first tasks

“Planning to escape?” Lorenzo snapped me out of my reverie.

“No. I…”

He didn’t let me finish my sentence. He pulled my arm and dragged me back to his bedroom.

“Don’t. Stop dragging me around. I can walk.”

I pushed him off, but he was too slippery. His skin was sleek with sweat, and all I had accomplished was sliding my hands across his chest and feeling how taut his muscles were.

Lorenzo didn’t let me go until we got to his bedroom. He threw me inside and shut the door, standing there to block my exit. I watched him with contempt in my eyes. He leaned back against the door and folded his arms, viewing me with the same contempt.

“Don’t throw me around like that. I’m not your rag doll,” I told him off.

“Where did you get that bravery from, Amelia?”

He was right. Where did my courage come from? I didn’t know. I just knew I couldn’t tolerate being manhandled like this anymore. If I were to work under his care, he had to treat me right.

“I just…I just thought, if I were to work under you, I want to be treated right.”

He stalked toward me and, in less than a second flat, he had me in his arms, his eyes spitting fire in my face.

“Don’t assume you have the right like my other staff. You are here as my debtor. And I have every right to treat you how I see fit.”

And he threw me onto his bed.

My heart pounded so fast I couldn’t react in time. I was spewing with anger, and by the time I’d managed to calm down again and get off the bed, Lorenzo already appeared out of his walk-in closet with a towel over his shoulder.

“I’m assuming you know your role,” he said, glaring at me.

I shifted my sight to him and answered, “Ming-May has told me.”

“Then do it.”

“Do what?” I asked. What did he want me to do? I thought I’d already done all the work Ming-May had told me.

“Your duties.”

I gestured at his bed, minus the empty bedsheets. “Is it not obvious? I’m waiting for the bedsheets to dry.”

He looked at the bed and then back at me.

“Did you think you’re only here to clean my bedsheets?” he asked and started approaching me like a lion ready to attack his prey.

My only reaction was to retreat. I took a step back. That pleased Lorenzo even more. He took another step forward, and I retreated another step back, until I was backed up against the wall.

“If I needed someone to wash my bedsheets, I could have asked Ming-May,” he said, his eyes so sharp my bravery diminished by the second.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” I asked, biting my lip.

“I want to take a bath. Go get it ready,” he said, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled the air around me.

Did I hear that right? Lorenzo wanted me to draw him a bath. But I didn’t have time to ponder on this thought. Lorenzo was already moving.

He edged into my personal space and crowded me further into the wall so that I was completely trapped with no way out.

He was too much for me. His strong masculine scent mixed with his manly sweat made me all heady and confused. My belly flipped and my breathing quickened.

“Did you hear me, Amelia? Get my bath ready.”

“Then get out of my way.”

I mustered all of my strength and pushed him off. He backed off easily, and I took this opportunity to run to the bathroom. Once there, I braced myself against the door and closed my eyes, trying to control my breathing.

What was wrong with me? Why was I reacting this way to Lorenzo? I despised him. I had to keep reminding myself that. The event from yesterday was still fresh in my mind. I had to remember that he was the one who hurt me, who pushed me into this confinement.

I really wished Lorenzo would just disappear and leave me alone. He said he owned me, but that didn’t mean he had to be here. I’d thought he had gone out. I didn’t expect to see him come back looking all sweaty and…

Images of Lorenzo’s bare chest flashed in my mind and my breathing grew heavy again.

I had to stop thinking about these stupid thoughts. I needed to get his bath ready, if I didn’t want him to come barging—

Too late.

The door burst open and Lorenzo casually walked into the room.

“I’m not done yet,” I said, turning to him. “Go wait outside.”

Lorenzo ignored me and started stripping.

My eyeballs almost dropped out of my sockets.