by V. Vaughn
It is, but I don’t want to worry him. “It’s fine. I just haven’t been working out the way I should.”
“You could use my treadmill.” He starts to climb with my box.
His body is a testament to a capable home gym, but I prefer the fresh air. “Thank you, but that’s not necessary. I could walk outside in the mornings.” I follow him up, although at a slower pace, and the polished wood railing is smooth in my hand. If I’m going to be climbing this many flights on a regular basis, I really do need to get in shape. I say, “In fact, I think I’ll start tomorrow.”
“I’ll let Sebastian know.” He’s reached the other boxes and says, “Don’t you dare touch these.”
“Thank you.”
When the boxes have all been delivered to my room, Alexander gazes at the area where my love seat is situated and says, “Let me know if you need more bookshelves.” He turns to me, and the concern on his face makes warm emotions rush to the surface of my skin. “Are you feeling okay?”
My heart is pounding, and the beat pulses in my ears. “Yes. I’m fine. I just overdid it trying to be stronger than I am.”
He steps closer to me than an acquaintance would, and I hold my breath as he stares at me with an intensity that makes me heat up. He speaks softly, and my knees are suddenly weak. “It’s hard to be strong.” His finger grazes the top part of my scar lightly, and it sends a tingle all the way down to my toes.
I feel as if I’m being sucked into his eyes, and I step closer to him too. I stare at his mouth and notice how red his lips look against his pale skin. He leans in closer, takes a deep breath though his nose, and closes his eyes as if I smell intoxicating. I think he’s going to kiss me, so I reach up to touch his hand, but before I make contact, Alexander steps away abruptly. I blow out the breath I was holding as I stare at him in confusion.
He rakes his fingers through his hair, and it stands on end. He doesn’t look at me as he says, “Enjoy your day reading. Bertha will bring you lunch at noon.”
“Alexander?” He leaves without responding, and the door slams quickly as if he can’t get away fast enough.
He wanted to kiss me, I know it. And I would have let him, so what went wrong? I sink down on the couch with a whoosh and drop my head into my hands. What is wrong with me? I shouldn’t be kissing one of my employers. That is such a bad idea on so many levels, and it’s no wonder he ran.
I lean over and grab a book out of one of the boxes. The glossy paperback cover is smooth under my fingers as I study it. This one doesn’t look like it’s ménage, as a girl presses her hands against a man’s naked chest, which is defined beyond perfection. She gazes into his eyes as he looks at her with sexual hunger. The way Alexander just looked at me. I want that. But I can’t get involved with Alexander, so I sigh and open the book to read.
The Hart brothers are good writers, and just like the first book, I get caught up in the story enough I don’t even realize it’s time for lunch until Bertha knocks on my door. My legs are stiff from sitting so long, and I shuffle a few steps before I can walk normally when I get up to let her in. I wonder why I’m eating in my room instead of downstairs, but I’m not going to ask, because I prefer the daylight I have instead of the darkness of the rest of the house.
When I finish lunch, I think about my mother and decide I should give her a call since it’s technically my break. My phone is slick in my fingers as I pull up the contact and hit Call. But it doesn’t connect, and I notice I have no bars. Darn it. I go to settings to try to connect to the Wi-Fi, but I only get a locked connection, and I don’t have the password. I sigh as I determine I’ll have to get it from one of the Harts and try Mom tonight.
I return to my couch to curl up happily as I dig into another book. This is one of my favorite things to do. I’ve had plenty of practice considering the years my heart was too weak for me to run around and play like other kids, and I’m a fast reader. I’m on my third story when I notice the darkness has chased away my light. I haven’t heard from anyone since lunch and decide I should go downstairs to find out about dinner. The house is quiet as I descend the stairs, and I glance around each level. I wonder where the brothers have their rooms, and wish I could explore.
When I get to the main floor, I see the doors to the study are closed, and my footsteps echo when I step on the wood as I walk toward the kitchen. It makes me think of a horror movie, so I try to stay on the carpets instead. It’s dark, except for a light over the stove. While it’s earlier than when we had dinner last night, I would expect someone would be preparing it.
