by ERIN BEDFORD
Unfortunately, I hadn’t been the savings type. So, my heart of gold landlord booted me the moment I couldn’t pay rent. This in-home job should have been a godsend, but I was still holding on to my pride, what little left I had.
“Well, that’s not a problem.” Wynn taped the end of the bandage but didn't release my hand. His fingers stroked along the top of my hand making my pulse quicken. “I’m sure you will enjoy living here and if you need anything, an extra toothbrush, a shoulder to cry on, anything at all, just let me know.” Wynn grinned and winked, making me forget all about the weird occurrence with Darren.
“Thank you, you don’t know how much I need this job.” I stopped and felt myself blush. “I mean, I know I owe you because of the vase, and I swear I’ll pay you back, either with money or my time.” I quickly spat out the words without knowing really what I was saying.
Wynn raised his hand, and I stopped talking. “I know, I know. How about we just worry about getting you settled in first and then we can deal with everything else?”
Nodding eagerly, I stood up when he did and followed him to the foyer. We paused by the door where Wynn pushed a button on an intercom.
A moment later, Darren’s voice came over the speaker. “Yes, sir?”
“Please get Miss...” Wynn trailed off and looked to me. I mouthed, ‘Billings,’ and he nodded. “... Miss Billings’ bag from the car.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Darren?”
“Sir?”
“Make sure to clean up the mess in the living room.”
“Of course, sir.”
The warning in Wynn’s voice was clear as well as the firm obedience from Darren. I wasn’t exactly sure about the power dynamic in the house, but I knew Darren feared his boss. His yummy looks aside, Wynn hadn’t been anything but nice to me since I entered the house. If I had been in Wynn's place and an employee had stepped over his bounds, I’d be pretty pissed too. The kneeling had been a bit much, but still, Darren had it coming.
Wynn turned back to me and held out his arm. “Shall we? I’ll show you your room and then we can discuss your duties around here.”
I stared down at his arm for a moment, the offer a bit old fashioned but nothing about this house had been normal so far. Shrugging a shoulder, I looped my arm through his, and he led me up the left staircase.
I tried my best to listen to him talk about the house, but the warmth of his body pressed against my side was distracting. I forced myself to watch his face to at least pretend to listen to him, but then I ended up staring at his lips. Those delicious pouty lips I wanted to bite.
“And this will be your room.” Wynn opened a door down the hallway we had somehow ended up in. My eyes moved to the inside of the room, and I was surprised to see it was far nicer than I expected it.
A four-poster bed filled most of the room with a large dark green canopy above it. An expansive wardrobe stood to one side of the room as well as an antique desk that did not come from a flea market. To the right of the room was a door that was open, giving me a glance at the bathroom. There was a claw foot tub and even a vanity. It was far more than I deserved as the help.
“What do you think?” Wynn’s voice in my ear startled me, and I spun around. Wynn had moved so much closer than before, putting us close enough to feel each other’s breath.
“Uh,” I stuttered and blinked rapidly, “it’s great. Really wonderful. Bigger than my old apartment.” I didn’t know why I told him that. I wanted to keep my sad little existence to myself. No handouts for me.
However, Wynn acted as if he hadn’t noticed my slip up. “Good, I would hate for you to be uncomfortable.” His hand reached out and traced the curve of my jaw. Wynn’s fingers burned along my flesh, and I ached to lean into his touch. He seemed to be studying me, searching for something. What that was, I didn’t know.
All I knew was when his hand dropped, I instantly missed its warmth.
“I’ll come to get you for dinner, and we can talk more then.” Wynn nodded and then brushed past me.
My gaze followed him for a lot longer than it should have. Finally, when he was out of sight, I went into my room and collapsed on the bed. I was in so much trouble.
Chapter 3
Piper
I spent the better part of a half an hour just lying on the bed, wondering how I ended up in this situation. I had lived a good life. I went to work, paid my bills, and never bothered anyone. Then, one day, my job decided I wasn’t worth it anymore.
Maybe because I hadn’t done anything more than mediocre work. I had never strived to be the best. I did what I was asked and nothing extra. That was probably why they cut me loose and not any of the other employees.
My personal life wasn’t much better. I had one or two friends who I talked to at least once a month. However, friends were exhausting, even more so when they weren’t family. Family you could ignore, and they would always be there. Friends? Not so much.
My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Standing, I brushed my hands over my clothes. I hadn’t worn anything spectacular to my first day. I was a maid, after all, I wouldn’t want to dirty up anything nice. The slacks I wore were one of three pairs I owned. The other two were all that I had left of my work wardrobe from before, that and a few blouses and one pair of black heels. I had opted out of the black heels today and wore tennis shoes instead.
I grimaced down at my beat-up sneakers. They weren’t really that impressive, especially for dinner in a place like this. There was another knock on the door just as I slipped into my heels. I raced for the door and pulled it open.
I expected to see Wynn since he had said he would come to get me, or at least Darren. However, the person waiting on the other side was neither of them. Not unless they had shrunk a few inches and colored their hair a bright red.
“Uh, hello.” I held onto the door, prepared to shut it if the man in front of me meant ill will.
