The Billionaire's Housekeeper (Betsy Jones Book 1) - Unedited

The Billionaire's Housekeeper - Chapter 5

Sunlight creeping through the gap in the curtains drew Betsy from the depths of her sleep. Groaning loudly, she cracked open her eyes. Ten more minutes, she thought, just ten more.

Pulling the duvet over her head, Betsy tried to salvage the last vestiges of her dream but it was gone and so was the good feeling it had brought. The sensation of being content, safe and loved had been so consuming she had wanted to recapture it for as long as possible. Instead, her mind decided to kick into overdrive.

The week had been long. After the first night, where her new boss had kindly carried her up the stairs, she had barely laid her eyes upon him for more than a second. He left early in the morning after sharing breakfast with his children and he returned only after she had gone to her bed. Betsy always made sure she and the children fell asleep in their own beds, so she wouldn't have to face the embarrassment of being carried to bed again. Once was more than enough.

Yet because of his continued absence, Betsy felt dread at the conversation which was to come. They still hadn't talked, even after his barked insistence they would. She didn't want to have a conversation with the man. The thought of what would be spoken was enough to set her heart skittering in her chest. But the trial period was almost over – surely they would need to talk soon.

Unable to recapture her sleep, Betsy threw back the covers and climbed from the bed. Slipping on the bathrobe over the top of her cartoon character pyjamas, she left the safety of her room.

Betsy arrived in the kitchen just as the elderly Ms Reed turned away from the cooker with a steaming pan of hot sizzling bacon.

"Morning dear," She said through smile. "Breakfast?"

The white haired woman didn't wait for a response but instead shooed her out of the kitchen with a snap of a tea towel.

Laughing, the blonde backed out of the kitchen before coming to an abrupt halt, the breath stolen from her lungs. Betsy wasn't sure why, but she had assumed the head of the Davenport household would be absent like he had every other morning. But they were all there. Nicholas and both of the children were seated around the large solid wood dining table.

Standing in the doorway to the dining room, it took a moment for Betsy to drag her gaze away from the powerful man sat at the head of the table. He looked different. It was the first time she had seen Nicholas Davenport without the power suit. So far the only time she had laid eyes upon him this week, the man had already been dressed to take on the world. Not that she was complaining. It was an impressive look, one which held her enraptured every time she allowed herself to stop and enjoy the view.

Closing her eyes for a few long seconds, Betsy drew in a steadying breath. He was her employer. Claire was depending on her to keep this job. Daydreaming about the delicious Davenport was not part of it.

Nicholas was dressed in a pair of black pyjama bottoms with Monster from The Muppets all over them and an old grey t-shirt. Everything about him was adorably rumpled. There was even stubble covering his jaw. Betsy dragged her lingering gaze away just as the man himself lifted his face from his coffee mug to stare up at her.

Unwilling to meet his gaze just in case he could spot how flustered she was, Betsy took a seat as far away from him as she could. There were at least three seats separating them on both sides but it also meant she was sat directly opposite him.

"Morning," she greeted before dropping her gaze down to her hands.

"Morning!" the children chirped back at her.

A loud groaning sound drew Betsy's gaze upwards in time to see the two children dragging out chairs on either side of her. Both children climbed up on the chairs, bodies bouncing in their seats as they swung their legs back and forth under the table. They each had grins on their faces as they stared up at Betsy.