Page 1 of Claimed by The Italian

Chapter OneLydiaThe Italian heat of the midday sun hits my face as I step out of the sleek black car. I’ve been dropped off at my new boss’ house, a mansion hidden away in a rural area of Sicily. I swallow nervously as I take in all of my surroundings. If I screamed here I bet no one would even hear me. There aren’t any other houses for miles and miles.

Well, I wanted an adventure. I guess this is. I never imagined I’d travel halfway across the world just to become someone’s maid, but I figured it would give me an opportunity to travel. The pay is incredible and I’ll be living here rent-free. I’ll be able to save up a lot of money in no time.

But now that I’m here, I can’t help being nervous. I’ve never been anywhere alone before, especially not somewhere as unfamiliar to me as this. I guess this is all part of growing up. Now that I’m twenty-one and I’ve finished my degree, I have all the world open to me. I just happen to have dived in right at the deep end.

I take my bags out of the trunk and take a deep breath, heading toward the house. I keep trying not to think about all the things that worry me about this job. They made me sign an NDA before I came here, promising not to tell anyone about the things I see and hear in the house. Of course, I’ll honor it, but why would I need to keep quiet about the things I hear? I know nothing about my new employer, except that his name is Lorenzo. Maybe he’s an Italian celebrity and he’s concerned that I might gossip about him but I’d never do that.

He’s mysterious to me, this Lorenzo, but I’ll never betray his secrets.

I finally reach the house. I’m sweating a little in the hot sun, feeling anxious about this whole thing. I’m out of my depth. But I’ll never know what this is like until I try it...I guess I can always leave.

I knock on the door and wait, concentrating on keeping my breathing even. I’ve got a strange feeling in my stomach like something incredible is about to happen.

The door opens and then I understand why…

There’s a man standing right in front of me, an intimidating force of nature. He’s got these intense dark eyes that seem to burn right into my soul when he looks at me. He’s tanned and muscled with dark wavy hair and a trail of stubble on his strong jaw. He takes my breath away the moment I lay eyes on him.

I suddenly feel a little faint. It must be a combination of the heat and this gorgeous man standing in front of me, but I feel myself stumble a little. He grabs me by the waist, and I feel a tingle where his hands are, holding me steady as he continues to stare into my eyes.

“Careful,” he growls. “You must be Lydia...my name is Lorenzo. I am your boss.”

“Nice to meet you,” I breathe. It’s more than nice, he speaks great English but with an Italian accent that makes him even hotter. Now that I’ve met him, I feel like my life has changed forever. How am I supposed to get anything done with this hunk as my boss? I’ve never once found a man interesting enough to let him distract me before, but Lorenzo...oh, Lorenzo is on another level entirely.

“Come inside,” he growls. “I’ll have someone fetch you some iced water...we can get to know one another a little.”

I nod nervously and he pulls me back up onto my feet. Grabbing my luggage, he heads inside without another word.

All I can do is follow him. The house is exquisitely beautiful and normally it would be enough to distract me from anything happening in the present, but Lorenzo’s presence is magnetic. My eyes keep getting drawn back to him. I’ve had a blush settled on my cheeks since I entered the house. I just wish he’d turn around and take me in his arms again…

I shake my head to myself. What is wrong with me? I’ve never before been consumed by such lust for a man before. Lorenzo has changed me with just a few words and one simple touch.

I know I will never be the same again.Lorenzo

She’s everything. Everything I’ve ever craved, everything I’ve ever desired, everything I’ve been waiting for all these years. Lydia is perfection.

I had no idea what she looked like when she was hired as my maid. In fact, my head of staff handled the hiring process, preferring to check out the candidates himself. I certainly wasn’t expecting this beautiful woman to show up on my doorstep and change everything forever.

It’s insanity. I’ve never once looked twice at a woman. I was starting to believe that I’d never meet a woman who interested me. But now I know that my patience has paid off. Lydia is the only person that can fill this hole inside me.

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