorry, but have I done something to give you the impression that I deserve to be talked to like this? I know I’ve been in prison, but that doesn’t give you the right to judge me for it. You don’t even know me.” Even as I say the words, I know how ineffectual they are because they sound weak to my own ears.
Fire lights his eyes. The look in them makes me want to take a step back.
He looks like a scary-arse fire-breathing dragon.
He leans forward, pressing his hands to the desk. His voice is so low that I feel the temperature in the room drop. “Trust me,” he seethes, “that’s not what I’m judging you on.”
What?
“God, you’re a—” I bite my lip to stop the words from coming out.
“I’m a what, Daisy?” Then, he smirks.
The bastard smirks.
I have a vision of wiping that smirk off using the chair he’s sitting on.
I’ve never been one for violence, but this guy just brings it out of me.
Closing my eyes, I blow out a calming breath, wishing I were anywhere but here.
Why does this guy hate me so much?
“Unless you’re a magician or you’ve figured out the theory of time travel, I’m still going to be sitting here when you open your eyes.”
Argh! I want to throttle him!
Going back inside for murder is looking pretty appealing right now.
Two days, and I want to kill my boss already. This is not good. I need to get a handle on this and find a way to deal with his Kas-hole-ness.
He’s just a man. A man whose opinion of me doesn’t matter.
All I need from him is the paycheck at the end of every week.
I can do this. I’ve handled worse.
I open my eyes, and his smug, handsome face is there, staring back at me.
I force the brightest smile I can onto my lips. “It’s not you I’m trying to wish away. Sorry to have wasted your time. I’ll get back to work now.”
I turn for the door, but his deep voice stops me. “You haven’t told me why you needed the time off.”
Blowing out a breath, I turn my eyes his way. “I had an appointment with my brother’s social worker to discuss me getting custody of him. But it doesn’t matter now.”
I yank open the door and walk through it before he can throw another barb at me.
I run up the stairs, anger and frustration and a bunch of other emotions burning through me.
I get in the bathroom, grab a folded up towel off the shelf, press it to my face, and scream into it.
I hate him!
Hate! Him!
I’ve never had such an instant deep-seated hatred for another human being as I do with Kastor Matis.
Don’t get
me wrong; I hate Jason. God, how I hate that bastard. He is the reason I went to prison.
But Kas…he’s just so fucking…mean. And heartless.
He’s…Kas-hole.
I pull the towel away from my face and take in some deep breaths.
When I feel a little calmer, I put the towel back on the shelf. Then, I perch my bum on the edge of the bathtub, curling my fingers around it, and I let my head hang.
I’ve got to call back Anne and tell her that I can’t make the appointment, thus delaying things further with Jesse.
What if she can’t see me again for ages? Or she takes me not making the appointment as a bad thing, thinking I’m unreliable?
I really need to make a good impression, and I can’t do that when I can’t even make the first appointment she’s tried to make with me.
Tears sting my eyes.
Life is so unfair. After everything I’ve been through, I just figured I was due a break.
Apparently not.
I press the heels of my hands to my eyes to curb the tears in them, and I blow out a breath.
When I feel a little more under control of my emotions, I pull my hands away from my eyes, lifting my head, and my heart nearly leaps out of my chest when I see Kas standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry.” I jump to my feet. “I was just getting back to work.”
His voice stops me. “You can have the time off on Friday.”
Not only am I shocked by his words, but by the sound of his voice as well. It sounds gentle. I’ve never heard him speak that way before. Not even when he apologized earlier.
“Thank you,” I whisper, looking up into his face.
His eyes meet mine. There’s a flicker of something…compassion maybe? But it’s gone as quickly as it arrived.
“But I want you in at seven thirty on Friday and for you to work during your lunch to make up the time.”
“Of course.”
“And, Daisy?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t take personal calls on my time again. You do, and I will fire you.” With that, he turns and leaves.
What?
Did he know…that I took Anne’s call?
How?
I glance around the bathroom, suddenly feeling very uneasy. A shudder rolls through me.
Then, I force myself to get back to work, so as not to rock the boat.
Ten
I input the code into the keypad and wait for the gates to open.
It’s so quiet. Well, it’s always quiet around here, but it seems especially quiet. That could have something to do with it being seven thirty a.m.
It’s Friday, and I’m in early, as promised, so I can leave to make my appointment with Anne.
I haven’t seen Kas at all this week. He hasn’t been here when I have been. I asked Cooper where he was, and he said Kas would do this from time to time, disappearing during the day, which got me wondering where he might go.
Maybe he’s got a girlfriend.
I get this weird feeling in my chest at the thought.
Shaking it off, I walk through the gates and up the drive. I veer off the driveway when I reach the paddocks.
“Hey, Butterscotch.”
Butterscotch is fast becoming one of my favorite horses. She’s a palomino. No, I haven’t suddenly gotten all horsey. Cooper told me.
I’ve been hanging out at the paddocks on my lunch hour.
I met Ellie, Peter, Mack, and Tash. They were all lovely. Ellie, especially so. She seemed really friendly. She invited me to go to the pub for lunch with them the next time they go.
It was nice to be asked. To be included in something so normal as going to the pub for lunch with my work colleagues.
But, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but wonder if they would still invite me if they knew I’d just gotten out of prison.
The other thing that’s been bugging me is that, clearly, Kas hasn’t told anyone that I was in prison. If I’m being honest, I thought he would’ve.
