Page 204 of Ashes of Sin and Stardust

Chapter 46

Saturday evening, Ihad just taken the roast out of the oven and wrapped it in foil when Alice returned to the house, her arms laden with shopping bags from the errands I’d sent her on. I’d messed up the dessert, so she’d gone by Oak City Grille to pick up a to-go box of desserts and a bottle of wine to go with it.

Alice gently set the pastry box down on the counter, and then turned to put away the other bags.

“Please tell me Denise is baking today – oh thank you Lord in heaven,” I whispered as I lifted the lid of the pastry box. Six elegant fruit tarts gleamed back at me.

“I thought I only ordered five,” I whispered.

“You weren’t going to let me have one?” Alice raised an eyebrow at me.

“You had a Frappuccinoandcaramel apple for lunch, you little demon.”

“It was anapple. It counts as fruit!”

“With two inches of caramel! It’scandy!”

She stuck her tongue out at me and I grabbed her by the throat and held her tightly before she could scamper away.

“Why don’t you see what happens when you stick your tongue out again. Go ahead. Try it out.”

She blushed and clenched her jaw shut.

“You promised to be good tonight, remember?”

“Sure... when your friends get here,” she grinned evilly.

“I need one hundred percent, Alice. I mean it. I’ll make it worth it for you at the end of the night.”

“Hm... can you live with ninety-five?” With the snarky smile on her face, she looked just like a playful fox hoping to get away with a sneak attack. “As long as it’s not disrespectful? And it’s just for the laughs?”

A little mishap or snarky moment from her would give me an excuse to punish her, either publicly or in private, so I agreed. “Fine. Ninety-five percent, and you are not to be rude or bratty in front of my old Master, please.” She hadn’t been completely horrendous lately, so I was hoping for the best.

“Yes Sir,” she grinned and blushed, shrugging her shoulders in an adorable manner.

My colleagues would be over in an hour, so I sent her off to clean up and put on a dress and went to change into something cleaner myself.

When I came out, she was already dressed and ready. The table was perfect, the appetizers were out, and Alice was decanting the wine. Her hair was tied up in a French twist, a single lock of hair escaping near the nape of her neck and curling slightly, begging to be toyed with. I normally preferred her hair down, but the way it was done up today was so classy and elegant, I couldn’t complain. Her full, luscious lips were painted a dark red, her stunning eyes framed in thick black paint. She wore a cute little black skirt and a white blouse, and black pumps with bows on the front.

I paused in the doorway and tried not to gawk at her. She looked like a more modest version of a sexy French maid. Somehow, it was hotter than lingerie.

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