Blurb

Veronica Lawrence is a simple babysitter, who is content with her life with her boyfriend, Calvin. She has everything she could ever dream of and more- or so she thought. Without her knowledge Calvin sets her up with an interview for a job with the richest lawyer in the city, Frank Davenport, who Veronica discovers is incredibly attractive and alluring, almost to the point of distraction. She surprises both Calvin and herself by actually landing the job. There is a catch, though. If she wants to take the job, she must agree to move onto his large estate.

While Calvin is reluctant, Veronica decides to take the job, and she finds herself surrounded by opulence and riches. Little did she know, though, that her employer would be quite so impossible to resist.

* * *

Veronica heaved a sigh, readjusting the strap of her purse as she walked down the sidewalk. She had just finished up a babysitting job for one of the neighbors in her community. She had started doing as a quick way to make money in high school, and she had loved it so much then that she decided that was what she wanted to do for a living. Even as she earned her business degree, she had used babysitting as a way to get her through school.

Even after she graduated, she had very little interest in picking up a job in the realm of business. Now that she was no longer in school, she had more time to devote to taking care of kids. In fact, in a way, that was sort of like a business in and of itself, and she ran it very efficiently. It didn’t bring in as much money as it could have, because often times the people she babysat for couldn’t pay as much as they had originally thought.

While Veronica, too, needed the money, she couldn’t bring herself to demand money from people when she could clearly see they were just trying to get by and support their children. Veronica cut a lot people slack, and as a result she often had to live a lean life, but she didn’t mind it.

That is, until she met her boyfriend, Calvin.

Calvin was a young social climber, fresh out of law school. He frequented the same coffee shop that Veronica went to, and had taken a liking to her. Veronica had been interested in him as well, on account of his ambition and the fact that he was more than a little attractive. She could hardly resist flirting when he approached to talk with her one afternoon.

It didn’t take long for them to start dating, and for a while Veronica was fairly happy with their relationship. They made plans for their future together, and Veronica could easily picture herself spending the rest of her life at his side, maybe even having some kids and buying a house. It only seemed natural when Calvin suggested that they get an apartment together and start making a life with each other.

Veronica’s parents couldn’t; have been more thrilled for her. They loved Calvin, as he was a respectable young man who was steadily moving up in his career, and they knew he would provide stability in Veronica’s life. Veronica was glad they were both so supportive of her relationship with him, and she was eager to see where the future would take them.

At some point, though, after they had spent about a year and a half together in, Calvin began to voice his true opinions about her line of work. Even now, as she headed home to their apartment, she felt a tension creep into her shoulders as she wondered what he would say when she told him she was short on money again.

Calvin had a good job at a law firm, so money wasn’t an issue for him. Even so, she could tell it bothered him that she didn’t have what he considered a “real job”. He often tried to pressure her into looking for a job somewhere at an office, or at least to collect the correct amount of money for her services.

Veronica could only prepare her usual list of responses and pick the most appropriate one for whatever argument he chose to employ.

Veronica finally made it to their apartment building, and she rode the elevator up to her floor. She then made her way to the door of her apartment and unlocked it. She stepped inside silently, looking around and carefully listening to see if Calvin was home.

Veronica didn’t see or hear anything, so she heaved a small sigh of relief, turning to shut the door behind her. She placed her small bag on the hall tree just beside the door, and moved into the kitchen, taking a glass from out of the cabinet and filling it up with water from the sink.

Calvin hated when she did this, as he said the water from the fridge was more filtered. Veronica had been drinking water from the time she could even drink water at all, and it was a force of habit that compelled her to do so even in adulthood. She sipped at it slowly, letting it refresh her.

When she had consumed all the liquid, she washed the glass and put it back in the cabinet. Another thing that Calvin hated was leaving unwashed dishes in the sink, so she didn’t want to give him any more of an excuse to be irritated when he got home.

With that done, Veronica decided to go ahead and start dinner. She knew Calvin would be wanting to eat at around seven, and she knew it would take a couple of hours to get it all ready. So, Veronica changed into a set of comfortable yoga pants and a tank top and began the process of making their dinner.

As she expected, Calvin came home around six. The door unlocked, and Veronica looked up as he stepped through the frame and shut the door behind him, offering him a smile.

“Hey,” Calvin greeted her, moving over to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Hey,” she replied as he set his things down by the hall tree. “How was your day?”

“Pretty good,” he answered. “Same story different day, as usual.”

Veronica nodded, looking down into the food she was cooking.

“What about you?” Calvin asked, moving to lean against the counter beside the stove and cross his arms over his chest.

“It was good,” she answered simply.

“Who were the kids today?” he asked, and Veronica tensed, knowing that he was setting her up for another set of inquiries.

“Toby and Alec,” she answered calmly, though she saw Calvin shake his head a little, pinching the bridge of his nose between this thumb and forefinger.

“Should I even ask?” he bit out, and Veronica let out a sigh, shaking her head and turning to face him.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Veronica answered calmly. “Every time you ask, the answer is the same.”

Calvin clenched his jaw and shook his head.

“That’s exactly what I thought you were going to say,” he sighed.

“Then why are we even having this conversation?” Veronica shook her head and returned her attention to the food on the stove.

“Look,” Calvin sighed, his voice calmer. Veronica felt him place a hand on her shoulder, and she turned once more to look at him.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about, but I need to get showered and changed first,” he said slowly. “Can we talk about it over dinner?”

Veronica felt a twist of anxiety in her stomach, and she wondered how on earth this conversation was going to go. Still, she knew they would have to talk about whatever it was at some point, and she may as well get it out of the way as soon as possible.

“Okay, sure,” Veronica nodded.

“Okay,” Calvin said. “I’ll be out in a little while.”

Veronica watched out of the corner of her eye as he left the room, and she let out a puff of air once he was out of the room. She shook her head as she continued to cook. There was no point in worrying herself over whatever it was he had to say to her. All she could do was make dinner and be prepared to listen with an open mind.

* * *

Within the next hour, Calvin had gotten out of the shower and dressed in a pair of athletic pants and a white t-shirt. He sat down at the table, and Veronica put down his plate in front of him, then assumed her usual place at their small table.

Calvin picked up a fork, and Veronica followed suit. She had made them a meal of baked chicken and vegetables over a bed of rice. It was one of Calvin’s favorite meals, and she enjoyed as well. For a while, they ate, both of them appreciating the silence that spread between them.

It couldn’t last, though, and at length, Calvin set down his fork and looked across the table at her. Veronica let out a soft sigh and put down her fork as well.

“I know that you love what you do,” Calvin said. “I appreciate that you’re able to make any money at all with what you do.”

Veronica listened silently, giving him a short nod at the conclusion of his statement.

“But you have to admit that the way you do business is not a reliable way to make money,” he continued. “You can’t constantly be cutting people breaks, because then at the end of the day you suffer. I know at the end of the day, between the two of us, we have enough money to get by, and even to do well. But what if something ever happens to me? What would you do then?”

Veronica worked very hard to keep from rolling her eyes.

“We’ve been through all this Calvin,” Veronica said, keeping her tone level. “I’m not going to demand a full amount of money when I know good and well they can’t afford it. They’re barely staying on top of things as it is, and if I rake them over the coals too, their kids are going to suffer. If I lose a couple of bucks, I’ll be okay. Some people don’t have that luxury.”

Veronica felt like this was an elementary concept, and she got annoyed every time she had to explain it to him. However, she could hardly blame him. He had grown up in a moderately well off middle class family, and he had really never wanted for much at any point in his life.

Veronica, however, had not always been so lucky. Growing up, her family often had to go without food, or heat or water for extended periods of time. Veronica knew the true worth of money, and all material possessions. She was grateful for everything she had, and she knew better than to let things go to waste.

She knew that the families she gave a break to really did need it, and that they were in situations just like the one she had been in. For her it was the least she could do, but for them, it definitely made a huge difference.

It seemed that no matter how many times she tried to explain that, though, Calvin just couldn’t wrap his head around the concept.

“Okay,” Calvin said, a look of surrender on his face. “I totally get your need to help people out, okay? I do. I just think that maybe you need to be thinking about yourself a little more.”

Veronica wanted to protest, but she knew it was pointless.

“Whatever you say,” she sighed, just wanting the conversation to end at this point. She picked up her fork and took another few bites of her food.

“Veronica,” Calvin said, and Veronica set down her fork again and looked back up at him.

“Yes?” she replied, her voice sharp and quick.

“I think I have a solution for you,” he said, and Veronica blinked in surprise.

“A solution?” Veronica leaned forward a little, resting her forearms on the table. Calvin hated when she did that, too, but she was honestly at the point where she didn’t care.

“Yes,” Calvin said, and a small smile began to form on his face. “You know my friend Jason at the firm?”

Veronica thought for a moment, and finally remembered who the man was.

“Yes,” she finally spoke up.

“Okay,” Calvin’s eyes lit up a little. “He is an assistant to this big-time lawyer, a guy named Frank Davenport.”

Veronica frowned a little, not quite sure where this narrative was headed.

“Well as his assistant, Jason spends a lot of time with him,” Calvin went on. “And Jason tells me that Davenport is looking for a babysitter. A babysitter that he is willing to pay a good deal of money for their services.”

Veronica’s eyebrows raised.

“Is that so?” she asked speculatively.

“Yes,” Calvin confirmed. “And I took the liberty of telling Jason to tell Davenport that I had a wonderful recommendation.”

“Calvin,” Veronica frowned a little. “You shouldn’t have done that without even talking to me about it first.”

“I know, I know,” Calvin reached across the table and took Veronica’s hand in his own. “I just got a little caught up in the moment. But tell me, what do you think about it?”

Veronica thought for a moment, her eyebrows meeting in a frown. It really was a good opportunity. By making the money, she could afford to cut down prices for her other clients, and at the same time, appease Calvin. Maybe then they could be as happy as they were earlier in their relationship.

If anything, she could at least give it the old college try, and if it didn’t work out, they would just have to find another solution.

“I think it would be a great idea,” Veronica spoke up.

“Great!” Calvin exclaimed, baring his bright teeth in a smile. “Because I already set you up for an interview with him. It’s tomorrow morning at nine, before you have to go in to watch the Jackson’s kids.”

Veronica was a little taken aback, and the irritation must have shown on her face.

“I know, I know,” he held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. “I really should have talked to you about it first. But I really think this will be a good thing for the both of us. And I know that if this guy sees you, and you talk to him about how good you are with kids and how much experience you have, you’re sure to get it.”

Veronica’s mind was more than a little overloaded, and she shook her head as she tried to process all of it. She stood up, placing her napkin on the table.

“Look,” she said, her voice a harsh sigh. “This is a lot for me to have to think about, okay? I just need a little bit of time to think it over, apparently before nine in the morning.”

“I understand,” Calvin gave a nod, looking appropriately contrite.

Veronica took a breath and adopted a calm tone.

“I am going to take a shower,” Veronica said simply.

“I’ll put up the leftovers and wash the dishes,” Calvin said, offering her a smile. Veronica did not smile in return, but she did feel a little appeased.

“Thank you,” she said softly, and turned to make her way into their bedroom.

She moved into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She stripped out of her clothes and tossed them into the hamper, and then turned on the hot water. Once the temperature was to her liking, she stepped in and began the process of cleaning herself.

As she bathed, she let herself think over the opportunity that Calvin had found for her. It had certainly caught her off guard, and she wished that he had asked her if it was even something she was interested in before he went ahead and made an interview date for her.

In the end, though, she knew it was a great idea. Calvin was right. This way, she could make enough money to satisfy him, and still manage to help out the people in her life that needed it. It seemed like a win-win situation. She could at the very least go to the interview and see how it went. After all, she may not even be selected for the position.

After she had rinsed herself off, Veronica stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, using it to collect the water off of her deep chestnut skin. She shook some of the water droplets out of her hair, and then left it to air dry.

She began the process of moisturizing her skin, and when she was finished, she moved out of the bathroom and over to her closet. As she crossed the room, she saw Calvin laid out on the bed, his reading glasses on as he perused some law journal.

Veronica put on a pair of shorts and another tank top, then moved to get in her side of the bed. As she settled down beside him, she could see him looking over at her.

“Well?” he finally asked, and she could see that he was eager to know what her response would be.

Veronica simply looked at him for a moment, and then released a soft sigh and gave him a smile.

“I decided to go to the interview,” she said.

Calvin smiled widely and leaned over to plant a soft kiss on her lips.

“I’m so glad you made that decision,” he said, and Veronica heard the soft undertone of victory in his voice. “I think it will go really well.”

“You think so?” Veronica raised an eyebrow, her tone dropping. She scooted a little closer to Calvin, gently pressing her body against him.

“I mean I don’t see why it wouldn’t,” he said. “You’re probably one of the most experienced people he’s likely to find.”

“Hm,” Veronica mused, taking hold of the journal in Calvin’s hand and putting it on the nightstand, then resting her hand on his chest. She saw Calvin’s eyes flick up at her in confusion, and she bit her lip as she slowly lowered her hand down his torso.

Veronica was acutely aware that they had not been having nearly enough sex as of late. Well, not nearly enough for her, anyway. And even when they did, Calvin seemed to do it out of a sense of obligation, and even then, it seemed that he was the only one who ended up satisfied. Still, as rare as the occasions were becoming, she was grateful for anything at all.

Veronica hoped that since she had agreed to take the interview, he would be more open to the idea of intimacy. Veronica could already feel her body becoming aroused, and she felt her breathing catch a little as she slid the tips of her fingers under the hem of Calvin’s shirt, then started to drag them up over his skin.