I’m not sure if I should wait until one of the Harts finds me or if I should fend for myself the way I’m supposed to for breakfast. My stomach growls, so I open up the fridge to figure out what I can have for a snack. I notice a plate covered in plastic wrap and see it’s mashed potatoes, chicken, and green beans that look ready to be heated up. Since I don’t know who it’s for, I leave it alone and grab a yogurt instead.
I find a spoon and wander down the hall to explore as I eat my snack. Like most of the house, it’s dark, and I walk slowly, making sure to stay on the oriental carpets so I can listen for any noise. There is a series of doors on both sides of the hall, and I’m tempted to turn a brass knob to peek inside a room. I don’t, because the last thing I want is to get caught snooping. I take a bite of yogurt and swallow down the creamy goodness. When I reach the end of the hall, I’m disappointed I didn’t find an open room, and I haven’t learned more about my employers. I turn around to return to the kitchen. Suddenly, one of the doors opens, and Bertha comes out. I startle her when she sees me, and she growls out, “Where have you been?”
My first reaction is to lie because she’s angry, but I didn’t do anything wrong, so I say, “I... I just walked down the hall to explore. There isn’t much to see with all the doors shut.”
“You’ll do well to stay to the places you are invited to go.”
“Got it. I’m sorry I scared you.”
“Hmph.” She glances at the container of yogurt in my hand and says, “I suppose you want me to feed you dinner.”
“Oh, am I not eating with the Harts tonight?”
“No. Come with me.”
Despite the fact that my heart told me Bertha was a lost cause, I give it a shot. “The meal you made last night was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever had steak that good.”
She doesn’t reply as she practically sprints to the kitchen. I scurry behind her to keep up and continue trying to win her over. “Have you worked for the Harts a long time? They’re such interesting men, and to think they write romance.”
When we get in the kitchen she flips on the lights, and I squint in the harsh brightness. Bertha opens the fridge, and the plate I saw earlier scrapes over the shelf as she pulls it out. I say, “If that’s for me, I can heat it up. I’m sure you have other things you need to do.”
Bertha doesn’t even try to be polite as she glares at me. Without speaking, she yanks the microwave door open, and my dinner hits the glass turntable so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t break. After she attacks the buttons, I say, “I’m not sure what I did, but I’m sorry.”
She gives me an incredulous look, and if I were smart I’d keep my mouth shut. Silverware rattles as she yanks open a drawer and sets me a place at the granite island. Clearly I’m not, but I have a need to be liked, so I push on. “I swear I won’t do it again, but you’ve got to tell me what I did wrong.”
A wine glass clinks down on the countertop as she says, “It’s too late. You never should have come here.”
What on earth does she mean? Is she jealous of me? I can’t imagine why, but perhaps it’s because I make things harder for her. I say, “I don’t want to be a burden. I can cook for myself, and I know how to do laundry and clean. So you don’t have to wait on me.”
The microwave beeps, and she removes my plate to set it before me. “Clever girl. You can get your own wine.” She leaves the kitchen as fast as she came in. I wonder why she
hates me so much, and what she meant by saying I shouldn’t have come here.
I focus on my heart to see if she’ll give me a clue, but I get nothing except the sound of my stomach growling. I take a bite of chicken to discover it’s dry, and when I taste the potatoes, I find they don’t have much flavor either. I stab and lift a wilted green bean up with my fork as I think about how I made Alexander unhappy this morning. And now I’ve managed to anger Bertha. The only person I have left to upset is Sebastian. I sigh as the vegetable squishes between my teeth. And when I glance toward the sound of footsteps, I see I’ll get a chance, because Sebastian walks in.
6
Sebastian enters the kitchen dressed in black cargo pants, sturdy boots, and a black leather jacket that says badass in all the right ways. It’s as if he’s been transformed into a special-ops hero in one of his books, and suddenly I see why he appeals to my heart. I snap my jaw shut before he notices I’m gawking.
He says, “Margaret. Good. I’m glad you’re eating. I neglected to tell you about dinner.”
“It’s fine. Bertha fixed me something.”
