DECEPTION | MAFIA ROMANCE | SMUT

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

As I had nothing better to do, I arranged to meet Jonah by the pool house before sunrise.

I don't think I slept a wink that night. I was over-excited about the prospect of male company, specifically a stunningly handsome male with fine features: olive-skinned, brown-haired and dark-eyed.

Jonah is beautiful. I can't believe it has taken me so long to notice. Yes, I thought about him thoroughly before sleep took precedence over daydreaming.

The day I set off to meet Jonah, he came prepared with warm coffees, fresh pastries and a sneaky joint for us to share.

I had gone without weed since returning to the estate, so every marijuana-infused inhale had the desired effect. My body felt like a bag of weightless feathers as the numbness seeped into my joints and controlled the overactive facet of my brain.

Jonah had a slightly rugged quality. He mostly dressed in faded denim jeans, stark white polo shirts and backwards-facing ball caps. He is the complete opposite of my ex-employer, who would not be seen dead in anything other than tailored suits and leather shoes.

Mr Jones is about designer labels. In contrast, Jonah liked simplicity and affordability.

I wasn't much help for Jonah the morning I promised to be of service. I sat crossed-legged on the garden chair, observing as he removed debris from the pool, swept leaves off the deck and pumped chemicals into the water. He seemed to enjoy his job. He worked tirelessly, without complaint, and seldom took a break.

It was seven thirty a.m. when I spotted one of the morning guards by the dilapidated stables of non-existent horses. I recognised the conscientious man from when I used to pass him in the grand foyer en route to the kitchen with Dominic, but I could not identify him with an actual name.

I know the guard remembered me, too, because raw recognition was ablaze in his hawk-like eyes as he stared at me from across the garden, making me feel utterly powerless and unsettled.

Jonah noticed the guard's sour look of disapprobation, too. He decided to finish pool duties later, took my elbow and led me back to the annexe building.

Housekeeping occupied the kitchen, which meant I had to sneak through the vestibule at the end of the hall to avoid awkwardness.

We found ourselves locked in my bedroom that day, Jonah and I, laughing foolishly at our stealthy efforts until humour died down and serious chit-chat commenced.

Perhaps Jonah will be a good, reliable friend in the future.

Time will tell, I am sure.

Everyone's overt dislike granted hours of unchaperoned leisure time. I left the estate on a regular basis to visit the gym to get some form of exercise, to dine at nearby restaurants and eat my weight in carbohydrates, and to swing by the local town centre to buy new clothes, shoes and handbags.

Elijah always looked pleased to see me, especially if Celeste was out of town with her husband and boredom got the better of him. He sulked in her absence, though, torturing himself with distressing nightmares of the married couple in bed together, kissing passionately or having rampant sex.

I had to hold my tongue, which is uncharacteristic because I am not afraid to give people a piece of my mind or tell someone exactly how I feel. However, I did have a soft spot for the doctor. Hurting his feelings is not an avenue I wished to go down. Inwardly, I lectured him relentlessly about the woman who wanted the best of both worlds, but I never shot him down, not when he was already depressed.

Celeste is never going to leave her rich husband or her affluent life, nor will she give up stolen hours with the doctor. Elijah is a fantasy, an escape for the greedy bitch. She will juggle both men until one of them grows a backbone and slams the door in her smug-looking face.