Page 5 of King of Desire (Kings of Las Vegas #2)

CHAPTER FOUR

Honeyeh

Triston reaches Veronica in two strides, his hand decisively grabbing her elbow. He makes a snarling noise as he moves her toward the front door, Veronica struggling to keep up with his long steps.

But Veronica isn’t done, she’s still spitting vitriol over her shoulder, aimed at me. “You aren’t special, so don’t go thinking that you are. You’re just a number, a whore he paid to do his bidding.”

I have never considered myself special. At this point, I’d settle for being average. But despite what Brittany offered, I’ve never considered selling myself. The idea fills me with sick dread.

“There was a line of women before you and there will be a line after you.”

Triston opens the door, his hand still under Veronica’s elbow as he steps outside, pulling her with him.

I’m staring, my mouth open, as Mrs. Raith rushes toward me. “I’m so sorry, Honeyeh. It’s usually not this exciting around here.”

“I…” I swallow down a lump. Veronica’s words were full of vitriol.

And while many of them were aimed at me, her assessment of the situation was all wrong.

I’m just some girl that Triston Smith felt sorry for.

One that is tangentially related to his partner, so he’s doing me a favor, which is really meant for Mason’s benefit.

Triston walks back into the house, his long strides quickly closing the distance between us, his gaze filled with an intensity that makes me hectic inside.

My heart flutters in my chest as blood rushes in my ears. In this moment I have to wonder…

Did Veronica’s words have some measure of truth? Will I be asked to…

“Honeyeh,” Triston’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Allow me to give you a tour of the house.”

I nod, a bit disoriented and lost for words, as his hand lightly grips my elbow. He’s a man in charge, there is no denying that, and I allow him to lead me away from Mrs. Raith and into the center of the entryway once again.

Part of me wants to ask about Veronica, about what she said, but I hold my tongue. If he wishes to discuss what just happened, he’ll bring it up. If not, I won’t ask.

To the left is a large study, the right looks to be a…

“Let’s start in the ballroom.”

“The ballroom,” I repeat, hesitating for just a moment. Who has a ballroom? His fingers lightly caress the exposed skin of my arm as he leads me into the massive space. It must be forty feet wide, and it runs the length of the house, with a wall of French doors that lead into a formal garden.

“It’s a lot, I know,” he says with a chuckle. “But as the CEO of my family’s company, I end up hosting a fair number of events.”

I can’t believe they didn’t have Killian and Chloe’s wedding here. It’s a much nicer space than the hotel room that his brother used. And the garden… “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you,” he starts walking again, down the length of the ballroom toward the back of the house. “At the end of the ballroom is a hall that links to the kitchen. From there, we move into the far more personal spaces of the house.”

I nod. I’m sure the staff services both public and private spaces, but I make a note. Be cautious before entering the personal spaces.

We turn down the hall, into the huge industrial kitchen with an entire wall of Viking ranges with double ovens, a twenty-foot-long island filling the center of the room. “Wow.”

Triston chuckles. “You seem more impressed by the kitchen than you did the ballroom.”

“This is a place of purpose,” I say, hearing the awe that colors my voice. I clear my throat. “It’s impressive.”

He nods too as we move into a second, much smaller kitchen. “This is my personal space for making a smoothie or a quiet dinner.”

This kitchen opens into a family room with vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s cozy, yet grand, and I can picture Triston in more casual attire, lounging on the large sectional.

The idea of him in a more relaxed pose makes my cheeks heat. His hand is still on my arm, the slightly rougher feel of his palm making my skin sensitive and flushed.

“As you can imagine, this is one of the rooms I spend the most time in. It’s tucked in the back for privacy.”

“Of course,” I respond, sure he’s telling me that I should be in here as sparingly as possible. “How many staff members do you have here?”

“Grounds crew, guards, house staff,” he looks up at the ceiling like he’s calculating. “Close to fifty.”

I gasp. That’s a large number.

His response is to chuckle. “The Ducal estate that my oldest brother oversees has at least two hundred employees and the home I was raised in had a hundred. This house and staff are small by comparison.”

My lips part as I shake my head. Triston grew up as royalty. I can’t even imagine…

“I’ll let you in on a secret,” his voice drops, and I find myself leaning in, catching the masculine scent of his cologne which has notes of wood and leather.

“What is it?” I whisper.

“Having a house like this, hosting in a more personal space, it’s part of what makes a difference, makes people trust you more.”

That hardly seems like a secret, but the words have merit. Being here feels so much more personal than a hotel. “I’m surprised your brother didn’t marry here.”

