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Seven

Since rushing up the stairs with an injured child wasn't advisable, I left Ruby on the couch and hurried upstairs to find out what could have warranted my name being shouted like that.

"Miss Sands! Fucking come up here this minute!" Uh... okay?

I quickened my steps as I climbed the spiral staircase.

"Miss Sands..." The person in front of me was very, very angry and... covered in flour and egg yolk!

I had to summon all my self-control not to burst into laughter at the sight of my employer. His face was completely white, with drips of yellow here and there traveling down his body, all the way down his chest, which he had somehow managed to bare in barely a minute.

And that made his chest look even hotter. How on earth does someone manage to look so sexy even after being furiously attacked by flour and egg?

I folded my arms, staring at him, amusement clearly on my face, though I tried to appear indifferent. As I looked back into his eyes, the only things not white on his face, it hit me.

Ruby! That little de... angel!

"You know about this, don't you?" I shook my head 'no' at his glaring face. "Don't lie to me. I saw that look on your face. That look of realization."

I shrugged. "I might have heard Ruby mention pranks or something..." I had to be as vague as possible. I didn't want him yelling at the girl again.

"So you decided to help her, uh?" His deep voice was still filled with anger, but with his face, it was hard to discern any other emotion.

"I had no hand in this."

"You expect me to believe you after you just lied about the fire?"

I was ready to explode with an anger-fueled response, but I checked myself. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I replied calmly. "For the last time, I did not start the fire. Or any fire, for that matter."

He grunted and headed for the door to his room, his movements releasing puffs of white dust into the air. He was like a flour fairy. Or something like that. He grabbed his door handle, turned to face me, and said, "When I'm done getting this mess off me, we're going to have a talk. So don't go anywhere."

"What? I need to go home."

He sighed loudly, as if he was tired of my presence. "There's an extra room you can use for the night."

"But I don't have any clothes to change into." A furrow appeared on his flour-covered forehead.

"Just... just figure shit out. I need to clean this crap off me."

"Okay. Good luck!" I replied cheerfully. He gave me an indecipherable look, but then I realized I was making myself look complicit in his current situation, so I offered a sheepish grin and headed downstairs to check on Ruby, wondering how she managed to pull off the prank.


Enjoying the natural cool air that had entered through the window I’d opened before sleeping, I hugged a pillow to my chest. Needing to know the time, I reached for the little stool beside my bed where I normally placed my phone. My hand searched the area behind me to no avail, and I sat up immediately, a small frown on my face.

“Oh,” I whispered sleepily. Right, I was still at the penthouse. Yawning loudly, I reached for my phone, which was on the other side of the pillow I had been hugging. Checking the time, I realized I had spent five hours sleeping comfortably in a bed that wasn’t mine.

The previous night, I had to stick around because Mr. Powers wanted to talk about some stuff, and if I remembered correctly, he never did. Ruby and I waited for him for almost two hours, and when we realized he wasn't coming out, I took Ruby to her bed and headed to the guest room, needing rest.

Remembering the injury from yesterday, I touched the side of my forehead and felt the band-aid. Still feeling sleepy but with a parched throat, I decided to get up. I slipped my feet into the furry slippers I’d found in the corner of the room.

The house was quiet, as it usually was, except when the housekeeper came to clean. I decided to first check on Ruby, whose room was across from mine.

After seeing she was sleeping peacefully, clutching her favorite bear, I gently closed her door and headed for the stairs. Passing by Mr. Powers' room, I glanced at the door, recalling how he had shouted at his daughter earlier when she tried to defend me. Maybe Ruby wasn't exaggerating about how little he spoke to her. I had never seen him sit down for a chat with Ruby after coming back from work, which was sad.

Remembering Ruby's prank, I chuckled softly. I had forgotten to ask her how she did it, but I was still curious.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs felt like an endless journey, and the walk to the kitchen seemed just as long. My legs were begging me to go back to bed, but my thirst won over, and I kept walking.

Almost halfway into the living room, I heard a faint sound. Convinced I’d heard something, I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear the sleep from them, and walked toward the source of the noise.

Gasping at the sight before me, wishing I had just ignored the sound, I clutched the chest area of my T-shirt, my mouth agape.

“Miss Sands…” His voice was low and cautious. He slowly disentangled himself from the woman sprawled on the grand piano. I caught a glimpse of his erection before he hurriedly pulled up his trousers. The woman he had been with sat up, adjusting her skimpy dress, her eyes filled with disdain for my interruption.

What? Next time take it upstairs.

I tilted my head slightly, my mouth still hanging open slightly. I was at a loss for words.

Is it because I caught a glimpse of his manhood? I don't know.

Or because I just saw my attractive boss in the midst of a heated encounter? I really don't know.

Or is it the thought that Ruby could have been the one walking downstairs instead of me? Now, that's the more reasonable concern.

I watched him as he approached me, the woman on the piano descending to adjust herself, still shooting me that glare. "Miss Sands... what are you doing here?"

"Uh... I came to get water." And I just freaking saw you in the act!

"Could you just..." He groaned, clearly scrambling for the right words. "Don't say anything, okay? You didn't see a thing."

My eyebrows shot up instantly. "Oh, I saw something. I definitely saw something." I nodded emphatically to punctuate my statement.

He ran a hand through his hair, looking at me with a mix of frustration and something else. "Could you, for once, mind your own business?" he shot back furiously.

"Uh... no, sir, I can't. Dude," I saw the frown on his face deepen.

Yeah, I just called you dude, what are you going to do about it?

"It could've been Ruby coming down for water. I can't even begin to imagine how scarring your little... display would've been for her." My tone was serious now. "You live with a five-year-old. If you need to get intimate, find somewhere private. Here's a suggestion: there's a pool upstairs," I pointed upward, and his gaze followed my hand, "Yes, up there. You could use that space during times like this."

I saw his jaw clench. "Are you actually telling me what to do right now?"

"It's a win-win. You avoid traumatizing Ruby, and... your experience improves! It's true, water can enhance it. More movement, more..."

"That's enough, Miss Sands."

Yeah, I was rambling. "Sorry, sir. Just... please be discreet. For Ruby's sake."

He nodded curtly, saying, "Very well then." He signaled to his companion, who walked over with a smug smile as he wrapped an arm around her. I watched them head upstairs, presumably to resume what had been interrupted by the babysitter. "Miss Sands..." I suddenly remembered the time he called me by my first name and the chills it gave me returned. "Fucking learn to mind your own business."

I gave him a broad smile and headed to the kitchen. Passing the artworks, it hit me.

I just saw Dominic Powers in a moment of intimacy.

I glanced down at my arms.

Goosebumps.

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