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Away from the hell of the Ashby household.
Away from the violence of my drunken father.
And right into the arms of the church and Father Ray.
The sound of the doorbell ripped me from that nightmare of a memory.
“Shit. Another fucking dream.”
It had been months since my old man had made an appearance in my dreams, and for that sin, The Crusaders would have to pay.
The bell rang again and I swung my legs to the floor and pushed off the sofa, wondering who in the hell was at the door and how they managed to get past all the security at the manor.
We all lived in one big ass mansion, which Ma had dubbed Ashby Manor shortly after the death of our father. But it wasn’t like we were on top of each other.
Kat, the only girl among us, got the three-bedroom guesthouse on the east end of the property, while Ma, my brothers and I took different wings of the house. There were ten bedrooms, half with en suite bathrooms, and another seven for houseguests. We also had two half baths for the staff. Still, the person on the other side of that door had made it through the gates and found the entrance to my personal space.
And that pissed me off.
The booze had worn off, but I still grabbed my piece and pushed away the sluggishness that slowed me down. Annoyed and in need of a shower, I glanced at the surveillance screen near the entrance.
“Maisie?” I was sure my face looked like I’d stuck my finger in a light socket. What was she doing here in a sexy shirt thing and tight jeans? I buzzed her into the house.
“What are you doing here? How in the hell did you get here?” Instantly, I was on edge as she walked past me into the foyer, and I gripped the door handle tight just in case.
She frowned at me, which should have given her an ugly face but it had the opposite effect. I was slightly paralyzed as she said, “Well, see this really nice and charming guy called me up yesterday to ask me out. Then he sent his sweet driver, Oliver, to pick me up and bring me here.”
Her sweet tone did nothing to hide the sarcasm and she had every right to it.
“Fuck. I’m sorry. I fell asleep.” Not exactly something a woman wanted to hear, but I wasn’t awake enough to be on my game.
Maisie’s shoulders fell in disappointment but she put on a brave face, trying for a smile to go with her accepting nod. “Okay then. Maybe another time.” Her tone said there wouldn’t be another chance and when she turned away from me, I didn’t like it. Didn’t like the idea that I might have blown it with this chick.
I reached out and grabbed her arm. “No. Stay. Please, I want you to stay, Maisie.”
She grinned and turned to me. “Well, if you’re already begging, the night can only get better from here, right?”
Right. “I’m sorry,” I told her and took a step back so she could enter. “It wasn’t about you. I worked late last night, so I figured I’d take a nap before our date to be refreshed. I wanted to give you my undivided attention. I guess I overslept.”
She turned to me after giving the house a once over. “Well, I appreciate the thought, and I can admit to being at least half flattered. So what was the plan for this date?”
Shit, I didn’t want to admit the truth to her, but maybe it might help. “I was planning to cook for you.”
Maisie laughed, and it was so sexy and so contagious I didn’t care that it was at my expense. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I did a lot of the cooking in the first couple years after my father died while Ma took over the family business.” I wondered if I’d say too much, but the hint of wariness in her blue eyes was there one minute and gone the next, making me think I must have imagined it.
“Yeah? Did you wear an apron too? I’ll bet you were adorable as hell.” She laughed to herself as if she was actually picturing it.
How in the hell this woman was able to get me to smile after that shit show of a dream, I’ll never know, but it made me want to cook for her. To see her relaxed and sipping a drink while I made her laugh and filled the kitchen with amazing smells.
“I’m always adorable.”
“Modest too,” she said with a laugh and followed me into the living room. “Nice place. So you all live here?”
I didn’t hear any judgment in her voice but I knew it was there, or skepticism at the very least.
I shrugged it off because I didn’t give a shit what anyone thought of how the Ashby family chose to live. Still, I felt the need to explain.
