by Nella Tyler
What had I done? The alcohol had not only left me with a hangover and a pounding headache, but enough remaining alcohol to leave my brain feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. My thoughts were fuzzy and I couldn't focus, couldn't concentrate. What had I done? I think I asked myself that a least a half a dozen times in under a minute. How could I get out of this? The minute I moved, Luke was likely to wake up, so I practically held my breath and lay still, staring up at the ceiling, my mind racing, and my thoughts filled with nothing but horror.
I was angry with myself and more than a little embarrassed. Had he seduced me? Plied me with drink so that I would fall into his arms? No. I had been fully aware of what was going on. I could've refused the second glass of wine at dinner and certainly the two drinks he poured me at the mansion when we'd returned. I could've said no after that first kiss and definitely when he’d paused long enough to roll the condom onto his penis. But now, I had practically thrown myself at him, as sexually attracted to him, as he appeared to be to me. Then again, was he? I felt dismayed. Had I inadvertently given him the impression that he could use me anyway he wished? Was he one of those?
I frowned. While Luke certainly didn't seem to be that kind of a guy, I had to admit that I didn't know that much about him. Our talk the previous evening had stayed well away from the personal. I swore, knowing that I had bogged on asking him some important questions, too enthralled by his charm that I got distracted. I had sidestepped his questions about my history, about me, from what I could remember. On purpose? I guessed so, both on my part and his. I didn't necessarily want him knowing I was rich, and I got the impression that he had been reluctant to say anything about his new inheritance. He had not told me he felt like a fish out of water. So, as a result of our reluctance to be open and honest with each other, we were at an impasse, weren't we?
In less than a week, I had allowed myself to succumb to my baser urges. I should've known better. I was the maid! It didn't matter what my background was, or his. He was my employer! My boss! Never in my life had I ever done anything like this. I had been attracted to a couple of my professors in college, and yes, they had even flirted and one had suggested that a liaison would have been fun, but I’d never indulged in such behavior. Now I was nothing but a cliché.
This type of behavior was not me! I had never have believed I could behave in such a wanton manner, let alone with someone who employed me. Staring at his back, I could only scold myself inwardly. At the same time, I admired his form, the breadth of his shoulders, and the way his chest dipped down to a firm waistline and then further down onto narrow hips, I swallowed. Despite my horror and my hangover, I felt the needling of desire again.
Stop it, I told myself. As I stared at him I realized something. I didn’t think I would be able to get through work today…how could I? Every time I looked at him I would remember last night. Every time he looked at me, it would probably be the same. How in heaven's name could I work here? We had overstepped the bounds of decorum, and I had allowed it! I didn't know what to do. Perhaps I should just get up, get dressed, and leave. I could call him later and give him my notice of termination. I couldn't work for him, could I? Not after last night.
With a sigh, I ever so slowly pushed the covers back and sat up. I glanced down at the floor, but didn't see any sign of my clothes. Shit. They were probably lying in a heap in front of the sofa downstairs. For a moment I felt a surge of panic sweep through me. Had the chef seen the clothes strewn on the living room floor? Doubtful, as he rarely entered the house through the front door, but still. Then I saw my work clothes stacked neatly on a chair by the door. Oh thank God, I had forgotten.
My fuzzy brain was not allowing me to think straight. I had changed from my work clothes and into the dress here. If I could make it to the chair and then into the adjoining bathroom without waking Luke, I could probably stand a good chance of slipping out unnoticed.
Slowly easing myself off the bed, I quickly stepped naked toward the chair by the door. I snatched my clothes up from the chair and held them close to my chest, at least offering me some modicum of privacy and decorum. I glanced at Luke and he appeared to be asleep. His face was turned toward the bathroom door, which stood slightly ajar. I would have to go past his side of the bed to reach the bathroom.
I didn't want to change here by the bed because the noise might wake him. The last thing I wanted to do was wake him or speak to him, at least not now. My emotions were in a jumble. I felt angry and embarrassed, and yes, slightly humiliated. I didn't know what I could or would say to him.