“Whoa, whoa,” Calvin stopped her, taking hold of her wrist and removing it from the inside of his shirt. “It’s getting late. I have a long day ahead of me and you have an interview. We should both be getting to sleep.”

Veronica nodded, and tried to push away the feeling of disappointment. She knew there would be no point in arguing. She moved back over on the bed to her usual place, and laid down, getting nestled under the covers.

Calvin leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“Goodnight,” he said softly and lied down beside her, reaching over to turn off the bedside lamp.

“Goodnight,” Veronica said softly as the room went dark.

Veronica felt Calvin turn over on his side facing away from her. Silently, she slipped her hand down between her legs, and like so many nights before bit her lip as she silently alleviated herself of the desire that had built within her core.

* * *

Veronica was awoken by the sound of Calvin’s alarm going off. She opened her eyes groggily, unused to having to actually wake up at that sound. She grumbled and turned onto her side as Calvin flipped on a lamp.

“Good morning,” Calvin said, his voice cheery, as he turned onto his side and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Veronica, a little surprised by his sudden show of affection, turned to face him.

“You too,” she mumbled, offering him a smile.

“Hurry, get out of bed!” Calvin said hastily, nudging her a little in the side. “You need to make sure you look appropriate for your interview!”

Veronica groaned a little at the idea of having to interact with people at such an hour as this. Then again, she would probably have to get used to it at some point, and now was just as good a time as any. With a sigh, she rolled out of bed and headed into the bathroom to relieve the pressure in her bladder and freshen up.

Veronica went through her normal routine, though having Calvin rustle around alongside her was certainly something that would take getting used to. She felt her eyes on him as she selected a very professional- looking pants suit for the interview. She cast him a warning look before he could say anything. She loved this particular outfit, and she would not be deterred from wearing it.

Eventually, they both made themselves ready, and Calvin held the door for her as they made their way out of the apartment. Veronica blinked sleepily as they made their way toward the elevator.

“Wake up!” Calvin said excitedly beside her. “This is going to be a great day for you, I can already tell.”

Veronica could only grumble. She was less than excited to even be awake, much less facing an interview. In her hand, she held a small briefcase that held her resume and a few reviews from her previous customers. She was too tired to be experiencing any real emotion at all, but she felt relatively neutral about the whole ordeal.

After all, Calvin wanted this more than she did. If it was up to her, she would have still been in bed. However, she figured she could at least do this small thing to appease him. So, she would give it her all and if she could then Calvin would leave her alone, at least for a little while.

It did not take them long to arrive at Calvin’s building, and she could feel him becoming more and more worked up the closer they got to their destination.

“Okay, now his office is on the top floor,” he explained as they went. “There will be a secretary there named Lynn who will be waiting for you, so you will just check in with her at the desk.”

Veronica nodded and gave a grunt to signify that she had heard him.

“You may have to wait, we’re a little early,” he said, looking fidgety. “But not too early, I don’t think.”

“I’m sure we’re just punctual enough,” Veronica offered easily, wanting him to just calm down for one second.

The two got on the elevator with a few other people, and Calvin pressed the button for his floor, and then hers.

“Just be sure to be calm and relaxed,” Calvin instructed her, his tone embodying neither of those traits. “Just be natural, you’re sure to get the job after my personal recommendation, and if you show him what I know you’re like.”

“I will do my best,” Veronica said, some of her annoyance becoming evident in her tone.

“Sorry,” Calvin released in a sigh. “I just really want this to go over well.”

Veronica felt a soft surge of guilt at her own impatience.

“I know,” she sighed, and gently squeezed Calvin’s free hand. “I know this means a lot to me, and I don’t want you to think I’m just going through the motions. This is important to me, too, and I am going to conduct myself in a way that will be sure to reflect very highly upon you.”

Calvin smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said.

The elevator let out a soft chime, and the doors slid open.

“Here I am,” Calvin sighed, and Veronica heard a bit of tension creep back into his voice. “You know what to do?”

Veronica nodded and gave him a smile.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “Have a good day at work.”

“I will,” he said. “Give me a call when you finish the interview! I want to hear all about it.”

“I will,” Veronica nodded. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Calvin smiled, and disembarked from the elevator.

Veronica let out a soft sigh of relief that Calvin was gone. She did love him, but he certainly was a little oppressive when it came to relying on her to do just about anything. A part of her wished he would just trust her to be an adult and stop hovering over her. But another part of her recognized that he was probably only acting this way because he cared.

Still, Veronica couldn’t dwell on these thoughts, as she had to begin to mentally prepare for her interview. As the elevator headed up to the top floor, she focused her mind and went through all the possible questions he could ask her, and created a set of potential answers for them.

With another soft ding, the elevator doors opened, letting her out into a small foyer area, with a large reception desk and a row of soft chairs and a couch. Veronica felt a flutter of nerves as she approached the desk. As she drew nearer, the woman behind the desk, presumably Lynn, looked up and smiled at her.

“Good morning,” the woman, a brunette in her middle ages, smiled at her. “How can I help you?”

“Hello,” Veronica greeted her politely. “I’m Veronica Lawrence, I have a meeting with Mr. Davenport at nine.”

“Oh, of course,” Lynn gave her a smile. “You’re right on schedule. Mr. Davenport just got in. Let me tell him you’re here, and you can probably get started with your interview a little early. Just have a seat and I’ll be right back with you in just a moment.”

“Thank you,” Veronica smiled, a little surprised by the courtesy that the secretary had displayed. She took a seat on the edge of a nearby chair and took a breath to calm the nerves that had begun to flutter in her stomach. She wrung her hands a little on the edge of her briefcase and closed her eyes.

“Miss Lawrence?” Veronica heard Lynn’s voice, and she immediately looked up. “Mr. Davenport will see you now.”

Veronica gave her a nod and a smile, and she stood to approach the door.

She moved over to where Lynn stood, holding the door for her, a pleasant smile on her face.

“Just relax and stick to your guns,” Lynn advised her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Be yourself- if there’s one thing he can’t stand, its people trying to fake him out.”

Veronica blinked, more than a little surprised by genuineness that this complete stranger was displaying. It was altogether very comforting, and Veronica felt much more confident.

“Thank you so much,” Veronica said, her appreciation very evident in her tone.

“Of course,” Lynn smiled. “Ready?”

Veronica took another breath and then nodded. Lynn opened the door, and Veronica stepped inside.

* * *

Upon setting foot in the room, Veronica had to work hard to keep her jaw from dropping. She had heard of the illustrious Frank Davenport, and his intelligence and wit, but she had never had the pleasure of seeing the man in person.

The man was nothing short of absolutely gorgeous. Though he was approaching his middle ages, he had kept himself in fine shape, his perfectly tailored suit serving to display his broad, likely muscular physique. His skin was several shades darker than her own, and his nearly black eyes seemed to gleam with intelligence. His face was framed by a well-kept beard and his hair was artfully faded, with immaculate edges.

“Good morning Miss. Lawrence,” he greeted her, his voice rolling out smooth and low. “I see you are punctual- already a good first impression.”

Veronica nearly had to shake her head to refocus her mind. She was, after all, here for a professional interview on the recommendation of her boyfriend. She was certainly not here to ogle her potential employer.

“Thank you,” Veronica smiled, trying not to betray all her nerves, or the paths that her mind had taken.

“Please, have a seat,” Davenport gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk, and she moved toward it, sitting down on the edge of the seat, and immediately reaching into her briefcase to pull out her resume.

“Oh I’m not really interested in going through any paperwork,” Davenport held up his hand, and Veronica blinked up at him. She sat back up in her seat and shifted a little uncomfortably. This interview was already taking a far different turn than what she had expected.

“It’s a little formal to call this an interview,” Davenport admitted with a shrug. “Honestly, I would have preferred to discuss all this over a coffee. Or maybe you’d like something stronger?”

Davenport gestured to a small stand beside his desk, on which was a variety of decanters filled with all manner of amber liquids.

“Coffee is fine,” Veronica spoke up, managing to keep her voice level in spite of her accelerating heartrate.

“Coffee suits me better in the morning as well,” Davenport shot her a blindingly white smile as he rose and crossed the office to a counter along one wall where a coffee maker was situated. She watched as he poured out two mugs, and brought them back over.

He placed them on the side table between the two chairs in front of his desk, and Veronica was more than a little surprised that instead of resuming his place behind his desk, he took up a place in the chair beside her. He sat back in the chair and picked up his mug, bringing it to his lips.

“Oh,” he said suddenly. “Do you take cream or sugar? I take mine black, so I just forgot to ask.”

“Both, actually,” Veronica said. She would have just taken it black, but she remembered what Lynn had said about trying to fake him out, so she decided to just be honest.

Davenport gave her a smile, and once again rose and crossed to a small cabinet, withdrawing a box of miniature coffee creamers and a box of sugar cubes. He set those, too, on the side table, as well as a mixing spoon.

Veronica hurried to fix her coffee, and then rose the mug to her lips, doing her best to keep her hands from shaking. She could feel Davenport’s eyes on her the entire time, and she couldn’t ignore the reaction it inspired deep in her stomach.

“So,” Davenport spoke after they had both sipped at their coffees for a moment. “Tell me about yourself and your business.”

“Well,” Veronica cleared her throat, setting down her coffee on the nightstand beside her. “I started out just babysitting other kids in my neighborhood when I was in high school. I started out doing it for free, but I eventually figured out I could make some money doing it. I love working with the kids. I actually considered getting my degree in education instead of business.”

“Oh wow,” Davenport raised his brows. “So you have a degree?”

“Yes,” Veronica nodded. “It’s only really been a couple of years.

“And you were never tempted to go explore other options?” Davenport asked, and she could hear the genuine curiosity in his voice.

“Well, I considered it,” Veronica nodded. “But at the end of the day, I have always wanted to keep up the babysitting. But with my education, I run it more like a business than I did before. It has been very helpful.”

Davenport nodded and gave her a smile, though his thoughts seemed to be elsewhere.

“You seem like a very driven and committed young woman,” he noted, and Veronica heard a shift in his tone. She blinked, taken slightly off-guard by the comment, but she assured herself that it was just meant to be polite.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Davenport wrapped his fingers around his coffee mug. “What are your rates?”

Veronica shifted a little in her seat.

“Well,” she started, trying to think of the most diplomatic way to say what she needed to say. “I don’t really have a flat fee. I create a plan for each family that I work for, according to their income and their ability to pay.”

“That’s very considerate of you,” Davenport noted, and Veronica blinked, more than a little surprised by his response.

“Some people have said it’s an irresponsible business decision,” Veronica noted, taking another drink from her mug.

“Not necessarily,” Davenport shrugged. “You’re building a good rapport with your clients, who will recommend you to friends, and ultimately increase your income. Even if you make less money in the short term, it does help to set you up for long term success. Good business decisions aren’t determined by the amount of money you bring in on a short-term basis.”

Veronica nodded. She couldn’t agree more.

“Besides,” Davenport went on, and his tone softened. “It speaks highly of your character to know that you are willing to be flexible when providing a service for those less fortunate.”

“Well, I certainly wasn’t always as fortunate as I am today,” Veronica said with a shrug.

“Neither was I,” Davenport let out a low chuckle.

“Oh?” Veronica raised her brows, curious.

“I grew up in the system,” Davenport confessed. “I didn’t always end up in the best homes.”

“Oh,” Veronica blinked, a surge of sympathy flowing through her. “Did you ever…?”

“Get adopted?” Davenport gave her a smirk. “No. I was in and out of homes until I aged out.”

Veronica couldn’t control her emotions for a moment. She hadn’t had the most opulent upbringing, but at the very least she had her family. She couldn’t imagine going through the nightmare of being transferred from one foster home to the next for the entirety of her childhood.

“I’m so sorry,” Veronica said, her voice soft. Davenport gave her a gentle smile.

“It’s quite alright,” he comforted her. “As you see, I managed to rise above my circumstances.”

Veronica could clearly see that was true, and she was glad that he had been able to elevate himself to this status.

“And as you can imagine, I want to do everything in my power to provide my little girls with the kind of childhood that I didn’t have,” he explained. “Which is why I am looking for a nanny for them in the first place. And also, why I would very much like it if that nanny was you.”

* * *

Veronica choked a little on the coffee she had been sipping, her head spinning at the sudden turn in conversation.

“Are you serious?” Veronica asked, and Davenport laughed a little.

“I am very serious,” Davenport gave a single nod. “I am offering you the job if you want it.”

Veronica’s head spun. She had certainly not expected to be offered a job immediately in the interview.

“I don’t know what to say,” Veronica shook her head from side to side, still in disbelief.

“Well, don’t say anything for the moment,” Davenport held up a hand. “I will have Lynn send you home with a file of paperwork detailing the requirements of the job, the pay, and all manner of details. You can take it home and peruse it, and if you should say yes, you can sign the documents and report to my estate in the morning to start. If you have to decline for any reason, just send me an email, and I’ll understand completely.”

Veronica had to work hard to keep her jaw from dropping. This was all moving so fast, and she could hardly keep up. She shook her head a little, reminding herself that she had to respond.

“I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” Veronica said, laughing in disbelief. “Thank you so much.”

“Well, don’t thank me just yet,” Davenport laughed. “I’ve heard I can be a hard man to work for.”

Veronica laughed, and she followed suit as Davenport rose from his seat.

“It was a pleasure to meet you Miss Lawrence,” he said, holding out his hand, which Veronica immediately took and firmly shook.

“Again, I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity,” Veronica said, almost giddy.

Davenport laughed, and held his arm toward the door.