A sly grin slipped up the redhead’s face, and the freckles across his nose popped out as he chuckled. The sound of it was like silk on my skin, and I shivered in pleasure. “Don’t look so worried, sweetheart. I’m not going to eat you.”
When he flashed his canines which like Wynn’s were sharper than a normal person’s. He must be one of the brothers. If that were the case, then I had no reason to fear him. I hoped.
“I’m Piper.” I offered him a smile. “I’m the new maid.”
The redhead rolled his eyes. “I know that, why do you think I’m here? Come on, they’re waiting for us in the dining room.” Unlike Wynn, he didn’t offer me his arm to escort me to dinner. He pushed off the wall and tucked his hands into his pockets, sauntering down the hallway like he owned the place which I suppose he did.
I hurried after him. His legs weren’t much longer than mine, so it wasn’t that much of a feat. “So, you know my name. Am I going to get yours?”
The redhead’s eyes slid over to me with a smirk. “Do you really need to know my name to clean the house?” He shook his head and let out a huff. “I don’t even understand why Wynn is allowing you to eat with us, but that’s him.” His eyes moved up and down my form, and I could see the twinkle in his eyes. “Always thinking with his dick.”
I couldn’t figure out if I should be offended or pleased. Knowing Wynn was attracted to me made something inside of me tingle. However, it was no secret that the guy beside me didn’t much care for the hired help.
No love lost there.
My eyes trailed along the walls around me, taking in the antique furniture and large portraits. Much like the one in the living room, the paintings felt like they were watching me.
Please, God, don’t let this house be haunted.
Sexy employers, I could do, even slightly weird ones. But ghosts? No, thank you. I was a wimp in the biggest sense of the word.
We turned a corner, and then we were at a different set of stairs than the ones from earlier. I was lucky I had someone here to guide me, or I’d be compl
etely lost. The redhead didn’t much seem to care if I ended up lost or not. He kept going as if I weren’t even following him.
About halfway down the stairs, my foot caught on something, I was surprised it took this long, and my body propelled forward. Putting my hands out in front of me, the redhead’s back came closer and closer to my face, and I hoped to God I didn’t kill us both with my clumsiness.
However, before I could knock us both down the stairs, the guy spun around so fast I didn’t register it until I was in his arms. My eyes squeezed shut, I inhaled his scent. He smelled of cinnamon and sandalwood, a smell that sunk low and settled in my core.
He growled.
My eyes shot open at the sound, my mouth parted at the heated look in his amber eyes. He had the same look about him that Wynn had when I had first met him in the living room. His tongue darted out and licked his lower lip, and for a moment, I thought he might close the distance between us. Then...
He dropped me.
“Oof,” I groaned and rubbed my backside as I glared up at him. “What was that for?”
“Watch where you’re going,” he snapped, leaving me in the stairs by myself.
I gaped at the direction he had gone for a moment and then scrambled to my feet. Grumbling under my breath about rude ass rich boys, I rounded the stairs and slammed into his back. Once again, I was falling, but this time, I caught my hand on the railing before pulling myself back to my feet.
The redhead snickered.
Glaring daggers into his back, I followed him into a large dining room with an even bigger chandelier than the one in the foyer. A long mahogany table big enough to sit twelve filled most of the room. Five of those spots were already taken, and surprisingly, Wynn was not at the head of the table.
A deep voice with a heavy European accent came from the man sitting at the head of the table. “Rayne, there you are.” The man had long blonde hair and pale eyes that even from here were striking. When I stepped into the room from behind Rayne, the man frowned. “And you must be Miss Billings.”
I didn’t know why, but for some reason, I felt even less of a welcoming feeling from this man, clearly the leader of the brothers, than from Rayne or Darren. Unable to handle his stare, I folded my hands in front of me and ducked my head.
“Yes, thank you for having me in your home.” I had the sudden urge to curtsy but didn’t want to embarrass myself even further.
The man snorted. “You act as if you are a guest and not someone we hired. While I’m sure my brother, Wynn, has filled your head with all kinds of daydreams of your life here, I want to make sure you are clear in your duties.”
I nodded. “I understand of course. I won’t—”
“First rule. Do not speak unless I ask a question and then your answer should be straight to the point. No excuses and no long-winded stories.” He glared at Wynn who pretended not to notice him. “Second, what happens in this house stays in this house, understood?”
I opened my mouth to answer him and then clamped it shut and simply nodded. It wasn’t surprising they would want privacy. An NDA was usually required by most jobs. The fact that they hadn’t made me sign one yet spoke volumes to their household. Either one of three things were happening.
One, the employees were so loyal to these men that they wouldn’t dare say anything. One look around the room at the faces that had my panties wanting to evaporate right there made that answer pretty likely.
Or two, the other employees feared them which was just as likely from the way Darren had reacted to Wynn earlier and the way this one was putting off airs of a total tyrant.
And thirdly, the house could be total dullsville. Not likely with all this testosterone filling the room but it could happen. I bet they had revolving doors for their bedrooms.
I forced back a delightful shiver and made myself pay attention to the words he was saying. The man could read off a grocery list, and I’d orgasm, I swear.
