Only You - Lord of the Manor book 1

Chapter 24

I sit at my desk in a complete daydream, my mind racing with thoughts of The One and fuckings of various degrees. If – in my perfect little world – I end up in a relationship with Harry, would this be how it is all of the time? Harry making his commands and me who obeys? It's that or receiving some sort of fuck, or being subjected to some kind of countdown and torture until I relent, or he manhandles me into complying. I'm not denying the certain element of fun in the fucking side of things, but there has to be give and take. And I'm not sure Harry knows how to give – unless it's one of his varying degrees of fucking. He's so good at it, though. I bristle when I conclude that it is, undoubtedly, because he's had plenty of practice. My pencil snaps in my hand. What? I look at the splintered wood in my grasp. Oh dear.

'Louis, you're here early.' Sally walks into the office, and I immediately giggle to myself. I saw Sally in a different light yesterday.

'Yes, I woke up early.' I say, wanting to add that it's because a neurotic arse made me wear a winter jumper in bed, causing me to wake up in a pool of sweat.

She settles herself at her desk. 'I tried calling you yesterday after you left.'

'You did?' I frown, but then realise that I probably cleared Sally's missed call with the dozens of others from Harry.

'Yes, that angry man came into the office shortly after you left.'

'He did?' I should have known.

'He did. And his mood had not improved.' she says dryly.

I can imagine. I smile. 'Did you give him a cuddle?'

Sally snorts, flopping back in her chair in another fit of laughter. I join her, laughing helplessly as I watch Sal fall apart all over her desk.

Patrick walks in and looks at both of us in exasperation before making his way to his own office, shutting the door behind him.

Oh, shit! 'Was Patrick here?' I ask.

She takes her glasses off and starts cleaning them with the hem of her brown, polyester blouse. 'What? When the lunatic came in? No, he was collecting Julie from the train station.'

I let out a sigh of relief. What's Harry thinking? He's a client. He can't come into my office and start throwing his weight around. I can hardly pass off Harry's temper as a normal client grievance scenario. He's already heaved me out of the office once.

The office door opens and the flower delivery girl –Lusso girl again – trundles in with two lavish sprays. 'Flower deliveries for Louis and Sally?'

I watch as Sally nearly passes out at her desk. I bet she's never had flowers brought for her. I already know who they're from, though. The smooth bastard.

'Me?' Sally gushes, grabbing the colourful bouquet from the delivery girl and shooing her towards my desk.

'Thanks.' I smile, taking the simple spray of calla lilies before signing on behalf of Sally and myself. Sal looks like she might be in a daydream for the rest of the day. 'What does the card say, Sal?' I call, watching her eyes dart from left to right across the words.

She leans back, placing her hand over her heart. 'It says..."Please accept my apologies. That man makes me crazy" Oh, Louis!' She looks up at me all soppy. 'I would love to make a man that crazy!'

I roll my eyes, retrieving the card from my own flowers. I bet I don't have an apology. And Sally wouldn't be saying that if she was on the receiving end of Harry's unreasonable, neurotic behaviour. I make him crazy? What a joke.

I open my card.

You're the one I've been waiting for...

H x