RICHARD Richard had been on that treadmill for approximately fifteen minutes. He'd woken up earlier than he usually did, probably because he was kinda excited about Taylor's return. He'd started by walking for five minutes, then run between intervals for three minutes. He'd been at it since he woke up. Victoria stood beside him, with a bland expression registered on her face. He knew that expression. It reeked of disinterest and somewhere in the line of something else. He couldn't find the word. Clutching the grips tightly, he set his sights on his secretary's face. "Say what's on your mind, Victoria?" Victoria pinned him with a look, then sighed as she glanced down at her wristwatch. "It's 7:7am and she's not here yet." Richard knew that was the only reason Victoria was in a sour mood. He was beginning to think there was more to her aversion to Ava. She overdid it most times, but he liked her work spirit so, he had to turn a blind eye most times. Like right now, she wore a

RICHARD And that was how the little redhead went running from him. Richard hadn't meant to touch her and feel that shot of electricity down his bones, but it was apparently there and that meant she felt whatever it was. He knew without being told that she was young enough to be his daughter. He must be fucked up to be feeling that way for a girl that just resumed work two day in. Heck! There was no way to tell how he was particularly feeling. But when he had locked eyes with Ava over Taylor's hair, it was clear as day that there was something. There was going to be something. Something that shouldn't be. It had to be avoided, whatever that was. Taking the two luggage with him into the house, he went straight up to Taylor's room to find her taking out clothes and dumping them on the bed as Henry retreated to retrieve the last suitcase. "The new girl... She's pretty. Her hair is even natural." She said when she sensed him enter. Richard just nodded to himself without a comment

RICHARD Two weeks. Two weeks of weird emotions. Two weeks of insane torture. It was the first time he had such feelings after Daphne. It's been over twenty years. Maybe that was why he was confused. Confused enough to try to stay away but couldn't stop himself from wanting to see her. The other unsettling part about everything was that it wasn't just any other person. It was his twenty three year old housekeeper from Salta. A redhead. A girl with no college degree and hadn't been anywhere else except Bellamy. He'd been really busy so, he had not seen much of her whenever he was home. He even had to go away for a landed property survey for two days. Now, he sat in his office and listened to Victoria remind him about the fundraiser he would be going to that night. She'd said something about the fundraiser being held for children with rare diseases. He didn't have the mind for mingling but he had received numerous emails about it, so he couldn't avoid

AVA Nicole had bombarded her with questions the rest of the night. There were no words to explain how she felt after hearing Richard say those words to her. She just couldn't say anything to Nicole because she wasn't sure about what had happened. He can't mean that. He was just pulling her legs, right? When she'd trailed him with her eyes at the event, or when their eyes clashed over the heads, there was this twinkle in them even when another woman was hanging off his arm and wouldn't stop whispering into his ear and smiling. They looked so good together, Ava acknowledged. She didn't have to lie about that part. Prince charming to his Cinderella, except Simone was no Cinderella. She had watched in earnest when he'd made his donation, his eyes on her through out his sincere speech. It sent jitters down her spine and his eyes on her melted something in her. He'd held her gaze when it was all over and he had to leave. With Simone, of course.

AVA One of the wonders of the world should be this moment. At this point. In this heat. Ava couldn't believe that she was pressed against the counter, with Richard's fingers in her hair and his mouth taking hers in a heated kiss. Totally one of the wonders of the world! She'd almost kicked herself when the moan escaped her throat, but she was too immersed in the moment to do anything. Rather, she moaned some more. Stupid! Maybe at her funeral, the priest will say; here lies the body of the girl who went from the kitchen into the boss's arms. She found herself leaning in for more of him. Their lips collided and meshed together with a hunger she'd never felt before. The wheels in her head was running on their own accord. She just couldn't control or hold herself from wanting more. Her hands slid up his arms and spanned his lean, strong muscles. This was bound to happen. It was in the air around them, it just took a while to realize it. She groaned when he suddenly released her f