The Beast of Stornoway

Chapter 9: Van

Amani Blake looked nothing like the picture in her employment file. Van couldn't help but stare at the beauty in front of him. Her mane of thick dark curls framed her honey-brown face and big brown eyes. They were like two pools of warm cinnamon and honey.

She wasn't dressed like a typical assistant either. Her dark denim jeans curved over her thick thighs and the light blue Detroit Lions T-shirt she wore would look plain on anyone else, but on her, the shirt showed off her small waist and voluptuous bosom.

He was too caught up in his assessment of her that he'd barely heard Benny introduce her to him, but his ears perked up at the sound of her beautiful accent.

"Mister-L-Lord Blarcum, it-it's an honor to be here."  

He cringed at the sound of her addressing him so formally and he definitely didn't like that she bowed to him either.

This will not do. 

He walked down the steps toward her, he took her chin in his fingers and lifted her face to look at him. "Miss Blake, never bow to anyone, especially not to me," he said and quickly realized what he'd just done. He let go of her and swiftly turned around to disappear inside the manor.

Bloody hell. What was that? 

'Never bow to anyone, especially not to me.' 

What was his problem? He sighed and jogged up the stairs to his room. He yanked the door open and shrugged his shirt over his head as he snatched a faded black T-shirt out of his drawer.

He had never felt an urge to stop someone from bowing to him or cringe when someone addressed him by his title. He slipped the shirt over his head, but it didn't feel right for her to do that. He looked at himself in the mirror and pointed at his reflection. "Get your shite together," he growled.

He didn't feel things for people and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now. She was his assistant and those feelings he felt were nothing. She was just a pretty face. That was it.

He closed the door to his room and made his escape into the fields. He would make minimal contact with Miss Blake. Only when it was absolutely necessary. Otherwise, he would stay far away from those damn eyes.