Page 12 of Moonlit Thorns

“Are you just about done? I need to get on with my day.” He looks down at his Patek Philippe watch.

“I can’t exactly take your word for what’s in here before I sign.”

He chuckles, but there’s no humor to it. “Be honest with yourself, Miss Boudreaux—you’d sign it no matter what was printed on that paper. That’s how desperate you are.”

I have to grind my teeth to keep myself from saying something. Lowering my head, I go back to reading. “It says here that if I break any of these rules, you decide the consequences.”

“That’s right.”

I stare at him. “What will the consequences be? It doesn’t spell it out here.”

“I’d suggest you don’t break any rules, and you won’t have to find out.”

Sick of this back and forth, I hold out my hand. “Fine. Give me a pen so I can sign.”

He does so without saying a word.

A chill sweeps over the room as I take the pen and put it to paper, signing and dating the document. The air in here grows thick now that I’ve committed my life to this man for the next year.

“You may use the communal parts of the property as you see fit while you’re here. Stay out of the north, south, and east wings unless you’re specifically instructed to go there for reasons that have to do with your job. Those are my brothers’ wings, and if you wander in there without my knowledge, you may find that I’m the nice brother. Do not venture into my area, the west wing, unless I specifically direct you to. And you are under no circumstances permitted below the main level. Am I clear?” He pins me with an intense stare.

“Crystal.”

He takes the pen and signs both copies of the contract, then looks up and over my shoulder. “Come sign these, Marcel. You can be our witness.”

I startle and look over my shoulder. I hadn’t even heard the door open.

Marcel strides across the room with what appears to be folded clothes in his hands. He sets them on the corner of the desk and walks around so that he’s standing beside Mr. Voss, bending at the waist and signing the contract.

“Is that Miss Boudreaux’s uniform?” Mr. Voss nods toward the pile of folded clothes.

“It is.” Marcel gives him a quick nod, standing straight with his hands behind his back now. He reminds me of a soldier standing at attention.

Mr. Voss nods. Marcel seems to know that means he’s been dismissed, and he leaves the room. This time I do hear the door shut.

“I think you’ll find this will work fine for your duties this week.”

I lean forward and take the pile of clothes off the desk, looking through it. It’s a housekeeper’s uniform and not the sexy kind. The mundane black dress has short sleeves folded back to reveal a band of white, a white collar, and buttons up the front. It also comes with a white apron and black shoes that look orthopedic.

My head whips up. “What is all this?”

“Your job for at least the next week. Though if I had to guess, much longer. You don’t seem like the sort who will catch on easily. The stubbornness you’ve already displayed will likely cause you to put up a decent fight before you submit.” The gleam in his blue eyes tells me he likes the idea of me being insubordinate, though I’m unsure whether it’s the fight or the submission.

“I thought I was going to be working for you?”

“You are. Now go get changed.”

“But I thought I’d be, like, your secretary or something.”

He heaves a long sigh, face tightening. “Like I said, stubborn.” He stands from his desk. “Marcel should be waiting in the hall for you. He’ll show you to the outbuilding that houses the staff and show you to your room where you can change into that.” His gaze drops down to my lap. “Unless you’d rather forfeit your end of the deal now and get this over with?”

I bolt up out of my seat. “Never. Oak Haven Estate is mine. You won’t break me no matter how hard you try.” Shit. That stubbornness he spoke of got the best of me.

A slow, predatory grin shows him baring his teeth. “Challenge accepted.”

Chapter

Six

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