The Price of Inertia (The Seven Sins #4) - Lily Zante Page 0,8
of his angry gaze. There’s a growth on his face, a good three inches of thick, prickly beard. His hair is long and unruly, longer than a man’s hair should be. He pushes it back from his face with a sweep of his hand. Menacing eyes, framed by dark eyebrows stare at me. He’s wearing shorts and a t-shirt which make him look flabby next to the other guy who’s just walked in. He too is dressed for the gym, but he is toned, and muscular, and fit. The contrast between the two couldn’t be more prominent.
“I don’t need this,” Ward tells Rob in an angry tone. “I have words to write.”
“And how many have you written?” Rob asks calmly.
“That’s not the point. If I didn’t have this bullshit stuck in my schedule—”
“It’s an hour,” Rob points out. “An hour, right?” he asks the other guy who I assume must be the personal trainer.
“An hour, but I’m happy to do more, just say the word.”
“Let’s stick with the hour for now,” says Rob, expertly ignoring Ward. “Trevor, meet Mari, the new housekeeper.”
Before Trevor can move forward to shake my hand, Ward explodes.
“She’s the new housekeeper?” He doesn’t so much as look at me, as give me the evil eye. His curt reply startles me. First of all because I assumed that all people who were famous were nice, and secondly, because I’ve done nothing wrong. The guy barely knows me.
“We agreed to this,” Rob says calmly. “You need structure.”
“This messes up my timetable.” Ward gesticulates with his hand, waving it in the direction of me and Trevor. Trevor gives me an apologetic smile.
“Excuse us,” Rob walks out, with the writer in tow, leaving just me and the gym guy.
“Welcome aboard,” Trevor says warmly, then shakes my hand. I take an instant liking to him.
“Is he always like this?” I ask.
“This is my second day. So far, yes. He was like this yesterday.”
He’s going to be worse than the most difficult customers I’ve dealt with at the hotel. Still, I’ve always been good at my job, and I see Ward Maddox as a challenge. “Are you staying here?” I ask Trevor. I would feel so much safer with someone else under this roof, instead of it being just me and the psycho. Having met him, and knowing that Ward is a horror writer, fills me with dread.
“God, no. I’m only meant to give him a daily workout, on weekdays. I’m supposed to encourage him to get into shape. Encourage him to go for a run or do a workout.” He snorts. “It would be a miracle if I could get the guy to get up off the couch.” He goes on to tell me about yesterday’s botched lesson. “At least he got dressed today,” Trevor adds. “Yesterday he was floating around in his robe.”
“Why does Rob even bother?” I ask, finding the whole thing ridiculous.
Trevor shrugs. “As long as I’m getting paid, I won’t complain. I’ve been paid and the dude hasn’t even done one class. What are your duties?”
“To cook and clean.” I’m not even sure I want the job now.
I feel his worry. A knot forms in my belly and I consider my original plan to start looking for an apartment. But then I remember that Rob doubled my salary on the spot, without even batting an eyelid.
I can do this. If the money is this good, I have to do this, and it’s only a temporary contract. For a few months.
Even I can put up with that caveman for a few months.
Chapter 4
WARD
“Let me remind you, I’m doing this as a favor because you don’t want to deal with these people.” Rob’s lips clench tightly as he closes the door to my writing room. “Can’t you at least open the blinds?” he asks. “How the hell do you write in here when it’s so dark?”
“You forced me to move here, at least have the decency to let me choose my writing environment.”
This house is too fancy, too bright, too beige and too modern. It’s not me. I like darkness. I’m used to it now. My home in New Orleans is stuck back in time. Four poster beds, beautiful windows, rich, detailed architecture. My writing cave there is dark wood, rich red curtains, a thick blood red carpet. These things create the perfect setting in which I can write.
I have struggled with the brightness of this room, but at least it has