“Let me walk you out,” he offered. Veronica felt his hand on the small of her back, and she stiffened as she felt a shiver roll up her spine. She stopped cold, and looked up to meet Davenport’s intense gaze. She saw a glint of some emotion in his dark eyes, and she felt her mouth go dry.

They lingered that way for a long moment, and Veronica was certain that something had passed between them.

“After you,” Davenport spoke again, his voice sounding to her like a soft growl.

After another shiver racked her body, Veronica shook herself and moved forward toward the door. She couldn’t tell if she was more grateful or disappointed when they were no longer alone, greeted by Lynn.

“Lynn, will you give Miss Lawrence the necessary documentation to begin her employment?” Davenport addressed her politely. Lynn looked over at Veronica and her face lit up.

“Of course!” Lynn said happily, and turned to open a drawer of one of the filing cabinets behind her desk.

“I have to go back to my office and look over a few papers before my next meeting,” Davenport looked down at Veronica from his superior height. “It really was a pleasure meeting you today, and I certainly hope I will see you tomorrow. Until then, have a wonderful remainder of your day, and if I don’t see you, I hope you have a wonderful life.”

“It was a pleasure to meet you as well,” Veronica managed to say, though she was certainly having trouble forming coherent thoughts with his eyes lingering on her as they were. “And I hope the same.”

Davenport lingered for a moment more, letting his eyes sweep up and down her body, before he turned and stepped back into his office, the door closing behind him. Veronica stared at the door for a moment after it shut, her mind still racing from what had just happened.

“I think he likes you!” Lynn said excitedly as she placed the papers on the desk for Veronica to retrieve. “Congratulations! I think that was the fastest interview he’s ever had! Well, at least since I’ve started working here.”

“Thank you,” Veronica said as she collected the papers, sliding them into her briefcase. She felt numb, and she couldn’t get the image of Davenport’s dark eyes out of her head.

“All you have to do is read over them and sign on the dotted lines,” Lynn said cheerily.

“Thanks,” Veronica said. “It was great to meet you, and thank you so much for being so encouraging and positive.”

“Just doing my job,” Lynn smiled brightly. “Have a wonderful day!”

“You too,” Veronica smiled, and then headed back toward the elevator.

Veronica couldn’t stop thinking about her interview as she headed out of the building and down the street back toward her apartment. Her mind was a little hazy, and while she wanted to be feeling excitement over her new job, her mind lingered instead on the man who had given it to her.

There was something about being near to him that made her feel electric. Like he was passing his energy directly into her just through his proximity. His easy smile and low voice served to draw her in, but the constant fire in his eyes kept her just enough on edge to keep her from getting too close.

It was a delightful combination, and she contemplated her own reaction to him even as she arrived at her apartment, being sure to close and lock the door behind her. She moved into her bedroom and changed out of her dress clothes, hanging them back up in the closet, except for her shirt, which she tossed in the hamper.

She still had a few hours before she had to babysit, so she decided to head to the gym. She changed into a pair of yoga pants and a sports bra and tank top and tightly tied on her tennis shoes. The gym was only a half- mile away, so she set off at a jog.

As she made her way there, she felt the reality of her situation sink in. Frank Davenport had offered her the job. This created a complicated mix of emotions within her. While she was happy to have gotten it, she knew this meant that she would be in close proximity to him… and she wasn’t entirely sure how that made her feel.

Veronica tried to sort through her emotions as she worked out, which was having a negative impact on her form, and keeping her from getting the most out of her time there. Frustrated, she set down the dumbbells she had been trying to curl, and moved over to get a drink from the fountain.

She shook her head, and determined to focus enough to get through the rest of her workout. She was by no means skinny, but she loved to be healthy, and to maintain her curvaceous figure. So, she cleared her mind, and got through the rest of her workout, and then jogged home.

Once inside, she stretched herself out and then undressed to get in the shower, wrapping her hair up before stepping under the flow of the water. Once she was clean, she moisturized her skin with coconut oil and changed into a loose t-shirt and some shorts, then moved to sit on the couch and watch TV before she had to start getting ready for work.

No sooner had she settled on the couch than her phone started to vibrate on the coffee table. She looked at the screen, and her Picture ID of Calvin appeared on the screen. She picked up the phone and answered it.

“Hello,” she answered easily, her eyes still lingering on the show she had been watching.

“Hey, you never called me!” Calvin said, his voice full of energy. Veronica felt a surge of guilt, not just for forgetting to call him, but for all the thoughts she had been having about Davenport.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Veronica sat up on the couch, and picked up the remote, turning off the television. “I just completely forgot.”

“It’s okay, you’re fine,” Calvin insisted, and Veronica could tell he was eager to hear about the interview. “How did it go?”

Veronica hesitated a moment, wanting to leave him in as much suspense as she possibly could.

“It went...” Veronica hesitated, and dragged it on for as long as possible. “It went great. He offered me the job.”

“Veronica that’s amazing!” Calvin shouted into the phone, and Veronica pulled the receiver away from her ear.

“I know, I know,” she laughed lightly into the phone. “I could hardly believe it.”

“Well wait hold on,” Calvin sounded suddenly concerned. “You said he offered you the job?”

“Yes,” Veronica confirmed.

“Well did you take it?” he asked, his voice insistent.

“Not yet,” Veronica answered.

“What?” Calvin exclaimed. “Why not?”

“Well, he gave me a bunch of paperwork to go through,” Veronica explained. “He said to look it over, and that I could make my decision from there.”

“Well, have you looked at it?” Calvin asked her, and she could hear the irritation creeping into his voice.

“Not yet,” Veronica said none too snappily. “I thought it would be best if we looked through it together. I don’t want to make any decisions without your input.”

“Oh…” Calvin said, and she could hear his tone become gentler. “I guess that’s very thoughtful of you.”

“Yeah,” Veronica sighed into the phone, shaking her head. “I was thinking we could go over it tonight after dinner, since Mr. Davenport wants my answer by tomorrow.”

“Wow,” Calvin said, his voice surprised. “That seems a little soon.”

“Well, there’s not much paperwork,” Veronica shrugged.

“Well, I mean it’s a good job,” Calvin mused. “I hope you’re considering saying yes.”

“Oh, I am,” Veronica nodded, though she felt a little guilty for her own reasons for wanting to accept the job, an image of Davenport floating around in her mind. “I think it should be a really good job.”

Veronica heard Calvin release a sigh over the phone.

“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Calvin laughed lightly. “I was afraid you wouldn’t want to take the job even if he offered it.”

“Well we can look through the paperwork together tonight, and we will make a decision together,” Veronica said, knowing those were the words that would make him the happiest.

“Wow, I honesty just can’t believe you’re being so open,” Calvin said. “I know we still have to go through the paperwork and everything, but I just want to say again that I’m already so happy with your giving all this a go in the first place.”

“Well whatever it takes to make you happy,” Veronica said, and she hoped he didn’t hear the hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“Well I really appreciate that,” Calvin said, and Veronica felt a little guilty again.

“Alright, well you get back to work,” Veronica said. “I’m going to start getting ready for work.”

“Okay babe,” Calvin said nicely. “I’ll see you when I get home tonight.”

“See you,” Veronica said monotonously. “Bye.”

* * *

Veronica set the phone back on the coffee table with a sigh. She knew she couldn’t ever tell Calvin about how attracted she was to Davenport, but a part of her felt like concealing that fact was deceptive. At the end of the day, she was only concealing it to spare his feelings, and that would have to be enough.

Besides, it wasn’t as if anything would ever come of her attraction to Frank Davenport. He was likely the object of attraction for many women, and surely nothing ever came of it. After all, he was hiring her as his babysitter, so there was likely already another woman in his life.

Veronica shook her head and decided to focus on the job she had at hand. This was a particularly good group of kids, and all she would have to do was watch them for a couple of hours before their parents got home from work.

Veronica changed into a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt, then gathered up her purse and left the house, being sure to bring her wallet and phone charger with her just in case.

It didn’t take her long to arrive at the house, just before the kids got there. She liked working with them. The oldest, a girl, liked to sit and read, and the younger one liked to talk to her about whatever had happened throughout his day. The hours passed quickly, and before long their parents were home.

By the time she returned home, it was about six thirty at night. She was already mentally preparing herself for the dinner she would have to cook, and to read over the paperwork Davenport had given her. She turned her key in the lock and stepped into the house, only to be taken completely by surprise.

Calvin stood by her chair at the dining table, which was decorated by a red tablecloth, and had a candle burning in the center. On the plates was her favorite dish, chicken parmesan, as well as a large bowl of salad. She looked up at him surprise, and his face broke out in a smile.

“This is…” Veronica started, and struggled to find words. “Wow.”

“I wanted to surprise you!” Calvin laughed, and moved to take her purse from her shoulder, setting it by the hall tree. He then led her over to the table, pulling out a chair for her and helping her to sit down.

“Well I’m definitely surprised,” Veronica said, giving him a soft smile.

“I am just really happy for you,” Calvin said, leaning down to give her a kiss. “And I can’t wait to look through all this paperwork with you so that we can decide if you actually want to take the job!”

Veronica nodded, and began to help herself to the salad he had prepared for her.

“I mean, whatever you decide,” Calvin waved a fork in the air as he spoke. “I’m happy you even went to the interview and that you impressed him enough that he offered you the job.”

Veronica felt a little deceitful. If Calvin had seen the relaxed, almost too personal nature of the interview, he would likely not have been half as impressed. Still, she had not seen Calvin so excited or even remotely happy in months, and she didn’t want to lose the atmosphere of the moment.

“Well maybe we can celebrate a little after we look through all the paperwork,” Veronica suggested, allowing her voice to take on a darker inflection.

Calvin looked up at her and blinked, obviously taken aback by the suggestion.

“Oh, well I mean yeah, we’ll have to see!” he said, and Veronica couldn’t help but be a little disappointed by his lack of enthusiasm. Still, he had done all this for her, and to pressure him into having sex wouldn’t exactly be very fair of her.

Veronica allowed them to settle into a comfortable silence. She did her best to enjoy her meal, but she could feel that Calvin was practically itching to just clear the table and break out the paperwork. So, as much as she would have liked to relax and savor this meal, she hurried up for his sake.

When they were finished, they both worked together to clear the table and clean the dishes. Then, without prompting, Veronica moved to retrieve her briefcase. She moved over to the couch in front of the coffee table, and spread out the papers along its surface.

Calvin was at her side in almost an instant, eagerly looking over the multiple sheets of paper.

“Okay, we can take turns reading all the papers, and when we are both finished,” she said calmly. “We can discuss the contents. Deal?”

“Deal,” Calvin said eagerly, and immediately snatched up the thickest stack of papers.

Veronica sighed a little, and took up a paper of her own. Over the course of about thirty minutes, they had both read all the papers. For the most part, it was all standard issue legal information, including a nondisclosure agreement. That was not unexpected for Veronica, as she would be working in his home and she would be bound to be exposed to something or other that he didn’t want discussed in the long run.

What Veronica did not expect, though, was for a part of their arrangement to be that she take up residence in his home. There would be a private room and bathroom expressly for her, and she would have complete access to the kitchen. The purpose of this was that he often had to be away on business, and he needed someone whose presence his children could become accustomed to.

In addition to watching his children, she was expected to take care of a few of various household tasks. While there was a housekeeping staff, there were a few things that required a more personal touch, such as cleaning bedrooms and doing laundry. This took Veronica a little off guard, but it was nothing too different than what she did at the houses she already worked for.

She would not be expected to remain at the house at absolutely all times, and she would be allowed to take time for herself if it was needed. Any time he was at the home in the afternoons and evenings, she would not be required to be there, but she was to be in the house by ten o’clock each night, unless she had requested off. Which, if he was at work in the day, meant she essentially had a full-time job.

Incidentally, that also meant that she had a full-time salary. He was offering her a hundred thousand dollars to do all this, as well as bonuses and tips whenever he saw fit. She would also get bonuses for going on vacation with him and his family, which seemed to her like a two-fold benefit.

Altogether, this whole deal seemed like an absolute dream come true. The pay would be more than enough to satisfy Calvin, and that was what he had seemed most concerned about. In addition, he would be saving money that he could have been spending on food. He could probably also move into a smaller apartment by himself, since she would be living at Davenport’s home.

Secretly, Veronica was grateful for the opportunity to move away from Calvin and spend her time elsewhere. Living together had, in her opinion, not really served to benefit their relationship. Spending so much time together, in her opinion, seemed to subtract from their intimacy, and caused them to fall into a pattern. To Veronica, it seemed like the separation would, in fact, be a good thing.

Veronica determined that she did, in fact, want to take the job. The money alone was too good to pass up, and all the other factors only served to make her more determined to go through with it. She would listen to what Calvin had to say about it, and truly listen to what he had to say, but ultimately the decision was hers, and she had all but made it.

“So,” Veronica spoke as she gathered up all the papers into one pile. “What do you think? Calvin seemed deep in thought, his eyebrows meeting in a frown in the center of his head. His fingers stroked over his chin as he thought, and Veronica fought the temptation to roll her eyes.

“Well I think the pay is a great deal,” Calvin offered, though his tone did not seem very thrilled. “And the duties outline in the subscription don’t seem too far out of the norm of what you do at anyone else’s house for a lot less money than what he’s offering you.”

Veronica nodded silently. She could already tell that there was a ‘but’ coming up, and she was already preparing her rebuttal.

“I have to be honest with you though,” Calvin said, and ran a hand over his face. “I don’t really like the idea of you taking up residence over there. It just seems like a little bit too much to ask, in my opinion.”

