The sight of her bent in front of me had my body tensing. “Uh… I’ll leave you to settle in. Once you’re done you can find me in my study and we can go over a few things. Uhm, for the housekeeping job.”
Ignoring the cold wave of self-loathing, I made my way back through the house and into my office. I was lusting after a woman who was under my protection, a woman who was about to be my employee. How fucking cliché. I was not that kind of man. I was not my father.
I had just found an employment contract template when there was a knock at my door. I bit back a smile as her pretty face peeked past the door. “You said you wanted to talk to me.”
“Come in.” I waved her in, and turned back to my laptop. “Just give me a second, please.”
I changed all the relevant information on the contract, and made sure to add that her lodging would be part of her compensation. It wasn’t overly complicated. I hit print then looked up at her while I waited for the document at the small office printer.
My gaze caught on the first few lines. We, the employer and the employee, the document made it so. A legal and professional necessity meant to protect her. That was why I would ignore my feelings. Her safety was the priority.
She stood against a bookcase and I gestured for her to sit in the chair opposite me. The big desk between us was a good reminder of why I needed to keep things professional.
Maggie had other ideas. She scowled at me but didn’t move. “You said you wanted to discuss the job.”
“Its not like I have an extended job description or anything like that.” I thought I was being reasonable. “But I do think there are some rules I need to clarify.”
She stepped forward and braced her hands on the desk. The position made the neckline of her top drop forward, showing off the lace that barely encased those tits. “Look, I am grateful to be here. And for the work. But don’t think I am about to sit through a lecture on how to load your dishwasher.”
My eyes moved slowly back up to hers. “Rule number one. Do not lean in front of me like that.”
Once again, I allowed my gaze to slowly move back to her chest before quickly making eye contact once more.
Maggie pushed away from the desk and sat down. “Just let me sign the contract.”
CHAPTER 5
MAGGIE
The soft chimesof my cellphone alarm was the only piece of familiarity in the silence of my surroundings. A silence so foreign, I needed a moment or two to orient myself. The sheets were so soft I could feel the stubble of my legs snagging with the slightest movement. Then there was the darkness. The absolute lack of light brought more terror than peace.
A soft kick to my back made me smile. Jaycee. Usually, I would find her heel digging into me annoying but in that moment it served as a much needed anchor to something familiar.
I shoved her leg away, refusing to linger in that bed any longer. My bare feet hit the floor and my toes squished into the plush rug. Rushing over to my suitcase, I quickly changed into yoga pants and my faded UCLA hoodie. I needed those reminders of the ordinary person I was.
I quickly stopped in the room next door to check on Hayden. I would’ve been happy to have both kids in the bed with me but Hayden was determined to prove that he was a big boy. After hanging out with Connor and playing video games the night before, he’d made himself comfortable. He even listed things he needed from Forte Femme. His lego, some art supplies.
I would be back up in half-an-hour to wake them and get them ready for school. Jaycee would only be at pre-school for a few hours but I still insisted that she go everyday.
My hotpink plastic shoes squeaked on the tile floor as I made my way downstairs.
I switched the light on at the entrance to the kitchen. The bright fluorescent lights were no less threatening than the absolute darkness of the bedrooms. The stainless steel appliances and dark polished wood lining the walls served only to intimidate, my only comfort was that I could navigate the space on my own.
I tried to follow my same routine as I did at Forte Femme.
First, I needed to start the coffee. The coffee maker probably cost more than my first car. I stared at the buttons and icons trying to figure out the process. Eventually, I searched for it on my phone and followed the online instruction manual. Figuring that out instilled some much needed confidence and I continued with the rest of my tasks. Making breakfasts and lunches. It was slower than usual because I needed to find everything. Not that it was hard, Maria obviously had a different system than me. I found four different types of cereal and took them all out and lined them on the counter and placed two slices of bread in the toaster. If everyone was used to a big breakfast they would need to tell me. I was just sitting down with my coffee and a slice of toast when Connor drifted into the kitchen.
The kid had no sense of urgency and seemed to be the least dramatic teenager I knew. “Oh. Can I have a slice of toast, please?”
“Sure.” I offered him my second slice.” Then nodded to the toaster. “I have two more slices in right now that we can share.”
He took the bread and walked to the fridge for a protein drink. “Thanks.”
Connor scrolled through his phone while I added to my to do list. I turned to him. “Do you have toast every morning?”
“Nah.” He leaned back on the kitchen stool. “Most mornings I have one of those.” He pointed at the cereal. “Sometimes, Maria will make bacon and eggs or pancakes?”
“I do pancakes on the weekend for my kids. I can make it for everyone if you like?”
