Page 112 of Double Daddies (Dirty Daddies Anthologies #8)
Squeezing the reindeer tightly, she took his hand again when he offered it. Words were stuck in her throat, so she just followed quietly as he led her toward the staircase, one step behind him.
“This is the main clubhouse,” Clay explained as they reached the top of the stairs.
“Most of the guest accommodations are up here, although there are residential cabins outside for anyone wanting to stay longer. We have a medical room,” he told her, gesturing to a door on the left.
“The office is right down this hallway at the end. I’ll walk you down, introduce you to the boss. Just to warn you…”
Her stomach fluttered with nerves.
“Evander’s a big guy. Probably one of the tallest you’ll meet.
Don’t be intimidated by it; he’s also one of the best guys around.
He’s a Dom—a Daddy Dom, so don’t be afraid to let your Little out if she wants to show herself.
” When she squeaked, Clay shot her an amused look.
“I get the feeling you have her nailed down pretty tight, Avery. It’s okay to let her have some freedom, especially here. ”
“I don’t think I can.”
“She might not give you a choice.”
They walked down the hallway toward a pair of ornate oak doors.
Cream colored walls were accented by the same wood as downstairs.
More of the same series of explicit photographs caught her eye—a redhead being worshipped by four naked men, a blonde forever captured in ropes, a pair of heavy breasts wrapped in colored cord and adorned with gleaming silver jewelry.
Clay’s boots thudded on the carpet, his pace unhurried until they reached the doors. He cocked his head, eyes glinting with mischief. “Ready, sweetling?”
“How big are we talking?” she asked, managing to keep her voice steady.
Instead of answering, he just grinned and knocked twice on the wood. No wonder the lines around his eyes and mouth were so deep when he smiled if he constantly exuded so much positivity.
At the muffled summons from beyond the door, he opened it and poked his head through the gap. “Delivery for you, Evander. No return label for this one.”
A low, appealing laugh rumbled in response. “Noted. Send her in, Clay.”
Clay pushed the door wide and let go of her hand after a quick, supportive squeeze. “If in doubt, let the Little out, Avery. Good luck.”
Clutching the reindeer to her chest, tempted to ask him to stay, Avery shook off the feeling of inadequacy, the doubts for the reasons she was here, and breathed in slowly.
She was a strong, independent woman who earned her keep, knew her job, paid her bills on time, and didn’t use other people like a leech.
Just because Adam’s well-crafted comments, designed to make her feel less than him, had hit their mark and eroded her confidence on all aspects of her life, didn’t mean she had to let them continue to erode it.
Squaring her shoulders, holding her head high, Avery walked through the doors as though her insides weren’t wilting with stress. Keeping the reindeer close to her chest, she pushed herself to take each step until she reached the boat-sized desk.
Holy shit .
Clay hadn’t been joking, she realized when she found the courage to lift her gaze from the charcoal-gray carpet. The man sitting behind the desk was enormous, but when he rose and leaned forward to shake her hand…
He towered over her. If he wasn’t six foot six, maybe even seven, she needed to get her eyes tested because he was a hell of a lot taller than Clay. Warm brown eyes met hers with the same power as Clay’s. “Evander Ledston.”
“A-Avery Moreno.” She clasped hands with him because it would be rude not to, and gulped when his enveloped hers fully. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ledston.”
“Please, call me Evander for the moment.” His gaze dropped to the reindeer. “Who’s your friend?”
“I… he… Clay…” Damn it, why was she stuttering like an idiot?
Evander released her hand and smiled. “Relax, Avery—may I call you Avery?”
She nodded, curling her fingers into her palm.
“Thank you. Take a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chairs on either side of her.
“Don’t look so worried, I’m not going to eat you.
” The pale blue shirt he wore strained across his chest and biceps when he sat, and she noticed how the gold stripes in his blue tie almost matched the color of his hair and beard.
“Before we get started, I’m going to ask you to sign an NDA. Do you know what that is?”
Avery nodded again. “Non-disclosure agreement. I can’t talk to anyone about what I see, do, or hear.” She picked up the pen and sheet of paper when he slid them over the desk; she read the NDA carefully, then signed it and pushed it back to him.
“Wonderful. So, why don’t you tell me a little bit more about yourself? The application you sent in was… brief.”
Brow furrowing, Avery tried to remember exactly what she’d put down on the form. She’d been professional, or so she hoped, and while she hadn’t flooded it with information, she thought she’d done better than brief . “I’m sorry, I can’t recall…”
The computer monitor spun around to face her. The form on the screen looked familiar, sure, but as she started to read, her mouth dropped open. Surely, please God, she hadn’t actually sent this… this load of gibberish as an actual application.
“I-I-I am so sorry,” she spluttered, then paused. “Wait. You invited me for an interview based on that?”
“I did. No, I’m not crazy,” he added when she eyed him suspiciously.
Flipping the monitor back, he lifted his shoulder.
“When I first saw it, I figured it was either a prank or the sender was drunk.” His lips quirked when she hunched her shoulders with a silent admission.
“Ah, so there’s some truth to that. However, my wife has certain tendencies that are similar. ”
“Oh?”
“I’m fluent in Little-ese,” he explained, eyes alight with humor she hadn’t expected.
He began to read what she’d submitted aloud and, to her consternation, the translation— if it could be called that—was pretty accurate.
“Your current occupation is serving in a bakery, yet you’re applying for a housekeeping position?
Are you looking for a change in career or just a life change in general? ”
She damn near throttled her reindeer. “Just in general.”
He continued to read, plucking pertinent bits of data from the crap she’d emailed. “I think a residential post would suit you best, correct? Daily commute would be inefficient and…” He frowned at the screen, his lips moving soundlessly. “Ah, no driver’s license.”
Avery closed her eyes. She doubted very much she’d get through this interview without caving under the weight of mortification. In all likelihood, she wouldn’t get the job anyway, even if he didn’t seem mad that she apparently sucked at applications.
No more vodka for you, missy .