“Well,” Veronica said slowly, folding her hands in her lap. “He did explain that the reason he wants me there as a permanent resident is just to take care of the kids. He probably just doesn’t want to deal with wet beds and kids coming up to him to talk about bad dreams. He probably just wants to be able to come home and have a good night’s rest.”

Calvin blinked, and frowned.

“I don’t know,” Calvin shook his head. “I just really don’t think it’s the most… appropriate thing for you to live there.”

Veronica felt the first sparks of irritation.

“The contract explained that several of his household staff reside there,” Veronica explained as calmly as possible. “And my situation would be no different.”

Veronica watched as Calvin seemed to undergo some kind of internal struggle. She knew that he wanted to say something, but was obviously reluctant to do so.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked him as gently as she could.

Calvin looked over at her and released a sigh.

“I mean it’s just,” Calvin said softly, and gestured to the room around him. “We have this great setup here. We moved in together, we’re in a serious relationship. I think we’ve got a great thing going here. And to just lose all that for the sake of a job? I don’t know. The job is supposed to help supplement all this, not lose it altogether.”

Veronica listened, and she supposed he was making good sense. Still, as much sense as he was making, she couldn’t really bring herself to completely agree.

“Well you make a good point,” Veronica said, speaking as slowly and gently as she could. “But honestly, what we have here together… is it really that great?”

* * *

Calvin’s face fell, and then contorted into an expression of confusion. Veronica nearly groaned, knowing that their conversation was now going to take a much different turn.

“What do you mean?” Calvin asked, shifting on the couch to face her more head on.

“I think…” Veronica paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. “I think that maybe the situation we’ve created for ourselves is not the situation that’s for the best in the long run.”

An expression of hurt passed over Calvin’s face, and he said nothing. Veronica felt a twinge of guilt, but she knew that she had opened the door, and that she couldn’t very well close it now.

“All we’ve managed to do by living together,” Veronica explained slowly. “Is fall into a routine, and lose all the variety in our life. There’s no spontaneity. There’s no romance. We have a set schedule. We barely go out because you’re so disappointed by the way I conduct my work and you’re worried we’ll go broke.”

As she spoke, Veronica started thinking less and less of how it would impact Calvin, and more about how good it felt to finally get some of these frustrations off her chest.

“I am grateful to live here, and at first it was nice to live with you,” she went on. “But now, I just feel like I’ve been here for the past ten years. We live together, but it’s like all that I do create more problems, without the added benefit of closeness and intimacy. Speaking of which, we also barely ever have sex anymore, and what’s the point of even having our own place together if we don’t even need the privacy.”

Calvin looked shocked by the admission, and she could tell that her comment about their sex life had made him a little uncomfortable.

“I’m… sorry,” Calvin shook his head. “I had barely even noticed.”

“Calvin,” Veronica said, her tone slightly accusing. “I try to come onto you every single night, and I’m lucky if I get any kind of action every two weeks. I hate to break it to you, but that’s really not enough for me. And it certainly doesn’t justify staying here where I have to pay rent when I could just live somewhere else and get paid to do it.”

Calvin still looked a little affronted, and Veronica could all but see the wheels turning in his head as he processed her words.

“I just really think,” Veronica said softly, reaching out to place her hand on his knee. “That this situation could end up being really good for us. We can both spend some time on our own and figure things out for a little while. And eventually, maybe we can try living together again. But for now, I think it will be better if I move out, and you could find a smaller place to live on your own. The contract did say he would pay to break the lease if it inconvenienced me.”

Calvin nodded, but was silent. He seemed a little dejected, and again Veronica felt a little guilty.

“Hey,” she said softly, looking over toward him. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” Calvin nodded, giving her a small smile. “I just had no idea things were like that for you. I mean, I know I was riding you about your job. But I really had no idea you were feeling any of these other things.”

“Well,” Veronica said, shrugging. “I am.”

Calvin was quiet for another long moment. Veronica sighed and ran a hand over her face.

“Look,” she said, standing up from the couch. “I’m going to go take a shower, and you can think all this over. I’ve made my decision, but I can see you need time to process all this.”

Calvin looked up at her, and it looked as though he was about to speak, but he closed his mouth and nodded. Veronica nodded, too, and headed back into their bedroom to shower.

Veronica took her time, as much for Calvin as for herself. She had known this would be hard for him, and he deserved time to accept it. She knew that they still had things to discuss, like packing and a place for him to live. Ultimately, though, it was in essence a done deal.

Veronica got out of the shower and went through her post-shower moisturizing ritual, and then unwrapped her hair. She wrapped her towel around her body and then stepped back into the bedroom. She crossed to her dresser and withdrew a pair of shorts and a tank top, dressed herself in it, then returned to the bathroom to hang her towel up on the rack.

Veronica looked at herself in the mirror for a moment and released a soft sigh. She hadn’t expected for this decision to be so easy, and she felt a little guilty that she had hardly struggled with it at all, particularly given the specific circumstances. She knew, though, that if things between her and Calvin kept going the way they were, their relationship would be on a fast track to demise.

Veronica shut off the light in the bathroom and stepped back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She blinked and sighed softly to see Calvin already laid out on the bed, looking over at her somewhat expectantly.

Silently, Veronica moved to get on her side of the bed, then covered herself with the comforter. She was more than a little surprised when Calvin scooted closer to her, pressing his side to hers. She looked up raising both her eyebrows.

Calvin said nothing, but lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Veronica blinked in surprise, and softly kissed him back, juts as an instinctive reaction. Calvin deepened the kiss a little, and moved his hand to cup her cheek.

Veronica knew that this was just Calvin trying to respond to her complaints with a display of intimacy, and that she should stop him, knowing very well that it wasn’t going to change her mind. Still, they hadn’t been intimate in what felt like ages, and Veronica couldn’t help but feel her body respond.

Calvin’s hand moved lower, and he took up the hem of her tank top. Veronica raised her arms so she could help him to raise it up over her head. He disposed of the shirt, and then removed his own. Calvin kept himself in fairly good shape, and he sported a lean, toned physique.

Veronica felt Calvin’s hand at her hips, and she allowed him to lower the shorts down her legs. Calvin kissed the top of her thighs, and ran his hand between them. Veronica moaned a little as he brushed against her slit.

“Sorry,” she whispered. She knew that Calvin didn’t like for her to make any kind of noise, always afraid he would get a reputation for annoying his neighbors.

Calvin said nothing, and kidded a line up her thigh to her hip, and then over to her mound. Veronica tilted her hips up, and hoped that he would move lower. Calvin hadn’t given her oral since the early days of their relationship, and she certainly wished that hadn’t phased out of their relationship.

Alas, Calvin moved up her body, and she could soon feel his hardness brushing up against her thigh. She felt a surge of excitement, and she bit her lip to keep from voicing her excitement. She moved her hands to the waistband of Calvin’s shorts, and began to push them down over his hips and down his legs.

When the shorts were completely removed, Veronica looked up at Calvin expectantly. Calvin, in turn, shifted his weight and situated himself so that his tip was aligned with her slit, and before she could even anticipate the motion, he slid into her.

Veronica arched her back into his thrusts, and allowed a soft thrum of pleasure to fill her body. She arched up to meet him as he increased his pace, and she heard his breathing start to come in soft pants. She felt Calvin’s cock tighten inside of her and she felt him jerk a couple of times.

Veronica felt the familiar surge of disappointment as Calvin sighed to his completion, slowing his movements as he softened. Veronica was still twitching with her own desire, but the only feeling she was rewarded with was that of Calvin withdrawing from inside of her.

Calvin settled down beside her and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Was that what you were missing?” he whispered softly into her ear.

Veronica offered him a smile, then reached to her nightstand and pulled out a few tissues to clean herself up at least minimally, then rolled out of bed to go to the bathroom and do a better job. She wet a washcloth with warm water and washed between her legs, then tossed it in the hamper before making her way back to bed.

She laid herself down and then turned off the lamp. Calvin leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Goodnight,” Calvin murmured softly into her ear.

“Goodnight,” Veronica answered. “I’m going to report to work tomorrow and sort out the details of my employment for Davenport.”

Calvin stiffened in the bed and was quiet for a long moment.

“If that’s really what you want,” he said a little shortly. “I can’t stop you.”

Veronica said nothing. He was right, and they both already knew it. With a sigh, she turned over onto her side and looked over at him.

“It’s a good opportunity,” Veronica said softly.

“I know,” Calvin nodded, offering her a smile that didn’t touch his eyes. “I just… pictured all this a little differently.”

“Me too,” Veronica lifted her hand and cupped his cheek.

They remained that way for a moment, silent.

“Well,” Calvin sighed, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her palm. “I guess we’d better get to sleep.”

“Yeah,” Veronica murmured.

“Well, goodnight,” Calvin said, and settled down into the bed.

“Goodnight,” Veronica responded, and settled into the bed as well.

She felt Calvin wrap his body around hers, and she didn’t protest. She knew that this would be the last night they spent together for a long while. She wanted to feel more sentimental, but the feelings never stirred within her. She simply made herself comfortable and fell asleep.

* * *

When Veronica’s alarm went off in the morning, she was a little surprised to find that Calvin was no longer in bed with her. She looked around for a moment, wondering if he was in the shower. She listened for a moment to try and tell if he was in the kitchen, but she heard nothing.

She rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom, brushing her teeth. She realized about halfway through that she was headed to Davenport’s estate today, and her stomach fluttered with excitement, and not entirely about getting such an incredible job. She wondered if Davenport would be there to greet her himself, or one of his associates.

Veronica scolded herself for her wayward thoughts. She may be moving out, but she was still with Calvin, and Davenport was off limits.

Veronica moved out of the bathroom and headed to her closet. She carefully selected a simple outfit of a white blouse, a black blazer and a matching pencil skirt. She would likely have to be more practical with her wardrobe in the future for her tasks around the house, but for her first day she figured something nicer couldn’t hurt.

Once she was satisfied with her wardrobe, she considered the fact that she was to start living there immediately. The paperwork had said Davenport would arrange movers to come to her apartment and collect her items, but he had perhaps not accounted for the fact that she lived with Calvin.

So, she collected a few sets of clothes, and put them into a small suitcase. Then, she would speak with Davenport about her situation, but still be able to stay there as per his request. When she was fully packed, she gathered up her suitcase and purse and headed down to the ground floor of their apartment building.

Veronica stepped out onto the street and reached into her pocket for the business card that had been among the papers Davenport had given her. The number on the card was for a driver that would take her to the estate. She felt a flash of nerves and excitement and dialled the number.

“Thomas Elkhart speaking,” a man answered after the first ring. Veronica recognized it as the name on the card.

“Hello,” Veronica said, feeling a little awkward. “I’m Veronica Lawrence, I’m starting work at Mr. Davenport’s estate today. I was told to call this number to get there.”

“Certainly Miss Lawrence,” the man answered pleasantly. “I have your address right here and I will be there to collect you shortly.”

“Oh,” Veronica blinked in surprise. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” the man said, and the phone went dead.

Veronica felt another flash of nerves and excitement. She set her suitcase on the sidewalk and sat on top of it as she waited. It was not long until a car pulled up on the curb just in front of her. She stood, and the driver, fully dressed in a crisp black suit, stepped out of the car.

“Miss Lawrence?” he asked her, a smile on his face.

“Yes,” Veronica nodded, moving to pick up her suitcase, but he beat her to it.

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” he said kindly, moving to put her suitcase in the trunk of the car. “I’m Thomas.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Veronica replied.

Thomas moved to the rear passenger’s side door and opened it for her. Veronica stepped into the car and allowed him to close the door behind her. She buckled her seatbelt, and waited for Thomas to seat himself in the driver’s seat.

Soon, they were moving back on the road. Veronica felt her heart pounding in her chest as they navigated outside of the city and into the more richly populated areas on the outskirts. More and more space began to form between homes, until the countryside surrounded them.

Finally, they turned down a long driveway and approached a large gate between brick pillars. Thomas pressed a button on a remote he had on him, and the gate began to draw back and open, allowing them access to the rest of the driveway.

Veronica allowed herself to look ahead, and her jaw nearly dropped as she took in the sight of his home. It was not quite a mansion, but it was still a very large home. She could see that outside was a pool house, and there was surely a pool to go along with it. There was a fountain in the circle drive, and there was yet another gate to pass, this one situated between more brick columns, but gold instead of the black of the first.

Thomas once again pressed a button on the remote, and the gate opened inward. Thomas drove into the circle drive, and he stopped when they were in front of the entry to the home.

Thomas stepped out of the car and moved to her door, then opened it. He offered his hand to her and she took it, allowing him to help her onto the driveway. He stepped away to get her suitcase out of the trunk.

“Right this way,” he smiled and gestured toward the staircase leading up to the door.

Veronica nodded, awe still written across her face as she took in the beauty of the large home. As they approached the door, Thomas moved to the side and pressed a small button, and Veronica could hear the sound of the doorbell ringing through the large home.

Promptly, the door swung outward, and a woman, apparently in her thirties, appeared to greet them.

“Mrs. Martinez,” Thomas spoke up. “This is Miss Lawrence, our new nanny.”

“Of course, and you can call me Maria,” the woman gave her an easy smile. “We were hoping you would accept the offer. Mr. Davenport made it very clear that you were his first choice.”

Veronica felt her stomach flip at that information.

“Mr. Davenport is, of course, at work,” Maria went on, and Veronica couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. “But he will be returning this afternoon, as is his usual. Until then, I’ll be introducing you to the girls and showing you around the house, letting you know what you’ll be responsible. Oh, and of course showing you your living space.”

Veronica nodded.

