Page 9 of The Maid Married To The Billionaire

No, she had had no choices while she was living with Ritchie, Skye conceded, thinking of all the times she had given way to Ritchie to placate him. But now she was supposed to be leading her life again and making her own choices. Even so, it seemed that reclaiming her freedom required more from her than simply walking away from Ritchie: it meant she had tofight. Not go apologetically about her business, certainly not depend on Enzo’s employees to protect her. She had to fight and stand on her own two feet.

‘Okay. Maybe I should get changed first,’ she said, smoothing damp palms down her slender thighs, feeling that her jeans and long-sleeved T-shirt might be too casual.

‘You’ll do fine as you are,’ Enzo asserted as she went into the cloakroom to retrieve her padded jacket, wincing as she slid her arms into the sleeves.

He’s gorgeous!Alana mouthed at her in wonderment when she glanced into the sitting room where her sister was now sitting with the children. Skye went pink and glanced uneasily at Enzo. He needed a shave. His strong jawline was shadowed by blue-black stubble. He also looked a little weary and her heart smote her without warning. He should have been coming home to relax and eat.

‘I was planning such a good meal for dinner,’ she confided guiltily.

‘It’ll keep until later.’

‘But you must be hungry,’ she protested as he led her outside into the cold crisp air.

‘Take the sunshades off,’ he urged.

Skye lowered them to blink at him. Her bruised eye was opening again and now he saw the unusual colour of them in the artificial light. A violet blue so light and soft it reminded him of lilac blossom in the spring. His lush black lashes came down low over his eyes and he turned his head away, irritated by that momentary distraction. ‘Let’s go,’ he urged.

Skye climbed awkwardly into the passenger seat. There was no avoiding the step up into the car, no way that every movement of her body could fail to jar her ribs. She grimaced, wondering about that strange moment when Enzo had stared down at her. He had wanted to see how she looked and the news was nothing good. The bruises round her eye had turned all the colours of the rainbow and had only deepened overnight, but at least her eye was opening again.

The instant they arrived at the police station, Enzo requested a senior officer, his quiet confidence patent. Shown into an interview room, Enzo explained why they had asked for a senior officer. A female officer was called and Skye was shown into another interview room, this time without Enzo by her side, where she explained what had happened with Ritchie. After she had made a statement, she had to wait for a police doctor to arrive and undergo an examination and have her injuries photographed. Not once did anyone refer to the fact that her assailant was a policeman who worked under the same roof as them. That professional attitude eased Skye’s surging tension.

By the time she saw Enzo again, she was exhausted and her throat was sore from all the talking she’d had to do. He escorted her back out to the car. ‘Paola and the rest of her team are witnesses and will go in tomorrow to make statements,’ he explained. ‘I also think you need to ask for a non-molestation order to be placed on your ex. I’ve arranged for you to consult a solicitor about that tomorrow.’

‘You’ve had to go to an enormous amount of trouble on my behalf.’ Skye groaned in embarrassment. ‘Why did you bother?’

‘First of all, now that you’re working for me, your safety is my responsibility. Second, your ex cannot be allowed to get away with hurting and threatening you, nor can he be permitted to continue working in a position of trust. Thirdly, the children must be assured of a safe environment.’

‘You only met me yesterday,’ Skye reminded him. ‘Don’t you wish you had simply driven on past?’

Enzo shrugged a broad shoulder and filtered the car back down the driveway. ‘Here we are, home to the haunted house.’

‘Why do you call it that?’

‘That’s what it reminds me of...the era and the décor. If we don’t have a ghost, I’ll feel short-changed.’

‘So, you don’t own this place?’

‘No, I assume it’s rented. My grandfather made the arrangements for my stay. By the way, your sister had to leave to go to work. Paola took over as babysitter.’

There she went again, Skye thought in embarrassment. She was one big problem. Employing her when she came with two children was more hassle than any job she could do would be worth.

‘I had no work to do. Your sister put the children to bed before she left,’ Paola told her soothingly. ‘Do you feel better now that you’ve reported him?’

‘Yes,’ Skye fibbed because, in truth, she felt worse and more scared than ever because Ritchie would be enraged that she had gone to the police to report the assault.

As Paola departed, Skye went into the kitchen to start the meal she had planned. Enzo appeared in the doorway. ‘You can cook tomorrow night. I’ve ordered a meal from the hotel your sister works for to be delivered for both of us. It’s late and you’re exhausted.’

‘Cooking is supposed to be my job,’ Skye reminded him stubbornly.

‘And tonight, you’re having a night off.’

She wanted to argue with him but there was a hard edge to his fabulous bone structure that persuaded her to accept his wishes. ‘You’re tired too,’ she conceded. ‘What was your first day like?’

‘Bloody,’ he confided with a feeling grimace.

Skye went into the dining room to set the table for the meal. She put the electric fire on to make it less gloomy and lit the lamp on the corner table. Enzo had gone upstairs and when he reappeared, his hair was still damp from the shower and he was clad in faded jeans that fitted him like a glove and a grey sweater. For a split second she found herself staring and she quickly caught herself and moved past him to fill a jug with cold water and bring glasses.

For goodness’ sake, she worked for the guy. Agreed, he was breathtakingly handsome and her heart had skipped a beat as he’d walked into the room, but she had to bury those kinds of female responses and pay no heed to such promptings. Fortunately for her, she was not the most ravishing woman on the planet so he was highly unlikely to look at her in the same way.

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