The tyrant continued, not noticing my daydreaming, “Lastly, you will have a list of chores sent to your room each night for the following day. They are expected to be completed by the end of that day. Any that are not finished, you will have to add to your chores for the following day.” The expression on his face told me he clearly expected me to finish each day’s chores on that day.
Jesus, who shit in this guy’s coffee? All fantasies I had about this guy just went down the toilet.
The man leaned back in his seat, his fingers placed into a steeple. “Now, I believe introductions should be made simply for convenience’s sake. I don’t expect you to socialize with any of us outside of what is expected for your work. Clear?”
Again, I nodded. This time, however, I was a bit more annoyed. This guy is really getting on my nerves.
“I, of course, am the eldest of the household. My name is Antoine Durand. You may call me Master Durand, but never just Antoine.” His sharp tone made me want to flinch, but I curled my hands into fists, forcing myself not punch him in his stuck-up face.
“Here to my right is Marcus. He is the second oldest.” Antoine pointed toward a large man with his hair buzzed down until there was only fuzz on top. He had a hard look to him that made me believe he wouldn’t break the rules like Wynn.
“Next to Marcus is Wynn, which you have met already, the middle child.” He rolled his eyes as Wynn grinned and winked at me.
It took everything in me not to blush and respond back in some way, but I had a feeling I would not earn any points with Antoine if I did. Master Durand. I reminded myself. Better get used to it now, so I didn’t fuck up and call him by his name out loud.
Pointing a finger at the redhead next to me, Antoine scowled. “And Rayne you met already as well. He is the youngest.” Continuing down the line, he pointed at a pair of twins on his left side. Both men had dark hair and a smile that made a dimple appear in their cheeks. “Draconius and Allister. They’re the second youngest. Stay out of their way unless you want to be at the butt of their pranks.”
The twins gave me matching sinister smirks that made my body react in an odd fashion. It was half fear and the other attraction? Not surprising since each brother was just as gorgeous than the last. I would think any female would have trouble not being attracted to them.
One of them, leaned forward on the table and growled, “Call me Drake.”
Was it getting hot in here? I had the sudden urge to take a cold shower.
With all the introductions out of the way, Antoine stared at me expectantly. “Do you have any questions?”
I shook my head. “No.” What I really wanted to ask was if he needed help taking that stick out of his ass, but I didn’t want to get fired on my first day. I was lucky the vase incident hadn’t got me booted out the door. The fact that Darren wasn’t there just waiting for the word was unexpected.
As if listening to my thoughts, the tight-lipped butler appeared in the doorway on the other side of the room. “Dinner is ready.”
Antoine inclined his head. “Very well. Darren, I expect you to show Miss Billings where she can eat her meals and teach her the rest of the house rules.”
And with that, I was dismissed.
Darren didn’t wait for me but marched back through the door he came. My eyes slid to the table in front of me, curiosity getting the best of me, but they didn’t have any plates or silverware anywhere. Did they eat with their hands?
I didn’t have long to stare at my new employers before Antoine locked that intense arrogant gaze back on me once more. “Did you need something else, Miss Billings?”
“No, no, sir. I mean, Master Durand.” I stumbled over my words, irritated that there were even rules on how I was to address them.
Irritation covered Antoine’s face, and he waved his hand at me. “Then get out.”
Nodding again, I hurried after Darren, but Antoine’s voice stopped me at the door. “And do try not to break anything else, Miss Billings.”
Groaning, I realized I hadn’t quite gotten off scot-f
ree. I had a feeling this job was not going to be boring or easy. Lucky me.
Chapter 4
Antoine
I watched the slip of a girl walk, more like scurry, back into the kitchen. Tapping my finger against my lips, I hummed.
“Well, she's far more delicious than any of the other maids we've had,” Draconius growled, his eyes lingering on the spot Piper Billings had been standing.
Leveling him with a stern glare, the side of my lip curls up in a snarl. “She is off limits.”
“But—”
“Do not make me repeat myself.” I picked up my wine glass and took a sip before sitting it back down. “We've gone through enough maids, we're lucky the agency sent us any others. They told us this would be the last one.”
Wynn snorted, lounging like a lazy wild cat in his chair. “And you're surprised?”
Moving my attention to him, I narrowed my gaze. “Do not pretend like you were not partially responsible for at least half of those maids leaving.”
“I said nothing of the sort.” Wynn gave me a lopsided grin. “I'm just implying that we probably shouldn't be trying to keep human pets where there are no humans.”
“I agree with, Wynn.”
My eyes shot to Rayne who seemed far too annoyed at the maid already. “Using your gift, I see. What did you hear in that little head of hers?”
Rayne tousled his red hair and sniffed. “She's already half in love with Wynn. It’s better to nip it in the bud before it bites us in the ass.”
The vampire in question shifted a shoulder up. “I cannot help it if women are naturally attracted to me.”
Glaring daggers at Wynn, Rayne growled, “They only want you because of your powers, not because you're such a catch, you self-absorbed snob.”
Wynn didn't bother to rebuke Rayne's accusations, which he wouldn't. A narcissist like him only loved one person: himself.
