“I did?”
“At the gate. On the intercom.”
He’s the guy.
“Oh, right. Of course.”
And I feel like a prize idiot.
Great first impression I’m making here.
Come on, Daisy, you can do better than this.
I hook my thumb under the strap of my bag and meet his eyes again, forcing another smile. “I was told to ask for Mr. Matis—”
“I’m Kastor Matis.”
Kastor.
Unusual name. Suits him.
“My friends call me Kas. My employees call me Mr. Matis.”
Guess I know which category I fall into.
He’s still staring right at me with those cold eyes of his. I decide that they remind me of coal. Hard and unyielding.
“Okay, Mr. Matis, it is. Matis…is that Greek?” I tip my head to the side in question.
A flash of surprise enters his eyes.
Yes, I’ve been in prison, and I might be a glorified cleaner, but I’m not completely thick.
He moistens his lips, and that’s when I notice his upper lip is fuller than his lower. The kind of lip you suck on. Not that I’m going to be sucking on his lips anytime ever.
“It is,” is his brittle answer.
And then an awkward silence envelops us.
I hate silences.
I’m scrambling for something to say but come up with nothing, wondering if he’s ever going to let me in the house.
As if reading my mind, he abruptly steps back and holds the door. I take that as my cue to go inside.
I step gingerly inside the huge entryway.
It’s ginormous. The whole of Cece’s and my apartment could probably fit in here.
It’s beautiful though. The floor beneath my feet is marble. The staircase is sweeping and goes off to both sides.
He shuts the heavy door behind me. The bang echoes memories of the sound of my cell door banging shut behind me.
My heart sets off like a racehorse in my chest.
I feel trapped. Beads of sweat break out on my skin.
You’re okay, Daisy. You’re just in a house.
I squeeze my eyes shut and force a deep breath.
When I open my eyes, Kastor Matis is standing right in front of me, watching me with curiosity…and something else.
Anger.
He’s staring at me like the crazy bitches in prison used to stare at me. Like they wanted to stab me with a blunt instrument at any given moment.
My insides tighten, my Spidey sense going on full alert.
If it weren’t for the terms of my release forcing me to be here, then I’d be turning around and hightailing it back out of the door.
But I have to be here. And I need this job. So, I suppress the feelings and suck it up.
“So, where should I start? Do you have a schedule that you’d like me to follow?” I’m making this shit up on the fly because, honestly, I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. I just need to fill this horrific silence between the good-looking bastard and myself.
“Do you have cleaning experience?” he bites out.
I swear, it’s like he’s spitting at me every time he speaks.
I’m taking that it’s because I’ve been in prison. But if he has a problem with ex-cons, then why the hell did he hire one?
And I’m assuming he should already know my level of cleaning experience. Wouldn’t Toby have filled him in?
“Some. I had a cleaning job in, um…prison.” The shame prickles my skin, like it always does when I say that word. “My duties were to clean the library and rec area—recreational area,” I correct. “Also, I mopped hallways and—”
“I don’t need a rundown of your time in prison,” he cuts me off.
Okay…
My cheeks sting with embarrassment—and, if I’m honest, anger.
This guy is a bit of an arsehole.
Biting my lip, I bind my hands together to stop myself from…I dunno…punching him in his handsome face.
Wanker.
“Sorry. I guess I misunderstood. I thought you wanted to know my cleaning experience.”
Again, he says nothing, just does that unnerving staring thing.
I fidget.
Clear my throat.
Avert my eyes.
Then, I try to change tack. “You have a beautiful home.” I cast my eyes around the spacious hallway.
“It’s not mine.”
That brings my eyes back to him, and…yep, he’s still staring. Well, staring is being kind. He’s glaring.
“Who’s—”
“It’s my parents’ house. I live here and run the estate for them.”
“Where—”
“Away,” he cuts me off again. “I’ll show you the rest of the house.”
He turns on his heel and strides away.
Six
The tour of the house takes a while. The place is like a cavern.
I’m actually worried that I, alone, won’t be able to keep this place clean.
There are a lot of rooms.
Downstairs, there’s a library—yes, a library. A gym. An indoor swimming pool, which Mr. Matis told me he has a guy who comes in to clean it. His office. The biggest kitchen I’ve ever seen in my life with a separate utility room, which is where all the cleaning products are kept. A huge dining room, complete with a sixteen-seater dining table. I guess the Matises entertain often. A living room, which looks like it’s barely used. And a sitting room, which hosts a huge TV and looks like it gets used more often.
Upstairs are six bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. Kas’s bedroom is at the side of the house, overlooking the paddocks. He has a private balcony, and the view from it is gorgeous. There’s also a separate bathroom that hosts the biggest bathtub I’ve ever seen in my life.