Housekeeping Read online

  When we finally arrived at his room, we got to see the damage. I’d dealt with him before, but even my jaw dropped.

  Fuck, the place was such a mess! We might as well replace everything in there or take everything out of the room and clean the furniture outside. The smell of booze and smoke hung in the air, and there were still a few bodies sprawled all over the floor. Other people were trying to get them up and out of the room.

  Seriously?! It wasn’t even that late in the day yet. The sun was still up, and they were already totally shitfaced! Damn, this kid and his friends were real…

  “You’re going to have to leave the room with your friends for us to get to work,” one of the senior maids was saying to Mason, who was draped over a couch, looking relaxed. “We won’t be able to clean properly if you stay here.”

  Mason hummed and raised his head to look around. By then, all his friends were already out, and he looked a little surprised.

  “All right,” he said, heaving himself up. “Please try to be done in a couple of hours.”

  I frowned at him indignantly. Even with all of us, getting his room clean in only two hours would be a bit of a stretch. Not that the young heir seemed to realize.

  Then my eyes widened, and a few screams went around the room. He had a blanket over him, so I hadn’t even realized it, but it fell away when he stood up. Mason was standing stark naked in a room full of maids.

  “Mr. Thompson!” the maid who’d been talking to him screeched and looked away as her face went a bright pink.

  Mason smirked, taking his time to walk around the room and pick out his clothes. There were a few other items tossed around, probably his friends’, and I wasn’t sure how they were all going to be claimed. That was only a secondary thought because my mind was all on Mason right then.

  Damn the guy was hot.

  He was completely not my type, and with his title of “heir”, way too out of my league. On top of that, he was a fucking slob and a little too free with life, his money, and his status. So whatever interest I had in him, I knew I had to kill it for my sake before it went too far. Still, my eyes kept flitting to him and away as I tried not to stare at his incredible body. There was just no way anything could work between us, even if that kindling interest was in any way returned.

  It wasn’t just because of the mess I saw going on between Jessi and this guy’s older brother, either. Our worlds were just too far apart. Everything had fallen apart for me when I found out I was sick and I had to quit college for the sake of my health. It had been hell for me. I hadn’t grown up anything beyond comfortable, but the awful hospital bills had driven me to total poverty, and that had been hard.

  I’d overcome it all. A road full of pain that I never wanted to travel again, and especially not over a scummy guy. With my second chance at life came the choice that I’d live to the fullest. I dropped all the negative people in my life and vowed to look on the bright side. In no way would I go down a road that promised pain so willingly, I hadn’t even had a choice the first time.

  Thinking too much about it is useless, I thought to myself. It’s not like this hot, twenty-five-year-old rich boy would see me as anything but a maid.

  I probably jinxed myself again with that thought, I realized in the next moment.

  Fully dressed, Mason made for the door to leave us maids to do our work. As he walked toward me on his way to the door, I was surprised when he met my eyes. We’d technically ‘met’ plenty of times before this, but I was pretty sure he hadn’t noticed because he was usually suffering from a hangover or preoccupied with some woman. There was no recognition at all in his expression, but he did throw a smirk at me, even though it was a sardonic one, and I felt my heart skip a beat. Only in surprise though!

  My lips twitched because I was determined not to take this kid seriously, and I followed him with my eyes as he walked past me.

  “Well, damn,” I muttered teasingly. “He’s well-hung.”

  I didn’t know if he heard me, but I thought there was a falter in his step. It left me with a smirk of my own. As soon as the door closed behind him, squeals and giggles, as well as a few grumblings, filled the room with the maids that had seen his little show.

  All I could think of before I left work for the day, was the look Mason had given me, and exactly what it meant. If I should let it mean anything at all because suddenly, I was conflicted. No matter what, the guy was hot, and it had been a while since a guy had caught my interest.

  Of all people, I thought to myself sarcastically. It just had to be him. Way to set yourself up for disappointment, Laura.

  I’d just have to suffer through it and take a leaf out of Jessi’s book: go the avoidance route and hope he didn’t cause me any more trouble for the remainder of his stay.

  3

  Mason

  She stood watching me, and I thought that she’d be embarrassed at my purposefully shocking display, like the other maids, but she was far from it. I’d heard exactly what she said too; I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to hear, but I had. Either way, I knew what she said, and I felt proud at her words.

  Her. The blonde-haired and blue-eyed beauty looked at me like one of the girls back in London. There, giggling beauties had flocked around me and my American accent like bees to nectar. If this one wanted to suck my cock too, then she could have done exactly that. Maybe if we’d been alone, I pondered.

  She’d acted as if she was used to seeing a cock that big on any given Sunday. I knew she was impressed though, and she didn’t fucking try to hide it. If I hadn’t spent the night so shift-faced, and still drunk for most of the day, then I would have toyed with her. I’d have made out that I was ready to play and told the other maids to leave in a heartbeat. But I was fucking knackered, and I had too much work to do. Nothing got in the way of working.

  Fucking.

  Drinking.

  Even the odd joint.

  Nothing.

