Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
His warm breath makes my whole body tingle as he asks, “Are you alright?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
He holds me so long that I begin to wonder if he’s ever going to let me go. As we stand silently in the stall, I feel his manhood grow and press against my thigh. My better judgment tells me to pull away. I should set him straight right off the bat.
This kind of thing is inappropriate, right? Then why am I not moving? Maybe the idea that someone like him can find me attractive is just too hard for me to believe.
After a very long delay, he removes his hands from my waist and steps in front of me. He takes my hands in his and looks into my eyes. “You’re sure you’re okay? You have to be careful when you’re dealing with animals like this. They’re gentle but that doesn’t mean they can’t hurt you.”
“I understand. I’m okay.” I can’t help but wonder if he’s talking about the horses or himself.
3
STEPHEN
The smell of dinner cooking greets our noses as we return to the manor.
Samantha and I part ways so we can each wash up. I make haste to my room and run the shower. Maybe some cool water will help the massive erection I’ve been carrying since Sam fell into my arms.
She must’ve felt it, and I half expected her to whack me in the face when she did. The fact that she didn’t makes me swell with wanting that much more. I doubt I can be near her without having a perpetual tent in my pants.
She’s standing awkwardly in the kitchen when I come back downstairs.
“Have you two met?” I ask the cook, Sherry.
“We have. Samantha says she’s the new housekeeper. Where did we find her?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Well, she’s a very pretty girl. Will you be needing anything else from me this evening, sir?”
“No. You’re free to go.”
She nods and moves to the pantry to hang up her apron.
“She called you sir,” Samantha whispers.
“And?”
“You told me to call you Stephen.”
“That’s right, and you will.”
I escort her to the dining room and pull out her chair.
“May I ask why? From what you told me, Sherry has been here for a long time. If she calls you sir, shouldn’t I do the same?”
“No. I told you to call me Stephen because that’s how I prefer to be addressed by you. Sherry has a traditional role to play here and that comes with certain formalities. My father would have skinned her alive if she dared to call any of us by our names. This situation with you is anything but traditional. Would you agree?”
“That’s for sure. What did she call you when you were a little boy?”
“Back then she called me, ‘young sir.’”
“It’s very formal but I like it. They don’t have rules like that where I grew up.”
“I don’t particularly like it. Having money shouldn’t entitle you to a title. I believe that kind of respect should be reserved for men who deserve it. My brother saw disrespect everywhere, and he always fought for it. That’s a true sign of insecurity. When you’re worthy of respect, it comes to you naturally. A man should never argue his worth. It makes him look weak.”
“I can see that too. I suppose there have been terrible people who were called sir. Maybe we should reserve that title for knights.”
Her innocent interpretation makes me laugh. “That’s it. If you don’t see me in armor, I don’t want to hear any of this sir business.”
“So, what are we eating?”
“Looks like Sherry’s famous roast duck.”
“I’ve never had duck, but it smells amazing.”
“Sherry can make anything taste amazing.”
I set a plate on the table in front of her and lean back in my chair, watching as she takes the last few delicate morsels into her mouth. God damn, even seeing her eat turns me on.
RING!
“Hello? Yes, I’ll accept the charges.” It’s my beloved brother calling from prison. I suspect he’s checking to see if Samantha arrived.
“Hey, brother. I sent you a care package from New York. Did you get it?”
I glance over at Samantha. “I did.”
“Well, what do you think? I heard she’s a little hottie. Is it true?”
I sigh and scrub a hand across my face. “Nothing could be truer.”
“You know she’s yours, right? I told her father she’d work as a housekeeper, but you can use her services any way you want if you get me.”
I feel a tightness in my chest as the anger slowly bubbles up inside me. “We don’t treat women like that.”
“Says who? Her father knew what he was doing when he traded her off. She’s fair game.”
I step out onto the veranda so Samantha won’t overhear. “That’s bullshit and you know it. We aren’t animals and this family doesn’t operate that way anymore.”