Chapter 20 Milosh
20 MILOSH
‘This was really nice of you, Milosh,’ Amelia says, as we walk into Daphne’s room. I simply nod as I go to sit down on the sofa by the window, leaving Amelia perched on the end of Daphne’s bed.
I shouldn’t be here.
I honestly shouldn’t have called Hallie to bring the dresses for her. This is all becoming too much too fast and I seem to be continually forgetting the fact that I’m nothing but an employee to Daphne, and she’s nothing but a job to me.
Well, should be at least.
I’ve never been so unprofessional before. Granted, none of my jobs were to protect a soon-to-be eighteen-year-old, whose face is like a painting you never want to look away from. A painting that people would travel miles to see for just a moment.
But still.
All of this is inappropriate. What happened this morning was understandable because we were training. We were bound to end up on top of each other at some point. But actively calling a friend to see if they’re around to help out, arranging travel plans and accommodation for them and picking out dresses I think she would like was stepping way over the line.
I’m supposed to be protecting her from Daveeno, not playing boyfriend.
She’s the job. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Keep her safe and walk away.
‘So,’ Amelia asks, pulling me out of my thoughts, ‘how’s the training going?’
‘Good. Miss Green is making good progress.’
‘Hmm,’ Amelia hums, nodding her head. I keep my face impassive while she studies me. ‘So what kinds of things are you teaching her?’
‘Why?’ I respond, instead of answering her question. She has this weird look on her face, and I really don’t want to find out why, because I know the answer will definitely annoy me.
‘Oh, you know, I’m just curious.’ She shrugs. ‘Sometimes I see you two outside in the morning, and wonder what you’re up to.’ She eyes me, feigning innocence.
‘Take this morning, for example. I got up early and saw you guys outside… training.’ She drags out that last word. ‘I mean, as I was looking out the window, I really thought to myself, what in the world are those two doing? So… that’s why I ask.’ She’s now smiling at me. The same smile she had when I walked past her with Daphne in my arms, after the mall incident.
It’s irritating and annoying, and if she didn’t mean so much to Daphne, and her husband wasn’t a complete psychopath about her, I’d probably shoot that smile right off her face.
With a paintball gun, though. I’m not a monster.
I think back to earlier today, and I completely understand why she’s talking like this. Daphne was on top of me, multiple times. The memory of one of them now replaying in my mind in a constant loop.
Her hands travelling down my arms, her light breath feathering over my ear as she whispered into it, the feel of her heart beating so close to mine, her lips mere centimetres away from my mouth.
So plump. So kissable. So ready.
If she wasn’t a client, I don’t know what I would’ve done.
Actually.
Scratch that.
I know exactly what I would’ve done.
I know what I would’ve done with my hands, with her lips… with her body.
But one of us had to come to their senses so I got up and moved on before I did something I’d thoroughly enjoy, but ultimately regret.
‘We were working through different scenarios where she had to overpower me, take me down and disarm me,’ I explain to Amelia stiffly.
‘Oh, she was disarming something, all right,’ she mutters under her breath as the door to the dressing room opens revealing Hallie, Averie and Daphne.
‘Okay, first dress,’ Hallie sings, as she and Averie take a seat next to Amelia on the bed. Daphne walks out wearing a cream floor-length dress. It’s tighter at the top with a low yet modest neckline and puffs out slightly at the waist.
‘Oooooh, Daph,’ Amelia coos, ‘this is gorgeous! What kind of hairstyle are you thinking?’
‘I’m thinking soft fifties-style curls, maybe?’
‘Oooh, yeah!’ Averie nods enthusiastically. ‘With gold jewellery, for sure.’
‘What jewellery were you planning?’ Hallie directs her words to Daphne.
‘Well, I have a couple of Graff pieces. Let me go and get them to show you.’ She disappears into her dressing room again as Hallie sighs.
‘One day I’m going to have my own Graff collection casually lying around in my walk-in closet.’
‘Yeah,’ Averie agrees, ‘we both will.’
‘Oh, shut up, Av.’ Hallie rolls her eyes. ‘Your brother’s loaded, just ask for some for Christmas.’
Averie just laughs in response before turning her attention to me. ‘So, Milosh.’ Amelia and Hallie turn to look at me as well, both with that stupid smirk on their faces. ‘What do you think of the dress you picked out for Daphne? Does it look the way you imagined?’