I quickly tiptoed to the bathroom and closed the door halfway. Berating myself, cursing myself for my stupidity, and calling myself an idiot, I quickly dressed. I was ready to make my escape. I couldn't face him now, I just couldn't! I would leave him a note downstairs; tell him I would see him on Monday. After all, I had the weekend off. Perhaps the weekend would give me some time to think about this. I knew, however, that the best thing to do would be to resign.
I had just stepped out of the bathroom, my focus on the bedroom door, when I heard the rustle of sheets. I cast a quick glance at Luke, startled to find him awake and watching me.
Maid for Him #2
Chapter 1
My hand froze just as I reached for the doorknob. Our eyes locked, and I felt my heart skip a beat. I had no idea what was going through Luke’s mind at that moment, as he maintained a blank expression.
"I…I didn't want-" I started to tell him I was literally sneaking out of the bedroom because I didn't want to wake him up, but I had a feeling that excuse wouldn't fly, especially since he was awake.
He rolled over, pulling the sheet with him as he rolled onto his back. The sheet barely covered his lower half and I could see the outline of his genitals under it. I felt the heat of a blush rush up into my cheeks and then quickly jerked my eyes back up to his face. When I did, I saw the slight grin that turned up the corners of his mouth. Again, my heart thudded. He looked absolutely adorable lying there half asleep, and I could just imagine what he must've looked like as a boy. He wasn't a boy anymore, but a man, and I had slept with him last night. The fact that I could hardly remember any of it was beside the point.
He made a noise, somewhere between a groan and a stretching yawn. "You're on schedule to work today, aren't you, Molly?"
I nodded. He smiled, a goofy smile that gave me a hint of his more playful side, a side of him I hadn't seen before. He held out his arms toward me. Those hands…those gifted hands and fingers. Those broad shoulders and that chest…I was sorely tempted, really I was. My stomach churned with a combination of embarrassment, uncertainty, and, okay, I'll admit it, desire. Yes, I had spent the night with him, and a slight soreness in my private area attested to the fact that we had gone at it quite hot and heavy, but did I want to rejoin him in the bed?
I struggled between desire and common sense. Common sense should win out, especially in a situation like this. This had been a bad idea from the start. I was his maid, not his plaything. Besides, what about that other woman he had been seeing, the one that was linked to him in the tabloids and that I had found about on the Internet? I didn't want to be trifled with or treated as if I were nothing but a convenient sexual object. I frowned.
"Luke…to be quite honest with you, I can't remember everything that happened last night…" I shifted my weight from foot to foot, glanced down at the floor, and then at him. "I enjoyed the evening with you, no doubt about it, but it isn't really proper-"
"Who's going to know?" he asked, folding his arms behind his head.
The movement only drew my gaze toward his gorgeous chest and rock solid abs, noting the way that his narrow waist only accentuated the breath of his chest. I traced my gaze down the thin line of hair disappearing beneath the sheet. Once again, I was forced to jerk my gaze up, only to find him gazing at me with a knowing smile. To my amazement, and alarm, I saw the sheet shift slightly and realized that he hadn't moved his legs. A tent began to form under the sh
eet, and I knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Luke, it's not about who's going to know and it's not that I didn't have fun last night. You're my boss!"
He shrugged. "So?"
I let go of the doorknob and faced him, my hands on my hips. "So? So it just isn't done! I'm your maid and you’re my employer. What if it gets out? I'm not sure if you realize the ramifications of dallying with your maid or any other staff member," I said. "I've had a bit of experience in that regard-"
He lifted an eyebrow. "You’ve slept with other employers?"
I shook my head and scowled. "No! Of course not!" I tapped down the inkling of anger that rose within me. "But I know of those who have, and believe you me, their situations didn't turn out very well. Not only do they end up with a bad reputation, but employers are reluctant to hire them, afraid of claims of sexual harassment."
