The Billionaire’s Mistress (2 page)

A loud knock on the door sent Reyna flying out of bed at the crack of dawn
.  At first she thought she had overslept, but looking out the window, she saw the sun had barely risen.    Sleepily she dragged herself into the bathroom to get ready.

Half an hour later, dressed in her new maid’s outfit, Reyna made her way up the first staircase of the Manor, where all the main bedrooms were located.  On the East wing was Ella’s room, the door still firmly shut.  On the West wing, stood the master bedroom, and another room, which she had only just learned was Camilla’s separate room.  She could plainly see from the little interaction she had had with the family that Camilla and Grayson were not in a happy marriage, but he was an oil tycoon and she was a millionaire’s daughter – a perfect match. 

The door to the main bedroom was open, sunlight streaming in
.  Tentatively she peeked her head in, relieved to see the room abandoned.  She walked into the lavish room with a dark wooden bed frame and cushioned bay windows.  What it must be like to live like a king, she thought.  She made her way to the bed, where grey silk sheets lay strewn.  Leaning over she pulled off the linen and started to make the bed.

The creak of a door caught her attention and she jumped when she saw Grayson Thorne standing in a doorway she hadn’t noticed
.  Clouds of billowing steam exited the en suite bathroom as Grayson walked out, a white towel draped at his waist.  “Mr.  Thorne, I thought…” she began timidly.

Grayson shook his head
, barely noticing her presence, and walked over to the wardrobe, “Carry on,” he said casually.  Reyna gulped, then turned back to the bed, the image of his lean, tanned, wet body burned into her mind.

Grayson pulled out a crisp white shirt and turned to walk back into the bathroom when his eyes landed softly on Reyna leaning over his bed
.  She was dusting pillows and placing them on the far corner, not realizing that her black dress was creeping up her thighs as she bent over.  Grayson’s eyes burned into her flesh, as his mind wandered what it would feel like to touch those creamy thighs.  He stopped himself short as he felt himself begin to harden and stormed off into the bathroom.  Closing the door the behind him, he looked at himself in the mirror.  Shake it off, he thought.  He was just in need of a little action.  It had been years since he and Camilla shared a bed, let alone had sex.  This was all just a natural reaction to being celibate for so long.  Maybe he should take up the offer at the gentlemen’s club and hire someone.  Grayson rolled his eyes at his reflection. 

After she had tidied up the room Reyna made her way down the hallway to
Camilla’s bedroom.    The room was much smaller than the master, but equally extravagant.  Camilla sat in her dressing gown in front of a large dresser with mirror, typing away on her cell phone.  Reyna knocked cautiously.  Camilla looked up, “Yes come in,” she said almost irritably, as she picked up a towel and walked into her en suite bathroom.  Reyna sighed and carried on.    Reyna straightened the bed, fluffed the pillows and neatened the drawers.  On a French side table she noticed some files, which she tidied, her eyes grazing the pages.  It seemed Camilla was involved in a lot of charity work.  Maybe Reyna had judged her too harshly.

The last room on Reyna’s list was Ella’s
.  Reyna was instructed that if the door was not opened by 9 o’clock, she was to walk in and begin tidying Ella out of the room.  The door was still closed and time was ticking, but Reyna did not feel comfortable entering the shut door.  She sucked in her breath, preparing herself as she knocked and walked in hesitantly.  Ella screamed and threw a pillow in Reyna’s direction, as a naked young man jumped out of Ella’s bed.  Reyna’s cheeks burned bright red as she stepped back out of the room.  She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes.  This was the most dysfunctional family she had ever met, she thought as the door swung open again.  This time, Ella was poised, a silk robe draped around her.  Her eyes were narrow, her face tense.  She signaled for Reyna to come in, then slammed the door behind her and rounded on her, “If you tell anyone…” she hissed.

Reyna shook her head, “I won’t,” she blurted out.

