by S. C. Adams
I could even be doing his taxes. It’s a little early, but it’s never a bad thing to get a head start. Really, anything is possible.
I walk up the pathway to the front door, but it opens before I get all the way there. Nash leans against the doorjamb and stares at me as I approach him. I thought I’d be able to hold it together once I saw him, but his discerning gaze is cracking through my exterior.
He’s huge, even with that massive framing leaning casually against the frame. His shoulders are so wide that they take up the entire space, and his blue eyes look me up and down as if he’s undressing me. Hot thrills run through my body, and I try to calm my racing pulse. Unfortunately, this man has seen what’s underneath my clothes already, and I blush at the memory myself.
This is not going to be easy.
Nash must have just woken up because his hair is tousled like it needs a good brushing. But he’s fully dressed for the day in jeans and a t-shirt. It’s regular casual wear, but the clothes sit on his body like he’s a model.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep myself together. My heart accelerates at the sight of him. It’s going so fast, I’m sure it’s going to burst out of my chest and run away.
I reach the door, and we look at one another. Nash doesn’t make any attempt to step aside, so I can walk in.
“Good morning,” I greet him.
“You’re on time.”
“Of course, I’m on time. I’m always on time to work,” I say peevishly. Did he think I was going to be late? What gave him that impression? He doesn’t even know me, and Nash already has this unfavorable opinion of me.
“That’s good to know. Do you want to come inside?”
He doesn’t wait for my answer and just walks into the house before disappearing around a corner. I press my lips into a line and follow him inside. When I step into the home, I can’t see where he’s gone. I keep walking, wondering if I’m going the right way, but then I hear the door close behind me. I jump at the sound and turn around to see him by the main entrance.
What? How did he get there?
“Let’s go to my office.” Nash strides past me, and I follow him. As we make our way to his office, I get the chance to see even more of the house. Friday night it was too dark, and I was preoccupied with other things. And Saturday morning, I was rushing to get out of here.
But now, in daylight, his home is even more sumptuous than I realized. It’s just so luxurious. Chandeliers sparkle in the sunlight, casting mini rainbows on the wall. Artwork is placed in various places, and every single one looks expensive with fancy frames and spot lighting. I see wiring for an AV system that looks like the best of the best.
It’s clear to me that Nash is really rich. Like the type of wealth that most people don’t dare to dream about because it’s insane.
We get to a closed door that he pushes open, revealing a wood-paneled room. There’s a huge desk close to a large window, an expensive looking maroon colored rug, as well as some scattered furniture. Nash closes the door behind me, and I look to him for guidance. I have no idea what’s going on or what we’re about to do.
“Sit down,” he motions to his desk. I go towards his desk, and I feel him following behind me, but I don’t turn around. I take a seat at the chair by the desk. But Nash doesn’t go to his office chair. Instead, he stands right in front of his desk, so that he’s facing me.
He’s still not saying anything. Although I can hardly breathe from his nearness, I summon my courage.
“Um, do you have some spreadsheets for me to look at, or tax returns I need to review? Receipts, maybe?” I ask tentatively. “I’m in the process of becoming a CPA, so technically, I’m not certified, but I’m very good at my job and could confidently do any amount of accounting work you need.” If I hadn’t left so suddenly, I’m sure Porter Peabody would have been more than happy to give me a recommendation. Hopefully, I didn’t burn my bridges too badly because I’m going to need a job after all this is over.
Nash throws his head back and laughs. Why is he always doing that, laughing? I never say anything particularly funny, but he manages to get himself a good chuckle.
“What is it?” I ask, adjusting myself in my seat. I’m uncomfortable and confused.
“I don’t need you to do any of that. I already have a CPA.”
I stare at him.
“Okay, then why am I here?”
He smiles at me, that smile he gave me that night in the hot tub.
“You had fun the other night, right?”
“I don’t think we should talk about that,” I comment, shaking my head. I was hoping Nash would ignore the whole thing since he’s now technically my boss, but I was dead wrong. “If we’re going to be working together, we have to keep things professional,” I say.
He grins.
“Well, I think we should talk about it, and you’re going to answer me. You had fun,” Nash states. He’s the type of guy who gets his way, I can tell. I won’t be able to avoid his questions.
“I did,” I whisper, nodding.
“Would you want to do it again?”
“Nash, I –”
He holds up a finger, effectively shutting me up.
“It’s a three-month position, though I’m hoping to get you in all kinds of positions,” his eyes quickly scan my body before returning to look at me. “The basic job is that you’d be my plaything. Clearly, we get along, Nellie. You have to admit there’s a sexual magnetism between us. I’m sure this arrangement could be beneficial to the both of us.”
I stare because I have no idea what he’s saying. I’ve never heard of anything like this.
“Plaything? What’s a plaything?” I sputter.
He shrugs.
“You’d live with me, make life comfortable for me, walk around in lingerie 24/7, and be available whenever I want. You know, a plaything.”
What? Is he talking about a sexual relationship, where I’m some kind of Playboy Bunny on call? I don’t know what to think. I know a guy like Nash could get any girl he wanted, and yet, he wants to pay me to be his sex toy? What man does this?
