by Ciana Stone
Louise watched her go then got up to go into Osgood’s office off the kitchen. “I think our employer is up to his old tricks.”
Osgood turned from going over the household account. “What?”
“I just had the most interesting encounter with Ms. Morgan.”
Osgood removed his glasses. “Define interesting.”
—
A knock came on Maxwell’s door. He opened it a crack.
“Hi, can I come in?”
Maxwell was surprised at Nikki’s request. It was after seven. Shouldn’t she be getting fixed up to have dinner with his father? What was she doing at his door in her shorts and T-shirt? And why wouldn’t she look directly at him?
Curiosity prompted him to open the door. She walked in and looked around. “Wow!”
Maxwell watched her curiously as she wandered around. She picked up the small suede bag that lay on the bed. “What’s this?” she asked and jiggled it.
He shrugged and reached for the bag but she’d already untied it. She poured a few of the marbles into her hand. “Pretty,” she commented then returned the marbles to the bag and retied it.
Maxwell held out his hand and she put the bag into it. He felt safer now that it was in his possession. He knew it was silly. Immature. A grown man shouldn’t have an attachment to a collection of marbles. He couldn’t explain it but they were like a talisman. When things were intolerable, just holding the bag brought a small measure of calm. And the visions came more easily when the bag of marbles was on him, even in a pocket of his clothing.
Nikki had already turned her attention to checking out his suite. She turned to him with a big grin. “This is fantastic!”
Maxwell couldn’t stop the smile that rose on his face. He’d picked out everything that was in his room and thought it was great. No one else had ever shared his enthusiasm.
Nikki looked at the rack of DVDs and pulled out The African Queen.
“I didn’t even know this was available on DVD. I love this!” she announced then asked a little shyly, “You think we could watch it?”
Maxwell took the disc from her and popped it in the player. Nikki moved over to the bed. “Can I sit?”
He nodded and she climbed up on the bed, arranging her legs Indian-style. Maxwell took a seat on the foot of the bed several feet away. What’s she doing here? Is this some kind of trap?
Nikki was relieved he’d allowed her in. Maybe she was making progress with him.
She’d been worried about him the last couple of days. She hadn’t seen him at all. When she’d asked, she had been told that he was in his room. She wondered if that had something to do with him being drugged.
But apparently he wasn’t drugged now. She looked over at him and smiled. “What’ve you been up to? Haven’t seen you in a couple of days.”
Maxwell looked at her oddly, then shrugged and looked away.
Nikki wondered if he would ever come right out and answer a question or if the entire summer would be spent with her asking questions and him either ignoring her or waving her off with some gesture. It made her a little irritable, but once more she reminded herself that he wasn’t exactly the average Joe. She had to take it slow with him. At least they were in the same room and he hadn’t bolted out, destroyed anything or knocked anyone down. What was more, as long as she didn’t look into his eyes, she was able to convince herself that all vestiges of the attraction she had for him were gone. It wasn’t exactly easy but it was definitely progress.
Tired of the constant mental battle and always second-guessing everything, she decided to just try to enjoy the moment. She turned and grabbed one of the pillows from the head of the bed to put behind her head, then stretched out and focused on the movie. It was one of her all-time favorites and she hadn’t seen it in a long time.
She felt his weight shift on the bed as he lay back on the bed, wedging a pillow behind his head.
Nikki turned and looked at him. To her dismay their eyes met.
And fantasy took over…
They were on an isolated beach, not another soul in sight. The sky was on fire from a spectacular sunset and the water seemed to be molten, reflecting the light. The waves were gentle swells that dissipated into bare ripples at the shore.
He peeled off his shorts and dropped them into the sand then extended his hand to her. She didn’t hesitate to discard her swimsuit and take his hand. He smiled and led her into the water.
The coolness made her skin prickle and her nipples tighten. Warmth instantly replaced cool when he took her in his arms and claimed her with a kiss hot enough to match the light of the dying sun.
She couldn’t get enough. She wound her arms around him and when he pulled her tighter and lifted her, wrapped her legs around his muscular body, bringing her wet sex against his belly.
His erection teased against her, hot and hard. She wanted to feel him inside her. Needed to feel him fill her. She pulled back from the kiss to tell him.
And was suddenly back in Maxwell’s room, staring into his eyes. It nearly undid her. There was passion and sadness and fear in those smoky depths. Everything in her screamed for her to reach out and touch him, make the dream real.
But she quickly reminded herself that Maxwell wasn’t normal and it was stupid to feel anything for a person in his position.
Even so, she felt a stab of disappointment. Boy, if you were normal, she thought. At that moment it was hard to imagine that she was looking at a man who was little more than a child trapped in an adult’s body.
And what a body it was. He was undoubtedly one of the most attractive men she’d ever seen. Just my luck. Meet Mr. Oh Please Rock My World, and he’s a mental case.
Immediately she felt bad even having the thought. Maybe it was because when she looked into his eyes she forgot that he wasn’t normal. Maybe it was because she’d been alone for so long and hadn’t had any luck in the relationship department. Or maybe it was just that she wished he was normal because he had the kind of packaging that really did it for her.
