Nik claps his hands together. “That’s more than anyone else has ever gotten out of him these past few years. The thing is, Ollie…” For the first time, he hesitates. “Well, as long as I’ve known him, he’s been fastidious and demanding and, yes, sometimes, an asshole. Over the last few years, he’s gotten worse. But I saw the way he looked at you.” He lowers his voice to add, “Iheardthe way he insisted on doling out your punishment himself. He’s never,everasked to do that before.”
“Yeah, so I must have been extra-irritating,” I point out.
But Nik shakes his head. “No. That’s not it. I think if you give him a chance, Ollie, you won’t regret it. Even just giving him a chance to apologize for not being there to see you off—I think he would appreciate it, if you can be the bigger person. I know he regrets it.”
I rub my temples to fend off the headache now threatening to overwhelm me, and take in the look on Nik’s face. “You’re not going to leave until you’ve convinced me, are you?” I sigh.
“Nope.”
“IfI can get the time off work—”
“That won’t be a problem.”
I glare at him. “I don’t need some heavy hitter pulling strings with my boss’s boss’s boss behind the scenes. Letmespeak tomymanager, and see what I can do.Ifshe agrees, andifyou can promise that Lord Arden won’t just turn on his heel and walk off as soon as he sees me, then…alright. One more weekend.One,” I repeat, as Nik gives a little whoop of celebration. “But seriously, Nik, it would probably just be easier to tell him to stop being an asshole.”
I don’t fully understand the look on his face—a half-wince, regret, but also something like agreement. “Believe me,” he says, “Zee and Ihavegiven him that advice before. In fact, this could be an important step for him in that process.”
I give in, in the end. Of course I do. There’s something about Lord Arden that drives me crazy—in both good and bad ways. Plus, I like to make myself useful where I can. Nik is totally wrong, of course; I’m pretty sure Haughty Hottie would rather never see me again. But I agree to come back for a weekend. If nothing else, I miss Chef Henriette’s amazing staff meals.
Also, I need to get rid of Nik so I can get back to work. Preparations for this meeting are stressing me out.
“Well?” Brandon demands as I walk back past the reception desk after seeing Nik out. He paces with me on the other side of the counter. “What did he want?”
“None of your beeswax,” I tell him. “Get back to work.”
He sulks, but he does it.
I might be a sub in my personal life, but I’m a Boss Bitch at work.
CHAPTER12
Elliot
I’m just beginning to get into the flow of my work when the knock at the door interrupts me…again.
“Come,” I call, without looking up. I scratch out the last bar of music I’ve noted down as I snap, “The shirt you allegedly took for ironing this morning isstillcrumpled. If I intended to give the impression that I’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, it would suffice. For anything else—”
“I’d be happy to iron it myself, my lord, so long as you approve.”
My head snaps up. It can’t be.
But when I turn in my seat, pulling off the headphones, I see that itis.
Oliver is standing there, a small smile on his sweet lips, dressed immaculately in the staff uniform, including the red silk mask that I immediately want to pull off his face.
“You?”
“Good morning, my lord. I see someone got out of the wrong side of bed today.”
I stare at him long enough for it to approach a glare, but Oliver doesn’t quail. On the contrary, his eyes travel over my chest—bare, since I’ve just torn off the shirt for the second time this morning.
“Is this the shirt?” he asks at last, going over to the garment where I’ve thrown it across thechaise longue.
“I thought you’d left the household.”
“I did,” he says mildly, picking up my shirt and shaking it out. He glances over his shoulder at me. “I’m back.”
“You’re…back?”
