Fated Under the Moon Read online

  Once that was done, and out of the way, I felt marginally better. I decided some distance between Ryker and I would take the edge off the rest. I dug through my printed directions and found the directions to the Valdere Estate. Maybe getting the lay of the land before my big day would be good.

  I left out the back entrance, hoping to avoid Ryker. I knew he wasn't staining or painting yet; however, space between us was exactly what I felt like I needed. I almost made it to my car when he rounded the building, and Good Lord, he was shirtless. He was using the back of his shirt to wipe sweat from the back of his neck. My breath hitched. His chest was absolute perfection. There was a faint scar running down the front, between his broad shoulders. He had defined pecs with a dusting of hair over his chest. And those abs, were they even legal? Each muscle had so many lickable ridges.

  "Ariel, going somewhere?" he asked with a smirk taking me out of my Ryker-induced haze. He totally knew I was checking him out.

  "Um, yeah?" I chirped and rushed to my car. Once I was safely inside and away from Ryker, I looked in my rear-view mirror and watched as he ran a hand through his dark hair. I'd never in all my life felt so attracted to a man. I turned on my car and sat there watching him until he was out of sight, then I backed out of my spot, feeling all kinds of jumbled up inside.

  I drove around the small town, noting the elementary school and its proximity to the small high school. My high school was probably ten times as big, and it was another reminder of what a small town I was in.

  The church parking lot was filled with cars overflowing onto the street. I continued past it, and it was only a few more minutes until I seemed to reach the outskirts of town. Turning around, I circled back to follow my instructions to the Valdere's. I made turn after turn and found that the estate was also outside of the town. A vast brick wall surrounded the place, giving me the distinct impression that it was heavily surveyed. The landscaping around the brick wall was meticulous, and I could tell they must have a groundskeeper, if not several, with how immaculate everything looked.

  I continued driving around the estate when suddenly the iron gates began to open, and a large black SUV began to slowly make its way out. I wanted to get out of there and not seem like some weird stalker. I began to drive away, and as I did, I noticed the window on the SUV rolled down. I couldn't see who was in there, but I got the unsettling feeling that they were watching me. It left me feeling unbalanced.

  I quickly drove away. The further I got, the more I wondered if I felt that way because of everything I'd already heard about the Valderes. It was like a seed was planted, so I looked to see if something was actually wrong. I drove back through town, spotting the library and a few other places that might be important. Then with nothing else to do, I went home. Ryker was still shirtless, but this time he was bent over a few sawhorses where he was cutting a piece of wood with an electric saw.

  There goes my libido again. I'd just have to get used to it.

  I tinkered around the apartment for the rest of the day, and I did my best to ignore the shirtless, tanned-skin Ryker. It was pretty much impossible. Mindy stopped by and brought me food, telling me that she made some for Ryker and thought I might be hungry too. I thanked her, and she told me she and Grey had plans but that she'd catch up with me soon.

  I ate some delicious pasta with meatballs, and, again, I was reminded that I should really do something nice for Mindy. She was beyond thoughtful.

  As the evening drew near and Ryker seemed to stop working, I opened the window again to let the breeze flow through. My eyes widened; Ryker had gotten so much done! The porch practically looked brand-new! I could tell he wasn't entirely done, but it was a considerable improvement.

  Ryker walked up from behind the building and noticed me in my window, gawking at his work. He had changed and was dressed, so I felt like I could form a coherent sentence. "It looks amazing."

  "Thanks, I'll finish up tomorrow. Give it another day before you walk on it."

  "Where are you headed off to?"

  "Bar's not gonna run itself."

  "I suppose not."

  He looked like he was going to say something else but stopped himself. "Well, have a good night, Ariel."

  "Are you ever going to call me Elle?"

  "Now, why would I do that?" he smirked. Then he was gone, and I kind of wished he would invite me to his bar. Then I remembered him saying I could go to the other bars, but not his. Maybe he had a woman there, and that was why he didn't want me anywhere near there. Of course, someone like him would have a woman. Jealousy instantly burned through me. I didn't understand why I felt jealous. He was just my hot, sometimes moody, sometimes not, landlord, and I needed to remember that.

