Page 15 of Her Lion Lover

Grimly, Lily took Maria's advice, searching for a new job that included accommodation using the waning power on her phone.

She scrolled down the job ads. She only needed something for a few weeks, until her graduation confirmation came through. Then she still had to register as an engineer, which might take a few more weeks, before she could start up Dad's company again. So two months, maybe three. She didn't much care how much it paid, as long as she had food and accommodation.

There were plenty of jobs for kitchenhands and cleaners, but most of them were casual jobs with hourly rates, and they expected applicants to have their own car.

Then she saw it: an ad for a housekeeper at Moray Castle, a place she'd never heard of, but the pay was much more than the other positions. Only applicants who had experience maintaining historical buildings and were willing to live in for the maternity leave cover position would be considered.

The job was probably already taken. It sounded so perfect...still, it was worth a shot.

Lily called the number.

"Hello?" a posh voice answered.

Lily explained that she was calling about the job ad for a housekeeper.

"What experience do you have with historic buildings, my dear?"

"Well, I've been working at Mirror Academy as a maid and kitchenhand for the last year, for my room and board while I was completing my degree. But now the school is closed for the holidays, and I'm due to graduate at the end of this year, so I find myself in need of a new position for a few months, and..."

"Can you start tomorrow?"

Lily didn't hesitate. "Of course, but don't you want to at least contact my references, or see my CV?"

"Laima and I are old friends. If she accepted you as both a student and a member of staff, that's recommendation enough for me. You'll be on a month's probation, of course, while my housekeeper is taking care of her daughter, who's just had a baby. After that, we shall see."

A month should be enough. "That sounds lovely."

"See you tomorrow, then. Text me your arrival time, so I'll know when to expect you."

The woman hung up before Lily could answer.

Lily laughed softly to herself. She didn't even know her new employer's name, but she suspected it would be better than watching her parents' home crumble as Cadence and her daughters destroyed everything they'd built.

And if Moray Castle's kitchen looked anything like this one had when she arrived, she could decline the job offer and find something else, Lily told herself.

Meanwhile, she'd better pack her things and get onto the next bus out of town, because Moray Castle was a long way from here, and she didn't want to be late.

NINETEEN

"How has your week been?" Mother asked over dinner.

Leo growled. "I've sent three emails, and haven't heard a word back from her. Laima is meant to be your friend. Can you talk to her? She's deliberately keeping me from my fated mate and it's driving me mad!"

Mother coughed. "I meant your week at work. How is the new sanctuary project coming along?"

"It isn't. It's still stuck waiting for council approval, among other things, and I caught Uncle Jeremy's secretary printing out copies of a contract for working with Tremotino on his new dodgy development, which even I know will be a colossal failure, but he's been talking it up with other board members as though it'll double their dividends this year, instead of driving the company to bankruptcy. The gossip rags have got hold of this crazy idea that I'm gay, and they've photoshopped my head onto a screenshot that's obviously been stolen from episode sixty-nine of Andy's Anal Adventures. Cat's been fending off a veritable flood of emails from people who want to help me recreate that iconic scene, including the production studio who made the movie in the first place...you wouldn't believe the obscene amount of money they offered me to do it. Maybe we're in the wrong industry, if adult entertainment can pay someone that much for only a few days' work."

Mother's expression looked like her food didn't agree with her. It took her a moment, but she forced a smile onto her face. "So you're giving up on the sanctuary that was your father's dream to become an actor? You'd be handing the company to your uncle on a platter if you do. Is that what you want?"

Trust Mum to ask him the very question that had kept him awake the night of the ball. What did he want? "I could sell my shares. It's not like the company needs me. Not really. I could settle down somewhere with my fated mate and just live a quiet life."

"After you become a porn star."

Leo squirmed. He'd considered it, for one mad moment. How could anyone justify paying him that much money to get naked in front of a camera? But none of those actors would be his mate, and she was the only one she wanted to get naked with.

"What would your mate think?"

"She wouldn't need to know." The moment the words left his lips, he regretted them. He'd meant that his mate didn't need to know he'd offered the starring role in a kinky film. Not that he'd actually do it.

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