Page 11 of Enthrall
“Um, no.”
He raised his eyebrows in amusement.
On my way out I felt his stare.
Back at my desk, I was grateful for the distance between my work station and his office. He’d set my background to the image of a Japanese garden with a carp pond. The vision of the soothing photo made my shoulders relax and it made me smile that he’d taken the time to do this for me. Maybe he liked me after all. I reassured myself I’d clicked away all evidence of my viewing long before Richard had a chance to catch sight of it. I’d worried myself over nothing.
My gift wrapped box was gone.
Checking each drawer, I wondered if Richard had tucked it away safely.
The phone buzzed. “Can you come in here please, Mia,” Richard’s voice rose out of the speakerphone.
Unhappy to leave my search unfinished, I hopped out of my chair and grabbed my note pad and pen.
Waiting for him to look up from scribbling something, I lingered before his desk. My gift sat next to his phone.
“I’m low on ink.” He passed me a post-it note. “Usually we order this in but my last secretary was a little distracted.” He smiled. “She had exams and it addled her brain. Can you pick this up for me at Office Depot?”
“Sure.”
Richard rested his hand on the gift. “Hope you don’t mind. I thought it best to return this.”
“Why?”
“It has nothing to do with what your role is.” He sat back. “I’ll explain it to Monsieur Trouville.” Richard thinned his lips in athank you that’ll be allkind of way.
“Mistress Lotte kept her gift from him.”
“She’s his Domina.” He took a sip of coffee. “Anyway, different kind of gift.” He shooed me out. “Thank you, Mia.”
“Can I see what it is?”
He leaned back and caressed his forehead. “Later.”
Unwilling to give it up so easily, I stood my ground.
“Something tells me you won’t like it,” he said.
“You know what it is?”
“I can guess.”
“How can I not like it?”
He threw his hands up in defeat.
Suppressing my excitement, I reached for the box.
“Come on. Let’s open it in the coffee room.” He rose and led the way. “It’s best we do this with women present.”
Was that an indication this really was a diamond?
Mistress Scarlet smiled at us when we entered. Her gaze fell on the gift.
Lady Penny raised the coffee pot. “Want a top up?”
“Sure,” said Richard, offering his half empty mug to be filled.
