Page 33 of Worth Every Risk

10

ARIES

I’m beyond exhausted by the time I get Lucie to sleep. She’s been over-excited all day, ever since she padded into my room in the morning, all fresh-faced and wide-eyed. I was a bit disappointed when she appeared at the side of my bed at 7 am. After my marathon session with my dildo in the shower,thinking about her dad, I fell asleep again.

And even though the incident outside the sauna left me insanely aroused and gave me plenty of mental imagery for my epic masturbation session, I’ve been anxious all day, worrying that Mr Hawktson is going to fire me when he gets back from golf. How long does it take to play golf anyway? I glance at the clock. It’s after 9 pm. My nerves are wrecked. No wonder I’m so tired.

I could go to bed, but I’m too worked up. I need to move and try to release some of this anxiety. I head down to the kitchen, where I find Alec preparing tomorrow’s breakfast.

“I thought you didn’t work Sundays?” I say.

He gives me a broad smile, making his youthful face look even more boyish. He’s cute, if you’re into that kind of thing.Personally, I prefer Mr Hawkston’s angular face and the dark stubble that lurks on his jaw and throat, although I wish comparisons between my boss and all other men didn’t keep springing to mind. “Hey there,” Alec says. “I don’t, but I’m only down in the staff block so sometimes I come and finish a few things up here to save me time in the morning.”

“Staff block?”

“Yeah, at the far end of the garden, there’s a house divided into flats for Mr Hawkston’s staff. You haven’t seen it yet?” I shake my head and he continues. “Technically, it’s a separate house accessed from the parallel street. But we can get there across the garden too. I have a first floor flat. It’s lush.”

“That’s a job perk.”

“Yup. Better than living here with the dragon.” He rolls his eyes to the ceiling to indicate Mr Hawkston upstairs. Not that he’s home right now, but I get the point. “How’s your first week been? Did he forgive you for your misdemeanors?”

I feel the colour drain from my face. “Misdemeanors?”

“You know, calling him Superman and all that.”

My body sags.Thank God he doesn’t know the rest of it.“Yeah. I think so. Maybe. But the other night I took Lucie to his room because she wet the bed. I don’t think he was happy about it.”

“Hmm. He’s not exactly the cuddly daddy type.”

I slump down on a stool at the island and prop my chin in my hand. “I think he might fire me.”

“For taking his kid to him in the night? I doubt that.” He starts clearing things away and wiping down the surfaces. “You want something to eat before this is all packed up?”

I shake my head. “I had some fish fingers earlier with Lucie.”

He gives me a disbelieving look. Maybe fish fingers aren’t real food to a chef. “When? At five-thirty?”

I frown, then nod. “Yeah. Kids’ supper time.”

“That was ages ago. I’ll make you something better.”

“Oh, no. Really, you don’t have to do that.”

But he starts chopping and frying and pretty soon there’s a croque madame on a plate in front of me, complete with homemade bechamel sauce and a fried egg on top.

I cut into it and pop a chunk into my mouth. “Oh, my God, this is the best toasted sandwich I’ve ever eaten,” I say, my mouth full of food.

Alec grins and pushes a glass of water towards me before he leans his elbows on the island opposite me, and we spend the next few minutes chatting. So far most of our chats have been surface level, but today I learn a bit more about his personal life. He’s from Manchester, but trained as a chef in London. He had a girlfriend from back home, but she broke up with him when he refused to move back up north and chose to stay with Mr Hawkston.

“Said she didn’t want to do long distance.” Alec grimaces. “But I don’t think that was true.”

“No?” I query before taking another bite of the delicious sandwich.

“I think she had a crush on my mate. I hear they’re dating back in Manchester now.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. That sucks.”

He shrugs and begins clearing things away again. “It doesn’t matter. What’s not meant to be isn’t meant to be, right?”

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