Page 21 of Hawthorne

His eye twitches, and I shut up right away.

He is still your boss, Camilla.

With one step forward on his side, he quickly reaches the island counter. It immediately makes me take one back, even if there is still a considerable distance between us. He stops right next to the island, leaning the side of his hip against it and crossing his arms over his chest.

I follow every move, how it’s done slowly, steadily, and full of confidence. When his chest slowly pops up, I finally divert my eyes up to his and gulp at the look on his face.

“Come again?” he questions, keeping his eyebrow cocked up.

At a glance, he could look amused, but as I stare straight into his eyes, I can see the storm brewing. Even with the kitchen lights on, there’s a darkness in his eyes tonight, a hardness I hadn’t seen yet, and it makes my heart race.

Is it fear?No…

While I can’t place what is growing inside me, I welcome the new, exhilarating feeling.

One could say I unwillingly poked the bear. But how could I stay quiet when he was threatening to cut my colleagues’ wages?

“I–I–” Pausing, I take a deep breath in a weak attempt to start again with more confidence.This man does knock me off my common sense. “I sent them home. I decided to stay behind and do the work by myself. So if you want to cut hours from someone’s wage, take it from mine.”

His eyes watch me intently for a few seconds, then he closes them and takes a deep breath.

“Sorry,” he mutters, rubbing his temples. “I have a bit of a temper when I am irked, and my mother did a number on my mood tonight.”

The duke balances his body, detaching his hip from the side of the counter, and walks towards me, mimicking my position and seemingly looking for a comfortable position right by my side.

We’re both leaning against the main counter, where the sink, stove, and oven are.

Long gone is the rigid, predatory attitude he had when he entered the kitchen. It also allows me to relax a bit, even if his proximity still makes me a little nervous.

“Still,” he starts. “It’s not fair for everyone to go home earlier while you’re stuck here with extra work.”

“It’s not like that,” I answer truthfully. “I thought that after how the night went, having the house clear of people would’ve been the best option.”

“That’s very considerate of you, but everyone’s pay check is well above the average, and the working hours are previously agreed on a contract. Everyone is fairly paid extra hours, and they’re also free to refuse to work them if wanted. So, please,” he takes a pause, twisting his head to the left side, looking me straight in the eyes. “No more overworking yourself when there’s a capable enough team that could deal with that.”

His voice is soft, sending warmth through the atmosphere straight into my chest. The temperature rises, travelling through my skin and up to my cheeks. A little smile makes its way onto my lips, and I turn my head away, hoping he doesn’t notice the stupid giddiness that takes over.

Stop Camilla.

“Got it?” he insists.

My stomach flutters, and I gulp a meek, “Yes, Your Grace.”

“Good.” He tuts. “Now, leave everything as it is and go rest. The staff can take care of it tomorrow,” he orders while looking around the kitchen.

“I just wanted to fi–”

“Gohave some rest,” he cuts me off.

I should.Shouldn’t I?

Although, the last thing on my mind right now is sleep. That’s when the thought of planning the meals rushes back to mind.

“Oh,” I exclaim, catching his attention. “Your Grace, I will need more detailed guidance on the menus from here on out.”

“Detailed guidance?” he questions, not bothering to look at me while opening the double-door fridge.

“I never meant to upset Her Grace…I thought I had free reign and went too close to home.” I pause for a second, taking a breath. “I need to be assured the meals are to your liking and not mine.”

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