Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
STEPHEN
Checking my watch and shaking my head, I storm to the front door.
“Why do they call themselves Prompt Couriers if they can’t deliver a damn package on time?” I mumble and nearly rip the door from its hinges. “Do you even know what a deadline is?” I shout before my rage-filled eyes can focus on the person standing outside my door.
My jaw drops as my eyes feast upon the tiny beauty holding two small suitcases and shaking like a leaf. She’s young and scared out of her mind but also exquisite. She isn’t the package I expected but one I like to collect just the same.
There’s something about her that I can’t put my finger on, but it’s got me all twisted up inside. Her blue eyes are as big as saucers and might be her most outstanding feature if it weren’t for her pouty, red lips. Without a single stitch of makeup, her face is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Her silken blonde locks shine in the sunlight as they drape over her shoulders. She’s wearing a white dress with blue flowers and matching blue shoes. The outfit is reserved and isn’t meant to be sexy, but she couldn’t hide her delicious body if she tried. I’m incapable of saying another word until I memorize every last inch of her.
“Are you lost, Miss?” I ask her, only now seeing the taxi cab pulling away.
“This is the address my father gave me.” She holds out a slip of paper in her trembling hand.
I take it from her and sparks fly when I touch her soft, creamy skin. I wonder if this is what a heart attack feels like. My chest is tight and my heart is racing.
“Stockton Manor 422 Overlook Drive. This is my address, but I don’t know who your father is or why he would send you here.” I look into her sapphire eyes and add, “Did you need something from me?” I sure hope the answer is yes because I need something from her too.
“He sent me to be your housekeeper.” Her voice quivers and I have to wonder why she’s so scared.
Is it me or something else that has her so on edge? I know I can be intimidating. At more than 6’5 and 260, my presence may be a bit overwhelming. Particularly to a girl who stands no more than 5 feet tall.
“Weren’t you expecting me? Maybe this is a mistake. I should go.”
“No.” My temples throb, and I lose my breath. I feel like someone is trying to take away my prized possessions … and nobody takes my things. “Come inside. We’ll figure this out.”
“Are you sure? You seemed angry when you answered the door.”
I smile and wave it off. “It wasn’t you. Seeing you was a very pleasant surprise.”
The courier pulls up as I escort her through the door. The teenager runs up the steps, nearly tripping on the last, and hands me the parcel I’ve been waiting for.
“I’m sorry for the delay, sir. The traffic…”
No longer feeling the desire to rip him a new one, I take the package from his hand and shoo him away. My focus on this business venture is gone now. I have a more personal merger and acquisition on my mind.
I turn to find the girl standing in the center of the room still clutching her bags. Heat courses through my veins and my palms begin to sweat. Why is my heart racing?
“Let me take your things for you,” I say and she hands me her tattered suitcases. Setting them down, I take her arm and lead her into the parlor. “Why don’t you have a seat on the sofa and you can tell me how you ended up at my front door?”
I sit in the wingback chair across from her, running my gaze along the lines of her legs up to the hem of her skirt. My mind races with thoughts of discovering the treasure hidden between those thighs, and I adjust myself to accommodate the throbbing beast she’s awakened in my pants.
“I’m sorry. Were you not looking for a housekeeper?” she asks me.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” I don’t usually go around calling strangers by pet names, but with this one, it feels right.
“Samantha Black. It’s nice to meet you, Mr…”
“Stephen Stockton. Please, call me Stephen.” I’d prefer Daddy but Stephen will do for now. “Black. Is your father Dominic Black?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly, it all makes sense.
I try my best to work within the confines of the law, but the same can’t be said for the rest of my family. Before I took over the family business, my father and brother made a large portion of the operating funds through loansharking and sports betting. I put a stop to it when my brother was incarcerated, but some of those old debts were still outstanding. My brother has enough connections on the outside that he continues to collect on those debts from his jail cell.