Thomas leads me into the same building he brought me into last night, only now we don't hide up in his apartment. We stay on the bottom floor, at the bar, and take a seat at one of the tables. Nobody gathers here at this early hour; it's not even noon yet.

There's a man cleaning the tables when we enter: the bartender from last night. He's shorter than Thomas, but equally as buff and menacing. A set of tattoos crawls up his neck, ending at the stubble of his recently shaved head.

"This the floor cleaner?" he asks.

"She's not cleaning the floors, Vince."

Vince frowns. "Someday I'll convince you to hire me one."

A low laugh leaves Thomas' lips. "When some fucker desperate enough stumbles in here by accident needing a job, then I'll think about it."

Considering I just quit my job cleaning floors at the hospital, I might be the desperate fool they need.

Thomas pulls out a chair at one of the tables for me, gesturing for me to take a seat. He sits across from me, his blue eyes blazing as he analyzes me. He's trying to be subtle about it. Not that he is.

He flashes a seductive smile. "I thought I'd have to put a hell of a lot more effort into convincing you to come back here."

I never told Thomas that I agreed to work for him just yet, but perhaps being a seductress won't be so bad?

This is exactly what you said you wouldn't do, that small voice in my head scolds. Yet, that triple pay Thomas promises sounds as delectable as chocolate.

I keep my voice playful. "You just don't know how to give up, do you?"

"You'll learn soon enough that I get what I want."

"And what's that?"

His blue eyes tell all. "You already know, daffodil." Me.

I blush. "I'm afraid I'm not qualified for what you're asking of me."

"Congratulations. You checked all the boxes," he smirks. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

"I find it rude that you don't accept 'no' for an answer."

"You just quit your job, daffodil," he taps his fingers against the table. "Even I know that you can't ignore my offer. Where else are you going to find a better paying job?"

"I can sweet talk Evelyn."

"How's that been working out for you? I bet she's just handing over all of Leveque Corp to you by now, isn't she?"

Smug bastard. "If I am to be a seductress for you, we need to cover some rules."

"Okay, rule number one, we eat. No negotiating on an empty stomach."

Almost if on cue, Vince swings by our table and sets down to sandwiches—not that we asked. Did we even order? This is just a bar, isn't it?

I fiddle with the bandages on my fingers to avoid looking at either of the two men. The bandages remain unclean since yesterday. There was just never the time... or the care. Perhaps my knuckles will start to heal now that I'm done with cleaning floors.

"I um... I can't pay for that."

A beat passes through the room. Then the men erupt into laughter.

Thomas sets his hand over my restless fingers. His callouses soothe me like sandpaper. "You never have to pay for a damn thing under my roof."

Oh bloody hell, he's dreamy.

Flustered, I avoid looking at anything in the room, choosing to focus on my shoes. My worn, dirtied shoes.

Vince excuses himself to let us eat. In fact, Vince leaves the whole damn room to leave us alone. Under normal circumstances, being alone with a man would send me running for the hills. I've just never felt safe. But as I study Thomas and the way his large hands pick up his sandwich, the way he devours the first bite, the way the crumbs fall from his chin as he smiles at me with a full mouth—I find myself smiling back with a laugh.

He's not who you think he is, that voice chimes in. Remember the gun?

He finishes his bite. "Vince doesn't normally make food, but he makes a few exceptions."

"Just for you?"

He answers with a 'mhmm' as he takes another bite of the sandwich. When he finishes, he leans back in the chair and crosses his arms across his chest. The veins in his forearms tighten beneath his tattoos, and a lock of his tied-back blonde hair falls into those blue eyes.

My mouth waters a little, but I'll blame it on the sandwich.

"I don't normally have to beg for someone to work for me," his voice drops an octave. A warm shiver runs down my spine. "But I should warn you of a few things before you agree. This line of work is... unusual."

"I already suspected that," I avered. "You want me to be a seductress."

"I do," he whispers softly. "You're the only one in New Aberdeen who can seduce Cato and gain his trust. Kill two birds with one stone."

I look around at the rundown bar. There's warped floorboards, chipped wallpaper, dim lights... What is this place?

Thomas taps his finger against the table. "Confidentiality is important. Whatever I tell you never leaves this fucking room, and you don't trust anyone else besides those who work closest to me." His sharp jaw clenches tightly. "There are consequences for those who get out of line."

I swallow as I recall last night's visit from the stranger. Thomas holds a gun hidden beneath his clothes, but he's clearly no law enforcement officer. Whatever this "business" is that he operates, it surely runs on the line of legality. He's dancing around the truth of his profession, bending it in ways that make it seem legitimate.

