Page 25 of Dirty Empire

Chapter Nine: Viva La Mexico

Hazel

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. My cheeks are on fire as I rush to my bedroom and close the door. I hadn’t meant to walk in on him. He was taking a long time, and after I finished my breakfast and coffee, I’d gone searching for him. I called his name, but he must have been too preoccupied to hear me. I just meant to peek inside the bathroom to make sure he was okay, but once I saw him, it was like my body froze up.

The veins in his arms were visible from my spot in the doorway as he jerked himself off. I had never seen a man touch himself, but something about it made me clench my thighs together. Nothing has been able to turn me on for the past few weeks, but seeing Maverick like that flipped a switch. I don't even think he realized his lips had been moving as he masturbated. It took me a while to decode what he was saying; Hazel. He’d been mouthing my name over and over again.

What was I supposed to say to him? “Sorry, I stood in the doorway and watched you masturbate because I’m a pervert?” Although, when he saw me standing there, he didn't look embarrassed at all. He looked amused.

I change out of my pajamas and into a pair of shorts and a tank top just so I can focus on something else. Once I put on my makeup and style my hair into curls, I know I can’t hide out in my room all day. I step out of the bedroom and go down to the kitchen, where Isabella is chopping vegetables for lunch later.

“He’s in his office,” Isabella says. She must have noticed my wandering eyes.

I smile at her and nod. Isabella is native to Tahiti. She has beautiful dark skin and curly hair that she keeps up in a bun.

“What’s your plans for today?” she asks me.

Avoid the man that I just watched masturbate, I thought to myself.

“I don’t know. I want to go swimming tonight, but other than that, I’m not sure.” I’m running out of things to do. Maverick’s estate is beautiful, but there’s only so much I can do to entertain myself. I could spend the day dealing with all the things that came with being a widow; I’d put that off long enough.

“Hmm, I have to go to the market today if you’d like to join me,” Isabella offers. She’s the only person other than Maverick that I talk to.

“Yeah, I’ll go.”

She looks up from the vegetables and smiles, “Great. I’ll let you know when I’m leaving.”

She fills up a big pot of water and places it on the stove.

“Hey, Isabella?”

“Yeah?”

“How did you end up working for Maverick?” I ask. I’ve always been curious. She turns away from the stove to look at me.

“I used to cook at a restaurant. It's a big tourist spot near the beach. Maverick came in there one day, he ate the food and then asked to speak with me. I thought he was just an annoying tourist,” she laughs, recalling the memory. “Anyway, he said he was building his house on the island and was looking for staff. He asked if I’d like to cook for him. I laughed right in his face. There was no way I was going to be lured into some guy's house.”

I smile. Smart woman. “Then what happened?”

“He kept coming back and asking me to work for him. Finally, I agreed to see what this man was talking about. I took my big brother with me on my first day because I was so scared.”

I laugh, imagining Isabella coming to work with her big brother as her protection.

“After I realized I was safe and Maverick was offering me triple the money I made at the restaurant, I agreed. Soon I became more than a cook and started running the household. It's a job that I’ve been hoping a woman in his life would take over.” She eyed me as if expecting me to volunteer. I don't have any plans of leaving the house unless Maverick asks me to, but taking over running this estate isn’t something I’ll ever be interested in.

I clear my throat, and Isabella turns back around to dump her chopped vegetables in the boiling water.

“Thank you for telling me your story,” I say.

***

That night, after spending the day with Isabella and successfully avoiding Maverick, I change into my bikini and go down to the pool. It’s dark beside the bright football-stadium-like lights that surround the pool. The entire rest of the backyard is pitch black. It’s kind of creepy. Someone could come out of the shadows, and I wouldn’t even know. I slowly ease myself into the pool, letting my body get used to the water. The pool’s heated, so the water’s warm. I plan to get in the hot tub afterward. I hold my nose and go underwater, letting my hair get wet and ruining my curls. I haven’t taken my makeup off before coming down, so it’s probably smeared across my face. Of course, there had been a pool at Miles’s mansion, but I never used it. Everything’s just different here; it makes me want to live my life. Being locked in a room for weeks on end made me grateful for everything I have, and this house is heavenly. I want to enjoy all the little things in life, even if that means going for a swim by myself in the dark.

I swim a few laps, loving the sound of my heartbeat quickening from the cardio. I’ve never been into fitness, but it feels good to move my body. I’m free, freer than I’ve been in years.

“Mind if I join you?”

I look up to see Maverick walking toward the pool with only his swim trunks on. His muscular chest is completely exposed. His lion tattoo is bright and prominent on his pec. His abs look like they’re sculpted from marble. I almost forget about the reason I’ve been avoiding him all day… Almost.

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