  Chapter Six

  I felt apprehensive as I drove up to the iron gates for my first workday at the Valdere Estate. It also didn't help that this morning, as I was getting into my car, I saw Ryker give me a displeased look. I knew he was aware of where I was going and that he didn't like it.

  I wore a high-waisted skirt, a light blue blouse, and slingback heels. Ryker ground his jaw when he saw me and ignored my good morning, replying with an all too unpleasant grunt.

  It left me annoyed. I was going to work for the enemy. I understood why he was upset, but he didn't need to be rude about it. It's not like I knew anything about the Valderes or him before coming here. I didn't think it was fair that he was rude to me because of it.

  Pulling up to the intercom in front of the gate was intimidating. I pressed the button and waited for a voice. No one spoke. Instead, I waited several moments until the gate slowly peeled back.

  Driving up the long drive eventually led to a sprawling brick mansion, complete with a turnaround drive and a large fountain. Only instead of the white cherub, I was used to seeing, this had a black gargoyle.

  I parked right in front, unsure if that's where I was supposed to park. I was sure someone would tell me where I needed to move my car.

  I walked up the marble stairs and stopped in front of a large black door. There was no doorbell to ring, only an old-fashioned knocker which I used.

  Moments later, the door pulled slowly open. I expected to be greeted by someone, but no one was there.

  Odd.

  "Hello," I called out. "Is anyone there?" I felt like Belle walking into Beast's castle for the first time. I jumped in shock when I heard, "Miss Katz, I assume." Turning, I found a man much shorter than myself. He had to be maybe a foot shorter than me. He wore a black tailored suit, with a black dress shirt like he was dressed for a funeral. If I had to guess, he was in his late sixties-early seventies and of Asian descent, but his accent held an English lilt.

  "That's me," I said with a smile.

  "I'm Alfonzo. It is a pleasure to meet you." He bowed forward slightly, causing me to blink in astonishment. I'd never seen anyone do any such thing except maybe Jeffrey the Butler on Fresh Prince.

  "Nice to meet you."

  "Master Valdere is in a meeting this morning. He asked that I show you around and give you the lay of the land. First things first, let me show you where you should park."

  I followed him back outside and slowly followed in my car as he walked behind the estate. Here I could see several other vehicles, as well as what appeared to be an airplane hanger. My jaw was on the floor for sure with that one.

  Once I was parked, we walked in through the staff entrance, which felt far less intimidating. Alfonzo showed me where the kitchen was and introduced me to Bethany, their head chef, who explained that whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, she would make it for me. Wow, talk about a perk!

  He gave me a long tour. I passed too many bathrooms and more sitting rooms than any one person should have. "Upstairs is the living quarters for the residents and guests. There are two separate buildings on the estate for employees."

  "Who lives here besides Mister Valdere?"

  "The Missus, of course. You'll meet her soon enough, I'm sure. Then there is their son, but he isn't here often. Occasionally, various guests stay as well."

  I nodded as we continued to stroll. "How many bedrooms are there?" I asked curiously. The place was enormous. It was also the grandest home I'd ever been in, decorated with an old-world charm that at times felt like I'd stepped into a time-warp.

  "Upstairs, there are thirteen, not including the master's quarters."

  "Wow," I said, running my hand over the banister.

  "This is the cellar. You will never need to go down there, so I will leave it off the tour. Here is Master Valdere's office." He pointed to a set of closed doors. We continued walking, and down the hall, there was another set of double doors. Alfonzo opened the doors, and I followed him into an office. "And this, Miss Katz, is your office."

  There were mahogany bookshelves built into the wall. A simple desk sat in front of the bookshelves facing the door. On the desk, there was a laptop and a phone. It was as beautifully decorated as the rest of the home, but something about this space felt newer. Maybe it was technology? Since moving to Ohio, I hadn't really seen much of it.

