Page 23 of Risk
“South Side. At Sampson Hill.”
One glance at my watch tells me she only gives herself three hours to clean my condo and get over to the other side of town. When does she eat? “Come on.” I help her stand. “I’ll take you.”
“What? No. Mason, that’s not necessary.”
“Yes, it is. You’re done cleaning here.” The look on her face cuts me to the quick. Does she think I’m firing her? Shit. “It’s not even dirty.” She still doesn’t look pleased. Is it the money she’ll get for cleaning? “I’ll still pay you for the allotted time, don’t worry.”
She yanks away from me and shoves me back. “God, you’re such an asshole.”
What the fuck? “What did I do?”
“You just throw money at everything like that makes it all better, don’t you?”
“That’s not what I was doing.”
“You just said you were paying me for my time.” She jams her finger in my chest. “I’m not Daisy Ren right now, Mason. You can’t pay me to have your way and finish with a fat tip and think that makes me happy when it’s really only to ease your conscience.”
Hold up.
“I know you’re not Daisy right now, Leah. And I’m not throwing money at anything to make you happy or ease my fucking conscience. I’m simply paying for the time allotted to clean my condo because that’s business. And instead of wasting your time cleaning an already pristine home, I’m going to get you a nice lunch, drive you to your next two jobs, and help you because it’s what I want to do.”
She freezes. “Help me?” Leah has the audacity to look me up and down. “Help me how?”
“Clean, obviously.” I give her the same look she just gave me, but Leah bursts out in this awful fake laugh that makes my blood boil. “What’s so funny?”
“Something tells me, Mason Finch, that you’ve never scrubbed a toilet in your life.”
She’s right. “So?”
“Oh, my god. Just stop.” Leah shoves past me and I let her this time because I don’t want her falling or tripping and hurting herself more. Instead of marching out my front door, she heads back into the kitchen.
I barge in and snatch the broom and pan from her cart before she can get to it.
“Damnit, what is wrong with you?” She stomps her foot. It’s fucking precious. “I’m trying to earn my living and I don’t like handouts. Let me do my damn job.”
“Sit,” I growl. “And let me take care of this.” Worried I’m coming off a little too dickish, I soften my next words. “Please, Princess?”
She looks at the mess, then back at me. “Fine.” Leah pokes her finger at me. “But when you’re done cleaning up in here, I’m finishing the rest of your condo on my own.”
I don’t like it, but I admire her tenacity. “Deal.”
A half hour later, she’s in the hallway mopping and I pull out the vacuum from my spare bedroom closet to start on the rug in my living room, even though she cleaned in there already.
Leah storms in with her hands up in the air. “What are you doing?”
“Practicing,” I snap back.
She storms back into the bathroom, mumbling under her breath.
Damn, her ass is delectable.
The electricity between us is palpable. I think I like having her annoyed with me. My dick sure enjoys it.
Surprisingly, vacuuming turns out to be quite soothing. I like the lines it makes in the carpet. The repetitiveness is calming.
Wow. I have no clue what this says about me.
New kinks unlock every day.