Secrets Of The Alpha: (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (His Secrets Series Book 1) (9 page)

Chapter 6

I was lying on the lawn chair enjoying the warm Hollywood sun. I couldn’t help but smile when I thought of how good and perfect the last few weeks had been. I had gone from being Vincent’s maid to the woman he woke up next to every morning. Waking up next to Vincent…having him call me his and me call him mine…to me, there couldn’t be a more perfect thing. I was still having a hard time believing that he had chosen me, a maid. He had a choice of so many other women who were probably throwing themselves at him every chance they got, but he had chosen me. Somehow, I could feel my self-esteem almost blowing up ever since we got together because in his eyes was a truth that told me that I was the most beautiful woman in the world.

I was still lying there when I heard a car driving up to the house. I raised my head and shielded my eyes with my hand as I watched the car pulling up. I raised an eyebrow when I saw a man in a full suit stepping out of the car. A suit in Hollywood? What was he, a vampire or something? Because that had to be the only way he could stand that hot weather in what he was wearing.

“Isn’t it a little hot for a suit?” I asked as he walked towards me.

“Actually, it is, but I don’t know anything else that spells out official,” the man said with a smile.

“Official?” I repeated as I looked at him.

“Yeah, I’m here for an interview,” he said.

“Interview?” I asked and he nodded. “Normally, the corporation interviews people at the company rather than having them coming way out here. You know, the privacy thing.” I tried explaining. The man nodded and shrugged.

“I am actually here for the butler position,” he said. I frowned. What did he mean that he was here for the butler position? What butler position? I didn’t know Vincent was looking for a butler.

“I didn’t know there was a butler position,” I said as I looked at him.

He gave me a polite smile. I wanted to say that I didn’t really see a need for a butler at the Muse mansion but I seemed to be tongue tied from all the shock I was feeling. I looked at him and just as I opened my mouth to speak, Vincent walked out smiling at the man.

“Lou Jameson, I presume,” he said as he smiled at the man who was nodding.

“Yes, that’s me,” he was now shaking Vincent’s hand.

“Vincent Muse. Would you like to come in?” he asked as he stepped aside for the man to walk in.

I looked at him wondering why I didn’t know any of this. He looked at me as I opened my mouth to speak and held up a finger. I looked at him and if that was not so impossibly cute, I would have flung my book at him. I rolled my eyes and Vincent lingered at the doorway. He looked at me and I looked back with a guilty look on my face. I knew he was going to make me pay for that later and I knew I was going to like it. I leaned back in the lawn chair and lowered my sunglasses before I held up my book.

Do I not do my job right or what is happening here?
I wondered. I could honestly not think of any reason why Vincent would need a butler. I mean I was right there and he did say that he loved my cooking. Or was it the cleaning? Without realizing it, I was reading the same line over and over. My mind was a million miles away trying to figure out what a butler could do that I probably couldn’t do…maybe even better. My mind was spiraling.
Maybe this is it. The end of me in this mansion…or maybe it is another one of….
Nothing made sense. I wished that I could just have answers to all the questions I had, but it was like nothing I thought of seemed possible or even probable.

It seemed like forever before Vincent walked out with a happy-looking Lou.

Damn it,
I thought when I saw the smile on Lou’s face.
He probably got the job. The job that I didn’t know about.
I looked at Lou walking to his car and by the way he looked, I had already concluded that the meeting he had just had with Vincent was a little more than successful. I got off the lawn chair and walked into the house as Lou drove off. I was feeling a little upset as I walked up the stairs to Vincent’s room. I stood at the doorway, looking at him and trying to figure out what I was going to say.

“Are you going to come in or are you just going to linger there?” he asked without turning around.

“How did you know I was here? I thought I walked up so quietly.” He turned around and looked at me. “I mean, I am barefooted.” A smile played on his lips.

“Werewolf, remember? My senses are extremely heightened,” he said as he walked towards me. I wanted to throw him down on the bed and kiss him all over, but given the fact that I was more than a little angry with him, I was not going to let him off the hook so easily. The elephant in the room at this moment was the butler. And we had to handle that first. “Baby?” he asked as I looked at him and crossed my arms over my chest. “Did I do something wrong?” he asked.

“Depends,” I said. He was now standing in front of me, looking into my eyes. “Butler?” I finally said. He smiled and nodded.

“Yes, butler.” I walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Since when do you have one anyway?” I asked as I looked at him. He looked at his watch and shrugged.

“Since around three minutes ago,” he said.

“You hired him already?” I asked, surprised, even though I had suspected that he did.

“Yes, why?” Vincent asked as he looked at me. I couldn’t believe that he was honestly asking that. “I’m sorry I really don’t understand what is going on here,” he added as he shook his head.

I rolled my eyes at him.

“You know what I’m talking about, Vincent,” I said. He walked up to where I was and looked at me. “Why do you need a butler?” He took a long deep breath.

“To answer doors, fix food, do the laundry…you know. Normal butler things,” he answered coolly.

“But we’ve been managing just fine without one. Why do we need one?” I asked as I looked up at him. He looked at me and grinned widely.

