Page 56 of Bookworm and the Beast
I’d have to ask Mrs. Potts to call a repairman—oh right. She wasn’t here. Well, Harrison could take care of it.
And that brought my thoughts around to Bonnie again. Where was she right now? What was she doing?
I’d done my best to avoid her all week, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t acutely aware of her presence.
How could I not be with the way she left her things around the house? A hair tie here. A lip balm there. A tiny pair of shoes by the back door.
It felt like she was… everywhere.
The light fragrance of her perfume or shower gel or whatever it was lingered in whichever room she’d been in. Which caused an annoying involuntary reaction below the belt whenever I caught the scent.
She’d even interrupted my regular routine of walking on the beach in the mornings because that’s when she’d decided to takeherdaily walks with Harrison along as a chaperone.
Three more weeks. You can put up with anything for three weeks.
I hoped she wasn’t in the dining room at the moment. No doubt Monsieur Laplume had cooked up something tasty for supper, and I was ready for a double helping.
The door of the guest suite where Bonnie was staying was closed when I passed it. She might have turned in for the night, or maybe she really was downstairs having dinner. My heart leapt at the thought of running into her.
Stupid heart.
Or rather stupid dick. It was all thrown off by having a woman nearby again after so long going without.
Just the thought of Bonnie behind that door, maybe undressing, maybe showering or better yet, stretched out in the garden tub and rubbing the suds over those beautiful breasts, between those plush thighs, had me hard half the time.
Gritting my teeth, I willed my cock to stand down.
Thanks anyway pal, but you won’t be needed today. Or tomorrow. Or any day for the next few weeks.
Thankfully mybigbrain was wiser than the smaller one. It didn’t matter how attractive she was, she couldn’t be trusted.
And I didn’t trust myself to remember that if I spent any time around her. If shewasdownstairs in the dining room, I’d simply grab a plate and eat at the old, scarred kitchen table. I liked it better in the kitchen anyway.
When I reached the dining room, I was surprised to find it empty and dark. No place had been set for me at the table. I looked down at my watch—maybe it wasn’t dinnertime after all? But no, it was six-thirty.
Where the hell was everyone?
I headed down the corridor toward the kitchen. As I drew closer to the swinging door, the sound of bright laughter reached my ears. It was followed by the cacophony of several voices speaking at once mixed with more laughter.
Were my staff members holding a party? Had I forgotten someone’s birthday?
I pushed open the door. There, gathered around the table, was my entire household staff.
And Bonnie.
Some were sitting, some standing. All were laughing and smiling. At her.
Traitors.
Bonnie was in the middle of some story that had everyone in stitches. At first no one noticed my entrance, and I felt a bit like the proverbial fly on the wall.
A fucking annoyed, very jealous fly.
For one thing, they all seemed to be enjoying a delicious meal, family style, while I stood here famished. For another, there hadn’t been this much fun and happiness under my roof since… well, I couldn’t remember how long it had been, but it had been a while.
I watched as one of the maids, Phoebe, covered Bonnie’s hand with her own for a second while responding to her, and the gardener.
Calvin patted her on the back as if she were his favorite daughter. I’d never seen Monsieur Laplume look so happy in all the years he’d worked for me.
