Page 45 of Ruby Malice

“Of course she’s fucking crazy,” he says. “She wants to marryyou.”

I flip him off just as his phone rings. He flips the bird back and then disappears down the hallway to take his call. I hear his voice fading away as Rayne walks up the front steps. When she reaches for the handle, I yank the door open.

“You’re late,” I snarl.

Rayne jumps in surprise, but quickly shifts into her default emotion around me: annoyance. “Then get out of my way so I can work.”

“That’s not how I’d talk to the person who could fire me on the spot.”

She sighs. When she looks back up, I see the wariness in her eyes. The distance she’s trying to create between us. “I’m sorry. Rough morning.”

I nod to the red car heading towards the road. “Caught a ride with your brother-in-law?”

“Yeah. I guess you were right about that.”

“I usually am. Which part in particular?”

“Mitchell didn’t trust me to drive either of his cars,” she grumbles.

“Maybe word of you spilling wine on Viktoria Kozlov has finally made it down to the lower crust,” I say.

She raises both eyebrows. “My sister and Mitchell are the lower crust?”

“Everything is lower when you’re on the top.”

“God,” she groans. “It’s too early for this.”

She tries to squeeze past me, but I shift in front of her. “Since you were late yesterday, too, you must have missed the memo about coming through the back door when you arrive.”

“I can’t use the front door?”

“It’s reserved for official guests. And me.”

“And the back door is for…?”

“The help.”

She snorts. “I should have known. Okay. Can do.”

I arch an eyebrow. “Is something finally going to be that simple with you?”

“Of course. I’m here to work—to please you,sir—so I’ll do what I’m told. Would you also like me to come and go under cover of nightfall? I’d hate for anyone to lay eyes on the people who keep your house running. I’m sure Viktoria would love that, and I wouldn’t want to disappoint your fiancée.”

“Too late for that. I wouldn’t want to disappoint your brother-in-law by depriving him of your presence each morning, either.”

Rayne tips her head to the side. Her blue eyes are wide and searching. The golden morning glints off her skin, bringing out the blonde strands in her chestnut hair. “Are you jealous?”

“Excuse me?”

She smiles and it is downright smug. “You’re jealous that someone else drove me to work. Were you hoping I’d call and need a ride again?”

I step closer, closing the gap between us and stealing a bit of her confidence. She shrinks in front of me. “I’d be careful with assuming you know anything about me, Rayne.”

Emotions flicker across her face too quickly to read. Then she backs away, nodding her head. “You’re right. I’m just the help, anyway. What could I possibly know about the upper crust?” With that, she turns and starts going down the steps.

“Where are you going?” I growl after her.

“Where I belong,” she says, hitching a thumb over her shoulder. “The help’s entrance.”

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