I take a deep breath and look him straight in the eye.
“That’s out of the question. I didn’t quit my job for this. You never mentioned that you expected sex out of this whole thing. I’m supposed to be an accountant!”
He shrugs.
“I asked if you had any questions. You got up and left.”
I sputter indignantly.
“That’s not fair! How could I have known that this is what you meant? I’m not going to do this. You can’t expect me to.”
Nash cocks his head like he’s unconvinced.
“If you agree, I’ll pay you one hundred thousand dollars for your time. I’m sure you and your brother and his family could survive a few more firings with that in your savings,” he says in a wry tone.
I’m speechless. He’s going to give me that much money for three months? Is he insane?
“I have a B.S. in Accounting from Fresno State,” I state firmly. “My training doesn’t prepare me for this job.” It comes out almost robotic like it’s an automatic answer. I don’t know why I said that, but I don’t know what to say either.
Nash throws his head back and laughs again. He doesn’t take me seriously. Not at all.
“I think you’re having trouble processing what I’m offering to you. I don’t need accounting, Nellie. This job has nothing to do with numbers or spreadsheets or Jaybird. This position is purely personal. You’d be working for me, and be at my beck and call 24/7 for three months. Does that make sense?”
I shake my head, freaking out. This can’t be happening.
“Jesus Christ, Nellie. I don’t know how else to explain this,” he says with a sigh. I shake my head again.
“I know what you want me to do, but I can’t do it.”
“Okay, okay,” Nash nods. He doesn’t seem at all perturbed. He stands up and takes out his cell phone.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m just making a quick call to my partner, Colton. He’ll be firing Brian on the spot. He did show up to Jaybird this morning, didn’t he?”
Fuck! I didn’t call Brian this morning, so I don’t know if he got there on time, but I assume he’s there. After all, this is a second chance at a future for his family, and my brother’s not so dumb that he would mess it up, right?
But if he got fired now, that would be on me. I already made this deal, and if I back out, Brian won’t have any income. Neither will I, for that matter. I already quit, and they won’t take me back at Porter Peabody, that much I do know. They’re still fuming over my short notice.
Nash has managed to get me in a bind. One that only he can control, and he seems to know it. Somehow, I have a feeling that he’s a master at this type of thing.
“Okay, okay. I accept. I’ll be your plaything,” I manage in a tight voice. I cringe having to say it, but it’s the only way. I look at Nash, and infuriatingly, the handsome man is grinning. He knew this is how this whole thing would end. I mean, he’s the one who set it up.
Of course, he knew I’d cave.
The alpha male puts away his phone and goes to his desk drawer. Casually, he pulls out a checkbook and writes a quick one for me. When he hands it over, I glance down and gasp. It’s a check from Nash Keller made to Cash for ten thousand dollars.
“It’s just a deposit,” my new boss adds lazily. “So that you know I’m good for the money. You’ll get another one just like it tomorrow for the same amount. At the end of our three months together, I’ll forward the remaining balance.”
The check feels numb in my hands. I barely catch what he’s saying. All I can think about is that I basically signed away my life for three months in order to be the “plaything” of this man.
“Nellie? Did you catch all that?” he inquires, one black brow lifted with amusement. I blink hard.
“Yes,” I nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” I get out of my seat and leave Nash’s office. I don’t hear him following me, which is a godsend. I’m not sure if I’d be able to handle talking to him right now because I need time to think.
I wander my way back to front door in a daze, exiting the beautiful mansion where I’ll be living for the next three months. Which might actually be a nice experience, come to think of it. I’ve never lived somewhere so beautiful in my life, and for a zero increase in rent, I’ll get to live in gorgeous surroundings for a couple of months.
“That’s not so bad,” I murmur to myself. I reach my car and get into the driver’s seat. I start to really think about what this whole thing entails. Hearing Nash say all that stuff put me into a state of shock. I didn’t really give myself a chance to process it, and I shake my head now.
“His plaything?”
I have to admit that the idea intrigues me. I mean, I’ll be at Nash’s beck and call, 24/7 for whatever he wants, wearing nothing but flirty lingerie. I’ve never given myself over so fully to a man before. I never really wanted to before.
But Nash Keller is so tantalizing. I’ve been attracted to men before. I’ve slept with men before, but no one has thoroughly fucked me the way he did. And I would have been content with memories of our one night together, but now, we’re about to spend three whole months in the same house doing God knows what.
Every dirty thing under the sun probably. I’m sure he has some filthy fantasies if he’s paying me to be his plaything.
But then again, this might not be so bad after all. I’m going to get one hundred thousand dollars out of this, which will set me and my nieces up for a while. Plus, I get an extra three months with the hottest man on earth. Clearly, he’s a psychopath, but there’s definitely an upside to this.
Now all I have to do is make the most of the situation that’s been placed in front of me.
“This might actually be fun,” I say to myself. “Are you ready, Nellie? Put on your seatbelt for a wild ride.”
7
Nash
Nellie just left with the ten thousand dollar check I wrote her. She took the deal, as I expected. I mean, the curvy girl is in a bit of a tough spot, so I’m her best option at the moment. True, she wasn’t particularly enthused about the whole thing, but I think once she gets used to the idea, Nellie will have more fun than she realizes.