But I’m not complaining. It’s nice not to be judged at my place of work. So, if Kas is keeping his mouth zipped about my past, then so am I.
I met Dom, the gardener, as well. He’s a really nice guy. After my little disagreement with Kas on my second day, I was outside, sitting on my favorite bench and having my lunch, when he came over to introduce himself.
“I brought you treats,” I tell Butterscotch. Reaching into my bag, I pull out two of the four apples I brought with me.
Danger, Butterscotch’s paddock pal, spies me with the apples and comes trotting over. He’s a big-ass horse. Black as night. Gorgeous.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t forget about you, Danger.” I reach out and feed him an apple.
As I turn my head, something in my peripheral catches my eye.
And that something has me turning fully around.
Kas is standing on his balcony. And, when I say standing on his balcony, I mean, he’s up on the stone railing.
Standing there, hands on his hips, face turned up to the morning sun.
He’s wearing black running shorts and a black T-shirt.
He looks like a god.
A mean god.
He moves down to sit on the edge of the railing, legs dangling. Then, he slides his butt off, putting his feet on the outer ledge, keeping ahold of the railing with his hands, so he’s standing on the wrong side of it. The not-so-safe side.
My heart starts to beat faster. My eyes are glued to him.
I watch as he casts another glance skyward. Then, without hesitation, he moves down into a crouch. One hand still on the railing, he slightly leans forward.
And jumps.
Noise pops in my ears, and I realize it’s my own voice screaming, “No!”
Then, I’m running toward him, my heart in my throat the whole time.
He’s going to die.
Oh my God, he’s going to die, and I don’t know CPR!
Why didn’t I learn CPR?
And why the hell did he just jump?
My mind is going a million miles a minute as I sprint toward him, my bag banging against my side.
And I watch in fascinated horror as Kas hits the grass, landing on his feet in an almost catlike way. The motion takes him down to a forward roll, and he’s back up on his feet in seconds.
What the…bloody fuck?
And I’m still running.
Kas turns his head, seeing me, and his stare brings my feet skidding to a stop.
There’s about thirty feet between us.
He watches me for a long moment, no hint of emotion on his face.
Then, the fucker grins.
He actually grins. And then he takes off running across the paddocks, heading for the forest at the back of the estate.
Me? I’m shaking like a leaf, my heart going ten to the dozen.
What the hell was that?
Trying to catch my breath, I put my hands on my hips and look up at the balcony. It’s about a twenty-foot drop, and he just jumped it, like it was nothing.
I’m just…I can’t believe he did that.
I need a coffee.
Well, a stiff drink would probably be nice, but as I can’t have that, I’ll go for a hit of caffeine.
Still feeling a little wobbly, I head around the house and let myself in the open front door. I hang my bag and coat up in the coat closet and make my way to the kitchen.
I see an envelope on the counter with my name on it. Picking it up, I open it and see money and my payslip inside.
It’s my wages. Not a full week, as I’ve only worked four days after starting on Tuesday, but it’s my first pay.
Weirdly, I get a little lump in my throat.
My boss might be an arse, but I have a paying job. Later on, I’ll be seeing Anne, and I will be one step closer to getting Jesse back.
Smiling, I fold the envelope up and put it in the pocket of my dress.
I work the fancy coffee machine they have and start brewing coffee
, figuring Kas might want some when he gets back.
Because I sure as hell need some after that.
I pour myself a coffee and set about filling the dishwasher with Kas’s dinner plate and pans from last night. I set the dishwasher going and start cleaning down the stove, which he made a mess of, drinking my coffee while I work.
I’ve finished my coffee, and I’m just rinsing out my cup, thinking I’ll tackle Kas’s office while he’s still out. Then, the back door opens, and the man appears, like I conjured him up.
His hair is uncharacteristically ruffled up. A sheen of sweat is covering his skin, his damp T-shirt clinging to his body. The muscles on his arms are…wow, and his legs…sweet Jesus, they’re really toned.
Honestly, he’s never looked hotter.
I have this sudden image of going over to him. Getting down on my knees. Kissing my way up those legs, then pulling his running shorts down, and—
“Coffee?” I squeak out, quickly turning away, so he can’t see that I’m blushing.
What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t even like this guy.
He’s mean, and he jumps off his balcony, nearly giving his employee a heart attack.
“Coffee would be good. Thanks.”
I grab a cup from the cupboard and pour him out a coffee.
“Milk?” I ask.
“No. Just black.”
I hand the cup over to him and step back, leaning against the counter.
“I forgot you were coming in early today.” His voice is low.
Is that why you did your crazy jump? Because you thought you were alone?
Then, I tense up, hoping he’s not going to change his mind about me leaving early.
I meet his steady gaze. “I hope it’s not a problem?”
“It’s not a problem.” He looks away from me to the door. “I’m going to take a shower.” He walks away, taking his coffee with him.
And I just can’t help myself. “What was that before? You jumping off the balcony?”
There, I said it.
I had to, or it would have bugged me all day.
He stops. I can see the clear line of tension across his shoulders.
He stands there for so long that I think he isn’t going to say anything.
“Parkour,” he says without turning around.
Parkour?
Then, he walks away without another word.
The moment he’s out of sight, I get my phone out of my pocket, bring up Google, type in parkour, and hit Search.
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