Their Wife

Eighteen

Once I broke free from the wooded area, I continued towards the barn. When I didn't hear Ezra's footsteps follow, I peeked over my shoulder to see his back as he went back into the tees again.

The feeling of guilt got worse. He had to make the trip twice now to gather the picnic supplies because of my stubbornness.

I entered the barn with a personal rain cloud following over my head. I hadn't even thanked him for the beautiful picnic he took his time to prepare. 

I had probably ruined things with Ezra. The good times of relaxing and joking around like friends were gone. Even if I hadn't reacted the way I had, he had tried to kiss me. There was no going back from that. It wasn't something you could take back. 

I started cleaning the stalls, hoping the burn in my muscles would distract me from everything. I couldn't believe I'd ever feel this way, but I wanted the only thing on my mind to be shit and hay.

I don't know how long I made the mind-numbing repetitive motions, but soon my arms started to shake from exertion with each task I completed.

"Never knew I'd find the sight of someone shovelling shit attractive."

I almost dropped the shovel at the words that disrupted the soft sounds of the animals. Turning around, I found Axel stationed at the entrance of the stall, leaning against the door frame.

I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat. "What do you want?" Although I knew my mind I was wrong to try to villainize Ezra, I had every reason to do so with the man smirking at me.

"I'd say you, but I have a feeling that would make you run."

"Just seeing your face makes me want to," I muttered under my breath low enough so he wouldn't head.

"Do you truly find my face that repulsive?" I snapped my eyes up towards him in surprise. He shouldn't have heard that. I barely heard it with my own ears, and I said it! "Because I have many different reviews that would argue with that. Most women run toward me when they catch a glimpse of my features, not away."

Wow. Vain much?

Not that I could blame him. As much as I disliked him, from an objective viewpoint I could agree with the masses.

His smirk widened. "But if my face isn't enough to win you over, I can try other methods," he said, suggestively trailing his eyes down my body as he rubbed his fingers across his lower lip.

I turned away from his heated gaze and stabbed my shovel into a steaming pile of shit the size of my head. "No thanks, I have work to finish." I really did. After I was done here, I still had to clean Ezra, Jaxon, and Zev's rooms. I had decided to do them as part of my evening chores. I wouldn't have to worry about walking in on any compromising situations if the owners of the rooms were eating dinner in another room. It wouldn't change much for me while providing an extra level of protection for my eyes. I never seemed to make it to lunch or dinner anyways so completing morning chores later in the day made no difference.

As I turned back from unloading the shovel into the wheelbarrow, I felt a warm presence at my back. My spine straightened.

"What if you didn't?" He asked, stepping closer until his chest pressed into my back. He trailed hands up my sides from my hips to my waist where he let them rest. "I'm your husband, but also your boss- a Master of the manor, mouse. I could give you the rest of the day off so we can have some fun," his low, rough voice softly spoke into my ear.

My hands tightened on the shovel's handle. "N-no," I cleared my constricting throat. "If I don't do it, someone else will have to. I don't want to make any more enemies," I answered as an excuse. It wasn't a lie and I really wasn't in a hurry to have more coworkers like Andreas and the other two.