who was available. Either way, she thought, it didn’t matter because getting involved with her boss was not a good idea. The Tremaines had replaced her before she left Phoenix wanting her to show the new woman the ropes, which meant she had nowhere to go if Adrian Pendelton decided she wasn’t suited either for the work or for his lifestyle.
Getting a cup of coffee, she found paper and pen and sat at the long island counter to make a to-do list as well as a grocery list. The short tour she had yesterday showed her enough to know this place had been neglected for a while, the previous employees only doing the basics, enough to collect a paycheck without giving any thought to restoring some of the beauty this home had to have been known for at one time. Keeping her mind focused on making this place shine again and off her employer’s haunted face and blood stirring body was more than enough challenge to keep her busy and hopefully employed.
Three days later, Sophie was tired, but proud of all she had accomplished thus far. She had spent the first day dusting and polishing the first floor, everything from the base boards to climbing on chairs to reach the crown molding with a long feather duster. Her arms and legs had ached from all the stretching and straining, but she had fallen quickly into a deep dreamless sleep and awoke fresh and eager to start a new project yesterday. After tackling the bathrooms on the first and second floors she had time to vacuum all the area rugs and the carpeted bedrooms upstairs. Today she had spent in the kitchen, practically stripping each cupboard, shelf and appliance, wiping it down before filling it again. She had just finished putting together another casserole and popped it into the oven before finishing up her shopping list. Tomorrow she would spend on the third floor, cleaning Adrian’s suite and save the shopping for Saturday morning.
Of both Adrian and Adam, she had seen little. Both were in the kitchen when she came downstairs each morning, Adam to greet her warmly and inquire how she was settling in, Adrian to give her his usual cool appraisal and curt greeting, neither of which seemed to dull her attraction to him. They both seemed to put in long hours at the company’s headquarters in Pendelton as they were never home by the time she had their dinner warming in the oven and was heading upstairs with her plate in the evenings.
As much as she enjoyed the quiet evenings in her suite, relished soaking in the large jetted bathtub after eating then veg’ing out with a book or watching television, she wasn’t quite ready to call it a day. The sun was still shining and looked warm and inviting after being cooped up the past few days. Grabbing her glass of iced tea, she went out the kitchen exit that led to the side yard. Taking out the trash this morning, she had discovered that the stone path bracketed on both sides by flowering shrubs and colorful spring blooms led to the back courtyard that was landscaped as beautifully as the pathway, complete with an ornate fountain in the middle of the yard, a marble bench surrounding it.
Following the walk and the sound of the surf, she anticipated the view from the edge of the yard to the beach below. But as she neared the back of the house, it wasn’t the sound of a cool spring evening or the sight of a stunning, cliff side ocean view that had her stopping dead in her tracks. She recognized the sound of bare flesh being slapped before she came around the corner and saw the scene before her. Seated on the bench at the fountain was a man she hadn’t met before but recognized immediately as Ash Pendelton, Adrian’s other cousin and Adam’s twin. The family resemblance was obvious with only his bright blue eyes making it easy to tell him from Adam. The woman who was draped across his lap, her shorts and panties pulled down to her knees, her round, bouncing buttocks rosy from Ash’s hand smacking them with sharp, well aimed swats, had a
Getting a cup of coffee, she found paper and pen and sat at the long island counter to make a to-do list as well as a grocery list. The short tour she had yesterday showed her enough to know this place had been neglected for a while, the previous employees only doing the basics, enough to collect a paycheck without giving any thought to restoring some of the beauty this home had to have been known for at one time. Keeping her mind focused on making this place shine again and off her employer’s haunted face and blood stirring body was more than enough challenge to keep her busy and hopefully employed.
Three days later, Sophie was tired, but proud of all she had accomplished thus far. She had spent the first day dusting and polishing the first floor, everything from the base boards to climbing on chairs to reach the crown molding with a long feather duster. Her arms and legs had ached from all the stretching and straining, but she had fallen quickly into a deep dreamless sleep and awoke fresh and eager to start a new project yesterday. After tackling the bathrooms on the first and second floors she had time to vacuum all the area rugs and the carpeted bedrooms upstairs. Today she had spent in the kitchen, practically stripping each cupboard, shelf and appliance, wiping it down before filling it again. She had just finished putting together another casserole and popped it into the oven before finishing up her shopping list. Tomorrow she would spend on the third floor, cleaning Adrian’s suite and save the shopping for Saturday morning.
Of both Adrian and Adam, she had seen little. Both were in the kitchen when she came downstairs each morning, Adam to greet her warmly and inquire how she was settling in, Adrian to give her his usual cool appraisal and curt greeting, neither of which seemed to dull her attraction to him. They both seemed to put in long hours at the company’s headquarters in Pendelton as they were never home by the time she had their dinner warming in the oven and was heading upstairs with her plate in the evenings.
As much as she enjoyed the quiet evenings in her suite, relished soaking in the large jetted bathtub after eating then veg’ing out with a book or watching television, she wasn’t quite ready to call it a day. The sun was still shining and looked warm and inviting after being cooped up the past few days. Grabbing her glass of iced tea, she went out the kitchen exit that led to the side yard. Taking out the trash this morning, she had discovered that the stone path bracketed on both sides by flowering shrubs and colorful spring blooms led to the back courtyard that was landscaped as beautifully as the pathway, complete with an ornate fountain in the middle of the yard, a marble bench surrounding it.
Following the walk and the sound of the surf, she anticipated the view from the edge of the yard to the beach below. But as she neared the back of the house, it wasn’t the sound of a cool spring evening or the sight of a stunning, cliff side ocean view that had her stopping dead in her tracks. She recognized the sound of bare flesh being slapped before she came around the corner and saw the scene before her. Seated on the bench at the fountain was a man she hadn’t met before but recognized immediately as Ash Pendelton, Adrian’s other cousin and Adam’s twin. The family resemblance was obvious with only his bright blue eyes making it easy to tell him from Adam. The woman who was draped across his lap, her shorts and panties pulled down to her knees, her round, bouncing buttocks rosy from Ash’s hand smacking them with sharp, well aimed swats, had a
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