Chapter 6: FEELINGS.

Okay, so this chapter we are back to Samantha's POV and it will be like that for a long time in the story.

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Damn. That scent.

It filled the room instantly, driving my senses wild. The sharp, clean fragrance of aftershave lingered in the air as he stepped toward me. My breath hitched as he finally stood behind me, his presence overwhelming. I could feel the heat of his body, the raw masculinity radiating from him.

I turned to face him, my head lowered before I slowly lifted it, meeting his gaze.

And there he was.

He wasn’t angry. In fact, he looked calm—serene, even. That unexpected expression momentarily eased my tension.

I closed my eyes for a second, allowing myself to take him in. Even with his hair unkempt from his shower, he was undeniably attractive.

His torso was damp, droplets of water trailing down his skin, his hair messy from his shower. Yesterday, it had been slicked back, but now, in its natural, slightly unruly state, he looked even more... devastating.

I caught myself staring. My thoughts were wandering dangerously.

“Ms. White.”

His voice snapped me back to reality.

“Are you always going to drift into a daze whenever you see me?”

Heat surged up my neck. He had caught me again—daydreaming. Worse, this time with my eyes closed. If embarrassment could kill, I’d be six feet under.

His smirk deepened as he lazily eyed me from head to toe.

“Well, aren’t you something else, Ms. White?” His tone was laced with mockery. “Barging into my room unannounced—do you not know how to knock?”

“I did knock, sir,” I insisted, my cheeks burning. “For a long time, actually. But there was no response, so—”

“So, you decided to let yourself in?” He cut me off, stepping closer. Though not as close as yesterday, the space between us was still far too little for my liking.

He bent down slightly, his voice dropping to a smooth whisper. “You are something, Ms. White. Something I find… interesting.”

I stiffened. “I’m a person, not a thing.”

“And my name is Samantha,” I added, hoping to assert some control.

A glint of amusement flickered in his eyes. “Mmm. I know. You’ve told me before.”

Then, his expression shifted. “But why are you still here? Do you have a hearing problem? I told you to be gone by morning.”

I exhaled sharply, standing my ground. “Yes, you did, sir. But—”

“But you want to prove yourself to me.”

He interrupted again, his gaze unwavering.

My irritation grew at his habit of cutting me off. “Yes, sir,” I said through clenched teeth.

Blake stepped toward the wardrobe, his piercing gaze never leaving mine.

“And how do you intend to do that?”

“By being prompt. Serving your meals at the appropriate time.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Only my meals?”

My breath caught. Was he implying something else?

“That’s what Nadia told me,” I replied quickly.

His eyes gleamed with something unreadable. “A week, she said. Give her a week.”

But I could tell that wasn’t what this man had in mind.

“What?!” I exclaimed, anger simmering beneath the surface. “I don’t know what you think of me, sir, but I want to work. I don’t want free money. I want to earn it.”

He sighed as if this was all a waste of time. “Look, I don’t want you thinking I’m bribing you or anything.” He leaned against the wardrobe. “I’m just sparing you the stress of working for me.”

I squared my shoulders. “I appreciate the gesture, sir, but I’m not taking the easy way out. Give me a chance, and I’ll prove myself.”

He exhaled, running a hand through his damp hair. “If that’s what you really want, I’ll give you a chance.”

Relief flooded me. “Yes, sir.”

“And if you meet my standards after one week?”

A smirk tugged at his lips. “Then you’ll be the first caretaker to last long. Most stay only two or three days. Some leave the same day they arrive.”

A lump formed in my throat. What had I gotten myself into?

Then, with slow, deliberate steps, he approached again, his hands resting on his waist, his gaze locked onto mine. The air crackled with something unspoken, something heavy.

As he drew closer, I noticed the undone buttons of his shirt, his bare chest teasingly exposed.

My pulse pounded.

When he was only a breath away, he stopped. “And I want you to understand something else…”

His voice was lower now, more intimate.

I swallowed hard. “What?”

“You will report to me. Do you understand?”

It took a moment for his words to sink in.

“What? Was that hard to understand?” His lips twitched. “It’s simple, Ms. White. You work for me now.”

Then, his fingers lifted, grazing my cheek ever so lightly.

My breath hitched. His touch was warm, firm, and—why did it send a shiver down my spine?

I closed my eyes for a split second, trying to process this strange pull between us. Why did he affect me like this? He had been nothing but rude, yet his presence sent my senses into overdrive.

Did he feel it too?

I quickly stepped back, regaining composure. “Breakfast is ready,” I said, my voice now steady.

I turned to leave, eager to escape the charged atmosphere.

As I reached for the doorknob, his voice stopped me.

“Next time, don’t barge into someone’s room unannounced.”

There was amusement in his tone.

“You never know what you might see.”

I turned slightly, only to find his cocky smirk waiting for me.

“This time, you were lucky you only saw me half-dressed.”

My face burned.

Fuck.

———

Later That Morning

I stormed back to my room, my emotions tangled in frustration and… something else.

Blake Hawthorne was insufferable, arrogant, and maddening.

But my heart was still racing.

Damn it.

I needed to snap out of this. Whatever this was.

I threw myself onto my bed, forcing my mind to focus on something else—anything else.

Writing. That was always my escape.

I opened my laptop and buried myself in my book, letting the words transport me to a different world, far away from this infuriating man.

I had written countless stories, though none had been published.

But giving up had never been an option.

Even if I wanted to quit, something always pulled me back to it.

And so, I spent the rest of my morning lost in the one thing that truly made me feel alive.....

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