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Chapter 13
Piper
Ispent the rest ofthe night imaging what was going on down there. I’d never imagined any of them would be into that kind of stuff. Okay, that was a lie. I totally could see some BDSM action coming from a few of them.
But Rayne? He was a punk that seemed more like a bottom than a top. Wynn, oh, Wynn, I would let him tie me up any day. The thought of a twin sandwich also didn’t strike me as something I would hate.
I was having a delicious dream of just those things when a pounding sounded on my door. Groaning, I glanced over at my clock. It was barely after seven. I was usually up by now, but apparently, I needed the sleep. Something I wished the person at my door would respect.
“Piper, get up,” Darren’s voice called out, making me groan again. Of course, it would be him, the freaking slave driver.
“I’m coming! Hold on a second.” I crawled out of bed and pulled a pair of sweatpants on, not bothering to put a bra on under my big t-shirt. I pulled open the door to find an annoyed Darren waiting on the other side. “Yes?”
Darren’s eyes dipped down slightly to my attire, and I could tell he didn’t approve. Not voicing his opinion, he glanced to his wrist and his watch. “No list today. The masters are throwing a party. We need to get the house ready for visitors.”
I frowned, my brow furrowing. “But they had visitors last night, and we didn’t have to prepare anything.”
Tapping his foot, Darren let out an exasperated sigh. “That was different. Today, we prepare the house, and tonight, you will stay in your room or, better yet, go visit a friend. You don’t want to be caught up in their shenanigans. Now, get dressed and meet me in the kitchen. We have a lot of work to do.”
Closing the door, I proceeded to do as he asked.
What kind of people have two parties in one week? The rich kind, obviously. Except it seemed like this time, it would be a bigger affair. What about Darren’s comment? I understood the whole stay in my room bit. I was the help, no one wanted to see the help hanging around while they were trying to get their freak on.
However, asking me to leave the house altogether? That was a bit strange.
Trying not to think about it too much, I brushed my teeth and cleaned my face before heading downstairs. Gretchen was in the kitchen, cooking something that was not breakfast for me. On the table was a box of donuts with my name on it. Not literally but I could hear it singing out to me.
Eat me, Piper. You know you want to. We taste so good.
Sighing as I took a seat, I bit into the pastry. I really needed to get a life, one outside of work.
“Make sure you eat plenty this morning.” Gretchen raised a brow at me. “If you think they have been working you hard now, you haven’t seen their parties.”
I slid my gaze over to Darren. The bastard ratted me out. Was nothing sacred in this house? Apparently not. I was on my own after all.
After I finished eating and drinking a whole pot of coffee, I turned to Darren. “So, boss, what’s on the agenda for today? Maybe painting the whole mansion? Or cooking dinner for one hundred in one day?”
Gretchen snorted. “You leave the cooking to me, and if they ever gave me that short of notice for a hundred people, I would quit on the spot.”
“Oh, no, you wouldn’t,” Darren shot back with a pointed look.
Gretchen sighed. “You’re right, I wouldn’t, but I would spank some butts!” She and Darren laughed heartily. I could tell they had been together a long time. They even had their own private jokes. I half wanted to be in on those jokes, but I also didn’t want to be a maid for the rest of my life.
Their laughter cut off when Antoine showed up in the doorway of the kitchen. He nodded at Darren and then smiled at Gretchen. “Good morning, Miss Gretchen. Could you please add two more people to the place settings for this evening? The two we thought weren’t coming have changed their minds.”
“Of course, Master Durand.” Gretchen smiled back at him like a grandmother would her grandson. It was a bit endearing had I not thought Antoine was a bit of an ass. A hot one, sure, but an ass none the less.
“Miss Billings.” The tone of his voice changed from courteous to stern. “I expect Darren has told you about tonight’s event. Everything must be perfect, so try not to break anything or antagonize any of my brothers today.” I flushed as I realized he was talking about my encounter with Rayne yesterday. “We’re all a bit on edge, and I can’t be held responsible if something should happen to you.”
I couldn’t tell if Antoine was worried for me or just didn’t want to be bothered by an incident. Either way, I got the message. Keep my head down, do my job, and stay out of the way.
“Understood, Master Durand.” I nodded and then waited for Antoine to leave so I could finish eating the one good thing that had happened to me this week.
Antoine, however, didn’t leave. He put his hands behind his back and strolled toward me. Gretchen and Darren seemed to hold their breath as Antoine moved into my personal space. He stopped at the island and leaned onto the counter next to me just inches from where I sat.
“I also wanted to be sure we have an understanding of a different matter.” His face was so close to mine, it was strange and exciting. It made special tingles go through my body, and I had the sudden urge to lean toward him and bask in his scent. “Please refrain from speaking ill of my brothers and me in such a public setting. If you have any complaints, I expect you to handle time professionally and not scream them at the top of your lungs.”
When I realized last night’s ‘Bite me!’ was what he had been talking about, my face burned with embarrassment. Darren had been right about their hearing all right. I should have been more careful.
