Chapter 2 #2
The vise grip on me loosens, and I roll away in my short skirt. When I free myself enough to push up to my hands and knees, I finally get a look at the one who took me down.
A man, impossibly big, is lying on his back.
He’s got dark, wavy hair. His bone structure that makes up the pained expression on his face looks strong enough to chisel its way through a slab of granite.
His eyes are squeezed shut, and unlike me who’s trying to find my balance, he doesn’t move a muscle other than his hand pressed to his midsection.
He’s got to have at least a hundred pounds on me. I have no idea what I did to hurt him.
I tuck my legs together on my hands and knees. “Are you okay?”
Another rumble vibrates through him, but he says nothing. I have no idea how I took down a man as big as him. This entire scenario seems a little melodramatic. It’s not like he’s dead.
I touch his shoulder, give him a little shake, and whisper, “Sir, are you okay? Do I need to call someone?”
He exhales and looks like he’s holding back a million curse words when he opens his eyes to glare at me. “No.”
He doesn’t seem fine. I should either call for help or get up to hide in my office until he leaves before he realizes I work here. The last thing I need is someone to sue the manor because of me. Mr. Donnelly wouldn’t let me work another day of my trial period.
Still, guilt claws at me.
“No?” I stare down into his eyes the color of soot. “Are you sure? Please, tell me you’re sure, because you don’t seem okay.”
His throat bobs as he swallows, and he bats my hair away that’s framing his face. “If you’d move, I could get up so I can get to my room, but you’re holding me hostage on the marble floor.”
I tuck my hair behind my ear, but not before it whispers across his face. “I feel bad. Can I help you up?”
“What in the bloody hell is going on, and why are you on the floor?”
I jerk my head to the side and see none other than my boss standing over us with his hands on his hips.
“Everything is okay, Mr. Donnelly. He said he’s fine,” I ramble.
“I’ll be fine when I get to my room,” the man lying below me growls.
“Damn, Jett. I barely had time to park the car after I dropped you at the front doors. Your sister will have a fucking fit if she wanders down here and sees you like this—which she better not. Harlow is supposed to be resting even though she insists she’s fine.”
Jett?
Wait, this guy is Jett Cross?
Oh, no.
I’ve heard about him.
No.
No, no, no!
And Harlow Madison—the Harlow Madison, as in the billionaire heiress American Princess—is this guy’s sister.
This isn’t just bad. This is the worst possible scenario and will surely be the end of me at the manor.
Harlow Madison is engaged to Mr. Donnelly. She also just had surgery and gave an entire organ to her brother.
The guy I just knocked over and laid out flat on the floor in the middle of the atrium.
Devon stands over us and frowns. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do I need to rush you back to the hospital?”
“I’m fine,” Jett growls.
Devon shakes his head. “You military vets think you can live through anything, even after major surgery. If you’re not fine, Harlow will never forgive me.”
Jett looks anything but fine. “Dammit, I said I was fine, and I’m fine.”
“Shit,” I hiss before I realize what I’m saying and push up, scrambling to my feet. “I mean shoot. I’m sorry. So, so sorry. Here, let me help you up.”
I’m about to do everything I can to pry this guy off the floor without hurting him further, even though I’m not sure there’s any way I can wrestle this beast of a man to his feet.
Thank goodness Mr. Donnelly steps in to help. “I’ve got you, mate. Let’s get you to your new home.”
New home?
As in, he’s not leaving?
Yes, this is about as bad as it can get.
The man on the ground takes Mr. Donnelly’s outstretched hand.
If I thought he looked like he was in pain before, it’s nothing compared to now.
When he’s finally vertical again—sort of, he hunches over, holding his gut since I just body-slammed him after major surgery—I can tell just how big and tall he is.
Even in my heels, he towers over me, though maybe it just feels that way since he’s angry.
Devon shakes his head. “I wouldn’t tell Harlow about this if I were you.”
I take a step toward him as the words spew with no rhyme or reason, and the last thing I think of is keeping my job. “This was all my fault. What can I do to make this up to you? I’m sorry. I feel horrible—”
He puts a hand up to interrupt me. “I’ll be fine. Trust me, I’ve been worse off. Way worse for the last few years. Just...” He pauses and steps around me to give me a wide berth. “Stay away.”
Stay away.
Yikes.
I bite my lip and glance at my boss wondering if I’m going to have to pack all my belongings up again and actually find a way to leave the country this time.
Devon is intimidating on a normal day, let alone when I almost killed his soon-to-be brother-in-law. But he doesn’t seem like he’s going to fire me before my trial period expires. He lifts his chin and motions to the office. “You can go about your day, Lennon. I’ll make sure he gets to bed.”
Bed.
Yes, that man needs to get to bed and forget I exist in the same world as him.
I want to ask how long he’ll be here, so I’ll know how long I have to work to avoid him, but I don’t get the chance.
Devon holds his arm out to the elevators and motions for Jett to follow.
“Your things have been delivered to your room. Let’s get you settled.
You’re in the same tower as Harlow and me, just one floor down.
Your sister has been texting me nonstop wondering where you are.
She’s protective of you and your new kidney.
She keeps insisting I get you a wheelchair. Looks like I should have.”
I just plowed Harlow Madison’s brother to the ground after receiving a kidney transplant.
I could have killed him! I mean, it would’ve been on accident, but still.
I’m such a pain in the ass. Or more like a pain in his freshly mangled gut.
“I’m sorry,” I call out one more time for good measure.
Jett turns to glance at me as he holds his side with one hand. His glare drags over me from top to bottom before hanging on my face for another long, stagnant moment.
My stomach drops and goosebumps race over my skin. How can someone so pissed be hot at the same time? Especially when he’s pissed at yours truly.
With one shake of his head, he says nothing, not letting me off the hook.
He turns toward the elevators in the atrium.
Maybe he’s still on strong painkillers and will forget the whole thing ever happened.
Maybe he’ll go straight to bed, sleep through the next two days, and think it was all a dream.
All I know is I hope he doesn’t tell his sister.
Winslet is small, and people talk—Blake’s grandma being a prime example.
Devon Donnelly is so head over heels in love with Harlow Madison, the man will do anything to make her happy.
Word on the street is he proposed the moment she woke up from surgery.
I’ve only met her once. She doesn’t seem like the malicious type, but you never know how people will act when major organs are involved. Devon has said she’s protective of Jett.
I look around to see who else witnessed the fiasco, but don’t see anyone other than guests.
The last thing I need is for this to get around the manor.
The employees are nice, but they’re talkers.
So far, I’ve fabricated the most boring history so everyone would quit asking where I came from, what my parents are like, if I have a dog, and as of this morning, if I’m seeing anyone.
It took me a hot minute to get used to the dynamics of this place—and by dynamics, I mean everyone’s noses in everyone else’s business.
With my purse held tight to my chest, I rush to my office. I have a long list of things to do today but figuring out how to keep this job just became priority number one.