Whatever it was, at that moment it was much stronger than she, and she was held prisoner by his eyes.
Maxwell felt as if he was paralyzed. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was afraid that he was somehow vulnerable to a potential Richard and Helen drone, or because the vision he’d just experienced had left him with a raging hard-on and a near-overwhelming need to touch her.
And the way she was looking at him made him warm in a way that was making it impossible to will his erection away.
He wished that for just a moment he could speak so he could tell her that he really wasn’t some kind of freak. Then the idea that she could be a drone brought the need for extreme caution to the surface. If only he could know whether she was just like all the others, waiting for him to make a mistake so she could rat him out. He didn’t realize that his thoughts were being mirrored in his expressions.
But he did know that she sensed something because she reached out and put her hand on the side of his face and her face wore the most tender expression he’d ever seen. He couldn’t stop his eyes from closing for a moment, letting himself pretend that her touch was as filled with emotion as he wanted it to be.
Suddenly the door banged open. “Ms. Morgan!” Osgood sputtered when he saw her on the bed.
Nikki’s hand moved from his face as if she’d been burned and she sat up fast. “What?”
“I hardly think it’s appropriate for you to—” Osgood cut a look at Max. “If you’ll accompany me, Ms. Morgan.”
Max thought she looked like a kid who’d been caught doing something they weren’t supposed to. She looked at him with a slightly red face. “Thanks for the movie. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Once in the hall, Osgood pulled the door closed behind him and turned on her. “Just what do you think you were doing?”
“Watching a movie.” Her tone was every bit as indignant as his.
He glared at her. “In the future I suggest that if you want
to view a film with Maxwell, you do so in the theater. It’s inappropriate for you to be in his room alone with him.”
“Why?”
Osgood looked at her as if she were an idiot but didn’t answer. Instead he checked his watch. “I came in search of you to let you know that Mr. Weston is waiting for you on the terrace.”
“Oh shit!” She’d forgotten about dinner. “Well, maybe I should just beg off. I mean I haven’t showered or changed or anything.”
Osgood gave her appearance the once-over. “I suggest you do that now, post haste. I shall make your apologies for the delay.”
Nikki waited for him to leave, but it was clear he wasn’t budging. Giving in, she went downstairs to her room. As she got into the shower, she thought about the way Maxwell looked into her eyes and the intense fantasy it had inspired. If only… She caught herself before the thought was completed. She had more urgent things to consider, like how to get through dinner.
—
Richard was in the sitting room, having a drink when Nikki entered. He stood and walked over to her. “You look lovely.”
“Thanks.” She gave the appropriate response even though she didn’t particularly like the way he looked at her.
“Would you care for a drink?”
“No thanks. I’m fine.”
“Just one?”
“No really. Not unless you have some juice or iced tea.”
Richard went to the bar. “Let’s see, ah, grapefruit juice?”
“That’s fine.”
He poured her a glass and brought it to her.
“Thank you.”
“Please.” He gestured toward the sofa.
Nikki perched on one end of the sofa, holding her drink between both hands. Richard took a seat in the center of the sofa, angled toward her. With the position of the sofa, neither of them saw Maxwell sneak into the room and duck behind the bar.
“Osgood tells me you and he had a misunderstanding.”
“Oh…it was nothing serious. I was watching a movie with Maxwell in his room and Osgood thought it was inappropriate.”
Richard took a sip from his drink. “Maxwell, as you have noticed by now, can be—how shall I put it? Unpredictable at times. I’m sure Osgood was merely concerned for your well-being.”
“Well, that’s nice but I think he overreacted.”
A cross look appeared on Richard’s face. “Nikki, I’m not trying to alarm you but I want you to be realistic. Maxwell isn’t what anyone would deem normal. Caution would be advisable. Should he become violent and you were, for example, in a closed space such as his room, it could be potentially—
“Dangerous?” she interrupted to finish the sentence for him.
“I hesitate to put it that strongly, but yes.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me before you gave me the job?”
Richard looked at her in surprise.
“I don’t mean to be rude, Mr. Weston, but it seems to me that if everyone’s so afraid of Maxwell and he’s such a threat, that you wouldn’t hire just anyone off the street. Including me.”
“Nikki, dear, I think you’re overreacting. I never meant to give you the impression that you were in mortal danger around Maxwell, simply that you try to understand that his emotions and mental processes are not like yours and mine. He may look like an adult, but mentally and emotionally he’s a child, a child who, like all children, is prone to outbursts. And naturally, with his physical size and strength, such an outburst is much more difficult to manage than that of a small child.”
It sounded like a professional spin-job to her. Clearly he wasn’t going to be straightforward with her. Again she got the feeling that something was definitely being hidden in the Weston mansion, and it was more than just alleged artifacts.
“Well, thanks for your concern, but I think I can handle whatever comes up.”
“I have no doubt, my dear.”
Osgood appeared at the door. “Dinner is served, sir.”
Richard stood. Nikki got to her feet and walked over to put her glass in the sink behind the bar. As she rounded the corner of the bar, she saw someone crouched behind it, not realizing it was Maxwell. She jerked to a stop but recovered and stepped around Maxwell to set the glass in the sink.