  I should treat my body like a temple. I used to when I was going to be a professional rugby player, but Dad took away the idea of that ever being a reality. The career I hoped to have one day became a distant memory the moment I started to work for the hotel.

  And after all that, Dad still treated me as if I’m the paid help, even though I gave up my career to take work at one of his hotels. He’d held my inheritance over my head, which I think was a lie. It was all going to go to Trent, wasn’t it?

  All Dad does is compare me to my older half-brother, so when he summoned us to come back home I needed a party to get me in the mood. Usually, I partied and fucked, but I didn’t always drink as much as I did last night. Coming back home always had a habit of winding me up.

  I always ended up feeling like a loser even though I knew the rest of the world didn’t see me that way. Self-doubt would enter in and I’d feel it like a fucking mosquito buzzing in my ear. No matter how many times I waved it out of the way like I did when I was bombarded by those little bastards when I went to visit Ghana. The fucking things bit my face, and I was lucky that I took my malaria tablets.

  I hesitated as I stood by the door, wondering if I should ask her if she wanted to know what my cock would feel like in her pussy. I’d be happy to oblige. I bet her pussy was sweet.

  Why did she look familiar, I wondered. Had I seen her before?

  I was shit at names but good with faces.

  I shook my head as I hovered at the door. I didn’t want to leave. Dad had summoned us to get together, all my siblings were going to be there, and no amount of partying had put me in the mood to deal with it. The maid wasn’t my type; her eyes were sea blue, and she had light blonde hair. The type that was too innocent, especially with her small frame, but she had perky tits. Those caught my eye the moment I saw her, and as I thought about going to the family home, I suddenly found myself licking my lips thinking about my tongue all over her erect nipples.

  My phone buzzed, drawing my attention away from the blonde’s nipples.

  “Sis!” I blurt
ed as soon as I saw her name flash on my cell. I knew Emily was calling me to find out where I was and to make sure I was on my way.

  “Mason, I’m just calling to tell you not to bother coming.” Emily sighed on the other side of the line.

  I stood in confusion, wondering if today I was going to be playing with the staff, something that was against my code, but Dad was pissing me off before I’d even managed to see him. I would forget about all types of code if Dad continued to piss me off, and just go for the one thing that I was in dire need of right now, and that was sex. Last night I was too wound up by him summoning us here that I didn’t get any. I was so fucking horny that jerking off wouldn’t satisfy me right now.

  “Did you hear me?”

  I was standing by the elevator with my phone in my hand, wondering whether to make the journey or not, but I could tell Emily calling to tell me not to bother meant that she wanted me to come. Quickly, too. She was my sister and maybe the only woman I ever really talked to because there weren’t any other women in my life who acted as a friend or as if they even cared, only her.

  “Emily. What’s happened?”

  “Dad’s acting weird. He asked you all to come here, and now he doesn't want to see you.”

  Shit, he’s up to his old tricks again.

  “Mason, I’m worried that something’s wrong,” she whispered, and then I could hear her footsteps. Emily loves to wear heels and I often tease her about how she loves to make an entrance. I’m sure that’s the only reason she wears them; well that and the fact that she hates being so short.

  “There’s always something wrong…”

  She cut me off. “The thing is, Mason, it makes no sense. He asks all of you boys to be here and then the moment you are, he refuses to see you.”

  “That’s because he’s so fucking dramatic. He’s always acting as if the moment he says ‘jump,’ we should all be asking ‘how high?’”

  I shook my head at the thoughts that were running through my mind. My index finger hovered near the elevator button. I hesitated, wondering whether to get the one thing that I craved right now—a taste of that maid—or go and see my dad.

  Emily was still on the line and was waiting for my answer. She decided to nudge me a bit with her next words.

  “Seriously, I’m scared, Mason. He’s acting so… weird.”

  Emily’s words rang through my head and made me do the one thing that I hated doing the most. The decent thing.

  “Emily, I’m on my way. Don’t worry, everything’s going to be all right,” I lied as I pressed the elevator button and thought about the incredible maid I could be pursuing right now. Sense took over because I cared too much about Emily not to make sure she was okay.

  I could imagine her smile as she said, “Thanks, Mason.”

  “I’m getting in an elevator right now. We may lose signal. See you soon.”

  I hung up, not giving her a chance to reply. If I did then I’d change my mind and it was something I couldn’t do. Whoever the blonde-haired, blue-eyed maid was, she’d have to wait. I had family duties to attend to, something I hated doing but knew it was the right thing to do.

  As the elevator doors opened and I stepped inside, I took a deep breath to calm myself. I didn’t feel cool and collected. I felt fucking angry. That was something I had to keep under wraps. I was going to make Emily feel better; I had to put my true feelings in a box. I could lock my anger up and let it back out when I was alone.

  I closed my eyes as I thought about the breathing exercises I used to do before a rugby game. I was back on the field, only this time it wasn’t in a sporting contest. It was a harder game, one where I was dealing with my dad which pretty much felt like the same fucking thing, but much worse. No matter what, whenever it came to him, I never felt like a winner.