If our first night together was indicative of anything, Nellie is about to have the time of her life.
I kind of wish she had stayed, though. I probably could have demanded that of her because technically, her first day of work is today, but I knew that her going home would be what was best. Just because I’m greasing the wheels of this whole thing doesn’t mean I’m here to force her into something she doesn’t want.
Then again, the sexual chemistry we had was much too strong to ignore. If I play my cards right, Nellie will be begging to stay with me by the time this is all over. Women generally enjoy being with me, and willingly give their bodies to me over and over again. But I have to play my cards right with this particular curvy girl because she’s dazed by my proposition right now.
I wait a little while in my office to make sure she’s left. I go to the foyer to check the driveway, and Nellie is sitting in her car, staring blankly ahead.
At least she looks at lot less tense than before. The shock has worn off from her face, and she’s saying something to herself, but I can’t read lips, so I have no idea what it is.
I stay by the window, so I can watch her. I know she won’t be able to see me all the way from her car. The window by my door is a good one to look outside with, and yet still be somewhat hidden.
Nellie starts to smile, nodding to herself before turning on her car. Her smile gets bigger, so much so that she has to bite her lip to contain it. She shifts gears and zooms off, probably back home to get ready for tomorrow.
Looks like Nellie may have warmed up to idea a little earlier than I anticipated. Good.
I go back inside to get some work done. I told Colt I’d be working from home today. It felt like a good idea, just in case Nellie needed to be convinced.
My housekeeper hasn’t arrived yet though, so I’m going to go to my office and continue to go through paperwork. There’s always so much paperwork, goddammit. Soon, I’m ensconced in work, and focused on nothing but my business.
It’s a couple of hours later, and I’m in my kitchen eating some lunch. It’s leftovers from yesterday that Brenda, my housekeeper, made. She should be in soon which will give me a chance to have her get the rest of the things we need before Nellie moves in.
I hear the front door open, and not too much later, Brenda strolls into the kitchen.
“Nash! What are you doing here? I thought you would be at Jaybird.”
“I’m working from home today. Did I forget to tell you?” I’m usually more on top of things. If Brenda doesn’t know what to do, then there is a high chance of my entire home base falling apart.
“You did forget to tell me! Is there a reason why you decided to stay in?” she asks with confusion.
“I had someone visit me this morning, so I thought it would be easier to just spend the whole day at home.”
“Oh, I see,” Brenda nods knowingly. “Was it that girl you mentioned? The one who will be moving in soon?” During our previous phone call, I gave Brenda a short summary of what’s going on, leaving out a lot of the more lurid details. Then again, I’m sure she knows exactly what’s going on. Brenda’s been with me for a long time and has seen the women I bring around, but we don’t really talk about it in detail. She’s too smart for that.
Now with Nellie coming, I need to prep Brenda so that she’s not shocked out of her mind when she realizes our “arrangement.”
“Yes actually,” I say. “The new girl is moving in tomorrow, and her name’s Nellie. Actually, I was hoping you could pick up a few things for me. Stuff that would help Nellie transition into living here a little easier. You probably know a lot more about what women need to be comfortable, so I was hoping you could h
elp out?”
Brenda nods tentatively.
“Okay, sure,” she responds. “I’ll get what your guest needs. How old is she? How long will she be staying?”
“I don’t know her age exactly,” I shrug. “Early twenties is what I’d guess. She’ll be staying around three months.”
My housekeeper looks thoughtful and nods her graying head.
“Okay, I’ll call my daughter. She’s around the same age and knows all the stuff girls like nowadays. Give me a list of things you want her to have, and then we’ll fill in the blanks.”
“Thanks, I really appreciate it.” I’d have no idea what to get, other than some sexy lingerie in Nellie’s size. That’s something I am well-versed in. But all the other stuff young women need, I know nothing about that. Less than nothing, in fact. “Maybe purchase some some robes and nightgowns? Size medium. If you could get some of that stuff, it would be great.”
Brenda squints at me and nods. My housekeeper is intelligent and can read between the lines. She knows that what I’m really saying is to purchase some lingerie. Brenda promises she’ll be back later tonight with her haul, and we say goodbye as she heads out to take care the purchases.
There isn’t much else for me to do except wait for Nellie to show up tomorrow. I’ll be gone by the time she gets here in the morning because I have some things to tend to at Jaybird. Plus, I texted Nellie earlier today, and said to show up sometime before lunch, although an 8 a.m. arrival isn’t necessary. After all, I want the curvy girl to come here and get settled before we start our arrangement. Nellie will have her own room within a small suite in my mansion. That way, if she ever really needs to get away from me, she can.
But I’m sure that won’t be the case.
The next morning, I’m running out the door, giving Brenda the rundown of what to do before Nellie arrives.
“I’m not sure what time she’ll get here exactly. I just told her before lunch, so she can get settled. Just show her to her room, get her something to eat, that sort of thing. I’ll be back for dinner, though. I’m not sure if I’ll need you stay for that, however. I’ll keep you updated with all the plans.”