Guardian Girl (The Chronicles of Staffordshire) (18 page)

Sonia swooned.
“The billionaire beefcake thinks I’m beautiful…”

“In my assistant I am looking for a woman who has the intellectual capacity and emotional self-awareness to be by my side every minute that I am not at the office. This woman will often be with me in intimate settings, attending me to appointments, living in the same house, often sleeping in the very next room, with unfettered access to my person and my fortune. I’m looking for a woman who will not ply me for love, marriage, or any other kind of emotional fulfillment, yet who has the beauty and elegance to turn heads when she is at my side.”

The boss inhaled slowly, took his hands out of his pockets, and clasped them before his lap. Finishing his thought, Rory doused Sonia with a smile that had reportedly bedded starlets and supermodels alike. “In other words, Sonia… All joking aside… You would not be here today if I did not find you much more than simply ‘qualified’ for this job.”

An awkward silence hung in the air as Sonia measured the boss’s intent. Regina’s helpful little
suggestion
that Sonia go with stockings started to make sense. Rory’s rep wasn’t all rumor after all.
Sonia dodged. “Uhhh… You know what, Mr. St. Cloud… Maybe we ought to talk about that contract.”

Rory laughed, “Miss Nichols, before we discuss legalities, may I speak candidly?”

“Uhhh… I thought’s that what you were just doing, sir?”

“No, Sonia. I want to speak
specifically
to your candidacy for a moment. It’s important for you to know this… I didn’t invite you here simply because you have degrees from Paulson and Penn. I haven’t considered a single candidate
without
Ivy League degrees.”

“Then… Why did you…?”

“I invited you here, Sonia, because people I trust with my life told me I would be insane to hire anyone else. Then, I took one look at your photo and I knew I had to meet you for myself.”

Sonia thought she heard the mother of all veiled compliments. “Sooo… Mr. St. Cloud, let me see if I understand this… Are you saying that you selected me for an interview because you think I’m smart
and
beautiful
?”

“In a word, Miss Nichols? Yes.” The boss gave Sonia a Mona Lisa smile, not quite a leer, not quite platonic. “I could not be certain until I met you in person, but my Paulson girls have once again presented me with an exceptional candidate.”

Sonia stared at Rory, folding her arms over her portfolio and pressing her knuckles to her lips. Rory continued his leer-smile.

The flirt alert came off. She had him so she had nothing to lose. She was going to get the job. And get it again. And probably get it just about every day. Aaaah… What the hell!

“Then may I ask another question, sir? This might sound a little impertinent, but after what you just said, I’m curious…”

“I’ll try to answer anything you ask, Miss Nichols.”

“Well… If you really do think I’m smart
and
beautiful… If you think I’m smart enough and beautiful enough to be at your side at all kinds of society events… Then why
wouldn’t
you marry a girl like me? You said it yourself. Your wife and your assistant will have a lot of the same qualities. So why wouldn’t you consider someone… You know… Like
me
for a wife?”

The applicant’s fearlessness caught Rory flat footed. He paused, pondered, and punted. “Let’s go to the contract, shall we Miss Nichols?”

Sonia wagged her index finger. “Uh, uh, uh, Mr. St. Cloud. You said you would answer my questions. So give, big boy. Why doesn’t the Philly girl get a shot at the gold ring? You have a problem with cheese steak breath?”

Rory laughed, falling for Sonia’s spunk and guts. Sonia was exactly as described. No filter, no fear. “Well… Since you asked so nicely… You see, Miss Nichols, I come from a long line of individuals endowed with exceeding wealth…”

Sonia glanced at his trousers and smirked at the bulge running down his right leg.
“Yeah, and that ain’t all you’re endowed with, boss.”

“…We marry in wealth, we live in wealth, and we die in wealth. We ferociously protect our wealth, often without pity. I can’t say that I would
never
marry a less wealthy person of your obvious intellect and beauty, but… I have seen too many such marriages disintegrate to want put a woman through such heartache.”

