Can I really hurt her if I have to?
None of this is going to plan. I was supposed to show up at Emma’s farm, kidnap her, lock her up in my cage in my basement and laugh in her face at her pain. Alessandro will know the pain of revenge.
But I haven’t done any of that. Instead, I’m buying Emma clothes. I’m letting her stay in my guest bedroom. All because she’s pretty and innocent. If she’s being honest about her innocence that is.
I have to keep a clear head around her or this is going to get messy fast.
“Do you like it?” she asks, wringing her hands together.
“You look… beautiful,” I say honestly.
Emma blushes harder. “Truly?”
“Has no one told you that you’re beautiful?”
“Never.” There’s too much honesty in her voice for me to not believe her.
I clear my throat and shift around in my seat. I can’t get lost in her. “You should get that one. Buy all of them. I’m sure you’ll look good in every one. Now, we should go back to the house.” The longer I keep Emma out, the easier it will be for Alessandro to take her back.
Even though Emma doesn’t know her father. So she claims. If she is telling the truth about that, then where was Alessandro? Why was Emma not living with him?
“Thank you for the clothes,” Emma says once we’re back at my house.
“You’re welcome. Now, Emma. There’s something I need to tell you. You shouldn’t just leave. It could be dangerous. Look at what happened last night. You were almost attacked. If it weren’t for me, you would have been hurt. The safer thing to do is to stay here.”
“In your house?” she asks, gazing around the foyer. “But what about a job?”
“I’ll pay you. To clean my house.”
“You don’t already have a maid?”
I do but I can fire her. “I don’t,” I lie. “I’ll pay you to keep my house clean and you’ll stay here. Problem solved. You’ll be safe and paid and given food. And I won’t ask anything of you. Like sex in case you were worried about that.”
She flushes, which is cute. “I wasn’t even thinking that.”
“Well… good.” I clear my throat. “So, we’re in agreement. You’ll stay here where it’s safe and work for me?”
Emma studies my eyes for a long moment – what is she looking for? – before nodding. “I can do that. Thank you, Leo. I really appreciate this.”
“Of course. Now, let me show you where the cleaning supplies are.” After doing that, Emma goes back to her room and I head straight to my office.
I’m giving the girl a job now? What the fuck is wrong with me?
She should be locked up in my cage. Emma could easily leave whenever she wants and I have to prevent that.
And yet… I can’t get myself to go upstairs, grab her, and throw her away in my dungeon.
I’ll use her against Alessandro but she doesn’t need to be a prisoner just yet. We both have time before that needs to happen.
Chapter Three
Emma
Hard work was never a problem for me. My mother would make me work for hours every day on the farm. So cleaning Leo’s luxurious house is much nicer than having to clean up cow manure.
I sweep the floors and clean every nook and cranny. I even make dinner with the ingredients in his fridge – chicken and potatoes.
Leo returns home from work shocked that I’m all done. “You really cleaned the entire house today? I was only gone for a few hours.”
