Page 12 of The Bride's Desire

When he walked into his bedroom, he jerked to a stop, and his mouth dropped open in shock. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen the whole floor. When Rosey was alive, she hadn’t come upstairs very often because it hurt her arthritic knees, so he’d brought his clothes down for her to wash.

Joe couldn’t remember the last time or if he’d ever dusted or vacuumed the room. Hell, he had no idea how to use a vacuum because he’d never had to, and he never cared to find out. The surprises just kept coming when he walked into his bathroom to find it sparkled. After his shower, he walked into his closet to see his clothing on the shelves and hanging on the rod, and he grinned. He hadn’t realized he had that many pairs of jeans before, maybe because they all hadn’t been clean at thesame time.

After he got dressed, he returned to the kitchen to find food on the table, but no Naomi and only one plate. Joe walked back into the laundry room to find her folding clothes.

“I’m here. Come eat.”

She turned toward him. “Oh, no, you go ahead.”

“Did you already eat?”

“Well, no, but I had a late lunch.”

“Then come to the table and eat a little bit.”

“I’m not sure I should eat with you because I’m your housekeeper.”

His brows snapped together. “That’s bullshit on so many levels. This isn’t one of those hoity-toity households.” His curiosity rose when she paled. “One, my last housekeeper ate every meal I had in this house with me. Two, you’re not just a housekeeper.”

“Then, what am I?”

He ran a hand down the back of his neck. How did he answer her when he didn’t know himself?

“You’re here so we can get to know each other. To see if we’re compatible.”

He didn’t like the troubled look on her face. Had she decided she didn’t want to get to know him? He’d seen the attraction she had tried to hide, so it had to be something else.

“How long until you know if we’re compatible?” she asked.

“Hell, I don’t know. I’ve never done this before.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the kitchen.

“Sit down,” he commanded. “I’ll get you a plate.”

He served them both and then ate several bites before looking at her. “This is really good.”

“I’m glad you like it,” she said and took a small bite.

“Did your mom teach you how to cook?” he asked.

She started choking on a bite. He leaned over and smacked her between the shoulder blades a few times.

“It’s all right. I’m okay,” she said and got up to get a glass of water.

“So?”

She looked at him after she sat down. “So what?”

“Did your mom teach you to cook?”

She looked down at her plate. “No. I don’t think my mom ever touched a pan in her life.”

“Why?”

“Her family was very wealthy, and she grew up with a lot of servants.”

“Oh, wow. Did you live like that?”

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