“Alright, well I’ll leave you ladies to it,” Thomas said, moving to excuse himself. “Miss Lawrence, here is your suitcase. It was a pleasure to meet you, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around a lot more in the very near future.”

“I’m sure,” Veronica smiled up at him. “It was very nice to meet you too.”

With a smile, Thomas went back down the staircase and moved back over to the car, driving it away.

“Here, let’s get you inside,” Maria smiled, and gestured to the inside of the home.

Veronica took up her suitcase and followed Maria. Veronica barely kept her jaw from dropping as she took in the splendor of the foyer. It was like something someone would see in a movie. There were marble floors and even a staircase leading up to the second floor.

“Yeah,” Maria chuckled at her. “It’s a lot to adjust to, but trust me, you will.”

Veronica gave a soft laugh, and she followed Maria as she led her further into the house.

Maria gave her a brief tour of the living room and the kitchen as they passed through. Both the rooms were outfitted with obviously extravagant and expensive furniture and appliances, and Veronica wondered where in the world he would even get any of these things from.

She was a little surprised when Maria led her out of the house, and to the pool. It was large and plain square, and off in one corner there was a small gazebo, and under its shelter was a hot tub.

“The girls love to swim,” Maria explained. “So you’ll have plenty of opportunities to come out and enjoy the weather.”

Veronica nodded.

“So do you live here at the estate as well?” Veronica asked as they made their way around the pool.

“No, I’m just one of the daytime staffers,” Maria explained. “We do all the work in the day so the property is empty when Mr. Davenport comes home for the evening. Except for his security team, of course.”

“And the nanny,” Veronica assumed.

“And the nanny,” Maria verified with a smile.

They finally made it to the door of the pool house. Maria withdrew a key from her pocket and opened the door.

“This is the pool house,” Maria explained. “There is a shower just out here so you can all get clean after a swim.”

Veronica nodded.

“Whenever guests come to stay, this is where they generally take up lodging,” Maria explained.

Veronica nodded, taking in all the information.

With that, Maria locked the door again and led Veronica back to the house through another of its doors. This door opened up into what appeared to be a more informal version of a living room.

“This is the den,” Maria explained. “This is where the girls like to play and Mr. Davenport will watch football or movies or whatever.”

Veronica nodded more as they walked, and they approached another staircase, this one far less grand than the first. Veronica soon discovered, though, that they led the same place, as she could see the main one from down a hallway.

There was a large open space that led to four different hallways. In the main area, there was a couch, as well a few chests and decorative boxes.

“The girl’s toys are in there,” Maria explained, and Veronica smiled as she was led to one of the hallways in each of the corners of the body of the floor.

The hallways were much longer than Veronica would have ever expected, with doors lining either side.

“And here,” Maria said with a smile. “Is your room.”

Maria opened the door, and again Veronica could not keep the look of shock off of her face.

The room was large, and it was complete with a king-sized bed with a four-poster frame and curtains. The room also had a vintage vanity, a small cream colored sofa, and a chair, as well as a long bench at the foot of the bed. The bedclothes were a dusty rose color, and they complimented the cream colored walls and dark wood of the furniture and floors. To offset the hard word of the floor, there was a large, soft rug that matched the color of the bedding and tied the room together.

There was also a nook surrounded by a window where veronica could picture herself curling up and reading if she ever had the time to do so.

“And the bathroom is just over there, and your closet is there,” Maria pointed to two different doors.

“Thank you,” Veronica said, more than a little shocked by the opulence of her dwellings.

“Why don’t you take a minute to unpack what you’ve already brought,” Maria suggested. “And then I can give you the whole tour.”

“That sounds great,” Veronica nodded. Maria gave her a smile and then made her way out of the room.

* * *

Veronica sat down on the long bench at the foot of her bed and released a soft whoosh of air that had built up in her lungs. She was struggling to accept the fact that soon, this was going to become familiar to her, and it would be as natural as breathing to live here.

In a haze, Veronica unpacked her few belongings into the large walk-in closet. Her small quantity of clothes seemed even smaller compared to the size of the closet. Once the rest of her clothes were there, it wouldn’t seem quite so large, but there was no way they would fill it up either.

She put her suitcase in a corner of the closet and looked around, making sure she liked the way she had placed her clothes. She stepped out of the closet and took in the sight of her extravagant room once more, then she left and went downstairs to meet up with Maria.

Once there, Maria went through the house with great detail. She left no stone unturned, letting Veronica know what each and every room was, and which ones she was responsible for. By and large, the household staff took care of most of the things, but she was still responsible for the small maintenance items, and of course anything that the girls impacted.

“Speaking of the girls,” Veronica spoke up as they came up in conversation. “Where are they right now?”

“They’re out with the interim nanny,” Maria explained. “We just wanted to give you the chance to get the lay of the land and then meet them. They should be in at about noon; they went to see a movie.”

“Okay,” Veronica nodded. She appreciated the time she had been given to get to know the house, but her main job would be interacting with the girls, so she was eager to meet them.

“Well, that’s about all I’ve got for you,” Maria said, clapping her hands together. “Make yourself at home! Unless of course you have any questions.”

“Actually,” Veronica said, and Maria raised an eyebrow. “I do have some concerns about my moving situation.”

“Oh that,” Maria waved a hand. “Not even complicated. We have the best movers. We would just need your permission to enter the premises and we will take care of breaking the lease and everything. You don’t have to worry about any of that. And any furniture you have can either be sold or put into storage at Mr. Davenport’s expense at your discretion.”

“Actually, that’s just the issue,” Veronica spoke up. “I live with my boyfriend, so our things are kind of mixed up together.”

“Oh,” Maria blinked, as though that possibility hadn’t even crossed her mind. “Well that does complicate things a bit.”

Veronica waited as Maria seemed to think the situation over in her head.

“Well,” Maria frowned a little. “I’ll have to call Mr. Davenport and work out the situation with him. Do you mind if I step out for a moment?”

“Of course not,” Veronica smile pleasantly.

“The house is as good as yours,” Maria gestured around as she turned and pulled her phone out. “Make yourself at home.”

Veronica watched as Maria went out the kitchen door onto the porch in front of the pool. She couldn’t help but feel a little awkward, but she figured she may as well try to normalize all this as soon as possible. So, she moved into the kitchen and took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water from the sink.

She moved over to the breakfast bar and sat down on one of the cushioned stools. She sipped at her water as she went through a mental list of the things she was responsible for. She assumed she would likely do her set of chores while Davenport was at work so that she wouldn’t be disturbing him in the evenings when he was home. That certainly wouldn’t be hard, and she could do it all while keeping a close eye on the girls.

As Veronica was thinking of these things, Maria came back into the room, and she turned to look over at her.

“Mr. Davenport says not to worry,” Maria said with a calm smile. “He is going to take care of absolutely everything.”

Veronica frowned a little, and she opened her mouth as if to speak, but Maria held her hand up to stop her.

“Miss Lawrence,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “I have worked for Mr. Davenport for a few years now. When he says he’ll take care of something, he means it.”

Veronica blinked in a bit of surprise. She was used to fending for herself and being the stereotypical strong, independent black woman. Now, it seemed like someone was intent on making sure she was absolutely taken care of.

“Thank you for calling him,” Veronica said, at a loss for what else to say. “I really appreciate it.”

“You’re really going to like it here Veronica,” Maria said softly and genuinely. “Mr. Davenport makes sure that everyone on his staff wants for nothing. We’re like a family here.”

Veronica smiled. She wondered vaguely if it was because he hadn’t had a family of his own growing up that he spread his wealth to so many people.

“Well I’ll leave you to yourself,” Maria said. “If you need anything I’m sure you can find me. I’ll meet you in the foyer a little before noon so I can introduce you to the girls.”

“Sounds great,” Veronica gave her a smile. Maria nodded, and turned, walking quickly to some other part of the house.

Alone again, Veronica stood and took her glass over to the sink, washed it and put it back in the cabinet. Maybe it would be easier than she thought to adjust to life here.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur for Veronica. The girls, Ashley and Kaitlyn, arrived home promptly at noon, and had immediately attached themselves to Veronica’s legs.

Veronica had been shocked, but managed to laugh, naturally putting her hand on the back of their heads. The interim nanny, a woman who looked slightly younger than Veronica in spite of the bulge that revealed her pregnancy and the wedding band that adorned her left ring finger, laughed, and said her farewells to the girls.

From that moment on, it seemed almost as though the girls had known Veronica their entire lives. They got along immediately, and Veronica seamlessly integrated herself into their play and activities. She was so engrossed with them, in fact, that she hardly noticed when Mr. Davenport made it home for the afternoon.

When she finally noticed, him standing in the doorframe of Kaitlyn’s room, she felt her stomach do a flip. He was still dressed in a dark blue suit and a white shirt. His tie, a paisley affair, had been loosened, and it hung around his neck. He had a familiar twinkle in his eyes and a small smile as he watched them play. Veronica could have sworn, though, that they flashed with something darker as he looked at her.

“Don’t mind me,” he said in his smooth, deep voice, a smile warming his features. “I’m glad to see the three of you getting along.”

“Daddy!” the two girls cried excitedly, and rushed toward the man.

Veronica watched as he dropped down and scooped the girls up in his arms and gathered them to his chest, kissing them both on the top of their heads. Her heart melted a little to see how well he interacted with the girls.

She tried not to eavesdrop as they spilled the entire contents of their day to him as he patiently held them. When they had settled a little bit, he put them back down on the ground.

“Well I don’t know about you guys,” Davenport said to his daughters. “But I’m getting hungry. How does spaghetti sound?”

The girls made their delight known by squeals of excitement.

“Alright, well let’s all go downstairs then and I’ll get it started,” he chuckled and stood back up to his full height.

The girls took off down the stairs and Davenport looked over at Veronica with a smile, and that ever-present twinkle in his eye. Veronica suddenly felt that the air had gotten very thick, and it was significantly harder to breather.

“You accepted my offer,” he said, his tone obviously pleased.

“It was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Veronica said, wishing her tone was a little stronger. She couldn’t help but feel at a disadvantage, being in his home and a new member of his staff.

“I’m glad it pleased you,” he said, and she heard his tone soften and darken.

Veronica shifted a little, feeling a spark light up deep in her core. Her mind scolded her body, but there was little she could do to fight the fire when she knew very well that she desired him more than any man she had ever met in her life.

“Oh, by the way,” Davenport raised an eyebrow. “I settled all that business about your belongings with your boyfriend. Calvin, is it?”

“Oh, yes,” Veronica nodded, suppressing the way her body was itching to move closer to him, remembering that she was not at all single. Especially at the mention of Calvin. Somehow, though, that made her body even hotter.

“Yes, well,” Davenport went on. “I spoke with him, and he said he would be glad to separate your things and label them so my movers can proceed with their jobs tomorrow, and I assured him that I would be most glad to offer him an apartment at my building, and waive the deposit. I’ll also adjust the rate to be a bit lower than whatever he is currently paying on the apartment you shared with him.”

Veronica blinked, surprised. That would certainly solve the issue of finding Calvin another place to stay since she would be moving out.

“That’s very generous of you,” she noted, and Davenport chuckled.

“It’s not like I’m hurting for the money,” he quipped, gesturing to his lavish home with one hand. “Besides, had I known you two were living together, or even that you were in a relationship, I may have made some amendments to our agreement.”

“No amendments are necessary, I assure you,” Veronica said, and Davenport raised his brow. If his smirk was any indication, he had read her tone expertly. She felt a moment of guilt for the way she had just disregard Calvin, but at the same time she couldn’t feel too guilty for expressing her true feelings.

“Well,” he said softly. “We’d better get downstairs before the girls get into something.”

Veronica nodded, and made her way past Davenport to the main staircase. As she passed, she felt his hand at the small of her back, and she felt a shiver travel down her spine.

The two made it downstairs, and they proceeded to prepare a dinner of spaghetti and meat sauce. Veronica was surprised to find that Davenport was an expert at the dish, and she could tell that he was not a man to sit around and let his staff do everything. Veronica was a little surprised when Davenport laid a place for her at the table, but she did not object.

As they all enjoyed their meal, the girls chatted, and Davenport joined in. Veronica stayed quiet, content to listen. Soon, they were all finished with their meal. Veronica insisted that she would wash the dishes, so he and the girls moved into the den. Veronica smiled at the noise she heard coming from the room as she put the dishes back in their place.

When she was finished, she joined the small family in the den. They played a while, and then they settled down to watch a movie. Davenport and the girls took up the space of the couch, and Veronica settled herself into a chair.

All through the evening, Veronica could feel Davenport looking over at her. She could feel his eyes on her almost as heavily as if they were hands, and she found that goose bumps were constantly rising up on her skin. In addition, her nipples had grown painfully hard, and were pressing eagerly into the lace of her bra.

Veronica had to fight hard not to squirm in her chair. She could feel wetness between her legs, and she wanted nothing more than to reach between them and touch herself. She suddenly had a vivid image of herself in a chair, her legs spread and her fingers working at her dripping sex as Davenport watched her.

Veronica felt a flash of heat and she felt her sex throb. She pushed the image away and tried to focus on the Princess movie that the girls were watching.

When the movie ended, both girls were fast asleep on the couch.

Davenport shot Veronica a look and a smile, and she nodded, knowing just hat to do. Davenport took one, and she took the other up in her arms, and they carried them upstairs to their rooms.

Davenport checked in on Ashley, who Veronica had carried up. She watched silently as he placed a kiss on her forehead, and then moved over to the door. He flipped off the light and shut the door behind as he stepped out into the hall.

“Well,” Davenport whispered, so as not to rouse the sleeping girls. “You made it through your first day.”

