CHAPTER FOUR

The way those well-hewn arms made Emily glad she tripped. It was almost as if they were made specifically for her as they fitted her securely yet conveniently only sparing the empty tray which landed on the tiled floor with a loud clang.

But something about those arms gave her a nostalgic feeling. She could tell she'd been in this haven before but when that happened was a matter of question. To satisfy her curiosity, she looked up at her saviour only for her smile to be replaced by a look of horror as she met the dark green eyes of Williams.

"I'm sorry, sir," she quickly apologized, hoping he had forgotten the earlier incident when she had ruined his tux with cake. She attempted to wiggle out of his grasp but his firm arms kept her in place.

"Amazing how people change in a matter of hours, isn't it?" Williams whispered, helping her to her feet.

Instincts warned her to remain quiet despite the words already knocking on her lips. Avoiding his scrutinizing gaze, she grabbed the tray and was about to leave when his contralto voice stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

His tone sent her confidence into the mist. "To the kitchen, sir," she said, and immediately regretted how sarcastic she might have sounded.

Williams scoffed. "You must think I have a gullible memory!" He paused, watching her closely. Perhaps it was the growing desire in his groin or not but until that moment, he hadn't noticed the maid was beautiful. "You are yet to apologize for covering me in cake and raining insults on me."

"I didn't…" she wanted to protest but knew better. "I'm sorry for insulting you and also ruining her clothes."

She turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm pulling her back.

"That's no way to apologize," he paused to scan her name tag. "Emily."

"But I just said I'm sorry," Emily said, surprisingly calm.

He pulled her close and she crashed against his chest, causing a gasp to escape her throat. She drowned in his manly scent, feeling a shiver run down her spine as her hand laid on his bull chest. It was hard to resist the feeling of desire that was beginning to cloud her thoughts.

"You know the other maids are always so easy. Perhaps I would like someone feisty."

"What do you mean sir?" She asked, her grip on the tray tightening. "If you're in need of an escort, I could get one for you."

As much as she wanted to wiggle out of his grasp, her body seemed to have lost its feel. Her mind kept on screaming out the dangers that could occur if she lasted longer in his grasp but her skin was growing ravenous by the moment for his touch.

"Don't play dumb with me. I don't want any filthy prostitute. I want you," he said, not taking his eyes off her for once. "Besides, I am the surest route you can go through if you want to secure yourself a permanent job here."

As soon as his hands released her, she regained control of her body and pulled away.

"Sir, this is wrong. I'm sorry but I would be jeopardizing the trust Mrs. Reeds had for me if I do this," she said sternly.

"I will not ask a second time. Get into my room!" He instructed but Emily backed away.

"I don't usually ask twice just so you know. You either join me now or when next we meet like this, you'll have no choice but to oblige," Williams threatened but she ran off not giving him any chance to reach for her.

She could hear Williams cursing her under his breath but she didn't slow down until she got to the kitchen. Only then did she break her stride to get back her breath. Thankfully the others had left otherwise she would have been tasked with the responsibility of explaining why she was in a haste.

Emily knew working for these rich assholes had a stressful side to it but the last thing she expected was being forced into entertaining sexual advances. She began to consider sharing the experience with Sarah but something told her, Sarah's advice would not be favourable. For all she knew, Sarah and the other maids would probably leap if such an offer was given to them.

Emily could still remember the speckle of excitement in their voices when they talked about Williams's return. Granted, the man was attractive with a very sexually appealing aura. But the fact that he felt his wealth handed him permission to sleep with anyone he wanted was beginning to paint a dark and unpleasant picture of Williams in her mind.

But as she was in no position to win a fight against him, she was resolved to do her best to avoid him. According to what she had overheard from the others, Williams barely left his room except he was going out or for meals. Hence the probability of running into him was slim.

A voice beckoned on her, interrupting her thoughts so she headed for the living room, her plan running through her mind.

****

The next day was a Saturday, which meant a pile load of chores for the maids and another day for Emily to stay clear of Williams's path. The day started out bright and promising and even Williams woke up in the middle of his king-sized bed in a good mood. Well, until his mother walked in to ruin that mood.

She drew the curtains and a burst of light filled the room, threatening to burn his eyes.

"Rise and shine, baby," she exclaimed.

"Why are you waking me up so early?" He groaned, shielding his eyes with his palm.

"It's time you choose a maid who will attend to you," his mother announced.

"What?! Who said I needed a maid?"

"I did. Get some clothes on and meet in the living room in twenty minutes," and with that, she was out the door.

Meanwhile, in the living room, all the maids had lined up to be addressed by Mrs. Reeds while they waited till the two sons came down. Kelvin seemed like he was perhaps too happy about the arrangement but Williams was far from excited. He took his mother away to whisper words.

"Mom, I don't need a maid. I'm not some sort of disabled man that needs help to carry out the day-to-day function," he complained.

"Of course you do, Will. Listen, can you just trust me? I want your stay here to be as comfortable as possible." He wanted to protest but she barely gave him an audience as she returned to the waiting maids.

The wish of every girl standing there was to get assigned as an attendant to one of the maids, well except for Emily. She didn't want to be a part of any of this and prayed fervently that she became invisible during the selection. She also tried to avoid the gaze of William, especially after last night's incident.

She looked over at Sarah and she could see her best friend trying to hold back a giggle. It was almost as if the latter was praying she could get picked.

Why wouldn't she? After all, such a relationship with one of the sons would mean not just a secure spot in the house but lots of pleasure. However, as alluring as the promise of special treatment sounded, Emily was far from fazed.

Mrs. Reeds announced the purpose of the gathering to the maids, who maintained decorum despite their excitement. The next phase was an examination to know which ones were duly feet to render services to her sons.

More than anything, Mrs. Reeds loved her boys, irrespective of the men both of them had grown up to be. As long as it laid within her might, she tried to make sure life was nothing but good and enjoyable for her sons even if it meant she had to hire maids to be at their beck and call.

Being the thorough woman she was, she made sure to study all there was about each of the maids. She had put eyes on each of them and even as she matched beside each of them, she was still recording enough details to make her judgment.

Along the line, she stopped at a maid just beside Sarah and picked her as the maid for Kelvin. Sarah's face bounced off disappointment but Mrs. Reeds couldn't care less. She kept on her walk until she came to an abrupt stop in front of Emily.

Emily felt as if her last breath was about to be drawn the moment she was assigned to be Williams's maid. Her greatest dread was about to become a reality.

"Not to question your decision ma'am, but I've only been here a day. I couldn't possibly understand how best to serve Mr. Williams," she whispered.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Mrs. Reeds retorted. "You'll learn. Besides, you have proved to be even more dedicated than most here."

As much as Emily enjoyed Mrs. Reeds's praise, she couldn't stop thinking of how wrongly everything could go between her and Williams. There was not just his arrogance but his indecent lust to contend with. Despite Mrs. Reeds's assurance, she knew that her job was about to get a lot more difficult.

Meanwhile, Williams who had been against the arrangement at first now wore a smirk. His plans for Emily had just been given a progressive nudge. If only Emily knew that he was about to make her stay in the mansion unbearable.