  "There's Internet, I assume?" I asked.

  "Of course."

  Maybe I made the decision not to live here in haste. It seemed pretty impressive. Then again, I wouldn't have met Ryker or Mindy. Gosh, was I really happy about meeting Ryker after he ignored me this morning? With my thoughts on Ryker, I didn't notice Alfonzo cleared his throat. He did it again, but this time he said, "Miss Katz, may I present to you Master Bronson Valdere."

  There was something oddly familiar about Mr. Valdere. He had dark features and a chiseled jaw. His hair was trimmed to perfection. He was dressed impeccably in the most expensive-looking black suit that I had ever seen. He didn't appear to be much older than me; however, when he spoke, his voice held an
age to it that was hard to describe. I held out my hand, "Hi, Mr...."

  "Bronson, you may call me Bronson." He grabbed my hand and placed a small kiss on my knuckles. That was a stretch for an employer and mildly inappropriate. Then again, he also had a slight accent, so maybe it was customary wherever he was from.

  "Bronson," I said, trying it out on my tongue, "Nice to meet you."

  "Pleasure's all mine." He appraised me from top to toe, and I couldn't tell if he was checking me out or just cataloging details. I didn't like it.

  "So, this is it? Where I'll be spending my days?"

  "I hope it's to your liking."

  "It's great."

  "My office is through these doors." He nodded to a set of doors that were now open that connected his office to my own. "I have a meeting in five minutes that I'd like you to transcribe. I like to keep detailed records of my phone conversations. In business, I've found it incredibly useful, wouldn't you agree?"

  "Sure," I concurred.

  "Alfonzo, grab her laptop and set her up next to me."

  Alfonzo grabbed the laptop. I set my purse down and followed Bronson into his much more elaborate office.

  He sat behind his imposing desk and motioned for me to sit in a chair across from him. Alfonzo handed me the laptop, open and ready to go, then briefly showed me what a dictation from another call looked like. I had only seconds to get my bearings before the phone was ringing, and Bronson shot Alfonzo a menacing look that made him cower and scurry out of the room.

  Bronson held a finger up to his mouth, telling me to be quiet.

  "Speak," Bronson answered the phone with a curt order.

  I spent the next fifteen minutes taking detailed notes on the conversation. One thing I knew right away was that Bronson was no pushover when it came to business. People cowed to him, and I wondered if they were actually dangerous.

  When the call was over, Bronson wanted to look at my notes, then nodded his head in approval when he saw I noted people's behavior. If someone sighed, I wrote it down.

  "These are good. Keep the door open between us. There's a fax machine and a copy machine through these doors." He motioned to a set of doors I hadn't noticed. "Get settled at your desk, and I'll give you further instructions."

  The rest of the day went how you would think any secretarial job with a moody and rich boss would go.

  I'd certainly had worse jobs.

  When I got home, I was surprised to see how beautiful the porch looked. Ferns hung from the roof in between posts. A pair of white rockers were positioned on the porch with a small white table between them. Now, this was the kind of fairytale porch a girl could get used to!

  I was staring, and my eyes were wide as I took in everything.

  "It came out amazing, didn't it?" Mindy asked from beside me, startling me.

  "You came out of nowhere!" I laughed. "It looks so amazing. Did you help him with this?"

  "Nope! It was all Ryker."

  "Wow, well, he outdid himself."

  "You look all fancy today," Mindy noted. "How was the first day with those people?"

  "It was fine, busy. I'm hardly fancy, just a skirt and heels."

  "Did anything happen?"

  I shook my head but wanted to ask what she really thought could've happened.

  "Is the paint dry? I want to go put on comfy clothes."

  "Yeah, he tested it before he left."

  It was on the tip of my tongue to ask Ryker's whereabouts, but that wasn't my business. Although it felt odd, he'd been so attentive and helpful over the weekend, and now, it felt like he was giving me the cold shoulder. Except, a strange part of me wondered if he somehow made this porch beautiful for me. Instead of asking, I smiled and started for the door.