Veronica smiled and looked down between her feet. His presence was overpowering, and the scent of his cologne filled her nostrils and clouded her thoughts.

“Join me for a nightcap?” Davenport asked her, raising an eyebrow.

Veronica looked up to see that dangerous smirk in his eye, and she nearly swooned then and there. Being so close to him had already been working her nerves raw. She knew very well that it would only be torture if she accepted his invitation, but she knew it would be delightful torture.

“Of course,” Veronica said softly and politely, and she saw a smile spread over his face.

Veronica could only swallow drily and follow as he made his way down the stairs. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt more than a little unsteady on her feet as she followed him. The house was lit dimly by the occasional lamp, and she couldn’t help but find the lighting very sensual.

She followed him past the kitchen and into Davenport’s home office. Inside, there was, of course, a desk, as well as a black leather couch and a couple of matching chairs. Davenport, though, moved toward a small bar in the back of the room, which was fully stocked with all manner of drinks and liquor.

“What’s your pleasure?” he asked her, moving to stand behind the bar.

“I’m not particular,” Veronica shrugged, feeling nerves creeping up on her now that they were alone. In an attempt to distract herself, she decided to take stock of her surroundings.

The office looked as though it had once been a sunroom, as the walls were virtually just windows. She looked outside of the room and into the darkness of the night outside.

“There’s nothing to worry about out there,” Davenport gave her a smirk as he moved to stand beside her, handing her a tumbler of a deep amber liquid. Veronica took a sip of it, the sweet burning filling her throat and warming her blood.

“It’s not what’s out there that I’m worried about,” Veronica confessed softly, and her eyes widened as she realized what had just come out of her mouth.

* * *

Veronica could feel Davenport’s eyes on her, and she turned to look back at him. He looked positively predatory, leaning against his desk, one hand braced against the edge and the other twirling his tumbler. His dark eyes burned into hers, and she could only swallow drily as he raised up his tumbler and drained it.

“Well, I assure you,” Davenport spoke, and stood back up to his full height, slowly moving toward her. “You have nothing to fear from me.”

Veronica felt a brief moment of disappointment, but she noticed that his demeanour had not changed, and he was still moving toward her slowly, but with intent and focus. She couldn’t help but flinch a little as he reached up and lightly traced his fingertips over the back of the hand she was holding the tumbler in. She vaguely thought it was a miracle she didn’t drop the glass right then and there.

“Don’t worry,” Davenport said softly, as his body moved so that he was mere inches away from her. “I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to.”

Davenport’s hand continued to travel up her arm, and he gently gripped at her elbow.

“If you want me to stop,” Davenport all but purred. “All you have to do is say so.”

Davenport took up the tumbler from her hand and placed it on a small side table beside them. He then took her free hand and ran his fingertips over her palm.

“Mr. Davenport…” Veronica began to protest a little, in spite of the way her body was responding to him already.

“Call me Frank,” he said, offering her a smile.

“I’m not sure this is entirely appropriate,” she protested, though she was certainly reluctant to do so. Her body was crying out to be touched at that point, and it was all she could do to keep from leaping upon him.

“Oh absolutely not,” he shook his head, and gave her a wry smile. “That’s why I don’t make a habit of it. But then again, there’s a first time for everything.”

Veronica gasped a little as she felt Frank move his hands to rest upon her waist. His touch was strong, but gentle all at once, and she felt her body begin to shake a little with the force of her lust.

“Are you sure there’s no one around?” Veronica asked in a hushed whisper. She had to admit that she wanted this. She had been attracted to the man from the moments she met him. Even now she could feel a dripping wetness between her legs, and he had barely even touched her.

Being in such close proximity to him throughout the evening had only served to light each of her nerve endings on fire. It was little wonder that she had found herself in this situation, but now that she was here, she was reluctant to take the final plunge. It was one thing to lust after her boss, but it was another to actually indulge in her desires.

“The girls are asleep,” Frank assured her softly, pulling her closer to him, so that their torsos were pressed against each other. “I have a guard posted at the main door. Who else are you expecting?”

“Your wife,” Veronica answered.

Frank immediately stiffened, and he took a slow step back from Veronica. His eyes searched her face, and Veronica couldn’t read his expression. After a moment, he blinked, and tilted his head to the side.

“My wife,” frank sighed, and smiled softly. “She died. In childbirth, actually.”

Veronica’s face dropped. She would never have brought up such a painful topic if she had known.

“I’m so, so sorry,” Veronica shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said anything…”

“It’s alright,” Frank said softly, and gave her a gentle smile. “How could you know? I lead a private life; it’s not like it was broadcast on the news.”

“I know, it’s just…” Veronica shook her head. “That’s awful, I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Frank let out a sigh, moving to intertwine his fingers with Veronica’s.

“Some days are harder than others,” he said softly, a small smile still on his face. “Today… was not hard at all.”

Veronica blinked at his words, and she felt a heat rise up in her face. Frank moved close to her again, and she slowly lowered his face toward hers, planting a soft kiss on her lips. Veronica blinked up at him as he pulled back.

“Now that we’ve opened that door, though,” Frank said, his voice a little rougher as his hands travelled to the hem of her shirt. “What about Calvin?”

Veronica barely suppressed a groan of annoyance as she heard his name. The sound dissolved in her throat, though, as Frank’s hands made their way under her shirt and his fingertips brushed against her naked skin.

“I…” Veronica let out breathlessly. “We’ve been together a long time.”

“Hm,” Frank uttered a sound, and moved closer, burying his face in her neck. She felt his teeth nibbling at her pulse point.

“I just…” Veronica moaned softly, her hips involuntarily arching she sucked at her collarbone. “I forgot how this feels…”

“So did I,” Frank breathed against her skin, and a shiver ran up Veronica’s spine.

Frank cupped her breast through her bra, and Veronica released a soft sigh. Her hands shot out of their own accord and she dug her nails into his sides. She heard him growl low in his throat.

“You can always tell me to stop,” he reminded her breathlessly as his other hand moved behind her back and began to fiddle with the clasp of her bra.

Veronica could hardly catch her breath, much less tell him to stop. She tore her hands away from his sides and anxiously reached to undo the buttons of his shirt even as Frank managed to undo her bra.

Before she knew it, her hands were in the air, and Frank easily divested her of her shirt. Veronica’s mind was in a whirl. She had never experienced anything like this, and she wondered if this was the exception, or the norm outside of her relationship with Calvin. She did not give it much thought, though, as she felt Calvin spin her around and press her back, causing her to fall back into one of the leather chairs with a soft yelp.

Frank smiled down at her as he shrugged his shirt off, baring his well-muscled torso. Veronica felt her mouth water as she drank in the sight of his gleaming dark skin and the muscles rippling beneath. He shot her a devilish smile and moved to kneel down in front of the chair.

Veronica watched, enraptured, panting lightly as Frank placed his hands on the inside of her knees, and began to run them up her thighs. She moaned softly as he caressed her sex through her pants for a moment, and then trailed his fingertips to the button and zipper, easily undoing them.

Veronica lifted up her hips as he dragged her pants, as well as her panties down her legs and over her feet. He tossed the clothing over his shoulder and his eyes moved to look at her, a ravenous gleam flickering within them. Veronica couldn’t help but squirm on the chair.

Locking his eyes with hers, Frank lowered his head and Veronica shivered as he began to kiss a line up her thighs, alternating between each one. She bit her lip and tightly gripped the arms of the chair as he placed a kiss on her mound.

Veronica locked eyes with him as he extended his tongue and licked a long line from her dripping slit to her clit. Her hips arched up off the chair, and Frank wrapped his fingers around her hips to steady her as he deepened his attentions.

Veronica was a trembling mess, and she alternated between gripping the chair and Frank’s shoulders. She felt herself approaching the precipice of her orgasm, and she vaguely noted that it was the first one she had received from someone else in a very long time.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Frank slid two fingers into her. With a gasp, Veronica felt her inside walls clamp down on his digits and her hips jerked with the force of her climax. Frank masterfully caressed her sex and helped her to ride through her orgasm while not overstimulating her.

When Veronica’s orgasm subsided, Frank gently pulled his fingers out of her and gently kissed a line back up the center of her stomach and between her breasts. Finally, he reached her mouth and Veronica cupped the back of his head as their mouths locked in a kiss.

As they pulled back, Veronica was greeted with his gentle smile, and she looked at him in awe.

“What is it?” he asked her, his tone more curious than concerned.

Veronica wordlessly shook her head, and a breathless laugh escaped her lips.

“It’s just been so long since…” Veronica started, and slowly shook her head. Frank chuckled, and ran his fingertips along her cheekbones.

“Well I have to admit I felt a little rusty,” he chuckled, moving to situate himself beside her on the chair, pulling her side close to his chest.

“If that’s rusty…” Veronica trailed off, and Frank laughed lightly.

He began to plant kisses along her temple, and Veronica felt him tilt his hips forward, and she gasped, feeling another flare of arousal as his hardness rubbed against her naked thigh.

Veronica turned to face him, and ran her fingernails down his chest and abs until she reached the buttons of his pants and his belt. She fumbled a little as she worked to undo the fastening, but eventually she was rewarded for her efforts, and she was able to slide her hand beneath the elastic of his boxers.

Veronica’s eyes widened as she wrapped her fingers around the girth of his cock, and was shocked to find that her fingers couldn’t completely surround him. She looked up into Frank’s eyes, and he gave her a smirk, letting her know just how proud he was of his thickness. She vaguely wondered if he had the length to match.

With little preamble, Veronica slid out of the chair, and pressed against Frank’s shoulders until he followed her motions, and he took up the space in the hair that she had once occupied. Veronica hastily removed his shoes and socks, and then moved to grip the waistband of his pants and underwear, jerking them down his legs.

Veronica’s jaw dropped shamelessly as she got sight of his cock. It was every bit as long as it was thick, and it stood proudly erect, ready for whatever would come. Veronica felt a flutter of nerves. She didn’t want to start comparing, but Calvin was nowhere near this size. She felt like she had felt before giving her first blowjob.

She looked up at Frank, and her nerves disappeared as she realized he was every bit as apprehensive as she was. In the midst of her lust, she felt a much more tender emotion in her stomach bloom as she realized just how human this man was.

Her lust returned in full force, though, as she saw his cock twitch. Without hesitation, Veronica got down on her knees between his thighs. She ran her nails along his inner thighs, and she heard his sharp intake of air as she gently traced along his balls.

Finally, Veronica rapped her hand around his cock at the base, and pumped up along its length. She heard Frank release a soft moan, and saw him arch his hips up into her touch. Veronica felt a rush of heat as she saw a drop of precome form on his tip.

Veronica leaned her head forward and licked from his base to his tip, gathering up the drop of moisture, relishing the salty taste. More followed, and Veronica continued to pump him, using his own fluids as lubricants. Finally, she dipped her head further down, and she took the tip of his length in her mouth, bobbing her head lightly and flicking her tongue along his frenulum each time she withdrew.

Frank as largely quiet, only releasing the occasion pant or soft moan. Veronica could tell, though, by his straining muscles, that he was enjoying her treatment. Inspired by his reactions, Veronica relaxed the back of her throat, and pushed past her gag reflex, taking his entire length down her throat.

Veronica felt Frank’s hand at the back of her head, and heard his growling. She could feel his body vibrating beneath her, and she knew he was likely working hard to keep from roughly thrusting into her throat.

Veronica’s eyes were tearing up, and her lungs were beginning to cry out from a lack of air, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull off of him, knowing that he was enjoying it. She began to contract her throat muscles as best she could in an attempt to give him as much pleasure as she could.

She felt Frank’s hands on either side of her face, and she expected him to hold her head still as he thrust into her throat, but she was surprised when he began to pull her off. Veronica gagged a little as he pulled out of her, and she took in a fast breath of air.

Frank released her face and moved his hand to take her up under the arms so that she was kneeling on the chair over him.

“That’s enough of that,” Frank growled, and Veronica shivered as he took hold of her hips.

* * *

Veronica whimpered and squirmed as she tried to lower herself onto his cock, but was held back by his grip over her hips. She knew he wanted it as much as she did, and she did not understand why he was holding her back.

“Please don’t tease me Frank,” she begged, a small whine in her voice. “I want you…”

“I want you too,” Frank uttered darkly, and Veronica could hear the raw lust on his voice. “But if we do this… there’s no turning back for you.”

Veronica took that in for a moment. He was right. So far, they had fooled around, but they hadn’t actually had sex. It was bad, but it was definitely something that she could get through with Calvin.

If she took this last step, she knew there was a good chance that Calvin would never forgive her if he found out. It would most likely be the end of their relationship. Even if he never found out, she would have to carry the knowledge that she had slept with another man with her for the rest of their relationship.

And yet, even as she realized all these things, she couldn’t bring herself to stand up from where she knelt straddling Frank’s body, her dripping lit mere inches away from the head of his cock. She could never remember ever feeling so alive and so adored by a man. The way his eyes seemed to devour her lit a blazing fire in her core, and made her feel like the vibrant, unique woman she had always pictured herself as.

Veronica’s body ached for the satisfaction of feeling Frank’s thick length slide into her, and she was barely aware of the fact that her hips were flexing in an effort to close the distance between her entrance and his tip. She could hardly think when her primal urges were crying out for her to be filled and taken.

Veronica knew what her decision was, and with little regard for the consequences, she wound her hands around Frank’s and intertwined her fingers with his. She looked into his eyes, telling him with her gaze that she had made her decision, and that she would accept the consequences for her actions.

