Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“I believe you were testing my skills.”
“Your skills,” he grunts, eating another piece of pancakes. “Jesus, I’ll give you a bonus before you’re even hired.”
I try to hold myself back from grinning.
When both of our plates are clean, he leans back in his chair with a sigh of contentment. I stand and carry both of our plates over to the sink.
“That was delicious.”
Again, his praise warms me.
I’m confused about my feelings for him. I’m a married woman. I can’t have feelings for another man and not risk eternal damnation.
But do I really believe that anymore?
“I’m glad you liked it,” I say, turning to face him. “So where do we go from here?”
I imagine a corner of his lips quirks up before he schools his features and gives me a curious look.
“That was only one meal, but I’ll consider hiring you for a temporary position on my staff if you show me you can cook more than breakfast.”
Oh, really? So that’s how we’ll play it then. “What sorts of food do you need me to cook?”
“Our specialty is Italian food.”
My heart soars. It’s as if, finally, I’m catching a break.
Maybe there is a God and maybe He doesn’t hate me.
“While I’m not Italian, I promise that’s something I can cook. I love Italian food.”
When he opens his mouth to respond, a knock sounds at the door. I jump.
“I called a favor in and asked my cousin to bring you some clothes.”
“Oh. Yes, of course.”
I ignore the way the blood rushes in my ears and my cheeks heat with embarrassment. I swallow and nod.
I busy myself with cleaning up the dishes as he lets his cousin in. I’m expecting another man to come into the kitchen, but blink in surprise at the sound of a friendly female voice.
“Is this the woman I’m dressing? Well, knock me over with a feather.” I hear her smack his arm.
My hands still thrust in a dishpan, I turn to see two stunningly gorgeous women in the doorway.
One is dressed as if she’s a model, in a burgundy dress that dips low in the front revealing the beautiful upper curves of her breasts and her unblemished, perfect olive skin. A sheath of shining brown hair cascades down her back, her eyes a matching shade of warm brown. With long lashes and pink cheeks, her lips as red as strawberries, she’s stunning and regal. The other woman, while just as beautiful, is younger and far less done up. She wears faded, ripped jeans and a fitted T-shirt displaying ample breasts and a stunning figure. They’re clearly sisters.
I stare, suddenly bashful, and imagine what they see. Cinderella, maybe?
“Marialena. Rosa. Meet Eden.”
I look down at my soapy hands and hastily wipe them on my apron before I extend a hand to them.
“Pleased to meet you.”
They give each other a quick glance before looking back at me. The younger, friendly-looking one speaks first. “Pleased to meet you, too. Where’d you come from?” She asks Sergio in a low voice, “Did you dress her like that?”
He only narrows his eyes at her. The other woman bursts out laughing.
“Oh my God, Marialena, if Sergio has a Quaker kink, I do not need to know about it. Eden, come with us and we’ll get you dressed.”
“Just a minute. Eden.” Sergio’s deep voice catches my attention. The women walk ahead, talking together in hushed voices, as Sergio leans against the counter. “Come here, please.”
My heart beats a little faster. I don’t trust myself to be near him. There’s something about him that calls to a deep, primal part of me I’m unfamiliar with. I don’t want to disobey him, though. Something tells me three strikes and I’m out on that count.
So I take a step closer to him but not too close.
His eyes flick down to the distance between us, then back up to mine. I wonder if he’ll ask me to come closer, but he doesn’t. “You’ll go with them to get changed. I’ll think about our arrangement. Under no circumstances do you go beyond this kitchen or the room where we met.” He holds my gaze. “Is that understood?”
I’m immediately intrigued by what’s beyond these rooms, as if he just said don’t think about pink elephants and all I can imagine is a parade of pink elephants. I want to scream, “But why?
I won’t let the chance to make the money that I desperately need slip away because curiosity killed the cat.
Still, I have questions. So many questions. So I start with the tamest.
“Is there somethin you don’t want me to see?”
His eyes narrow. My heart turns in my chest. It takes a lot of effort not to run.
“My club. You stay where I told you.”
I swallow.
“Sergio, stop scaring the poor thing and let her go already,” Marialena yells from the doorway. She shakes her head at Rosa. “Honest to God, these guys.”