  "Did you have dinner yet? Want to grab something?" Mindy sounded unsure as she asked me.

  "Give me ten," I replied.

  She gave me a huge smile and told me to meet her upstairs when I was ready. A little while later, I changed and freshened up, then knocked on her door. We had pizza, and our conversation was easygoing. I didn't see Ryker again that night and was disappointed.

  The following morning, I left the same time as the day before, hoping I would run into Ryker and that we would have a better exchange than yesterday, but his bike wasn't there. Maybe he didn't come home last night. What if he stayed with a woman? Longing and jealousy coursed through me. I had no right to be jealous. No right to feel disappointed, but it didn't change the fact that I did.

  Work started off a lot like it did the previous day. There was a slew of emails when I got to my desk from Bronson, and he had a list of things he needed me to do. Fill out this form, file this one, fax this one. It was easy enough but tedious, so I could see why he needed someone to do it for him. After an hour into my shift, my stomach growled, and I decided to take Bethany up on her offer about making me anything I wanted. I chatted with her for a few minutes and asked if she could make me an omelet. She told me she'd bring it to me in my office, and I thanked her.

  I was walking back to my office when I overheard a strange conversation. A woman's voice rang through the hall. "She's here? She's truly here?"

  "I promised you she'd be here, and she is." I recognized that voice as Bronson's.

  "I want to meet her."

  "Don't go in too excited."

  "Of course I'm excited. I've waited years to meet her."

  "She's here," Bronson hissed, and I wanted to walk faster to my office, but Bethany called my name. "Miss Katz, here's that omelet you asked for. Please let me know if there is anything else I can get for you."

  "Bethany, as I said before, please call me Elle."

  "I'm not sure the master would appreciate that much."

  "Why do you all refer to him as the master? Seems a bit archaic if you ask me."

  "It's our way," she replied, handing me the plate.

  Our brief interaction made me momentarily forget the strange conversation I overheard.

  I brought my plate to my desk and tasted, arguably, the best omelet I'd ever eaten. My eyes were closed, and I was savoring the flavors when I heard a knock at my open door.

  In the doorway stood a blonde woman who looked younger than me. She had ivory skin. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun at the nape of her neck, and her red lipstick showed off the fullness of her lips. She wore a black blouse and skirt as well as heels, and I wondered if dressing like you were going to a funeral was a prerequisite around here. I had a vague sense of familiarity. However, I was sure I would have remembered this woman if I'd met her before. She was stunning.

  "You must be Ariel. I'm..." she paused as if trying to determine what she should call herself. "I'm Lillian." She stared at me as if waiting to see what I'd do next.

  "Um, hi. You can call me Elle. Nice to meet you."

  "Elle, Darling. Look at you. Aren't you just divine? Bronson, she's simply divine," she called out.

  Darling? Divine? What an odd choice of words.

  "Well, let me take a look at you. Stand up." She clapped as if to say I wasn't moving fast enough for her.

  "I'm not doing that."

  She frowned, then sighed. "I just want to take a look at you."

  "Lillian, leave the girl alone," Bronson called out.

  "But..." she reached out and touched my hair, not finishing her thought process. "Her hair is a lovely shade, don't you think?"

  "Yes, Dear. It's lovely."

  Alrighty, so by his term of endearment, I was guessing that Bronson and Lillian were together. She was a tad on the young side for him, but who was I to judge? What was more worrisome was her interest in me. I wouldn't be a part of any sex thing that these two were interested in, and the way she wanted me to turn around made me wonder if that was their kink. Bronson was more than professional with me. However, this weirded me out.

  "It's curly, though. It's not straight like mine."

  "It's the humidity," I said, brushing her hand away from me.

  She took a few steps back as if I'd struck her by brushing her hand away. Bronson placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear that I couldn't hear. Lillian straightened her back and squared her shoulders. "Right, Elle, tell me about yourself. How do you like it here? Are you finding the work agreeable?"