Slowly, her muscles quivering with anticipation, she lowered herself until she could feel the heat of his cock head just at her entrance. She flexed her hips a little, and moaned at the sensation of his tip sliding along her entrance. She lowered herself still further, and she felt a wave of pleasure roll over her body as his tip was sheathed within her.

Veronica whimpered, and suddenly found it hard to catch her breath. Frank let go of her hands, and he took a gentle hold of her hips. Veronica squirmed and braced her hands against his chest as he guided her down slowly. When he was fully sheathed within her, he clasped her face between his hands and puller her in for a deep, passionate kiss. Their teeth clashed as they fairly devoured one another, and Veronica’s head spun as her pussy throbbed from how very tightly it was filled.

Veronica broke the kiss and balance back on her knees and toes. She slowly lifted up and whimpered as she felt her lips drag along his cock as she pulled out almost completely, and then lowered herself back down.

Veronica locked eyes with Frank as she repeated this motion a couple of times, and then she increased her pace. Faster than what she had intended, Veronica soon found herself riding him with wild abandon, her fingernails digging into the flesh of his shoulders and chest.

Veronica felt free and invincible. She couldn’t remember ever doing this before, and she cried out every time she crashed down onto his cock, his length piercing a sensitive spot within her that Calvin had never been able to discover.

Veronica looked down into Frank’s face and tried to judge how he was responding. Each time their eyes met, Veronica felt as though an electric shock had gone straight to her sex. It was not long at all before she felt her body heading to another orgasm.

As if on cue, Frank took hold of her hips and held her still as he thrust up into her. Veronica cried out and dug her nails into his chest, eliciting a growl from him. Veronica felt her muscles clamp down over him, and she let out a sob.

Veronica’s mind spun as he continued to pound into her after her orgasm, and he let out a groan as she felt his member stiffen and jerk inside of her, bathing her insides with his seed. Veronica collapsed on top of him, and they both breathed heavily in the aftermath of their mutual climax.

Veronica nuzzled her head into Frank’s chest, and he ran his hand up and down her back. She realized that a soft smile had made its way onto her face, indicative of her deep satisfaction. She knew that the next day she would be sore between her legs, and she had never been so happy about anticipating pain.

They stayed that way, silently laying with each other in his chair. Eventually, Veronica lifted her hips up off him, and winced a little when his softened member left her.

“Are you alright?” Frank asked, his dark eyes shining with concern. His hands cupped her face and gently stroked over her hair.

“I’m…” Veronica shook her head with wonderment. “I haven’t felt so incredible in a long time.”

“Neither have I,” Frank whispered with a smile. He gathered her close to his chest and placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

They lingered there for a while longer. After a while, Veronica felt Frank stir beneath her, and before she knew it, she was settled bridal style in his arms, and he rose from the chair.

“Come on, let’s get cleaned up,” Frank smiled down at her.

He carried her into the small bathroom that was connected to the office. It was just a half bath, but a very nice one. Frank set her down on the long counter, and reached to a stack of wash clothes and hand towels closer to the sink. He turned on the hot water and let it warm, then soaked it and wrung it out.

Veronica could see a spark of Darkness in Frank’s eyes as he ran the cloth up between her thighs, and gently bathed her sex. She felt a soft surge of desire, and she squirmed a little under his hand. Soon, though, he was done, and she felt a little disappointed when he withdrew. She must have pouted, for Frank chuckled at her.

“Always ready, I see,” he noted playfully, and kissed her cheek. He got another washrag, and bathed his own member, and then turned to open the door of the closet along one of the walls.

Veronica watched as he withdrew two robes, one dark green and the other a deep scarlet. He handed her the green one, and then put on the scarlet one himself.

“Don’t want to give the girls a scare in case they’re out of bed,” Frank smiled at her.

“You sure are prepared,” Veronica noted as she hopped down from the counter and put on the robe.

“Well my wife and I were… adventurous in our youth,” Frank said with a small smile.

“Wait, I this… hers?” Veronica asked, holding up the hem of her robe.

“Don’t worry, it’s been washed,” Frank said playfully.

“Frank…” Veronica said seriously, concerned for his emotional state.

“I like my name in your mouth,” Frank purred, moving to place his hands on her waist. “And I like that robe on your body.”

Veronica frowned a little, still feeling uncomfortable.

“Come on, trust me,” Frank said gently. “Let’s go up to bed.”

Veronica hesitated a moment more, but finally she relented, and took Frank’s hand as he led her out of the bathroom.

* * *

They both gathered up their clothes from the office, not wanting to cause a scandal with the rest of the staff. Then, Frank led her quietly up the stairs and past the hallway of the girl’s room, and into the hallway where Veronica knew her own room was.

He did not go into her room, but rather opened the door across from it. He stepped into the room, pulling Veronica in behind him, and then shut the door. This room much like hers, was outfitted with small sofas, dark wood dressers, and a cream colored rug to match his cream colored bedding. The main feature, though, was the elegant four post bed, though his did not include curtains.

Veronica could tell what side he slept on from the nightstand. Veronica couldn’t help but realize that the other side had likely been where his wife slept. She watched Frank get ready for bed and take off his robe, and he waited expectantly for her to do the same.

“Come on,” he said easily, gesturing to the other side of the bed.

“Maybe I should just go to my room,” Veronica said softly. “I just don’t feel right… I mean just this had already been a lot to take in.”

Frank blinked, an expression of concern passing over his face.

“I’m sorry,” he shook his head. “I never meant to…”

“No, no,” Veronica held up her hands. “I wanted everything that we did, that’s not it. I just… it’s a lot to take in, and maybe we should both give each other time to process all this…”

Frank took in her words and let out a soft sigh.

“You’re right,” he said, and gave her a smile. He moved over to her and gathered her in a gentle hug. Veronica let out a long breath through her nose as she wrapped her arms around his torso. They stood that way for a long moment.

“Come on,” Frank finally whispered, looking down at her with his familiar easy smile.

Veronica let him lead her back out of his room, and across the hall into her own. They entered the room, and he crossed to her bed, turning down the comforter so that she could easily get in.

Veronica slipped out of the green robe, and made to hand it back to him, but Frank held up his hands.

“Hold on to it,” he said softly. “Just in case.”

Veronica wanted to protest, but she figured she had already won one battle for the night, and it wouldn’t kill her to hold on to the robe.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“You’re welcome,” Frank murmured, and ran his fingertips along her cheekbone.

“Goodnight,” Veronica faintly whispered, momentarily regretting her wish to be separated for the night. Frank chuckled.

“I’ll see myself out,” Franks aid, and made his way to the door. He lingered in the doorway for a moment, looking back at her with an expression she couldn’t quite read.

“Goodnight Veronica,” he said, his voice hushed. Then, he turned his back and shut the door behind him.

Veronica let out a shuddering breath, a little shocked by the events that had just transpired. She undid the tie of the sash of the robe, and took it off. She held it in her hand and looked at it for a moment. She vaguely wondered what his wife had been like. She wondered if Frank would ever want to talk about her.

Veronica shook her head, dismissing the notion. She had to force herself to remember that she was not about to try and have a relationship with her boss. The reality of what had just transpired between them finally hit her.

Not only had she slept with her boss, but she had cheated on Calvin. She felt a rush of guilt. It didn’t matter how sexually intrigued she was by him; she was supposed to be faithful to her boyfriend.

Feeling disgusted with herself, and suddenly very tired, she made her way over to the bed and crawled into it. She set an alarm for six the next morning, and she made the decision that tomorrow, she would have to tell Frank that this was not possible, and that they couldn’t keep this, whatever it was, going.

With that in mind, Veronica settled down into a fitful sleep, her emotions rolling all through the night.

* * *

Blurb

After her indiscretion with her boss, rich lawyer Frank Davenport, Veronica Lawrence is locked in emotional turmoil. She feels horrible for cheating on Calvin, but at the same time she is faced with the fact that she and her employer seem to share a strange and powerful bond. Though she tries to resist him, Veronica finds that it is nearly impossible for her to keep herself from falling for him more and more every day.

Even as Veronica grows closer to Frank, though, she is agonizing over her relationship with Calvin. They keep in touch exclusively through phone calls, so it is easy for Veronica to keep her infidelity under wraps. She knows, though, that at some point the truth will have to come out, and that she must decide whether to fight for her relationship with Calvin, or to let him go and pursue a life with Frank.

Unfortunately for her, she will likely have to make up her mind far sooner than she anticipated.

* * *

Veronica tossed and turned through the night, and ended up spending half of the time staring up at the ceiling rather than sleeping. She managed to get a few hours, but she was still highly disgruntled when her alarm rang. Grumbling, she rose, and moved to the closet to pick out a set of clothes for her morning jog.

It was still about an hour until she needed to start making a breakfast for herself and the girls, so she was looking forward to clearing her head on this run. She quietly left her room, and hesitated in the hallway, looking across at Frank’s door.

After a moment, she released a sigh and continued into the main hall and down the stairs, silently exiting the house.

Veronica was unfamiliar with the expanse of the property, but she figured it would be large enough to get in a few miles. So, she turned on the GPS on her phone, and set off along the long driveway, and then into a path that led into the trees that decorated the property.

While much of the land on the estate was very deliberately managed and cultivated, this particular section of trees seemed largely untamed, save for the path that wound around it. As she looked around, she was even a little surprised to find a brook running through them. It really was beautiful, and once again Veronica found herself in awe of her surroundings.

As she ran, Veronica’s mind couldn’t keep from traveling back to the previous night, and particularly about the way Frank had made her feel. She had felt like a woman again. For so long, she just felt dull and uninterested in her own life. She had fallen into a routine, and become nearly detached from enjoying life itself.

The, Frank Davenport appeared. Everything had happened so fast, and it bewildered her that they had met only the day before she had given into her feelings and slept with him. She never would have imagined that she was capable of such a thing.

As she thought about it, she felt a fair amount of guilt that she had cheated on Calvin. She had no idea if she should tell him, or how she would go about it if she chose to do so. Their relationship surely had its problems, but up until now they had never cheated on her.

Calvin had been reluctant about her taking this job and moving into the estate, and now all his worried and suspicions had been founded. Veronica knew that this guilt would follow her as long as she was in a relationship with him.

She also vaguely wondered if this was a sign that her relationship with him needed to end. Things had not been going completely well between them for quite some time, and if she was honest with herself, she had been debating leaving him for quite a while. She had just never really had a good reason.

In the end, though, she had always come to the conclusion that she ought to stay with him, because he really could provide her with a good life if they shared a future. He was a good man and a hard worker with a good job. She had no doubt that he could take care of her, and their children if they had any.

In addition, her parents fully expected her to marry him. They were more than thrilled that she had ended up with someone with a real, steady job, and that had already provided her with a home and with a viable future. She knew that they would be bitterly disappointed and ceaselessly worried about her if their relationship came to an end.

It certainly didn’t help that her father was the type of man who really didn’t believe a woman could truly have a successful life on her own.

Veronica knew very well that with this job, and this set of circumstances, she could actually save a lot of money in this job. And given that she had almost no expenses to pay for herself, the longer she could keep this job, the better off she would be.

Still, there would be no way to explain that to her old-fashioned parents, and it would always just be easier to stay with Calvin and ease their minds.

Now, though, that she had slept with her boss, she knew that this would not be able to last much longer.

Veronica let out a huff of air as she ran, and tried to push these pesky thoughts from her mind. She would have to deal with all this at another time. She wanted to prove that she could be a valuable member of the staff before she got too comfortable with any situation. The rest of her problems could wait.

She also had to deal with the issue of being in such close quarters with Frank all the time. There was a part of her that wanted to let him know that what happened between them the previous night could not happen again. She wanted to get back to and maintain a professional relationship from there on out.

Another part of her though, was eager to feel him between her thighs again. She had never had such good sex before in her life. Sure, she could remember early in her relationship with Calvin when everything sexual had seemed fresh and exciting and new. Looking back, though, she realized that her opinions then were largely based on lack of experience.

Veronica had seen hot, passionate love scenes on television and read about them in romance novels, but she had chalked those up as works of fiction, and thought that nobody truly had those experiences in real life. Now, though, that notion had been completely erased from her mind. She knew that passion and hot lust were very real things, and that they were going to plague her for as long as she was in such close proximity to Frank.

Even now, as she jogged, Veronica felt a hot surge of heat in her core. There was no denying the attraction she felt for Frank, but that wasn’t hard to believe. He certainly wouldn’t have gotten this far in his career without charisma, good looks and intelligence. He was a man that would make any woman swoon.

Veronica knew that he had likely played this game before with other women. He constantly had a household full of staff, and she found it quite hard to believe that she was the only woman he had ever slept with since his wife’s passing.

Still, he had done a good job of making her believe that he was truly attracted to her and interested in her. He had been gentle and forceful at exactly the right times, and looked at her in just the right way to make her feel wanted, and more than that, it made her feel unique. Though Veronica had been tricked at the time and believed him to be genuine, she knew very well that he could have developed such a gaze from years of practice.

As Veronica approached the house again, she steeled her mind. She knew she would have to encounter Frank again at some point, and she had to be prepared to resist him. As hard as she knew it was going to be, she also knew it was necessary.

Veronica slowed to a trot and was at a walk as she made it to the porch. She quietly opened the door and slipped into the kitchen, not bothering to turn on the light. She worked hard to make no noise as she reached into the cupboard to withdraw a glass. She shut the cabinet slowly, and then began to make her way to the sink.

As she moved, though, the light to the kitchen flipped on, and she stopped dead in her tracks. She looked over to where she knew the light switch was, and her stomach clenched as she saw Frank standing there, his eyebrow raised, and a smirk of humor on his lips.