Just as Averie finishes her sentence, Daphne walks out, five jewellery cases in hand.
Good timing, baby.
‘Okay, so I have a white-and-yellow diamond necklace and an emerald diamond necklace from their high jewellery collection, and a few smaller pieces from their regular line, but I think I want to wear the white diamond necklace to this event.’ She opens up the box and I hear a collective gasp from the girls as they bend in to look.
‘What was this making up for, again?’ Amelia asks Daphne.
‘When Daddy forgot my birthday and worked right through it,’ Daphne answers, and I feel a spike of anger. How could her father of all people forget her birthday and just buy her a necklace thinking that’s gonna make up for it? Daphne takes the necklace out of the box delicately, and walks over to me.
‘Milosh, can you help me put this on, please?’
I nod and stand, completely ignoring the stares from the other side of the room, and focus on the necklace. I’m careful to clasp it tightly and securely, knowing full well this single piece of jewellery is worth more than I’ve ever made in a year.
‘Beautiful,’ I murmur low enough that only she can hear me, allowing my fingers to graze down her back for a split second, before I step back. Daphne turns around to show the others.
Hallie gawks. ‘Perfect. No notes.’
‘I’d have to agree with her,’ Amelia chimes in.
‘Me too.’ Averie smiles softly. ‘And what’s great about this necklace is that it will definitely go with all of the dresses Milosh picked out.’
At the mention of my name, all four women look back over to me as if they just remembered I’m still here. ‘What do you think?’ Daphne asks, her eyes big and pure.
‘You look good,’ is all can say, because if I told her how I really felt… Now that would be inappropriate and would probably lead to me clearing everyone out of her room, throwing her on the bed and…
Okay.
That’s a bit much for right now.
Or probably ever. So I just stick to, ‘You look good,’ to stay safe.
‘Okay! This was a good start. Let’s try you in pink next!’ Hallie chirps as the three of them make their way back into her dressing room, leaving me and Amelia alone again.
‘You know,’ Amelia says, breaking the silence after a few minutes, ‘when Henry and I met, the reason it took us so long to actually get together was because of the internal struggle we both felt about the fact that it would be inappropriate.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘Milosh, your eyes say what your mouth can’t. And right now your eyes are speaking a thousand words.’
‘Mrs Harris, I’m just doing my job. That’s it.’
‘Is this the job that requires you to kiss her? The job that requires you to protect her from her father’s bad moods? The job that requires her to straddle you, and you her, under the guise of training?’ Amelia laughs. ‘You know, Henry and I used to make up the most ridiculous reasons to see each other, be close to each other, touch each other. We denied our feelings for so long we almost lost our chance together.’
‘What exactly are you implying, Mrs Harris?’
‘That you like her,’ she whispers, not missing a beat. ‘You like her, and from the looks of it, that feeling is very much mutual.’
‘Daphne is just a job, Mrs Harris. That’s all.’
‘Yeah.’ She nods sarcastically. ‘Because you’d fly Hallie and Averie out for just any job, right?’
Before Amelia has a chance to say anything more, the door opens again and Daphne steps out wearing the same huge diamond necklace but this time in a strapless baby pink dress with a slit running from her lower thigh to the floor.
She looks beautiful. Graceful, elegant… and hot.
Before anyone can say anything, we hear a muffled shout from downstairs. I cross the room in an instant and pull the door open to see if I can hear any better.
‘George!’ an unrecognizable male voice calls.
‘Teddy?’ Daphne whispers, frowning as she hurries past me, calling the name again on her way down the stairs.
‘Miss Green,’ I shout after her, ready to walk out before turning around to face Hallie and Averie. ‘You two stay here.’ My tone leaves no room for argument so they both nod as Amelia comes to join me.
‘Who the hell is Teddy?’ I ask Amelia, jogging down the stairs after Daphne. But before she can answer, Daphne comes back into view with George at her side as they make their way over to a curly-haired guy standing at the front door. His face is half covered but as soon as he turns around I hear two gasps.
‘Teddy?’ George gasps.
‘Oh my gosh, Teddy, what happened to you?’ Daphne says, her voice laced with concern as she reaches up to gently move his face to see the extent of his injuries. The guy has a busted lip and is sporting a mean black eye. He’s completely soaked even though it’s sunny outside.
‘I’m sorry, George,’ Teddy breathes heavily, dropping a small duffel onto the floor. ‘I didn’t know where else to go.’