He stared at me for several moments, contemplating my words. "You're getting paid regardless, so-"
"Luke, I’m getting paid to clean your house, not to sleep with you!" A thought struck me and my eyes widened with horror. “Besides, I wasn’t prepared last night, and I don’t need to end up-”
“I wore a cover, Molly,” he sighed. “You don’t remember?”
I shook my head. I only recalled bits and pieces of our night in bed together, unfortunately, but the pieces I did remember were delicious. He had worn a condom? I didn’t recall. My head pounded. I felt like someone had struck me right between the eyes with a heavy object and the dull throb was grating on my nerves.
He sighed, his voice still sleepy, his hair mussed. He shifted onto his side, leaning his head on a bent elbow as he continued to contemplate me. The sheet shifted slightly lower, exposing his left hip and a tiny corner of the nest of curls that hid his growing erection. For the third time, I jerked my gaze from that specific area of his body and tried to concentrate on his face. A five o’clock shadow darkened his jaw, giving him an even more handsome appearance. Crap. Why did he have to be so good looking?
"It's not like I'm treating you like a hooker, Molly," he said with a slight laugh. "Come on over here and let's have some more fun. I guarantee that you’ll remember every second."
His words, instead of mollifying me, elicited a surge of indignant anger. The arrogant ass! I stomped my foot in frustration. "You're not paying me for that!” I sputtered. “And if you think I'm some cheap slut willing to fall into bed with anybody who sends me a come hither look or plies me with alcohol and seduces me-"
He sat up, his expression serious. "Molly, I didn't purposely seduce you. I didn't purposely provide you with alcohol so that I could have my way with you. It just happened! I wasn't planning on it, but let's face it, you're gorgeous. I…" he glanced down at the sheet covering his privates. Another curve of his lips. "We find you incredibly attractive. I didn't even distinguish between the fact that you were my maid and I'm your employer. I'm attracted to you as a man attracted to a woman. Our positions and job descriptions don't have anything to do with what happened last night."
I stared at him for several moments, wavering between anger, indignation, and, of course, the underlying desire for him that continued to surge through my blood. Every area in my body tingled. What the hell? Still, despite my hangover, my common sense prevailed this morning. I had made a mistake last night, a mistake that I wasn't particularly looking forward to repeating again, although the pleasure I had received was undeniable.
"Luke," I said, shaking my head. "I don't want to lead you on, and I don't want to give you any ammunition to have me fired-"
"I'm not going to fire you for sleeping with me," he said. “Think of it as a bonus?” He laughed and moved to sit up.
I held out my hand, stopping him. "Don't bother. Like I said, you're not paying for me to sleep with you. You're paying me to be your maid. As a matter of fact, you don't need to pay me today at all, because I'm taking the day off!"
"Molly-"
I sputtered with indignation. How could he think that I was such an easy mark? Did he think I was naïve or, worse yet, stupid? My feelings and emotions were so confused I didn't even know what to think. On some level, I was tempted to rejoin him in the bed. It would be nice to remember everything we had shared the previous evening. Still, on another, I was hurt by his callous regard for my emotions and me. His pompous attitude that I was so willing to fall into bed with him, like I was nothing more than a simpering female, made my blood boil.
I glared at him for several moments, noted his startled expression, but didn't care. If he was too dense to realize how his words had come across, I certainly wasn't going to take the time to explain it to him. I turned to leave the room.
"Molly! I didn't mean it that way-"
A twinge of regret surged through me as I once again reach for the doorknob and opened the door. Were his protestations out of regret or just another ploy to get me to fall back into bed with him? That was just the problem. I wasn't sure. His callous disregard of the situation, my feelings, and what he had said and the way he said it disturbed me. Was he really that conceited?
Was that all I had been to him last night? A bit of fun? A sexual release? A challenge overcome? Not that I had offered him much of a challenge. I shook my head. A sexual fling obviously didn't mean anything to him, but it did to me! I wasn't in the habit of just falling into bed with any good-looking guy I came across. The fact that I had slept with him at all was still a surprise, and one that I needed to analyze and contemplate.