“You better not,” said Ella emphatically as she walked over to her cupboard.  “The last maid who spread nasty rumors about me…” she chuckled and then turned to Reyna, a smile on her face, “Well you replaced her, so…”

Ella turned and picked out another item of clothing.

Reyna’s face paled as she stood rooted to the spot.  Ella pulled out a pair of black pants, noticing Reyna still staring at her.  “Well, don’t just stand there, do your job!”

Over the next few days Reyna did her best to avoid interacting with the family, especially Grayson and Ella, but for very different reasons
.  She couldn’t seem to get Grayson out of her mind, out of her dreams, and she was sure he noticed her surreptitious glances and awkward stares.  She was like a girl with a crush, except that she was a woman and an employee.

The next time she encountered the family was at a Saturday evening dinner, deep into the winter months
.  The snow had been falling more heavily and coated the grounds in a light dust of white.  Reyna and Ivana were the only two employees left in the house before Christmas, so Ivana cooked and Reyna served.  Everyone else had families to go home to, but since Reyna was new, she was to spend her first Christmas alone.  The Thorne family had an annual vacation planned, and Ivana was off to Germany the following day, and someone had to stay in the Manor, to make sure everything ran smoothly for the family’s return.  Reyna was grateful for the extra money, but she was also a little afraid to be in such a big house alone.  Ivana had encouraged her with tales of pretending to own the mansion, luxurious hours of freedom in the kingdom, but Reyna would rather be with her family. 

Reyna walked into the dining room, the gleaming silver tray in her hand
. 

“I really cannot believe this!” said
Camilla in an exasperated tone, not noticing Reyna’s arrival.  Ella gave Reyna a piercing look as she set the tray down in front of her and walked out to get the next one. 

When she walked back in, it was Grayson who was talking, “I don’t have a choice
Camilla.”

Camilla
sighed heavily as she gulped her wine, “What will people think?” she hissed. 

Grayson rolled his eyes, and got up from his chair
.  He looked at Reyna, “I’ll take my dinner in the den,” he said and walked out of the room.  Camilla shook her head as she watched him go.

Reyna knocked on the door of the den and walked in.  Grayson was sitting on the plush brown couch in front of a raging fire, a glass of whiskey in his hand.    Reyna walked over and placed the tray on the coffee table in front of him.  He looked terribly stressed, dark crevices forming beneath his eyes, thought Reyna.  She wasn’t sure why, but part of her wanted to ask him what was wrong, maybe even comfort him.  She ought to slap herself silly, she thought as she regained her wits. 

“Is there anything else
I can do for you Mr.  Thorne?” asked Reyna about to leave.  Grayson chuckled as he leaned back into the soft couch and ran his hands through his hair, “Well if you can figure where all my money is going,” he said.  He pointed to the piles of paperwork on the coffee table. 

Reyna frowned, somewhat disconcerted by his assessment of her, “Don’t you have an accountant?” she asked steadily.

Grayson’s eyes met hers, a curious glint in them, “I did,” he started, “But I wanted to make sure he wasn’t the one stealing my money.”

Reyna nodded, then turned to grab the paperwork, “May I?” she asked.

Grayson nodded inquisitively, as she picked up the paper work and sat down next to him.  He found the situation somewhat amusing, his new maid going through his bills and statements.  He stared at Reyna; the glow of the fire glistening off her tanned skin, her dark lashes fluttering as she concentrated on what she was reading.  For a second, Grayson realized he knew nothing about her.  But then again, why would he?  She fascinated him, but he wasn’t sure why, other than the fact that he was clearly attracted to her.  After ten minutes Reyna pulled out a yellow statement, and slid it across the table to Grayson.  Her finger pointed to a set of numbers lining the right hand column, “There’s your first discrepancy,” she said definitely. 

Curiously, Grayson sat forward and looked at the paper
, stunned he replied, “I’ve been looking over these for weeks, how did you…?”

