The Spare (18+ Only) - Noblesse Oblige #1

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

"Where are you taking me?" Isis asked as he pulled her along through hallways and corridors to some unknown destination.

"It is none of your concern", he replied. They wound through corridors and staircases until he pushed open a pair of glass-paned double doors that led out into a garden courtyard. She briefly admired what she could of the well-maintained grounds as they moved along.

They exited the garden and followed a walkway through the rear of the estate lined with short hedges until it took a turn and stopped at a small clearing lined with trees. Leo kept on moving, ushering Isis through a gap in the tree line and continuing on a path only he knew through more trees.

"Is this where you kill me?" she wondered out loud.

"It's an option I'm still considering", he replied seriously without looking back at her. She blinked, unsure of how to react, then deciding to take it as a joke.

"Your sense of humor finally makes an appearance. I'd thought you were a lost cause!"

"You bring out the worst in me, it seems", he replied back, still sounding serious. Isis didn't reply. A small smile curved her lips at the thought of her actually having an effect on him. They walked on for a few minutes more, and Isis began to wonder how big the palace estate really was. It felt like they had been walking for almost an hour. The copse of trees began to thin out until they emerged on a small rise leading down to a clearing. Isis stared in awe at the edifice that dominated the space.

The white two-story house was large, but on a normal scale. Its main section was rectangular, with a domed tower attached to its right side. The clearing it was in was surrounded on three sides by trees and nestled in a slight dip in the terrain, giving it privacy. They approached it from the rear, and Isis noted that it had a sturdy overhang above the cozy terrace that extended until the terrace floor gave way to a rectangular pool filled with clear azure water. The soft red sectional dominating the terrace brought a bold splash of color to the otherwise white exterior of the house, and before it was a long black wooden coffee table. Isis had yet to see the interior of the house and already she knew she would love it.

They made their way around the edge of the pool and through the terrace to the sliding glass doors behind it. Leo reached out with his free hand and slid one of the doors open, entering the room beyond and pulling her behind him before shutting the clear glass door and locking it. Isis continued to gape at the spacious state-of-the-art modern kitchen. The appliances were all black and glossy, contrasting with the white floor, cabinets, walls and ceilings of the space. The sleek island was also white, as were the four round bar stools in front of it. A midnight-blue backsplash added a touch of color. Beyond the white island, she saw a spacious living room decorated in white, grays and mint-green.

She'd been right: she did love the house.

"Whose house is this?" she asked, facing Leo.

"It was supposed to be my mother's. No one uses it now." She opened her mouth to ask why, but stopped herself when she noticed his shuttered expression. Instead, she sat down on one of the white barstools and watched him.

Leo shrugged out of his light gray jacket, tossing it over one of the bar stools. He'd worn a simple white V-neck tee underneath it and paired it with loose long blue jeans and gray sneakers that he was now taking off. He placed them carefully next to the stool he had draped his jacket over, and without a word, went to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of water. He poured tall glasses for both of them, handed her one and returned the pitcher to its place in the full fridge.