He chuckles. “Family knows the truth. Most of the rooms in this house are an illusion. And as it’s my illusion, this might be one of the last places my brothers would wish to marry.”

I consider those words, not really understanding them. If my family had anything of value, I’d want to rejoice in it.

But I keep this thought to myself as we make our way up to the second floor. “Another set of stairs.”

Triston pushes me slightly ahead of him so that we’re making our way up single file on the narrower steps.

“The one in the entry is for public use, the one by Mrs. Raith’s office for daily use of the staff, and this one is for my own private comings and goings.

It leads right to the door of the main bedroom. ”

I reach the top and step aside as I wait for Triston to show me whichever part of the house he wishes for me to see next.

His hand immediately settles on my elbow again. Not only do I find his touch pleasant, but I enjoy the wordless direction his hand provides. I’m more comfortable following someone else’s lead in nearly every situation, and I’m particularly nervous today.

But when he opens the door and we step into a bedroom, my feet stop as I suck in a breath, Veronica’s words echoing in my head. Why would he bring me here? What job am I really here to do?

He turns his head toward me, chuckling. “Even my bedroom needs to be dusted.”

“Dusted?”

“Yes. That’s the role we’ve decided to place you in.”

“Oh,” I give a small nervous laugh. “How foolish. I…” I can feel my cheeks getting hot. “Of course I would need to dust here. I thought I would be kitchen staff, that’s why...” My words die in my throat.

He draws in a long, slow breath, his eyes on the far wall as he pauses.

“I’ve been trying to decide how best to utilize your skills and temperament, and after seeing you here, I have a different role in mind for you.

Not only will your cleaning duties be lighter, I’d like you to act as a buffer between myself and the rest of the staff. ”

I have no idea what kind of actual duties that might entail, but I nod anyway. As long as I’m gainfully employed, I’d scrub every inch of this house on my hands and knees if I had to.

He leads me toward another door, and we step into a massive bathroom that is so luxurious, it looks like it should be in a magazine. The shower is six feet long with several shower heads and a long narrow window that goes the full length, allowing sweeping views of the backyard.

“There is a cleaning crew that does the deep scrubbing, but besides them, only a very few staff members have access to these spaces. You will be one of them.”

I blink a few times. “Really?”

He smiles. “As I mentioned, you have a pleasing way about you, Honeyeh. Quiet. Conscientious.”

I dip my chin. “Thank you.”

“You’ll be an asset here. Now, let me show you the rest of the second floor. Then we can pass by the formal dining room before Mrs. Raith takes you again to finish your onboarding.”

“Does she have more paperwork for me?”

“No. But, after she gives you the signing bonus, she’ll have you start working today.”

My eyes nearly fall out of my head, they go so wide. “I beg your pardon. Bonus?”

“Paychecks are given every two weeks, for the previous two. To keep employees from going an entire month without pay, I frequently give a starting bonus.”

“That’s so thoughtful,” I whisper, actually feeling a prick of tears. Whatever amount of money it is, it will help.

“Don’t give me too much credit. Veronica has a few things right. Giving bonuses builds loyalty. I don’t like turnover in my staff because loyalty leads to discretion.”

I nod. With the money he offered me for salary, I’ll stay for as long as he’ll have me.

But this is the second time Triston has mentioned strategy. He goes to great lengths to create ideal reactions in people. It’s a trait I note.

We continue on the tour, as I see his home office, the spare bedrooms, and the formal dining room before I’m returned to Mrs. Raith.

Triston gives me a single dip of his chin before he leaves Mrs. Raith’s office. I’m left watching the door, feeling like I know both more and less about the man who is going to be my boss.

Mrs. Raith clears her throat.

I turn back to her, giving my head a little shake to put my thoughts about Triston Smith aside.

He’s no less attractive than he was that first night; if anything, he’s more so. But he’s also my new boss and this job is the chance to save the money I’ll need for Darius.

I cannot afford to be daydreaming about Triston. Even if he were interested back, which he isn’t, it’s clear he doesn’t do commitment and that’s my one requirement for dating.

“We have a benefit event coming up on Friday night,” Mrs. Raith informs me. “We’ve already begun preparing, and I’m hoping you don’t mind jumping right in to help get the house ready.”

“Of course,” I reply. “I’d love to begin. Thank you.”

“Good,” she says as she pushes an envelope toward me. “This is your signing bonus. Tomorrow, I’d like you here by eight.”

I nod, slipping the envelope into my bag. Every day I work is another day I get paid. For the first time in a long time, I am filled with real hope. And that’s reason enough to keep my head down and my eyes off my boss.

This could be the start of something really wonderful.