Page 46 of Haden

“Four.”

“Hey! You didn’t mention eye rolling.”

“I have now. I reserve the right to add rules as we go along.”

“That’s not fair.”

“It is because you’re smart enough to know what will become a rule. Make better choices.” He shrugs, his eyes twinkling. He’s so proud of himself.

“Tomorrow you’ll either make better clothing selections, let me dress you, or you’ll sit in here wrapped in my sweatshirt again. Your choice.”

He wins. How did this happen again?

The bossy man rounds behind me and starts fingering my hair. Before I know it, he has it divided into three sections and is braiding it down my back. He even has a hair tie in his pocket.

I don’t ask why he wants it pulled back. I can guess. He’s obsessed with it, and he thinks every man who comes in will be, too. If he keeps my hair restrained and my clothing boring, no one will hit on me.

Honestly, it’s kind of sweet. I’m not sure I’ll think so in a week or five years, but his jealousy is cute. It makes me feel oddly special. Like I’m so gorgeous I need to be hidden.

“What’s my job description?” I ask when he’s done.

“We’ll make it up as we go along. For now, I want you to answer the phone and manage the calendar. Mark when people are due to arrive. Inform the guards at the gate. That sort of thing. I’ll be in and out today. Two men are coming to work on the windows. I’ll set them up in the rooms that aren’t occupied. I’ll do all the inhabited rooms myself.”

“Okay.”

He squats in front of me so we’re at eye level and strokes my cheek with one hand. His voice is lower and softer when he speaks. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine so far. Don’t make a big deal out of it, okay? I don’t need everyone thinking I’m a wuss, especially my brothers.”

“No one is going to think that, baby. I promise. You can’t help nature.”

“Well, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me quietly disappear to go lie down for a bit when I need to. I’ve never had a job I needed to call in sick for when I got my stupid period.”

His frown unnerves me. “This is a real problem for you, isn’t it?”

I shrug and pick at imaginary lint on the front of his incredibly comfortable sweatshirt.

Haden grabs my thighs and pulls my chair closer. “Emilia. Look at me.”

I cock my head to the side and roll my eyes. I don’t even care about his spanking tally. I like it when he punishes me. He can do it every night for as long as he wants. “Can we please not discuss my fucking period any longer?” And there’s another tally mark.

“Baby, have you had issues every month that caused you to miss classes?”

I groan and tip my head toward the ceiling. He’s not going to let this go. “Usually in college, I could muscle through my classes and then climb into bed.”

“How long are you out of commission?”

“A few hours. Just today. I’ll be fine after that.”

“Have you seen a doctor about it?”

I drop my head and glare at him. “Haden. It’s fine. It just happens to some women. The last time I saw my GP, he prescribed something to help with the cramping on the first day of my period. I’m going to live. Drop it.”

“Okay, tell me what you need from me.”

“I need you to stop talking about it. Just let me go lie down for a while and let it go.”

“That’s not going to happen, baby,” he says softly. “There’s no way I would leave you hurting and do nothing. Tell me what helps so I can be prepared. Where is your medication?”