“Not anymore,” I replied.
He was the same man I had imagined myself with a few minutes ago, only he was more gorgeous now that he was up close. I lost myself in his blue eyes again, only to shake my head to remember what I was doing.
He adjusted himself in the seat, sitting tall and commandingly. If he hadn’t opened his mouth, I would have just enjoyed basking in his masculinity.
“I had to come over and say hello. You are a striking creature,” he said.
I blushed, more than I probably should have, and then I laughed.
“Thank you. I do try,” I said. “You’re not so bad yourself, handsome.”
For a while longer we talked, and the more we talked, the more I realized he wasn’t the smartest man in the world; but, he didn’t need to be. It had been more than a few months since the last time I’d spent the evening with a man.
“My place or yours?” he said with a smile.
While all my inhibitions told me not to spend the night with him, my libido was screaming at me to do the opposite. I was unable to resist his boyish charm any longer.
“Mine,” I said.
I waved at Janey, who was already talking to a few men of her own, and she nodded her approval. I could barely contain my excitement for all the things to come.
2.
“You can let yourself out, right? Janey should be back in a few hours, so don’t worry about locking anything,” I said as I readied myself for my first day of work.
I didn’t even bother remembering his name. As turned on as I had been, I’d found out how incompatible we were last night. He might have been well endowed, but he didn’t know how to please a woman in the slightest. Not that I regretted my silly one-night stand. In fact, I liked that I was able to still attract a man that gorgeous. He lay in bed, just waking up, as I ushered myself out the door.
Since I didn’t know where I was going, I was lucky enough to have a driver who would take me to my destination. He greeted me as soon as I stepped out onto the sidewalk
“Ms. Jacobs?” the driver asked.
“That would be me,” I replied.
He opened the rear door of the black sedan. My mother always told me not to get into cars with strange men, and even though I knew it was for a job, I was still nervous.
“You’ll like the grounds, miss,” he said.
“Do you live there as well?”
“Oh yes,” he said. “All the master’s staff stays on the grounds. It just makes it easier for him.”
“Did my bags already arrive?” I asked.
“They arrived yesterday evening and are awaiting you in your room,” he said.
I stared out the window a while as we drove. I wasn’t always a live-in nanny. In fact, I normally wasn’t. I’d left my apartment almost a month ago, and Janey had been nice enough to let me live with her until I found this job.
“Is he nice?” I asked meekly.
“Which, miss?”
“The master of the house,” I said.
“Ah, he’s one of the best men I’ve known, and I’ve known him nearly his whole life.”
“His whole life?” I asked.
“Aye. He’s something else, you know. I used to be his next door neighbor, but when he moved up in the world he made sure to bring people he could trust along with him,” the driver said.
“Who is he?” I asked.
“I was told you’ll find out when you meet him. I shouldn’t say too much,” he said.
“I’m Erica, by the way.”
“I’m Bill,” he replied, “and we’re nearly there.”
I hadn’t realized how close we were. We’d driven outside the city, and it had been nearly an hour since we’d left it. The few houses I saw were massive in size, and the yards were all well-tended and fenced. Some could have been considered cities by themselves.
Then we turned into a driveway. I use the term conservatively, because the driveway continued on for another fifteen minutes, travelling through topiaries and perfectly tended hedges. But there was an oddity to it. While portions of the yard were well tended, others seemed almost untouched by man. A wetland even sprang up in the middle with fallen and low-hanging trees. It was an odd sight on the drive.
“The master likes to preserve that which is already there rather than change it to fit his needs. I guess he’ll tell you more when you meet him.”
As we crested a rolling hill, I saw the manor. It was large, yes, but it wasn’t to the point of absurdity. You could call it tasteful. Vines crawled up the side of the red brickwork in the front, flowering peacefully. Massive windows stared at me as I approached in the sedan. Off to either side were massive balconies that could have held entire parties themselves.
The double doors at the front of the house opened as we approached. I’d known this would be an intimidating moment, but I hadn’t expected it to be so much so.
Bill pulled us to a stop and then got out and opened my door. I still couldn’t take my eyes from the manor. I stared bewilderingly up at its majesty.