As I stepped through the doorway, he called out after me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw him getting out of bed. I stopped, pointing my finger in his direction. "Don't get up, Luke. Stay right where you are. I don't want to hear it!" Without waiting for any further comments, I blinked back my tears and quickly moved down the hallway, taking the steps downstairs quickly.
I paused in front of the living room doorway, saw the dress and underwear lying on the floor, and quickly moved to snatch at the underwear, stuffing them into my pants pocket. I picked up the dress, shook it out, quickly folded it, and left it on the arm of the sofa. He could keep his bloody dress. I wondered for the first time how many other women had worn it. Then, heading into the kitchen and the cupboard where I kept my purse, I snatched it and then made my way to the front door, my emotions roiling. A tear ran down my cheek. I angrily brushed it away as I reached for the front door.
"Molly!"
I turned to look over my shoulder and saw Luke standing at the top of the stairs, clutching the sheet around his waist.
"Molly, wait, let me explain," he said.
He took a step to come down the stairs and I quickly opened the door, slammed it shut behind me, and hurried to my car. I don't know why my emotions were in such turmoil, but I had to get away from the house and quickly. Would I be fired? I had, in no uncertain terms, told my boss that I was taking the day off and realized at that moment that I had no right to do so. Still, if that's what this job was going to entail, I wanted nothing to do with it.
As I quickly hurried to my car, pulled my car keys out of my purse, and unlocked the door, my hands started shaking. I climbed in, settled myself behind the wheel, and then, my hand still trembling, inserted the key into the ignition. Starting my car, I quickly threw it into reverse and out of my parking spot. As I headed down the driveway, I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Luke standing in the open doorway, staring after me.
I choked back a sob, my emotions so confused I felt lost. Was that all it took for me? A handsome face, a few drinks, and then I behaved like a common slut? And I had judged that other woman he was reputed to be hanging around with? What right did I have to throw stones when I was acting the same way? It didn't matter that I wasn't after his money. I had let my guard down, allowed myself to be enticed by nothing but superficial appearances.
The fact that just the thought of his firm pecs, narrow hips, and his sexual charisma made me tingle again wasn't at all comforting. How could I have allowed myself to be so easily
swayed? I had standards or at least, I thought I had! I had never considered myself to be so easy, and my behavior disturbed me greatly. Maybe going to work for Luke Benning had been nothing but a huge mistake, one that would cost me dearly – emotionally, anyway.
I felt awful. I felt guilty, appalled, ashamed, and embarrassed. To make matters worse, I had lost my cool in front of Luke. I had never behaved in such a manner in my life, and my reaction to the situation had been even worse. I knew better. I had better control over myself, or so I thought.
The entire way back to my condo, I berated myself and more than once found that I was shaking my head in dismay. What in heaven's name had come over me? I had never been so sexually attracted to a man before. I supposed I couldn’t help my physical reaction, but I could certainly control my emotional one, couldn’t I? This was just wrong. This man was my boss. Here I was, at my first-ever job, and in less than a week I found myself sleeping with my employer! What the hell was the matter with me?
My first week on the job and I had made the biggest mistake ever. Not only had I slept with my boss, and enjoyed it from what I could remember, but I had yelled at him, told him that I was taking the day off, to not bother paying me. What had I been thinking? A maid didn't talk that way to her employer, regardless of the situation. I had a sinking feeling that my job as a maid was over before it had even begun. My grand experiment, my grand illusions, my grand intentions to show my father that I could stand on my own two feet was quickly crumbling around me, and I had no one to blame but myself.
I needed to talk to someone. The first person that popped into my head was my friend Samantha. Certainly she would understand. We knew each other inside out. Perhaps she could help me gain some perspective on what had happened and what I should do now. Should I apologize? Should I quit? I didn't know, but there was one thing I did. The sex between Luke and I had been sizzling, hot, and passionate. The fact that I had never felt that way about any guy before gave me pause. With regret, I realized that perhaps, if we had met under different circumstances, he would have been an ideal match for me. Unfortunately, due to the situation, I could only surmise that any such relationship with him now would be not only inadvisable, but inappropriate.