Rory opened his palm and pointed to Sonia, returning focus to the
real
matter at hand. Marriage wasn’t it.

“Now if you go through the contract language with me and then you still feel comfortable signing it, you’ll understand that there is much more to your question than I can answer until I am confident you are fully committed to protecting my privacy.”

Musky secrets wafted in the wind. Not yet having won the job, Sonia nevertheless sensed potent chemistry with the boss. The enigmatic Mr. St. Cloud was too intriguing to deny. Sonia wanted more than just a foot in the door.

“Okay. I’m game. Let’s talk confidentiality, sir.”

“Good! Let me start by saying that this house — this entire property — is a closely guarded facility. We like our privacy. The deed and covenants attached to this house specifically require that every member of the staff and every adult family member must sign a confidentiality agreement.
That
is the reason for the ‘onerous’ language in the contract. Put simply, Miss Nichols… Should you choose to work for me… If you bind yourself to my family… You must go to your grave with the knowledge of everything that happens behind these walls and among any of the family or staff members who call this estate home. You will, of course, be compensated far more generously than you would elsewhere in the private sector, and I will always do everything in my power to earn your loyalty, not buy it. But you will never be able to speak about this place or our family outside of these walls unless it is directly germane to your role on the estate.”

Rory suddenly turned deadly serious, staring into Sonia’s brown eyes with icy firmness. “And I am quite serious about enforcing that confidentiality, Sonia. I need to warn you that if you should ever breach the contract — for any reason — I will use every resource at my disposal to destroy your life. I won’t think twice about it.”

Sonia gulped. The gentleman boss had liquid nitrogen in his veins.

As if to salve her angst, Rory touched Sonia lightly on her forearm. Goose bumps popped under her sleeve. “Sonia… I know that sounds frightening. And I really don’t want you to fear me. I simply want you to understand the stakes in our relationship and the importance of this contract before you sign it.”

Merely touching Sonia’s arm could not wipe away the words, “destroy your life.” Rory saw the look of terror on Sonia’s face.

“Perhaps I should put this in more positive terms. In exchange for your eternal confidentiality — should if I hire you — you will be handsomely compensated and will build a resume that will empower you to work for any major corporation anywhere in the world. So even though the contract terms are strict, there are still many good reasons to work for me.

“But before we speak further… Before I answer any of the thousands of questions you must have on your mind… You must sign this document. If you choose not to sign, then we must terminate our interview immediately.”

Lightly biting the left corner of her lower lip, Sonia thought she heard contract terms that sounded akin to lifelong indentured servitude. One slip, and her life would be “destroyed.” Remain loyal, and her life would be bathed in luxury.

“Well… I have just one question, sir.”

“Please ask, Sonia.”

“If I sign this contract, do I get the job?”

“Not necessarily. We still need to talk about several delicate issues. For reasons you will understand after our tour, I need to give you every opportunity to withdraw your candidacy before I make you a final offer. But I appreciate the risk you are taking. So simply for signing this agreement and agreeing to hold our conversation in confidence, you will receive a cash stipend of $9,999 for your trouble.”

Sonia’s jaw dropped and her eyes bugged out. “GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!”

Rory smiled. “Just for signing this document and binding yourself to confidentiality about this estate, even if you do not receive a job with me, I will give you $9,999 simply for coming to this interview.”

“GET THE HOLY HELL OUT OF HERE!”

Rory laughed. “Well, I’m not used to prospects using the F-bomb or ‘Holy Hell’, during the interviews…”

“SERIOUSLY? TEN GRAND? Just for keeping my big mouth shut?”

Sonia disappeared into her thoughts, bombed by the $9,999 cash prize just for signing a stupid piece of paper.

As Sonia contemplated the implications of the offer, weighing the pros and cons of “binding” herself (
“Whatever the hell that means…”
) to the property and its people, Rory took a furtive opportunity to appreciate her enthralling attributes.

