“Hmmm….” Zander didn’t sound like he believed her. He removed his finger and immediately pushed the rounded nose of the metal plug against her rosette. Slowly, he inserted the device. Essie reached back when he got to the widest part.
“None of that, Little girl,” he corrected her. He quickly captured her hands in his large grip and pinned them against the small of her back. She wanted to struggle, but he held her too firmly. Calmness settled over her as Essie accepted his power over her. A secret part of her treasured Zander having total control. A moment later, the plug settled into her tight opening. The larger metal flange held it securely in place, stopping the device from sinking further inside.
Essie shivered from the cold metal filling her. She stayed as still as possible as Zander rubbed her spine.
“Okay, Little girl. Let’s get you on your feet.”
She peeked back at him, horrified. “Aren’t you going to take it out now?”
“Twenty minutes. I don’t want to interrupt your work. I’ll come down to your office and retrieve the plug then.” Zander helped her up on her feet as she gasped in reaction to the sensation of the intrusive implement moving inside her. He restored her panties and slacks in position before standing to kiss her.
As he walked to the bathroom to wash his hands, Essie stood gaping at him. Surely, he didn’t expect her to walk down the stairs wearing this and then sit at her desk for the rest of the time—if she could even make it to her office before twenty minutes elapsed.
“I could stay here,” she suggested.
“No, Essie. Go back to your desk. No snooping in here for Little girls who don’t tell the truth.”
Looking back at him as she carefully walked to the door, Essie gave him time to stop her. Zander didn’t say a word. He simply put the lubricant back in the drawer and closed the wooden box. Then, standing patiently, he waited for her to leave.
Chapter Twelve
Essie had gotten a lot more work done after Zander had visited her office. Marmalade had found the removal of the plug to be interesting to observe, much to Essie’s embarrassment. Those big yellow eyes saw way too much.
Now with her office door reopened, Essie divided her time between watching Zander move more things in. She suspected several of the bags he carried in and out were additional cleaning supplies and the removal of dust-laden cover sheets and rugs. Thankfully, he’d found a spare vacuum cleaner in the storage room by the stairs. Having one on each level sounded so much better than lugging them around the house.
What would she’d tell Sara if the housekeeper asked questions? Essie crossed her fingers that Sara wouldn’t. As Zander had discovered today, Essie sucked at lying. If she was super lucky, Sara wouldn’t notice and Essie wouldn’t have to make up an excuse.
“Hey, Essie. Do you have time to talk about upcoming projects? I want to give you priority as I fill my schedule for the next few months,” Ivan asked from the doorway.
“Of course. Come in, please.” Essie stood. The lingering lubricant made her buttocks slide against each other in an eroticreminder of Zander’s intimate punishment. Thank goodness Ivan hadn’t visited when she was wearing that plug.
Before she could ring for Sara, the housekeeper arrived, pushing a beautiful tea cart of refreshments and snacks. “I heard someone’s stomach growling as he replaced the garbage disposal,” Sara announced with a smile.
“You take good care of me, Sara, but you don’t need to worry about feeding me,” Ivan said, smiling at her.
“Sara takes care of everyone,” Essie said, nodding her thanks to the kind woman. “Sara? While you’re here, would you join us? We’re discussing the next projects. You’re all over the house. You know best.”
“Of course. I’m glad to tell you what the staff has noticed. Between the two extra cleaners inside and the gardener, there are eyes on every inch of Ferguson’s Folly now,” Sara said. “While I’m pouring drinks, fill a plate with goodies.”
A short time later, everyone, including Sara, sipped iced tea and snacked on finger sandwiches, fruit, and sweet desserts. Essie smiled as she relaxed with two of the people she relied on. Even dealing with unglamorous topics like plumbing and wood rot, she enjoyed every part of running the events at Ferguson’s Folly.
“One maid mentioned seeing a spark when she plugged in the vacuum in the living room. I marked the outlet with a piece of blue tape,” Sara mentioned.
“Could be something as easy as static electricity, but that goes to the top of the list. I never put off anything electrical. In fact, testing the outlets and light switches was on my list. I’ve already replaced two light switches I ran into that were hot.”
“Oh, no!” Essie said, instantly concerned.
“The mansion won’t burn down around your ears in the near future, but outlets and switches wear out after a while. Updating them is relatively quick and inexpensive,” Ivan explained.
Essie relaxed upon hearing that good news. “Great. Let’s prioritize those. Have you found any more wood rot?” Essie asked, crossing her fingers. She didn’t understand why, but thatscared her the most. The idea of the mansion disintegrating around her petrified Essie to the core.
“None. I handled that one area I spotted on my first inspection. Do keep your eyes open and tell me if you spot a problem I should check out,” Ivan said.
“I’ll do that. Sara? Anything else you noticed or that a staff member reported?” Essie asked.
“No. But I’ll make a note if they do,” Sara promised.
“Thank you. Coming up is the fairy ball. Are we set for parking, Ivan?” Essie asked.
