against the line of her jaw again softly. “Sweetheart, you’ve been doing this on your own for a long time. Let me help you now.”
Chantelle felt tears prick her eyelids and hastily blinked them away. Dominic, specifically the money he had given her that night, had been the first ray of light in a life which had been a constant battle to survive. She wanted so much to lay her troubles on his broad shoulders, but she sensed his ruthless side and worried about getting on the wrong side of it. But, she was weary to being strong, of being in charge and making sacrifices. Her teenage years had flown by without her realizing, spent cooking and cleaning and making sure that her siblings were fine. She hadn’t partied, drank or smoked joints as most of her friends had been doing, knowing that she could neither afford to do so, nor risk becoming addicted.
“Okay,” she agreed, “but you have to let me know and approve every step you plan to make.”
“Agreed.”
Chantelle had been following the street signs as they had conversed and soon Dominic instructed, “Turn left at the lights and then right at the end of the road.”
“My God, are we still even in London?” she gasped as she took note of the large detached houses on either side of the road for the first time before she turned into his driveway.
“Definitely still in London,” Dominic confirmed with a laugh. “Come up and let me show you around.”
Chantelle hesitated. She sensed the flame that had been simmering between them since the night at the club would quickly flare into a raging inferno once they were alone together. Was she ready for that?
“Chantelle, I give you my word that nothing will happen up there that you don’t want.”
“Okay.” She noted that he didn’t promise that something won’t happen, only that whatever did would be with her consent.
She could live with that promise.
Chapter Six
“Will that be all, sir.”
“Thank you, Rogers.”
“Very good, sir.”
Dominic’s butler bowed and left the room silently. If he wasn’t gay, the middle-aged man was certainly the most effeminate straight man Chantelle had ever met.
“Yes, he is.” Dominic smiled as he interpreted the look on her face correctly. “And probably the best butler in the UK.”
“I-I…” Embarrassed, she quickly took a sip of freshly-pressed watermelon juice.
“It’s okay,” Dominic assured her. “Many of my friends laughed at me when I hired him. Now they know how good he is, most of them want to steal him away. A few have offered to triple or quadruple his salary, but he’s so far declined. I was the first person to take a chance on him and he’s said he won’t leave until either of us dies or I fire him.”
“That’s amazing loyalty.” Most people would switch employers for a slight increase in salary. For the man to stay when he could be earning three or four times what Dominic paid him was crazy!
“He says he has no real use for money. He lives, eats and sleeps here, so the money I pay him just sits in the bank.” Dominic’s light-hearted tone changed as he continued, “I trust him implicitly. He’s been with me since I bought this house and threw a house warming party four years ago. He was one of the waiters working for the company who handled the food and drink. He came back the next day and told me that I needed a butler and he would make a good one. I admired his balls.”
“Ballsy, indeed.” Chantelle hastily took a sip of juice to hide the laughter bubbling on her lips.
He had to be a very secure man indeed to admit to admiring a gay man’s balls.
“You can laugh,” Dominic encouraged. “It was meant to be a double entendre.”
Given permission to let her mirth burst forth, Chantelle placed her hand on her waist and laughed unreservedly. Not the polite chuckling she generally made in public, but the good belly laughter that she often shared with her
Chantelle felt tears prick her eyelids and hastily blinked them away. Dominic, specifically the money he had given her that night, had been the first ray of light in a life which had been a constant battle to survive. She wanted so much to lay her troubles on his broad shoulders, but she sensed his ruthless side and worried about getting on the wrong side of it. But, she was weary to being strong, of being in charge and making sacrifices. Her teenage years had flown by without her realizing, spent cooking and cleaning and making sure that her siblings were fine. She hadn’t partied, drank or smoked joints as most of her friends had been doing, knowing that she could neither afford to do so, nor risk becoming addicted.
“Okay,” she agreed, “but you have to let me know and approve every step you plan to make.”
“Agreed.”
Chantelle had been following the street signs as they had conversed and soon Dominic instructed, “Turn left at the lights and then right at the end of the road.”
“My God, are we still even in London?” she gasped as she took note of the large detached houses on either side of the road for the first time before she turned into his driveway.
“Definitely still in London,” Dominic confirmed with a laugh. “Come up and let me show you around.”
Chantelle hesitated. She sensed the flame that had been simmering between them since the night at the club would quickly flare into a raging inferno once they were alone together. Was she ready for that?
“Chantelle, I give you my word that nothing will happen up there that you don’t want.”
“Okay.” She noted that he didn’t promise that something won’t happen, only that whatever did would be with her consent.
She could live with that promise.
Chapter Six
“Will that be all, sir.”
“Thank you, Rogers.”
“Very good, sir.”
Dominic’s butler bowed and left the room silently. If he wasn’t gay, the middle-aged man was certainly the most effeminate straight man Chantelle had ever met.
“Yes, he is.” Dominic smiled as he interpreted the look on her face correctly. “And probably the best butler in the UK.”
“I-I…” Embarrassed, she quickly took a sip of freshly-pressed watermelon juice.
“It’s okay,” Dominic assured her. “Many of my friends laughed at me when I hired him. Now they know how good he is, most of them want to steal him away. A few have offered to triple or quadruple his salary, but he’s so far declined. I was the first person to take a chance on him and he’s said he won’t leave until either of us dies or I fire him.”
“That’s amazing loyalty.” Most people would switch employers for a slight increase in salary. For the man to stay when he could be earning three or four times what Dominic paid him was crazy!
“He says he has no real use for money. He lives, eats and sleeps here, so the money I pay him just sits in the bank.” Dominic’s light-hearted tone changed as he continued, “I trust him implicitly. He’s been with me since I bought this house and threw a house warming party four years ago. He was one of the waiters working for the company who handled the food and drink. He came back the next day and told me that I needed a butler and he would make a good one. I admired his balls.”
“Ballsy, indeed.” Chantelle hastily took a sip of juice to hide the laughter bubbling on her lips.
He had to be a very secure man indeed to admit to admiring a gay man’s balls.
“You can laugh,” Dominic encouraged. “It was meant to be a double entendre.”
Given permission to let her mirth burst forth, Chantelle placed her hand on her waist and laughed unreservedly. Not the polite chuckling she generally made in public, but the good belly laughter that she often shared with her
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