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“Put a blanket over her. We can lock the door so no one can come in. It’s as good as being in her room.” I inched away from her, casting one last look at the way she curled into the back of the couch, her hands tucked under her chin. “Come on.”
13
***Aggie***
“Eatyourbreakfast,Gracie.As soon as you finish, we can go for an early morning swim.” I sat across from my little charge, being the perfect example of calm as I bit into a peach. “If you let me put sunscreen on you without too much of a fight, I’ll let you choose what we have for lunch. How’s that sound?”
For a little girl who had almost everything, the idea of choice went a long way. “I’ll be so good, Aggie! I won’t fight.”
I smiled at her and took another bite of my peach to keep from whimpering at hearing her say she’d be good. I never wanted to hear the word good again. Ignoring the way my body shivered at the direction of my thoughts, I stood up and finished my peach on the way to the countertop composter that sat inside the butler’s pantry. Each step was yet another reminder of my night.
“Well, good morning, Gracie. What are you doing in here all by yourself?” Mary’s voice lacked her full kindness as she spoke to the sweet child. She wasn’t exactly harsh, but I got the feeling that she wasn’t exactly used to children.
“Oh, Mary, I’ll need to discuss that with you.” Zander’s deep voice filled the other room and I braced myself against the counter. “There’s been a change.”
After waking up alone, naked, on the library couch that morning, I’d considered running for around two seconds. I was sore, covered in bites and bruises that had taken me an hour to cover up, and my ego was dented at being left on the couch by myself. At the same time, I’d never felt my body so limp in the moments before I stood up. I was relaxed from the biggest and best orgasms I’d ever had. I’d had needs met that I hadn’t even known were needs. I’d had every kinky desire I’d ever had fulfilled. I couldn’t bethatupset.
I’d also known that the guys would assume the worst of me. Of course they’d think that I wouldn’t be able to face them after sex, as if I would naturally feel ashamed of something they wouldn’t. They thought I was weak. They were wrong.
I tossed my peach in the composter and walked out of the pantry with a smile on my face. “That’s the first indoor composter I’ve ever seen that feels clean. You’ll have to tell me where you found it, Mary.”
Zander’s eyes locked on me, but I paid him no mind. He was frozen halfway to the table with a full plate of food.
“You know, I never knew I loved being complimented on the gadgets I’ve found for this kitchen. I really do, though.” Mary sent me a rare smile and then looked at my knee. “You’re moving all stiff. How’s your knee?”
“Sore. I’ve learned my lesson about running in the house. Thankfully, Gracie managed to learn through me and didn’t have to have her own wounds.” I winked at the girl. “Isn’t that right?”
“Sit down and let me look at that knee. If you get it infected and have to go to the ER, you’ll be doing no one any favors.” Mary patted the chair next to her. “Now, please. I’ve got a ton of chores to do and I don’t have all day.”
I grinned at Gracie as I sat in the chair and slowly pulled my loose yoga pants over my knee. “Mary doesn’t want me to know she likes me, but I know she does.”
Gracie chomped on a piece of bacon and leaned over to look at my knee. “Is that more boy’s club crap?”
I laughed. “Maybe. We’d have to get into Mary’s head to know that, butterfly.”
“No one’s getting into my head. Now, stop wiggling around. This knee looks even more irritated today. What’d you do to it last night?” Mary wasn’t looking up at me to see the blush that stole across my cheeks, thankfully. “You didn’t ice, did you?”
Knight strolled into the kitchen and stopped cold when he saw me. His eyes moved down to my knee and he frowned before turning away to fix himself a plate. Between the two of them and the way they were acting, I knew I’d been right about the brothers assuming I’d run away.
“I set out with full intentions to ice it. I got distracted, though, and then I passed out before I could take care of it. It’s nothing, though. I once worked through my appendix slowly rupturing. I just thought it was the flu and I had a big project I wanted to finish.”
“And your shitty boss just let you do that?” Zander’s scowl was dark enough to darken even the brightest of doorways.
I licked my lips and grinned at Mary. “Like you’ve never worked while sick.”
Zander turned his glare on his property manager. “Of course, you haven’t. You have enough sick time to take the next two years off.”
Mary cleared her throat. “Well, I can see this conversation is going nowhere good. I have chores to do. Is the lunch menu Jamie sent over okay with you ladies today?”
“Wait a second, Mary.” Zander pushed his plate away, clearly bothered.
I ignored him the same way Mary did. “Actually, I was hoping to make a little change.”
“I own this house and I expect to be answered when I speak.” Zander stood up and made a perfect picture of frustration with his hands on his hips.
“I promised Gracie that she could choose our lunch menu if she was good about letting me put sunscreen on her.” I tapped the girl on the nose as I walked past. “Do you think that’d be okay with Jamie? If it’s an issue, I can take over lunch today for the two of us.”
Knight grunted. “You cook?”