“I do everything I can to go beyond what people expect of a rich and powerful man and I will not allow the world to tease me for answering my own door,” he said. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “And before you get any ideas, no wife of mine is going to be answering any doors either.” I felt myself blush when he said that.

“Wife,” I repeated.

“Yes, wife.” He said. I smiled.

“Don’t you mean fiancé? We are not married yet, Mr. Muse,” I said as I looked at him. He walked to where I was and knelt in front of me.

“Not yet, but when you are you will be a powerful woman – not to mention rich too,” he said as he looked at me. “Hence the need for a butler,” he added.

“So when such a time comes and I am Mrs. Vincent Muse, are you trying to say that having me answering doors is going to be such a bad idea?” I asked.

“Let’s see…the queen of England.” I shook my head in confusion.

“What has the queen done?” I asked.

“Well, do you expect the queen of England to answer her own palace doors?” he asked. I raised an eyebrow and laughed.

“What? I’m the queen now? Or what are you trying to say?” I asked as I looked at him.

“I’m trying to tell you that I am going to make you that powerful and it will be a cold day in hell before I let you do something as menial as answering a door,” he said as he touched the side of my face. I looked into his eyes and shook my head. “Besides, you are
my
queen.” I smiled up at him.

“It’s just a door,” I said still trying to make him see things from my point of view. He leaned forward and gently kissed me softly.

“And you are mine, Winnie. All mine,” he said in a low voice. I took a long deep breath and he looked into my eyes. “This isn’t just about the butler, is it?” he asked. I shrugged. “What?” he asked.

“It’s just that…do you think you should be taking on new employees…you know, after what happened last time?” I asked. I hated to bring it up but I had to look out for him. I had promised to. He shrugged.

“Don’t do that,” I said, “don’t just brush it off. This is serious. I mean, the last guy you employed tried to kill you, Vincent. Should you be so hasty to get another one?” I asked. There was a little concerned bossiness in my voice; I wasn’t sure if he heard it. All he did was take my face in his hands and look at me.

“Well, before the last employee tried to kill me I got another one who crept into my heart and became the love of my life,” he said. I felt myself blush again and he pulled me into his body. He then slipped an arm around my shoulder and held me tightly as if he never wanted to let me go.

“Yeah I did, didn’t I?” I said as I rested my head on his shoulder.

And then just like that something hit me, something I had wanted to do for so long. Maybe this was the universe’s way of giving me an all-clear sign. “So maybe with the new help around, the love of your life can finally get around to her career.” I heard Vincent groan. “What?” I asked as I ran my fingers through his thick mane.

“Not again,” he said in a low voice. I pulled away from him and looked at him.

“Come on, baby. You have to. I’m bored stiff bumming around here. I need something to do for Pete’s sake,” I said in a low voice. There was sadness on my face that I wore hoping to manipulate him to agreeing to what I was asking.

“Oh, so I’m boring you now? Maybe it would be better for you, more entertaining even if our new recruit plays out history and tries to kill me. At least then you wouldn’t be so bored,” he said with a gleeful smile. I playfully slapped his arm.

“Shut up,” I said with a smile.

“Why don’t you make me?” he asked as he brought his head down to kiss me. I smiled at him and parted my lips ready to feel his lips on mine. And I did. I closed my eyes and moaned softly as I felt him kissing me, seeking out my tongue. We were still in a pretty tight lip lock when we heard a knock on the door downstairs. He pulled away from me and looked into my eyes. “This is why we need someone to answer the door,” he said in a soft voice. I bit my lip and put my hand on his chest.

“About the job,” I started as I looked into his eyes. “Just promise me you’ll think about it, okay?” He nodded and then kissed my forehead.

“Okay,” he said as I got up. I walked out of the room and then made my way downstairs. I walked up to the door and opened it to find Ophagia and Penny.

“Hi, guys,” I said, a little more excitedly than I intended to be.

“Good morning, Winnie,” Penny said as she walked into the house.

“Winnie, Vincent. I trust you are well,” Ophagia said. I looked around to find Vincent walking towards me.

“Can I get you guys anything?” I asked as I looked at the two women. Penny opened her mouth to answer but before she could Ophagia cut in.

“Actually, we are just fine,” she said.

“Really, not even some juice?” I insisted.

“Well, actually….” Penny started again before Ophagia touched her hand, silencing her.

“No, we are okay,” Ophagia said. She looked at Vincent and I could have sworn the silence in that room at that very moment was so intense, you could have heard a pin drop.

“Um, Winnie. Could you give us some time alone?” Vincent asked as he looked at me.

“But…” I started before he held my hand in his. “Why can’t I…” I never got a chance to finish my sentence. Vincent had put a finger up, silencing me.

“I’ll fill you in on everything later, okay?” he said as he looked at me. “I promise you, baby, everything is okay,” he added softly.

I barely had enough time to nod before he walked away with Ophagia and Penny, leaving standing alone in the hallway. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t be kept in on the loop. Why I was being shut out? I was not the help anymore…Well, I was not just the help anymore. Vincent and I were involved. I sighed and walked out to the lawn and curled up with a book.