  4

  Mason

  I couldn’t get that maid out of my mind, which was fucking weird because I wasn't the type of guy to be pining over a woman. Even if her tits would fit perfectly in my hands and I could make her scream all night long, that didn’t mean I’d go home and keep thinking about her. Sexually frustrated and annoyed about Emily’s take on Dad´s behavior was not the best way to be feeling right now, but I told Emily that I was on my way and I was a man of my word. The way the maid eyed me up and down was priceless, as if she hadn't had any in a while or maybe ever.

  Thinking back to all the times I’d been to the hotel branch in Charlotte, I’d definitely seen her. She was almost always there every time I called in the maids to clean up after my infamous parties. None of them were happy with me, but she’d always give me this complicated look. I never paid her much attention, but I was pretty good with faces. It was a big help in the family business.

  My phone rang, and I glanced at the screen before ignoring it. I jumped into my car and headed out of the garage before I could make a mistake and change my mind yet again about going to the family house. The call was from one of the many women I’d had fun with for a night, and there was no point in talking to her. I never bothered to hook up with any woman more than a few times, and the level of interest was never as much as what I was feeling toward that maid right now. Not that it would go anywhere, because as much as I would have loved to, I couldn’t pursue it. This was just the first time I was thinking of her as a person and it was getting to me.

  “I’ll get over it,” I said to myself, convinced it was true. If the interest didn’t die down on its own, I’d just look for someone else. After all, she wasn’t really my type. The kind of women I slept with were the kind of women who knew not to expect much from me. She looked like the kind who’d expect you to stick around for a while.

  I may not have the same wanderlust as my little brother, Kevin, but I rarely stuck around one place for too long at a time. Partly for my job, and partly for my not-so-well-thought-out rebellion against my dad.

  I took a deep breath as I paused at the gates and thought about chickening out once again. Fuck! When did I turn into a pussy? I typed in the code and as the gates opened, I took a deep breath and parked outside.

  I walked out slowly and headed up the three steps into the mansion, taking my time, prolonging the time until the confrontation. I knew I couldn’t stall forever, so I went to the door and opened it. I looked around, feeling some nostalgia from the good old days when I was still a kid and rugby was everything to me. Back when Dad wasn’t trying to get in my way. It was just my family, and Trent wasn’t even there. He’d disappeared sometime after high school, and though I’d felt bad about it at the time, a part of me had been glad because having him around was so stifling. Up until Dad started making comparisons between Trent and me, that is.

  I’d wanted to tell my old man that if he missed his other son so badly, he could go look for him instead of making me fill shoes that were way too big. I hated it.

  I dialed Emily’s number to track her down. I didn´t feel like bumping into someone unless I had to and especially not Dad, so I called her to find out what room she was in. I wanted to talk to Emily first, anyway. She was the main reason I’d come.

  I wanted out of there as fast as possible. I had a sweet maid in my room and if I was out of here fast enough, I might just be able to catch her and finish what I was so tempted to start. Emily picked up on the second ring.

  “I’m here already. Where are you?”

  “Oh, great, you’re here! Wait in the foyer for me, I’ll come and get you.”

  She hung up on me abruptly, and I glared at my phone. Well, at least her greeting had sounded happy, even if she’d hung up on me. I sighed and made my way into the foyer and pushed the large double doors closed. I’d always hated the heavy things. They were ostentatious, ugly, and weighed far too much.

  I saw Emily coming down the stairs carefully in very high heels. I came to a stop in the foyer, and when she cleared the steps, I opened my arms wide for her to rush into them. She wrapped her arms around me, leaning against me with a sigh, and I closed my own arms around her
, rocking her gently. Her face was buried in my chest, and I rested my chin on the top of her head. Even grown up and with heels on, my little sister was still tiny. Her tiny size came packaged with a lot of love though.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked as I rocked her gently in my arms.

  She let out a sigh and squeezed me tight for a moment. “Everything is not okay, but I’m glad you’re here.”

  Emily pulled away from the embrace, then took my hand and tugged me behind her as she led me to one of the lounge rooms in the mansion. Most homes had a single living room and were done with it, but that wasn’t nearly enough for the Thompson family mansion.

  We sat on one of the couches, Emily leaning against my arm. I arched an eyebrow as I tried to read her expression. She looked kind of… sick? Or under a terrible load of stress. My sister was always a sensitive girl, but I began to worry when she started wringing her hands and sighing a lot.

  “Emily, come on now, girl. Talk to me. You’re starting to worry me. What’s the deal? Is it Dad? Is he worse?”

  “No, no,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “I’m worried about him but that’s not it. I’m worried about you guys more. Well, you and Kevin more than Trent, really.”

  “Is he around?” I asked and couldn’t help but frown.

  “He came down the day after I called him. Dad came back home the same day, but he didn’t want to see Trent. I’m sure Trent was angry. He’s always in such a bad mood…”

  I frowned at the mention of our eldest half-brother. Trent and I didn’t have much of a relationship now or when we were kids. We had nothing in common besides Dad and our last name, and it was the only reason I associated with him at all, most of the time. I could attest to his surly mood because the guy was always so serious about everything. He’d been moody growing up, too. For a moment, I wondered if Dad had constantly compared him with someone like he’d done with me.