Page 25 of The Billionaire and the Maid

She glares at me. “Chase, you should be more careful.”

I grin like a child caught being naughty but not caring. She gives me a playful shove on my arm, and I wince.

“Oh my God! Are you OK? I’m so sorry!” she says as she examines my arm.

There’s a small gash in my shirt, but otherwise, it’s fine.

“I’ll survive. Come on, we should head back before it gets dark out,” I state as I step over toward Rook.

“Hold on,” she says as she reaches for her bag that she strapped to Velvet’s saddle. I watch as she rifles around it and then pulls out an alcohol swab and bandage.

“What else do you have in there?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

She shrugs and laughs. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She rolls up my sleeve and makes quick work of fixing me up. I watch as she leans over me, her perfume making me inhale deeply. Her hands are warm against my skin. I never thought about her like that back then. She was just a kid, like a sister to me. But now…no, I can’t think like that. This is a short-term arrangement.

“Seriously, should I be concerned? Do you have weapons in that thing?” I ask.

She gives me a pointed look as she steps back and puts the trash back in her bag. “Listen, what’s in a woman’s purse is between her and the purse gods. Don’t worry about it.”

I chuckle. “Noted. I had no idea there were ancient Greek gods of purses.”

She winks at me as she gets back into her saddle. “The more you know.”

I shake my head as our horses lead us back toward the stable. I catch her glancing back over her shoulder at her parents’ old property. There’s a house in the distance and a stable along with a few small outbuildings. I don’t know who owns it now, but it’s clear she deeply misses her old life. I hate what Nancy did to her. I always viewed Nancy as just another fake friend of my mom’s. Someone at the tennis and golf clubs who only cared about the latest fashion trends, but now, I know she’s so much worse than that.

By the time we make it back to the horses’ stalls, I know three things for sure.

One, I want to protect Ella. I just don’t know how I’m going to do that without hurting her.

Two, I want to destroy Nancy Foster.

And three, I need to figure out how to not fall in love with Ella.

CHAPTERELEVEN

Ella

I lean over the bathtub as I scrub it. My knees are sore, and my skin is itchy from wearing the cleaning gloves. I need to finish this job so I can get home and change. The tennis club has a charity event tonight and Mrs. Marino requested that Chase and I attend. I didn’t know parents could just request their adult children be present like this. Sighing, I rinse the tub. My phone pings, and I peel off my sweaty gloves and reach for it.

Gus: Shut the front door.

Me: What?

Gus: You’re going to the tennis club?

Me: Uh, yes?

Gus: What are we wearing?

Me: You have to be kidding me. Wait. Are you going?

Gus: Girl, I’m like the captain of the men’s tennis team.

Me: You play doubles with Mrs. Hatchet. That’s hardly a captain.

Gus: Whatever. What are you wearing?

Me: Uhhhh…don’t know.

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