Page 46 of A Secret In The Garden

The feed opened to show a woman who looked to be in her mid-sixties trying to physically pry the iron gate open while news crews snapped photos of three of my guards blocking her attempts. I sent a quick text to the head of my security team and swiped back to Eliza.

“Your mother is outside, quite literally trying to gnaw through the bars of my enclosure to get to you,” I said in disbelief.

I watched as the liveliness left her eyes, and they grew round with surprise and panic. She looked off into the distance, then completely deadpan, said, “She knows I drank wine and ate fish.”

I burst out laughing, unable to control myself even though I couldn’t tell if she was joking or not. “If you want to see her, I’ll get someone to bring her in, but don’t go out there; it’s not safe with the media waiting. Ask her to stay for dinner; I’ll text Katya and she’ll serve salmon.”

“You would let my mom come in? To the manor?” she asked, sounding surprised.

I shrugged, setting the phone on the kitchen counter to grab an apple from the basket. “Sure, why not? I’m sure she’d love to see all of your work in the conservatory. That is, if you want to see her. If you don’t, she will be kept out.”

She rubbed her temples. “It sounds crazy, especially with all the stuff that happens here at night and all the exhausting work I’m doing, but this place has been the first place I’ve ever felt like I could breathe without her trying to move my lungs for me.” She looked off into the distance, deep in thought.

Stuff that happens there at night? What was she getting into at night?

I itched to tell her mother to fuck off, but I would keep that to myself. I didn’t care for mothers very much, obviously.

“The choice is entirely yours, but I should text Victor so that he knows what to do before she gets too out of hand,” I said.

“I feel like such a coward if I say no and such a pushover if I say yes,” she said as she nibbled the inside of her lower lip like a little blue-eyed chipmunk.

I poured a glass of water. “If it’s helpful, I could draft a ransom note and have it sent out to her.”

Eliza smiled. “And what would the ransom be for? You’re already a millionaire.”

“For you, of course.” I had a drink.

The light had come back into her sky-colored eyes. “She already thinks we’re fucking, so that might have legs.”

I sprayed my mouthful of water across the counter. Hearing Eliza say the words “we’re fucking” made my mind go crazy. “Now why would she think that?” I grinned wickedly. Had innocent little Eliza told her mother we were sleeping together?

“Because, silly man, that’s the only reason a single millionaire would hire me and force me to move into his mansion, duh,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Honestly, though, that’s the least crazy thought she’s had. I kind of get that one.”

“Damn. It’s a good thing I left when I did, what with you wanting to fuck me so badly,” I said with a wink. “That definitely would have gotten messy.”

She scrunched her face and forced a laugh. “I do not want you; you’re the one who ran to another state the second you let me in,” she challenged.

“No? You don’t want me?” I lowered my voice. “’Cause it sounds like you might want to fuck me a little bit. I’m not sure you could handle what I like, Eliza.” I’m not sure I could handle what I liked with Eliza.

She rolled her eyes, ignoring my words even though her pink cheeks brightened a shade. “Tell Victor to keep her out, please. I’m not sure I can mentally handle her right now. It’s no wonder why you hide out here and no one sees you. Gates are pretty amazing; I get it now.”

I moved the phone to the bathroom counter and propped it up against the mirror and began to unbutton my dress shirt the rest of the way.

“Okay, I’ll let him know to keep her out. I’m going to jump in the shower. Your nipples have antagonized me enough for one phone call,” I said as I continued to remove my shirt.

“Oh my god,” she said, moving her arm up to cover her perky, hard nipples. I watched her eyes hover over my chest. She didn’t hang up.

“Now,” I added, stepping back, half naked, to flick on the shower.

She nodded but still didn’t hang up. Her eyes trailed down my body like fingernails. My cock pulsed.

“Eliza,” I rasped, picking up the phone.

“Yeah?” she said, her own voice a little lower and breathier than normal.

“Quit looking at me like that if you still want us to be friends,” I stated.

She feigned shock. “I’m not looking at you any type of way, and I think we are friends, whether you try and fight it or not.”