Inhumane Seduction (Vampire Romance-on hiatus)

fifty-two

Fifty two - White Lie

~Music recommended

My cheeks were bright red when Xander leaned back against the chair, staring at me like I had managed to capture his attention entirely.

I cleared my throat. "Right. Everybody has dreams like that. It's completely normal." I think I was trying to convince myself more than I was trying to convince him.

He nodded, the corner of his lips still tugged up into a teasing smirk. "You came here just to discuss your wet dream, Ophelia?"

I glared at him subtly. I knew he was trying to embarrass me and it was working but I definitely wasn't going to admit it. "No, actually. I was wondering whether you need anymore servant. I think I might go crazy if I don't get a job soon."

He nodded thoughtfully but didn't give me an answer until half a minute later. "The answer to that is no, I do not need another servant."

I blinked. "Well, I really need a job—"

"But I do need help with my paperwork. Now that I spend a lot of my time at the castle, I rarely find enough time to go through my paperwork."

"You're telling me you want me to be your assistant or something?"

"Yes?"

I smiled. "Okay, when do I start?"

He shrugged. "Right now if you're up to it. I can show you the basic."

"You're not busy?"

"I don't have to be at the castle until 1 o'clock." He glanced up at the clock on the wall. "We have about 3 hours."

"Right." I nodded, starting to stand up. I had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

•

[ 13 days after the wedding ]

I took a sip of my tea slowly, careful not to spill any on the papers littered all across Xander's office desk. I glanced up at the clock, sighing when I saw it was nearing 6 o'clock and that I would have to go back home soon if I wanted to have dinner on time.

I sat back into Xander's leather chair, savouring the way the leather seemed to smell of him. Before I knew it, I was closing my eyes, listening to the whistling wind outside and the rain that was starting to come down in gentle patters.

I wrapped my fingers around the armchairs on each side of the chair and gripped it until my hands started to hurt from how tight I was holding it. It was as though, for a moment, I was desperately holding on to a remnant of him. I didn't want to let go or stand up.

I could imagine the way he sat in the very chair I was sitting on, the way his back seemed to rest against the backrest and the way he would lace his fingers together in front of him with his elbows pressed down against the armrests.

I snapped out of my daze when a particularly loud thunder sounded. I sat up, looking out the balcony window to see the willow tree in the backyard rocking back and forth because of the harsh wind.

I furrowed my eyebrows before looking at the clock. It was past 6 o'clock. Had I really fallen asleep without realising it? I quickly tidied the papers on the desk and then made my way down the stairs to ask whether someone could drive me back home.

I was just descending the stairs and adjusting the straps of my bag when I heard Genevieve whispering in the kitchen. "No, that would be wrong and you know it." She was speaking in such a hushed tone that I had to strain my ears to hear what she was saying.