Seventeen

- Nicole. - I heard Maria calling me as I left the kitchen. - Is everything all right? --- She looks at me with a frown. And before I can answer, she adds.

- I'm going to help Julia set the table. Could you leave Mr. Colleri's clothes in his room? - she said, as she held out a neatly folded set of clothes for my hands.

I wanted to deny it. I really did. But if I was going to work there, I'd have to learn how to deal with incidents, since I'd never looked after a house before in my life. I would do whatever I could to work honestly and provide for my son.

- Okay," I replied, clearly shaken, after thinking about it for a while.

- Thank you very much, my child. After that, just change and go downstairs, Mr. Colleri likes to eat with everyone together. - She smiled so tenderly that I forgot all about the incident a few minutes earlier.

I went up to the top floor of the house and knocked gently on the door.

No answer.

I knocked again.

No answer.

I pushed lightly on the door and waited a second. I wouldn't make the mistake of taking away his privacy or finding him half-naked.

I leaned my eyes against the crack. Empty.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Phew, there was no one. My nose caught his scent. The smell of a man. I followed the other door and found a large closet with thousands of clothes. Casual, social. Sneakers, loafers. I turned around and found a shelf with all kinds of different colognes and perfumes. I was tempted to spray some on myself, to have his scent on my skin. Not at all, Nicole, control yourself. I opened the door, where there was a mirror, so I could put my clothes away. When I looked at my reflection, I saw another room with the door open, which I hadn't even noticed. I saw his naked, soapy body. And if I thought Luck had the most beautiful body in the world, I really didn't know anything about life. Mr. Colleri was on his back, soap running down his body, water dripping down his perfect backside. Defined muscles, a few scars, the strong smell of shampoo flooding the closet. I was mesmerized. What man was that? He had a tattoo on his back, at waist height, which went all the way to the front, and which most likely led to... well... um... I was breaking out in a cold sweat. My core tightened, I rubbed my legs in search of relief.

Damn. I'm treading on thin ice. When he threatened to turn towards me, I jumped and finally woke up from my trance. I slammed the mirror door shut and ran to my room.

I sat on the bed, still shaking, and ran my hands over my face to calm myself down.

What was I doing? What was I thinking? I can't ruin everything. Not this time. I have plans and I can't lose my focus. After conjuring up this mantra, I took a quick shower and went downstairs.

The table, as always, was majestically set. Everyone was seated: Mr. Colleri, Maria, Will and Benjamin. Julia was standing a short distance from Mr. Colleri's seat.

- Oh, dear, we were just waiting for you to have lunch," Maria said calmly.

- How kind, I'm sorry I'm late. - Will, Benjamin, Mr. Colleri. I walked past each of them, greeted them with a nod, and sat down at the other end of the table. Julia served us. We ate in silence. When we'd finished, everyone got up to take their places.

The day passed quickly. Maria showed me the rest of the things, helping me to organize what I didn't know yet and giving me an idea of the party that was to take place at the weekend. Fifty people had been hired, including waiters, butlers and cooks. It would be a small party, for two hundred people. From what Maria told me, it was an annual event to raise funds for an NGO. Members of the highest aristocracy, businessmen, people with a lot of money would be invited. After familiarizing myself with the event, I went upstairs. Colleri had left again for some event, and eventually, we didn't talk about my stay there. It was late and I needed to sleep.

I got up earlier than usual, I wanted to try and go into town to see a doctor. When I went out of the back door, I had the most splendid view of a sunrise. It was beautiful, the sky half blue, half orange, so pure. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, letting that pure energy radiate into me. The sun prickled sweetly on my skin.

- It's beautiful, isn't it?

I jumped up and opened my eyes; I looked to the side and there he was, Mr. Colleri, with a beautiful smile, the one that would probably rip your panties off.

- Mr. Colleri. I didn't see you coming.

- Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I like to run around the estate in the morning, just to get this view. - He rested his hands on his hips, looking up at the sky.