His lips do an almost-smiling thing before he says, “Alexander and I are going out. Are you enjoying the books?”
“Very much so. Thank you.” I think about how I tried to access the Internet earlier and ask, “Can I have a password for the Wi-Fi? There doesn’t seem to be a good cell signal here, and I was hoping to call my mother and let her know how I am.”
He frowns. “Yes. I’m afraid that will have to wait until morning. Our cable is out. But I’m sure it will be fixed by tomorrow.”
“Oh. Okay.” I try not to lick my lips as I imagine finding him in a nightclub. Although I’m not sure any exist around here, and I’m curious where he and Alexander are going. “Have fun tonight.”
“Fun.” He pauses as if he’s considering the word before he says, “Yes. I’ll see you at nine a.m. in the study.” I nod in reply. As soon as he leaves, I resist the urge to peek out the window to see what kind of car he drives. I noticed a garage placed separately from the house when I arrived yesterday. I also recall how I texted my mother in the driveway when I got here, and the message read sent. I decide I’ll try again.
After my meal, I clean up after myself and retrieve my phone from my room to go outside. I grab a winter parka that covers my hips, and I huddle into the warmth of the hood as wind blows off the ocean and stings my cheeks. I decide to get in my car for my call. Since I can’t even tell my mother what town I’m in, my side of the conversation is brief. She’s a nurse at our local hospital, and she entertains me with patient stories. I know she misses me, but she sounds happy that I love my new job. After we say our good-byes, I take a moment to check social media.
I scroll through a news feed and decide I won’t need to keep up with anything I see. My circle of friends is small, and once I graduated from community college, I was ready to leave them behind for new adventures. So I made up a cover story about going to Europe for a job and cut all ties. Except one. I text my best friend, Kristi. New job is awesome. Smoking-hot bosses too.
I notice my message is read immediately, so I wait for her reply. What?! Pictures or it didn’t happen.
I can’t. NDA, remember? How are the freshmen? Kristi got a job teaching English at a high school not too far from home, and the majority of her classes are the ninth graders.
Horrid little brats who need a slap upside the head. And I’m just the woman to do it.
I chuckle to myself, because she is. Miss you.
Me too.
I click off my phone, and my car door creaks as I climb out. The night sky is jet black, with the nearly full moon glowing brightly as I walk back to the house. The sound of the ocean crashing on the rocks of the property makes me decide I’m not ready to go inside yet, and I decide to explore. I wander over the grass toward the water. Large rocks that are haphazardly placed separate the yard from the ocean, and as I get closer, I realize they drop off like a cliff for about ten feet. There are more down below. The jagged edges are covered in seaweed and barnacles, and I imagine it would be slippery footing. The ocean rushes toward me, and waves crash and spray into the air as if they’re putting on a show.
I lower myself to sit and dangle my legs over the edge of the cliff to watch the naked display of nature’s power. The cold stone seeps through my yoga pants quickly, and I tug my long jacket under my bottom as I lift my hood up to preserve warmth. I gaze over to my right, and movement catches my eye. The wrought-iron fence that protects the Hart property stops at the cliff, so if anyone really wanted to come onto the land, I suspect they could approach by climbing the rocks. But a figure that might be male is coming toward the barrier instead, and I wonder if I should be afraid. He jumps up, and his foot barely taps the top of a spiked support before he lands inside. Oh my god! The fence is at least twelve feet high, and I blink, wondering if I’m seeing things. I scramble up to my feet, and my phone falls out of my pocket to clatter on the stones. I freeze, because whoever just hopped onto the Hart property is coming my way.
I’m going to die. Something evil is coming to kill me, and my mind flashes to the vampire story I had to proof and recite for Sebastian. It was about two brothers who lived in a castle. They were searching for their soul mates. One of the brothers found her in human form, and the story ends when he bites her so she can become a vampire too. My imagination put me in the scene, and I’m sure I’m a snack for the man until I recognize him.
Alexander asks, “Margaret, what are you doing out here?” As he gets closer, I notice he’s wearing a similar outfit to what Sebastian had on earlier. Holy crap, did he really just jump twelve feet?