Unfortunately, her reaction did not go unnoticed. Richard walked over and looked around the bar.
“Maxwell!”
Maxwell was red with embarrassment, not to mention being furious at the picture his father had painted of him to Nikki. With his fists clenched he jumped up.
“Osgood, see Maxwell to his room immediately!”
Osgood moved toward Maxwell. “Come, Maxwell, let’s go upstairs. I’ll read to you if you like.”
Maxwell pushed him away. Osgood stumbled, reaching out to grab the bar for support. Nikki, trapped between the two, tried to get to Osgood to keep him from falling. She succeeded only in getting her feet tangled up and falling against Osgood.
Osgood hit the floor with her on top of him. Rolling to the side, she yanked her skirt down and climbed to her feet. By that time Richard was shouting for someone to call Steve and have him come to the main house to assist Osgood and to have Louise find Maxwell’s medication.
At the word medication, Maxwell vaulted the bar and pushed Richard out of his way, making for the door at a dead run. Richard teetered off balance for a moment then recovered and set off in pursuit.
Nikki took off after them with Osgood on her heels. She saw them starting up the main stairs. Louise ran in with a small box. “His medication!” she shouted to Osgood.
Osgood grabbed the box and followed Nikki up the stairs. Nikki reached the second floor just as the door to Max’s room slammed. Richard pounded on the door with his fist.
“Open this door immediately! Maxwell, I demand you open this door!”
Nikki ran up and grabbed his arm in mid-swing toward the door. “Stop!”
Shocked, Richard froze.
“Please,” Nikki pleaded. “You’re only making it worse.”
Richard shook her hand from his arm and looked at Osgood who trotted toward the door, breathing hard. Osgood pushed by her, producing a key to unlock the door. Richard nudged her aside as he followed Osgood into the room. A moment later the driver, Steve, ran by her into the room. Nikki started in but Steve closed the door in her face.
It sounded like a battle was taking place. The strange part was the only voices were those of Richard, Osgood and Steve. Nikki thought it bizarre that Maxwell wasn’t making a sound.
Abruptly the commotion died. Moments later Steve and Richard emerged from the room. Steve passed by Nikki without a word and went down the stairs. She looked up at Richard as he straightened his clothing.
“I apologize,” he said, somewhat out of breath. “It appears we discontinued his medication too soon. I give you my assurance there won’t be a repeat performance. Now, shall we dine?”
Nikki shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t have much of an appetite. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll just go to bed.”
She turned and walked away, at that moment not caring if Mr. Weston wanted to fire her. What she’d just seen made her sick. What kind of father treated his son that way? As she reached the top of the stairs she looked back. What had she gotten herself into?
—
With one eye on the early morning news, Mark Robinson dialed Helen Weston’s private number in France. It rang half a dozen times before Helen answered.
“Yes?”
“Helen? Mark. Is this a bad time?”
“No, not at all. Just a moment please.”
Mark took a drink of coffee while he waited. Nearly thirty seconds passed before Helen came back on the line.
“Forgive me, Mark. I needed more private surroundings. I take it you have something to report?”
Mark smiled. His news was nothing major, in fact it was nothing at all. But there were times when even the most insignificant thing could be made to seem monumental. It was all in presentat
ion.
“Nothing earth-shattering. Merely wanted to make sure you were kept fully informed. It seems that your suspicions may have not been entirely unfounded.”
“He is having an affair with that little trollop!”
“No. At least not yet. However, he may well be trying to steer things in that direction. According to our source inside, Richard made a point of informing the entire staff that Ms. Morgan’s comfort and convenience was of the utmost importance, that she was to have full use of all facilities and she was to be provided with whatever she requested, regardless of cost.”
“Is that so?”
Mark was glad Helen couldn’t see the smirk on his face at her obviously annoyed tone.
“I suppose she’s taken full advantage of it.”
“Actually, no. Quite the contrary. She seems to go to great lengths to avoid him and has turned down every gift offer he’s made, including a new automobile.”
“Really? Hmmm, what do you think she’s up to, Mark? Holding out for more, playing hard-to-get to up the stakes?”
“To be honest, I don’t think so. In fact, it just may be that Richard’s finally met someone he can’t buy, but then again, I could be wrong. Everyone has a price.”
“And with the looks of her, the price cannot be extraordinarily high. I want you to stay on top of this, Mark. If things progress I want to know immediately.”
“Of course. Have you spoken with Richard? Is he still planning on joining you at the end of the week?”
“The last time we spoke, yes. Now with this—this…honestly, sometimes I could strangle that man. He knows how much has gone into the planning of this holiday. If he disappoints me for some little…strumpet…”
“I’m sure he’ll be joining you, Helen. After all, he does have a meeting with delegates of the French government. He wouldn’t jeopardize a business deal of that magnitude for a mistress.”
“Mistress? Are you implying he’s slept with that girl?”
“No, as I said, my intelligence indicates that she’s anything but interested at this point.”
“I want to know immediately if the situation changes. I don’t care what time of day or night, call me instantly.”