Reyna smiled, “Maybe you’re too involved,” she replied
.  His eyes met hers, and she smiled mischievously, “Or maybe I’m just better at math,” she joked.

Grayson smiled, the first real smile she had seen from him
.  Her heart filled with warmth, and she had to force herself to look away.  Reyna spent a few more hours poring through the numbers; she quickly found a few more errors.  After the clock struck twelve, Grayson insisted she get some rest, and Reyna headed off to bed. 

The following morning saw the Thorne’s and Ivana leaving for the short Christmas break
.  When all the packing and chatter had subsided, Reyna found herself standing alone in the big empty house.  She quickly finished her work and made her way back to her room, where she sat in silence.  The quiet depressed her, and she needed a distraction as she longed for her family.    Reyna wandered down the vast hallways in the manor until she came across a room of empty shelves.  From what she had heard from James, this was the Thorne library, but most of the books had been stored in the barn across the lawn, as Camilla had wanted to turn it into a spa.  Reyna looked around and found four lonely battered books lying on a dusty shelf.  Three were Dickens and she wasn’t sure she was up for that, so instead she picked up Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” and headed back to her room.

Christmas morning came too quickly, and Reyna had read the four books in the library
.  She had a routine, which included the cleaning and general housework in the manor, and then hours of solitude curled up in a book.  Wearily she looked out the window at the cascading snow of winter.  She desperately wanted to get to the barn and bring back some more books, but the cold was not the most inviting scene.  After a few hours of intense boredom, Reyna grabbed her flimsy coat and trudged off toward the barn.

Grayson was terribly annoyed that he had to be dropped off outside the Manor gates, as the car wouldn’t make it into the snow filled driveway
.  His quick departure from the family holiday came when he learned that more of his money was being swindled, and he couldn’t seem to pinpoint the culprit.  With the house to himself, he was sure he would be able to get to the bottom of this once and for all.  He stomped his way through the icy snow and pushed open the front door.  The silence of the manor unnerved him somewhat, but he knew it would come in handy when he was working.  This is not what he wanted for his life.  He had worked hard to earn his money, but he had not considered that it would be so hard to keep it.  He wanted a family, a life, and a home.  But what he got instead was an unsatisfied and cold wife, a disgruntled daughter who felt neglected and a house so big there was no home left in it.  He sighed deeply as he made his way into the den.  The first thing he did was to kindle a fire to warm himself.  As he placed a few pieces of dry wood on the warming embers, he noticed movement outside the window.  Squinting slightly through the falling snow he noticed a person in a black coat shuffling through the bad weather.  Concerned, he stepped forward toward the window to get a better look.  The person was too far away, and the snow was too heavy for him to make out who it was.  He watched as the figure came closer toward the manor, and suddenly disappeared.  Grayson paled, frantically opening the door and standing on the frozen porch.  “Dammit,” he grunted, as he realized that whoever it was must have skidded on the iced lake outside the barn.  He cursed his sense of humanity that was forcing him to run out into the blistering cold.  He ran through the falling snow, his feet sinking deeper and deeper into the thick blanket of the lawn.  Fear flooded his body when he saw the crack in the ice and the frosty water seeping through.  The person was struggling to come up for air, the cold water constricting their ability to breathe.  Slowly, Grayson stepped aside, and maneuvered his way to the hole in the ice.  Anxiety gripped him, when he saw Reyna struggling in the water.  Without thinking he stepping forward, the breaking ice giving way more, and swiftly pulled her sopping body out of the water.  “Reyna,” he said as he shook her.  The sound of cracking ice startled him, and he stepped back onto the banks before more ice could give way and open the hole even more.  Carrying her cold and still body in his arms he rushed back to the Manor.

Her lips were an icy blue, her lids fluttering open and close
.  She didn’t seem to understand what had happened, the cold of the water occupying every cell of her body.  Grayson made his way into the den and placed Reyna down in front of the blistering fire, trying to warm her.    He quickly grabbed a blanket and was about to wrap it around her when he realized the cold was sinking into her bones from her clothes. 