“I came out for a signal to call my mom, and when I was done, I decided to watch the waves.” I squat down to retrieve my phone, and my hand shakes as I pick it up. I’m not afraid of Alexander, but I am freaked out by what I just saw. I think about how easily he lifted the boxes earlier today. I shake my head at myself. He’s probably one of those guys who do parkour, like I’ve seen in videos. They bounce off buildings and do crazy stunts no average person can. I ask, “What are you doing out here?”
“I like to watch the water too.” He tilts his head at the ocean. “Shall we?”
“Sure.” When we sit, Alexander is close enough to me that our arms brush. “I thought you and Sebastian were going out.”
“We did,” he says. I assume it must have only been for one drink since they’re back so soon. He’s looking at the waves as he says, “I never get tired of this.”
“I don’t think I could either. I’d like to see this during a storm.” I think about how he almost kissed me earlier, and I turn to gaze at him.
The moonlight highlights the angles of his face. I imagine tracing my finger along his cheekbone, and he turns to me too. He says, “When a storm blows through, it’s incredible. The water sometimes comes up this high.”
Our legs touch, and neither of us moves away as I say, “I’d love to see it.” I lean in a little closer to him as light sparkles in his eyes. The hum of my desire buzzes through me, and I drop my gaze to his mouth. His breathing is shallow, and I think he’s attracted to me too.
“Then you shall,” Alexander says as he leans in. He tips my chin up with his finger, and it’s cool on my skin. He whispers, “We can’t do this. You’re here for Sebastian.”
It’s true I shouldn’t kiss the brother of the man I’m working for. I know better, I really do, but something inside me takes over. I think about the books I read today. The stories were about attraction that can’t be denied. I never knew they could be right, because I want Alexander with a need so great I can’t stop myself. I whisper back, “I don’t care.”
I reach out to grab at his leather-clad shoulder and kiss him. His lips are as cool as his finger was, but I have plenty of heat for both of us as I open my mouth to Alexander. The kiss is tender nibbles that don’t last nearly long enough before he pulls away.
He shakes his head. “I re
ally shouldn’t be doing this.”
I lick my lips to taste him, and the flavor is metallic. I frown as I wonder what he drank. His gaze is intense, and it makes my insides quiver while my chest heaves. I want more, and I reach up and place my hand on his cheek. His skin is cold, and I say, “My gosh, you’re freezing. We should probably get inside.”
Alexander grabs my hand and tugs me against him as his other arm wraps around my waist. This time he plunges his tongue into my mouth, and I fall into our kiss as though I’ve jumped off the cliff. I reach up, and his hair is silky in my fingers as I slide them through his locks. I moan a little when his hand splays on my back. I press on his chest and wish there wasn’t a heavy leather jacket in the way of the firm muscles I want to touch. I’ve never been kissed like this, and it makes me feel alive.
“What are you doing?” Sebastian’s voice booms, and I jerk away from Alexander as if I’ve been shocked. I look up at the figure that towers over us, and his gaze makes fear turn the blood in my veins to ice.
“Has it really been so long you don’t recognize a kiss, Sebastian?” asks Alexander in a playful tone. But the edge to it makes me think he’s not playing.
Sebastian doesn’t acknowledge his brother and says to me, “Get in the house, Margaret, and wait for me in the study.”
I rise to my feet as I say, “Yes, sir.” I don’t look at Alexander as I walk away quickly. It’s as if I’m twelve years old and got caught making out with the boy in the hospital room next to me. Damn it! Have I just managed to lose my job on my first day? The heavy front door of the house thuds ominously as I shut it behind me, and I welcome the warmth of being inside as I make my way to the study. My feet thud over the floor as I pace the room while I wait, and I form my argument. I signed off on a lot of rules, but not one of them had anything to do with a physical relationship with Sebastian’s brother. And since Alexander didn’t hire me, technically I didn’t do anything wrong. And what about Sebastian asking me if I found a sex scene in his book arousing? I clench my fists, and my nails dig into my palms as I prepare for battle. But the moment Sebastian appears in the doorway, all my courage disappears as I stare at the man in black who’s so furious with me his pale skin is flushed.