* * *

“Good morning,” he greeted her, his voice a little lower and gruffer than she was used to.

“Good morning,” Veronica replied as best she could, considering her throat had tightened up upon seeing him.

Veronica couldn’t help but look him over. She guessed he had just worked out, as he wore a compression tank that was almost completely saturated with his sweat. His skin glistened, and she could smell his scent wafting through the air.

Frank chuckled a little, and began to move through the kitchen toward the sink.

“I see we both like to get our workouts out of the way early,” he remarked, and Veronica could hardly think to form a response. The best she could manage was a light laugh.

Veronica hung back as he withdrew two glasses from the cabinet. He handed one to her, which she sheepishly took, and the other he held under the faucet to begin filling it with water.

“You don’t have to drink from the tap,” Frank said over his shoulder. “It’s just how I was brought up.”

Veronica could only blink at him as her heart clenched and she was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. In this moment, he wasn’t her employer. He was a man, and a man that she knew she had a great many things in common with.

As Frank sipped at his glass, Veronica slipped past him to stand in front of the sink and fill up her own glass. She heard Frank let out a chuckle from behind her, and she jumped and gasped as she felt his hand move to trace over her arm. In her surprise, she dropped the glass, the loud crash sounding throughout the room.

No sooner had she dropped the glass, Veronica felt Frank seize her by the shoulders and tear her away from the sink. Veronica’s head spun from how fast he moved her, and when she was able to focus her vision, she could see Frank’s eyes searching frantically over her face and her body.

“Are you hurt?” he asked her urgently, his grip on her shoulders bordering on painful. His eyes looked crazed, and she could clearly see a desperate fear lingering there. She had never seen a look like that before, and it sent chills through her body.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Veronica assured him softly, nodding her head.

She saw Frank relax little by little, and his eyes seemed to refocus, and finally see her clearly. He let out a soft rush of air, and suddenly brought Veronica close, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight to his chest.

“Sorry,” he said, his voice a little shaky. “I’m not always good with loud noises. Grew up in some bad homes, bad neighborhoods… lost a few people close to me.”

Veronica felt dazed and at a loss for how to handle this situation, so she could only hold him tighter. She could feel the muscles in his back relax as she held him and she felt her heart soften just a little more. She heard Frank take in a breath, and she felt him begin to pull back from her.

He looked down at her and gave her a gentle smile, cupping her face in the palm of his hand. Veronica gave him a small smile of her own. She felt like they were kindred spirits, having finally found each other after spending thousands of years separated from one another.

Frank broke their gaze to glance into the sink, and Veronica blinked as the spell was broken.

“Oh, I’ll take care of that,” Veronica immediately spoke up, moving to gather up the broken glass. She kept her eyes locked on the shards, and carefully wrapped them in a hand towel before depositing them in the garbage.

All the while, she felt Frank’s eyes on her, and she felt her skin begin to crawl deliciously. She looked up from the trash, and her eyes immediately linked with his. They stood in silence, and Veronica wondered just how much longer she could take the tension brewing between them.

“I need to shower before I make breakfast,” Veronica said softly, looking for just about any excuse to extricate herself from her current situation.

“Oh of course,” Frank nodded, seeming to be brought back to reality at least a little bit. “I guess you won’t get much of a chance for the rest of the day.”

Veronica gave him a small smile and a nod.

“I’m headed that way myself,” Frank said, and held his arm out to gesture toward the staircase.

“Okay,” Veronica said, and moved to join him. They walked side by side up the stairs. When they made it to Veronica’s hallway, Frank hesitated, and Veronica, almost entranced, hesitated with him.

“I’ll see you at breakfast,” Frank managed to say, and turned to walk away.

“Okay,” Veronica barely managed, watching as Frank turned down his own hallway.

When he was out of sight, Veronica turned and went into her own room, releasing a sigh as she leaned against her door. She needed to take a moment to process all that had just passed between them.

Apparently, ignoring the connection they had with one another was not going to be as simple as she hoped.

Puzzling over how she was going to handle the situation she had found herself in, she quickly went through her shower routine and then dressed herself in a pair of comfortable jeans and a nice blouse. Satisfied with her appearance, she left her room and headed down the stairs to start breakfast for the girls.

Once in the kitchen Veronica took stock of all the things she had to work with, and she decided on a meal of pancakes, bacon, and eggs for the girls that morning. She got the pancake mix out of the pantry and began the process of mixing up a batch of batter.

Veronica found the whole process of cooking the meal very therapeutic. Soon, she had all the food items laid out under the lamp over the breakfast bar to keep it warm, and she headed back upstairs to start getting the girls ready.

Veronica was pleasantly surprised to find that the girls were more than eager to comply with her wishes, and were very helpful and cooperative, even anticipating what they were supposed to do. It was clear that they had been under the care of some very good nannies in their young lives.

It seemed almost too fast that the girls were ready, and seated at the table enjoying their banquet of pancakes. Veronica easily assisted them with pouring drinks and giving them more syrup or whatever other toppings they desired.

In the midst of their breakfast, Frank strolled into the kitchen, and the girls immediately hopped out of their chairs and rushed to greet him.

Frank chuckled as each of the girls attached themselves around one of his legs. Frank indulged them, and began to walk across the kitchen. Veronica couldn’t help but smile as the girls giggled hysterically. Frank looked up, and Veronica was immediately locked in his dark gaze. He flicked her an easy smile, and Veronica felt an ember begin to burn deep in her core.

“Alright girls, back to the table,” Frank said with a chuckle. The girls rushed to obey, and say at the table looking over at him admiringly.

Frank looked back at them, a broad smile on his face. When the girls were once again engrossed in their meal, Frank looked back at Veronica, that familiar twinkling light in his eye.

Veronica blinked a moment, and hurried to act as she felt her cheeks flush.

“Can I get you some breakfast?” Veronica asked softly, looking anywhere but into his eyes.

“I can help myself, thanks,” Frank said easily. Veronica gave him a single nod. It looked as though the girls had largely finished eating, so Veronica took up their plates and started the process of getting them washed.

As she took care of the dishes, Veronica was constantly aware of Frank’s presence in the kitchen. It seemed that no matter how she tried to occupy her mind, she always found her eyes wandering to him. And each time, his eyes seemed to meet hers, and her world seemed to center solely on him.

Veronica could hardly think at all.

“Alright, I’m off,” Frank finally said, standing from his place at the table. Veronica felt a mix of relief and disappointment that he would be leaving.

Veronica stood back as he kissed the girl’s goodbye, smiling a little as she witnessed their interactions. When he finished, he looked up at Veronica.

“The movers should be bringing your things in today,” he said easily. “Someone will be here to take care of everything for you.”

“Oh,” Veronica blinked. If she was honest with herself, she had forgotten all about her belongings in the flurry of activity that had taken place in the short time that she had been there.

“Thank you,” she managed.

“Of course,” Frank smiled over at her. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”

“Yes sir,” Veronica gave him a nod. Frank blinked and frowned a little, apparently a little confused by her use of a title.

Frank said nothing more as he moved to leave, though he did cast her a curious glance. Veronica let out a soft sigh as she heard the front door close. She gathered up the few remaining dishes and took care of them as the girls chatted at the table. With Frank gone, she was finally able to focus on her job.

When she was finally finished cleaning up, she turned to the girls. She gave them a smile, and they both smiled back eagerly.

“I think the weather outside is nice and warm,” Veronica pointed out. “Who wants to go for a swim?”

Veronica was immediately met with squeals of excitement.

* * *

Veronica spent the day entertaining the girls, frolicking with them through the house. After their swim, she helped them get cleaned off and changed into fresh clothes. No sooner were they redressed, though, they wanted her to take them out on the trails, and of course, she obliged.

As Veronica took care of the girls, bringing them in to have lunch after their trek on the trails, she noticed that rest of the staff had filtered in. Most notably, she caught sight of the men who she assumed were the movers taking her possessions up to her room.

Veronica felt a flash of guilt as she saw them. Her belongings reminded her of the home she had made with Calvin, and she wondered vaguely what he was up to. She realized she hadn’t spoken with him much at all the previous day, and she realized she should probably call to check up on him.

It was strange not to be around him all the time, where the details of each other’s lives just sort of came out in the midst of everyday life. Now, though, that they were no longer physically together, she knew she would have to put forth a bit more effort if she wanted to keep tabs on him.

Veronica considered all this as she cleaned up the dishes from the girls’ lunch. She decided then that she could dwell on all this later, and she refocused her attention on her young charges.

They seemed a little worn out from their swim and their hike through the woods, so Veronica opted to settle them down in the den for a while and put on a movie. She nearly laughed as she had to intercept what may have turned into a fight over what movie to watch, and they finally agreed upon a system wherein they would alternate who selected the movie to be watched.

For today, Veronica picked the movie, and the girls were content to watch it. They were quiet for the duration of the movie, but after sitting still for so long they were well rested and ready to go at it again.

While it was definitely more than she was used to dealing with, Veronica was learning to accept that she would be a major fixture in the girls’ lives. She was not having to hard a time keeping up with them, and the more she interacted with them the more she seemed to like them. In general, they were very smart and well-rounded girls.

Veronica caught herself smiling as she thought of the opportunities they would have, and how their father had created them. Having grown up under such rough conditions, it would have been easy for him to go down a horrible road for the rest of his life. Instead, he had made a name for himself and paved the way for an excellent future for his children, as well as providing for the countless members of his staff.

Veronica tried to keep her mind off Frank, but it was hard when she was so clearly surrounded by all that he had made of himself. Even as she took care of his children, she was reminded of him in their smiles and their deep, dark skin. Veronica found herself vaguely wondering what their mother looked like.

The rest of the afternoon was occupied with trying to put together a large puzzle. It was only when a much larger pair of hands joined in that Veronica looked up and saw Frank kneeling down and helping them. Veronica hastily looked back down at the puzzle.

Soon, the whole work was completed, and the girls cheered excitedly for themselves.

“We’ll have to get a frame and hang it up,” Frank said to the girls, and they giggled their approval. Frank glanced over at Veronica and have her a smirk. Veronica offered him an easy smile.

“Why don’t you run downstairs and get a snack,” Frank leaned over and suggested to the girls. “Miss Lawrence will be right down.”

The girls immediately raced down the stairs, and Veronica felt her stomach clench in a way that was becoming all too familiar. Frank looked over at her and seemed to consider her for a moment before he spoke.

“How were they?” he asked her, his voice seeming more tentative than usual.

“They were great,” Veronica answered, trying to keep her voice light.

“Good,” Frank nodded. There was a long silence then

“I’m going to change out of my clothes,” he said softly.

“Right,” Veronica nodded. “I’ll be in the kitchen with the girls.”

“Of course,” Frank nodded to her. “I’ll be down in a bit.”

Veronica offered him a tight smile and then headed down the staircase to see the girls. She supervised them as they had their snack of a banana and some grapes, and then made sure they cleaned themselves up. About the time they had finished, Frank had made it downstairs.

The girls, of course, immediately rushed to them and Frank chuckled, stroking each of their heads.

“How about a board game?” Frank suggested, and the girls immediately began discussing which one they wanted to play. It seemed to go back and forth between Guess Who and Sorry! Eventually, Guess Who won out.

“Alright then,” Frank said when it was settled. “Miss Lawrence, would you like to play?”

Veronica was a little taken aback. She looked into Frank’s eyes, and she immediately felt the urge to flee.

“Actually,” Veronica countered. “I have been meaning to make a phone call.”

“Oh,” Frank said, seeming a little surprised. “By all means.”

“Maybe I can join in on a later round?” Veronica suggested, mostly speaking to the girls, who encouraged her to do so eagerly.

Veronica looked up at Frank, who gave her a smile and a short shrug. Veronica smiled back, and then turned to head across the kitchen and out onto the pool area. Once outside, she collapsed into a pool chair and ran a hand over her face.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. For a moment, she merely held it in her hand and looked down at it. Finally, she was able to find Calvin’s contact information and hit the call button.

The phone only rang once before he answered.

“Hey!” his voice sounded eager, and Veronica was more than a little surprised by his tone.

“Hey,” she said back, her own voice not quite matching his enthusiasm.

“I didn’t ever hear from you yesterday,” Calvin pointed out. “I figured you were probably just busy taking care of things over there.”

“Yeah it was a pretty wild day,” Veronica said, feeling a cold pang of guilt as she remembered just what had transpired the previous day.

“Oh yeah?” Calvin asked, and Veronica closed her eyes at the eagerness in his voice. “Tell me about it? What’s it like?”

“Well the house is incredible and the girls are great,” Veronica said, and she certainly wasn’t lying.

“What about Davenport?” Calvin asked, his voice full of innocent curiosity. “Is he very cold and distant?”

“I don’t know,” Veronica let the lie slide off her tongue. “I haven’t really seen him all that much.”

“Well I guess that’s to be expected,” Calvin said, and in her mind’s eye Veronica could see him nodding. She couldn’t be sure, buts he could have sworn she heard a note of relief in his voice, and it only served to compound her guilt.

“So what about you?” Veronica asked, eager to steer the conversation away from herself. “I know the movers came by today.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Calvin said. “They got the whole place cleared out. I’m getting set up in one of the apartments that Davenport owns. Really classy place. And he’ matching what I paid in rent on the other one, can you believe that?”

“Wow,” Veronica said, trying her best to sound even remotely surprised. “That sounds too good to be true.”

“Well,” Calvin said, his voice a little deflated. “Not quite too good. I’m missing the one thing that would really make it all perfect.”

Veronica sighed, knowing that he was referring to their separation.