“Reyna,” he said quietly, kneeling in front of her
.  Reyna looked up into his pale blue eyes, her body still shaking from the cold.  “Reyna, I have to get you out of these clothes,” he said gently as he untied the black coat around her. 

Reyna nodded, but her body felt too weak to move
.  She literally felt frozen.    Grayson gently lifted her to her feet and peeled off the coat from her slight frame.  She wore a woolen knit sweater and a pair of jeans, which clung tightly to her frame.  Somewhat hesitantly, Grayson proceeded to remove the rest of her clothing.  Her hands and feet had turned blue, and knew he needed to get her warm soon.  She complied with his every move, as he lifted her sweater off and pulled off her jeans.  He swallowed hard at the sight of her full breasts housed beneath a black lace bra, her nipples standing erect because of the cold.    Her skin was covered in a layer of goose flesh, frozen to the bone.  Tenderly, Grayson unhooked her bra, freeing her from its icy cage, and slipped off her cold panties.  He felt his body react to her nakedness, she was stunning, perfect even in all her imperfections.  Quickly he threw the blanket around her and made her sit by the fire.  “I’ll make you some tea,” he said, deep concern in his voice, as he left the room.

A few moments later Grayson arrived back in the room carrying two steaming mugs.  Reyna sat by the fire, warming her fingers and toes, which were slowly returning to their natural color. 

H
e smiled gently as he walked toward her, “How are you feeling?” he asked softly as he placed the two mugs on the coffee table. 

Reyna blushed furiously, replying, “Mortified.” 

Grayson chuckled and sat down next to her in front of the fire.  Suddenly his face darkened, “You know it was really stupid to go out in the storm like that, alone.” Reyna gulped at his harsh tone, her eyes sparkling wide.  “Thank goodness I came back early, you could have died,” he carried on, his voice waning. 

Reyna sighed deeply, watching his eyes staring into the fire, something was on his mind
.  Gently, Reyna placed her small hand on top of his and squeezed, “Thank you,” she whispered.  Grayson’s body flinched at her touch, his eyes meeting hers.  For a moment there was nothing between them as he stared into her beautiful face.    Slowly he moved his face toward hers, watching her for a sign that this was not a welcome gesture, but none came.  Softly, he pressed his lips against hers and felt her deep sigh as she opened her mouth to his.  He artfully slid his tongue into her mouth, his desire growing as he heard a low groan emanate from her throat.   

Reyna reciprocated Grayson’s every move and ever
y touch.  She slid her hands up his chest and around his neck, pulling him closer and allowing the blanket around her to fall to the floor. 

Grayson inhaled deeply as he pulled his lips from hers and took in the sight of her body once again
.  The burning feeling inside him was alive again.  All that he could think about was Reyna and how much he wanted her.  Promptly, he lay Reyna down on the plush carpet and pulled off his shirt as he lay next to her.

His warm body filled hers with warmth, as she reached out to entangle herself in him
.  His hot lips darted from her chin to her neck down her chest, stopping briefly to suck on each hard and throbbing nipple.  Reyna wanted to scream.  It felt so good.  She felt his hand on her stomach making its way down.  The knot in her stomach was building as he grazed over her feminine parts and gently opened her thighs.  A scream erupted from her as she felt his fingers expertly moving through her wet folds.

Grayson couldn’t bare it much longer as he watched Reyna’s body arch to his touch
.  She was wet for him.  She wanted him.  Hastily he pulled off his pants and laid on top her, her eyes wide at the sight of his impressive manhood.  Slowly he pulled his fingers out of her as she neared the edge, a wanting in her face.  His tip found its way to her moist opening and he plunged into her with force.  She screamed, in pain or pleasure he wasn’t sure.  Swiftly she wrapped her thighs around his waist and pulled him in deeper.  She was tight and wet, and he was on the edge.  Rhythmically they made love, moving together, the friction of skin that ended in an explosion of convulsing bodies.  Reyna breathed heavily as Grayson rolled off her and pulled the blanket on to both of them.  She smiled briefly before her eyes closed shut in his arms. 

