“Easy. Nice and slow, Mr. Orlov.” She didn’t hesitate to go with me, wedging her shoulders under my arm and propping me against her.
Easy?
She had that part right. Accepting her help was no challenge on my part. And I wasn’t in the frame of mind to hurry to my room or to push myself. Staggering out of the office took all my energy, and if it weren’t for her helping me, I wouldn’t have gotten far at all.
“Can you reach my phone?” I asked her, breathing hard as I leaned against her in the hallway. My injured side was opposite her, and my range of motion was limited to get the device from my pocket.
She didn’t hesitate, proving again that she was made of sterner stuff. She wasn’t flipping out and panicking at the sight of blood.She wasn’t balking at the fact that I’d been wounded and had shot a man dead. Some staff couldn’t handle the hardships of the Mafia life, but Sofia wasn’t scared. She was game to help.
Once she got my phone out, I told her what to do, and she soon held the device up to my ear. The call went through to the head of security at the house, and I gave him instructions to handle the mess in my office.
“I will tell my father about this,” I told him.
“Yes, sir.” He disconnected the call as I continued staggering toward my room.
Sofia didn’t part from me until we were there, in my room.
“That way.” I tipped my chin in the direction of the bathroom, and she nodded.
Although the idea of her staying with me while I showered was a tempting one, I suspected that it would obliterate her advice of going easy. Or nice and slow. Letting her touch any more of my skin was too enticing of a concept. It wouldn’t be easy to keep my distance from her. I wouldn’t want it to be nice and slow between us.
After she released me so I could sit in a chair in the bathroom suite, a master’s space with plenty of room to move, she grabbed a towel and wetted it to bring it to me.
“No.” I shook my head, watching her in the brighter light. Makeup nearly concealed the faint mark of a bruise on her face, but I noticed it.
I noticed it and grew more intrigued.
“Start the water for me,” I told her instead.
She pressed her lips together, worried, but turned and spun the faucets for the shower to turn on in the spacious stall. Accidentally activating the handle for the second showerhead, she flinched and reared out of the way of the water.
Ever so slightly, the corner of my lip kicked up.
A smile.
Almost.
And once more, I shook my head. Amused that I could be entertained enough tosmileat this sexy, young maid, I began to shove off my jacket and shirt.
Not now.
Not here.
Not like this.
With a maid?
I’d never cared to fuck the help. But there was no denying the intrinsic force of how captivated I was. Aware of her as she came to help me get my bloody clothes off. Intrigued by how steady her fingers were. Curious about how guarded her gaze was as she deferred to me demurely, avoiding direct eye contact.
It’s because she’s new.
It’s just because she’s something I haven’t seen before.
Nothing more.
“I can manage from here,” I told her after I stood again. Despising how long it took me to catch my breath from theexertion of standing, I watched her back up. Keeping her hands up as if to spot me as a fall risk, she winced.
“Unless you plan on getting wet,” I added, teasing her with a meaningful look at the shower.
