worry about that. We’ll get that cleaned up in no time.”
Emma still stared at the mess. “It’s bleach.”
“Oh…well…” Nicholas dragged a hand through his hair. “Crap.”
Emma moved, and Nicholas reached out to help her up. She quickly righted herself and continued to stare at the carpet which had now started to discolor from the bleach. “I guess I’ll go get my things then.” She wiped her hands on the apron in front of her dress, and turned.
“Wait!” Nicholas grabbed her hand and stopped her from walking away. “This was my fault. I’ll sort it out.”
Emma’s gaze travelled to where he held her hand, and he quickly let go. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to take the blame for this. I’ll take care of it.”
“There’s no need, Mr. Blake. I will just gather my things and go.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I insist that you stay and continue on. I will handle my dad, and that will be the end of it.”
Emma tucked a loose curl behind her ear, and Nicholas noticed that she had the cutest, daintiest little freckles on and around her nose. With big blue-green eyes, heart-shaped lips and beautiful defined cheekbones, Nicholas really liked what he saw. Thank God he told Adam she had a hotness rating of eight because he knew Adam would most definitely give her a ten should he see her. And once Adam had his eyes set on a woman, he will not stop until he got her exactly where he wanted her—on her back.
Nicholas leaned his head to the side, his curiosity piqued, wanting to know more about the maid who had the tendency to be on her knees in front of him a lot. “Has anyone shown you the garden in the courtyard yet?”
Emma glanced around before looking at him. “No, Mr. Blake.”
“Nicholas. Please call me Nicholas.”
Emma turned her big eyes onto him and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling at her. “Come on, let me give you the tour of the garden. It’s beautiful this time of year.”
“Mr. Blake, I have chores—”
“Which just happen to include keeping me company.” He grabbed her hand. “And please, don’t call me Mr. Blake again. You can keep that title for my father.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Nicholas led Emma through the house and out one of the side doors into the courtyard. They strolled along the path of the garden, the smell of fresh rain still lingering in the air.
“So, Emma, tell me about yourself.”
He noticed her fiddling nervously with her thumbs. “There’s nothing to tell really.”
He gave her a sideward glance. “Why do I get the feeling that isn’t entirely true?”
“I’m just a normal girl trying to survive in a big city.”
“Is that the in-a-nutshell version?”
Emma shrugged. “Pretty much.”
“Well,” Nicholas turned his gaze in front of him, “I’m just a rich bastard trying to survive a controlling father.” He had no idea why he felt the need to say that exactly, but what the hell. “And that’s the in-a-nutshell version too.”
Emma chuckled, and he kind of liked the sound.
Nicholas turned to her. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, and please don’t be offended by my question, but—”
“Why am I working as a maid?” She looked up and met his eyes. “My sister and I got handed a raw deal with a new stepmother and sister, and when my father passed away, they made sure we got as little as possible.” She pulled up her shoulder. “The nutshell version.”
Nicholas held her gaze. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s okay.” She turned away from him and continued forward. “Lizzy and I are surviving just fine.”
“Lizzy is your sister?”
“Yes. She’s a law student, so I try to help where I can.”
Nicholas stopped. “I’m confused. If your sister can manage to go to law school, why are you not pursuing a better career?”
Emma turned to face him and he noticed a faint flush spread across her cheeks. He wanted to kick himself for embarrassing her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
Emma still stared at the mess. “It’s bleach.”
“Oh…well…” Nicholas dragged a hand through his hair. “Crap.”
Emma moved, and Nicholas reached out to help her up. She quickly righted herself and continued to stare at the carpet which had now started to discolor from the bleach. “I guess I’ll go get my things then.” She wiped her hands on the apron in front of her dress, and turned.
“Wait!” Nicholas grabbed her hand and stopped her from walking away. “This was my fault. I’ll sort it out.”
Emma’s gaze travelled to where he held her hand, and he quickly let go. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to take the blame for this. I’ll take care of it.”
“There’s no need, Mr. Blake. I will just gather my things and go.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I insist that you stay and continue on. I will handle my dad, and that will be the end of it.”
Emma tucked a loose curl behind her ear, and Nicholas noticed that she had the cutest, daintiest little freckles on and around her nose. With big blue-green eyes, heart-shaped lips and beautiful defined cheekbones, Nicholas really liked what he saw. Thank God he told Adam she had a hotness rating of eight because he knew Adam would most definitely give her a ten should he see her. And once Adam had his eyes set on a woman, he will not stop until he got her exactly where he wanted her—on her back.
Nicholas leaned his head to the side, his curiosity piqued, wanting to know more about the maid who had the tendency to be on her knees in front of him a lot. “Has anyone shown you the garden in the courtyard yet?”
Emma glanced around before looking at him. “No, Mr. Blake.”
“Nicholas. Please call me Nicholas.”
Emma turned her big eyes onto him and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling at her. “Come on, let me give you the tour of the garden. It’s beautiful this time of year.”
“Mr. Blake, I have chores—”
“Which just happen to include keeping me company.” He grabbed her hand. “And please, don’t call me Mr. Blake again. You can keep that title for my father.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Nicholas led Emma through the house and out one of the side doors into the courtyard. They strolled along the path of the garden, the smell of fresh rain still lingering in the air.
“So, Emma, tell me about yourself.”
He noticed her fiddling nervously with her thumbs. “There’s nothing to tell really.”
He gave her a sideward glance. “Why do I get the feeling that isn’t entirely true?”
“I’m just a normal girl trying to survive in a big city.”
“Is that the in-a-nutshell version?”
Emma shrugged. “Pretty much.”
“Well,” Nicholas turned his gaze in front of him, “I’m just a rich bastard trying to survive a controlling father.” He had no idea why he felt the need to say that exactly, but what the hell. “And that’s the in-a-nutshell version too.”
Emma chuckled, and he kind of liked the sound.
Nicholas turned to her. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, and please don’t be offended by my question, but—”
“Why am I working as a maid?” She looked up and met his eyes. “My sister and I got handed a raw deal with a new stepmother and sister, and when my father passed away, they made sure we got as little as possible.” She pulled up her shoulder. “The nutshell version.”
Nicholas held her gaze. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s okay.” She turned away from him and continued forward. “Lizzy and I are surviving just fine.”
“Lizzy is your sister?”
“Yes. She’s a law student, so I try to help where I can.”
Nicholas stopped. “I’m confused. If your sister can manage to go to law school, why are you not pursuing a better career?”
Emma turned to face him and he noticed a faint flush spread across her cheeks. He wanted to kick himself for embarrassing her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
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