Reyna woke to the sight of dying embers in the fireplace, a crackling that still gave off enough heat to warm her body.  She turned over on something soft, and realized she was no longer asleep on the floor, but on the lush brown couch.  She sat up slowly, holding the blanket to her chest in modesty and looked around.  She saw Grayson, fully clothed, a mug of steaming liquid in his hands, leaning against his desk looking out at the winter wonderland from his frosted window.  Reyna’s heart beat a little faster as she gazed at him; she was definitely falling for him.  Slowly she wrapped the blanket around her like a towel, sitting up on the couch.  Noticing the movement, Grayson turned and smiled at her, “Hey,” he said gruffly. 

“Hey,” she replied sweeping her hair up into a makeshift bun
.  “You’re up early,” she said enquiringly as he folded his arms against his chest.

Grayson sighed heavily, “A lot on my mind.”

“Want to share?” she said in an earnest tone. 

Grayson looked back out the window, deep lines
etched onto his handsome face.  Grayson shook his head, “Just work,” he grunted as he walked toward her.  “Can I get you some coffee?” he asked changing the subject. 

Suddenly Reyna blushed furiously as she realized she was the one who should be getting him coffee
.  She was suddenly overcome by guilt and she didn’t know how to act.  Seeing her internal struggle, Grayson smiled, “It’s best not to over think it,” he said comfortingly holding his hand out to her. 

After coffee
, Reyna made her way back to her bedroom, showered and changed.  She knew Grayson had come back to work, and that she had a job of her own to do.  It wasn’t like what happened between them changed much.  Like he said, she shouldn’t overthink it, which is something that she was really good at.  Reyna stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom, a look of self-disgust on her face.  How many other maids had Grayson slept with, she thought, a heat developing in the pit of her stomach? It was obvious that he and Camilla weren’t that couple, but surely that didn’t stop a handsome man like him from getting what he wanted, from whoever he wanted.  Reyna sighed as she splashed water on her face, trying to forget the vivid memories playing in her mind.  She was just one of many, and now she would go back to being his maid. 

Grayson scribbled some notes on a piece of paper, but his mind was far away from his work
.  He thought of Reyna falling in the ice water, her almost lifeless body in his arms.  He frowned as another memory crept in, one far more distant but visually similar.  He shook his head, trying to remove the images.    His mind drifted to Reyna again, this time, her smell, her taste, her touch.  He allowed himself some time to relish in the memory.  What was it about her that intrigued him so? There were many beautiful women in the world; many beautiful women that did not work for him that were willing to do anything for him.  But why did he want her? She was his maid for crying out loud.  The sound of the door swiftly opening caught his attention and he was surprised to see Camilla and Ella walk in.  Camilla threw her handbag on the couch and walked over to Grayson, her arms folded, “Like I said darling, people asked questions.” Grayson shook his head and sighed as he looked from his wife to his daughter.  “All about Grayson Thorne, and how he wasn’t spending Christmas with his family.”

“
Camilla,” Grayson started.

Camilla
shook her head, her large silver earrings jingling, “No Grayson,” she said vehemently,  “I will not be that woman!  As fake as this family is behind closed doors, to the world we will be perfect.  If you want to keep your image and reputation afloat, I suggest you learn some acting.”  With that Camilla turned to walk out of the room followed by Ella, who hadn’t once looked up at her father from her phone. 

Grayson
sighed heavily, then said softly, “What happened to you Camilla?”

Camilla
stopped, and turned to look him in the eye, “Life happened darling.  I had to grow up quickly and learn what the world was all about.”  With that she left.