Maid for Rent

Chapter Seven

"YOU ARE THE best," I told the cleaning woman as she left Ian's penthouse. "Thank you so much!"

She smiled. "It wasn't that hard of a job."

I let out a forced laugh. "I second that. I mean, come on! Doing laundry is so easy!"

"The clothes have also been ironed and hung in the master bedroom closet," she informed me.

I let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thanks so much!" I glanced around the penthouse in search for some money to give her as a tip. Something silver lying on the coffee table caught my eye. It was an expensive looking silver watch which was probably Ian's. "Here, take this." I handed her the watch.

She raised her eyebrows. "This is a men's watch."

"You can sell it," I offered. "And with that money, go buy yourself something nice."

She gathered her cleaning supplies. "Thank you?"

"Don't even mention it," I said with a wave of my hand.

"Remind me to never hire you as my maid," Marco said to me as the cleaning woman left.

I flicked my hair over my shoulder. "Oh, shut up."

Marco gave me an accusing look. "Don't you think Mr. Adams will find out?"

I rolled my eyes at his preposterous thought. "Don't be ridiculous, Ian will never find out."

~*~

Ian throughly examined the ironed and neatly hung clothes inside his closet. "You washed, dried, and pressed my clothes?" he inquired.

I smiled nervously. "I did it all myself."

He circled around me, his hands behind his back.

"Well done, I suppose." I almost let out a sigh of relief, but Ian placed his mouth beside my ear and whispered the words I never thought he'd say. "I know you called the cleaning staff."

"How'd you know?" I asked bewilderedly.

"I have my ways, sweetheart. By the way, that was quite an entertaining argument you had with Trisha," he said in a husky voice, his warm breath fanning the side of my face. "I didn't realize how proud you were to be my maid." Ian's lips grazed my ear. "You are proud to be my maid, aren't you?" When I didn't answer, Ian pulled back, a frown on his face. "I believe I asked you a question, Ms. Rider."

"And I believe I didn't answer your question," I quipped. I was about to exit his bedroom, but Ian raised his arm, resting it on the side of the doorway, blocking my escape route.

"Not so fast, buttercup. Since you did, in a way, disobey me, I think you should be punished," he tutted.

I gave him a dry look. "Being your maid is already punishment enough."

"I'm thinking something more," he continued. Ian's face suddenly lit up, as if he got an idea. "Come to my bedroom tonight and be sure to wear the blue nightgown this time." My mouth went dry.

He wanted me to come back to his room? After yesterday's experience, I wasn't sure I ever wanted to come back. "Wait," I interjected. "I really don't want to—"

"End of discussion, Ms. Rider." He paused. "Now, why don't we eat our dinner?"

~*~

"Do you not know your colours?" was the first thing Ian said to me when I entered his bedroom.

"What? I like the colour green," I said innocently as I flounced around in my green nightgown.