Oh, right, that view. My eyes went down to his muscular, bare chest. He was wearing hiking shorts that clung to his waist, making that path even more delicious, with a few blond hairs marking the "V" of doom. A few drops of sweat ran down his neck and onto his scarred chest; his tattoo... ah, that tattoo, a Phoenix, was sweaty. And there was that smell that radiated from him... My God, I was becoming a pervert. I studied his body until I found his eyes. He let out a mischievous smile, because he caught me looking. My face suddenly heated up, and I was sure I was like a tomato.

- Err... Um... I think I'll go for a walk.

- Of course. - He smiled. - If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you alone today.

- Yes, of course. If you don't mind, I was planning to go into town.

- Yes, of course. Is there anything I can do for you?

- Err... not really, I appreciate the kindness, it's just something I need to buy. - I smiled sideways.

- If you want, Ben can take you.

- That's fine. I'll take a cab.

- Everything here is available to you, just ask. But if you want to take a cab, so be it. - He winked. A sexy fucking wink.

I smiled at him and walked on. I didn't know where I was going, but I needed to forget that latent heat that chased me every time I was near Mr. Colleri.

Two hours later, I was back from the doctor. He had prescribed the necessary vitamins and pills and asked me to pay extra attention to my diet, as I was overweight for a pregnant woman.

I put the medicines away in the drawer and got ready to meet Mr. Colleri.

I walked down the corridor and heard Will and Benjamin's voices in the games room. I was walking straight past when I overheard the conversation and stopped to pay attention.

- He was never the same again," Will said.

- I heard that, after that, he took the man and held him captive.

- Man, I was there. It was cruel. - Even though I wasn't in the room, I could sense that he stiffened his jaw, as if he was going to say something totally hideous. And then he added: "Ethan was right, it was just retaliation for what the man had done to him.

- Ah! Come on, confess! There were rumors that he bit off his fingers and then threw them to the dogs, right in front of him.

- Oh, man, it wasn't like that.

- Okay, okay - Benjamin said enthusiastically. - So tell me.

- Well, he gave every part of his mutilated body to the dogs.

They continued to tell me the facts and I was horrified. I didn't know who this man was or why he acted so cruelly, but from the conversation it wasn't the first time the man had killed someone. I had never been close to someone who was capable of taking someone's life so ruthlessly. But from the way these men talked, it seemed very normal among them.

I realized that I was in a cold sweat, shivering. Would that Ethan be at dinner? Would he be dangerous to me or anyone else in this house? Oh, my God. What had I gotten myself into? Whoever he was, I would keep my distance from Ethan.

It took me a while to calm down, and I walked past the door where they were standing, praying that they wouldn't see me.

- Nicole! - Benjamin shouted.

- Ah. Hello... Hi, Benjamin... Will... - I said hello too.

- Hi, Nicole! - They said in chorus.

- Err... well, have you seen Maria around?

- Oh, she's got today and tomorrow off. Since then you'll have a lot of work to do preparing dinner. - Ben noted, before turning around and taking a shot at the pool.

- And tomorrow is our day off too. You'll take care of everything here. - He smiled.

I politely returned the smile.

- Well, is Mr. Colle present?

- Oh, yes. He's in the office.

- Okay. So, if you don't mind, I'll go downstairs.

We said goodbye and I headed towards Mr. Colleri's office. I knocked on the door.

- Come in - came the reply.

I obeyed. He was making notes in his notebook. The moment he saw me, he stopped typing and looked at me, those blue eyes studying me.

I didn't want to, but I was a little uncomfortable. Not uncomfortable, just... it felt like he was looking into my soul. On top of that, he had that surreal beauty of a hot GQ model. That lock of hair falling over his forehead as he leans forward.

His voice is coldly amused. - No coffee today?

My lips curve into a half-smile. - Can I... sit down? - I said, approaching the armchair in front of him.

- Of course. - He sniffled.

- Well, you wanted to talk to me.

- Yes, Nicole. First, I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me Sir, I'm only 32. What are you? Nineteen?

- Seventeen. - I stand corrected.