Sonia’s Paulson sisters didn’t lie. She was an understated, eye-catching beauty. An aura of feminine physicality confirmed an aggressive fitness regimen - a long-distance runner, perhaps? Tragically short, up-swept and gelled brunette hair framed a bright-eyed, softly alluring, lightly tanned face. Lean, muscular legs ended at delicate feet. With broad, full lips and gleaming, brace-corrected teeth, Sonia’s infectious smile flooded the room with joy.

“GET OUT!”

“Miss Nichols, I am afraid I can’t ‘get out.’ It’s my house,” Rory quipped.

“I’m just… WOW! I mean… GET OUT! I’m just totally blown away! Ten grand just for signing a piece of paper! Really?”

“Well… For legal reasons, $9,999 to be precise. And you must also agree to confidentiality about everything we experience today. It’s not just a piece of paper, Miss Nichols. It’s a pledge. By signing this document you are pledging me
your
confidence and
your family’s
confidence for the rest of your life, even if you are not offered or choose not to accept a job.”

“DONE!”

“Please don’t be hasty, Miss Nichols. This is an enormous step.”

Sonia leaned close to Rory’s face, locked with his eyes, and conspiratorially lowered her voice. She gripped his forearm. “Mr. St. Cloud… I have seen some
seriously
freaky shit in my life. I’m talking about real, ‘close to the legal limits,’ shit. I’ve never talked about it with
anyone.
If I can witness seriously freaky, legal limit shit and not talk about it to anyone, trust me… For ten grand I’ll be quite content to serve up your human sacrifices.”

Rory howled. “Miss Nichols! I can assure you! It’s nothing like that! Absolutely nothing illegal or unethical. In fact, before you sign this contract, I will tell you what it’s not, just so you can ease your mind. It’s not about drugs, it’s not about rum running, and it’s not about human sacrifices or incest. It’s not about any of those things.”

“Then where do I sign, Mr. St. Cloud?
Where do I sign?
”

Rory pulled a fresh, tri-folded copy of the contract from his inside jacket pocket, unfolded it, and offered his back as a desktop. Sonia signed briskly, added a huge dot for punctuation at the end of her name, and handed the contract to the boss.

“WOW! That was easy,” she remarked.

Rory bowed and flourished. “And now, I can tell you anything.”

“Well, before we take the tour, can I ask a few questions?”

“Ask me anything, Miss Nichols. I will always give you a truthful answer.”

Sonia laced her fingers, cracked her knuckles, and got her flirt on.

“Well, Mr. St. Cloud… This one’s a doozy…”

Thirteen

With the confidentiality agreement signed and the promise of $10,000 cash in hand, Sonia had nothing to lose. She flattened her interlaced fingers, lifted them, and rested her chin atop her hands, batting her eyes like a silent movie starlet.

“Okay… So you won’t marry me. Too bad. Your loss. Soooo… Instead of a honeymoon… How about we just have crazy sex instead?”

Rory gasped, blushing brightly. “Well, now! You’re quite bold, aren’t you, Miss Nichols? How do you know that being so forward won’t lose you the job?”

Smirking, Sonia tested the boss’s resolve. She turned and started heading toward the door. “Well, sir, if I read you wrong…”

Rory stepped forward and grabbed Sonia’s arm. “Sonia, wait…!”

Sonia spun and cocked her head. “Well? Was I wrong? Sir…?”

Stammering, Rory danced around Sonia’s advance. “Well… Uhm… I don’t think… Uhh… Sex… Would be… A
ppropriate.
Not at
this moment, anyway. After all, I haven’t introduced you to the rest of the estate and I haven’t yet offered you the job. But… I think it would be fair to say that you will never want for intimacy in my home. You may be forced to give up many things to serve my family, but I can assure you, sexual gratification is not one of them. Not at this precise moment, of course, but…”