Thomas continues. "Evelyn won't even have to know you quit at the hospital. You'll leave and come back at your regular times."

"I'm not even sure where this is," I mumble.

"You don't need too," he winks. "I'm your chauffeur."

I purse my lips. Of course I want this. I need the money so I can get a taste of independence and freedom. Who knew that quitting that god-awful job cleaning blood off floors would liberate me so much.

"Before I accept, I have a few questions of my own."

Thomas raises his brows. "And?"

"I want full disclosure of what your business is. It's clearly something I could get arrested for, and—"

"I can't answer that unless you accept my offer."

"Fine, then what's with the gun? Do you... do you kill people?"

His blue eyes blaze into mine so fiercely it feels as if he's branding my skin. "There's blood on my hands, daffodil, but I promise that you will never be involved." He leans across the table. "I'd shoot every employee I have before anything comes of harm to you."

My heart pounds like a jackhammer within my chest, and I can't tell if it's the nerves from Thomas' abundant power, or the fact that his ocean blue eyes have never faltered from my gaze.

"Okay, then I have a couple demands." I wait for him to tell me off. Servants can't negotiate work, but Thomas listens eagerly. "You want me to seduce Cato, but I'm not having sex with him."

"Never said you had too."

"And I'm not cleaning floors."

"Vince might be a little disappointed."

"You promised triple my hospital pay."

"Yes, but you deserve more than that."

"You guarantee that I'll be safe, wherever I go."

A darkness storms those blue eyes, one mixed with defense and desire. "If anyone lays a fucking finger on you, they won't see daylight."

I don't give myself another second to think. "Then when do I start?"

Thomas' lips curve upward as if he just won a game of chess. God, anything that man does swoons me, and maybe I am naive to agree for such a job. What experience do I even have in seducing men? I refuse to be my mother, but this new position comes quite close.

And my first target is none other than Cato Leveque, a man I've dreamed about since the dawn of time.

Thomas extends his hand to me, and I take it, sealing the offer. "You start now."

━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━

We sit in Thomas' apartment, our bodies close as we sit on the sofa. This time, he keeps all the windows open. He remembered my dislike for the smell of cigarette smoke, as the smell embeds itself into every fabric he touches. The simple gesture warms my chest.

"Here's your first assignment." He tosses an envelope to me. Gold trim lines the edges, as well as a broken golden seal with an intricate emblem.

Inside is an invitation to the Beaulieu Space Academy Annual Gala, an event where the wealthiest celebrities, explorers, and business entrepreneurs in the American Federation gather to discuss current issues and hot topics. Most of the time, the main speaker doesn't speak about anything related to astronomy, despite it being sponsored by the prestigious Beaulieu Space Academy. Designers flock to the event in order to get some well-known faces to wear one of their gowns. Unfortunately, the gala itself is exclusive, and requires an invite.

Which somehow, Thomas has.

Upon further investigation, the gala is hosted at Cato's estate, as Cato himself is the main speaker. It'll be his first public appearance since his return from his explorations of the galaxy.

"How'd you get this?" I ask.

He smirks. "Cato sent it to me."

"Don't lie to me. I know that's not true."

He shrugs and takes the invite back in his hands. "I have men in nearly every sector of this city. I may have intercepted it."

My jaw drops a little as he says this. How big could his entire business be? The city of New Aberdeen spans a large mass of land, and to have someone in every sector?

"You don't need to be so surprised, daffodil," he mutters. "I run an entire enterprise of... how the fuck should I put this...?"

I avoid his gaze. "Crime?"

"I guess you can put it that way," he mumbles, not exactly sounding proud of it. He shifts in his sea before stretching his arm around the back of the couch around me. "Instead of crime, I might say I bend the rules a bit. Test the waters. See what gets me into trouble."

I raise a brow. "How often does that happen?"

"What? Getting into trouble?" he rubs the bottom of his chin with his fingers, then releases a low warm chuckle. "I'm getting myself into trouble as we speak."

This job as a seductress comes with a large warning label, but I told myself I'd take control. I'd take risks.

He bends the rules, something I have rarely done before.

"There's a week and a bit until the gala," Thomas explains, "which means we got some time to prepare you."

"How can I go to this gala? I'm a servant, and Cato will recognize me, won't he? And bloody hell, what would I even wear?"

"Oh, Cato will recognize you, and he'll want you," he leans into me. "All I need you to do is get some of his files from him from his computer. I've tried getting one of my guys to hack into it, but I've never seen a damn piece of technology have so much security."

I shake my head. "Can't you start me off with something simpler? Like a practice run?"

He leans back in his seat, pondering the idea. I feel as if he's feeding me straight into the belly of the beast. I have no idea how to seduce a man. Sure, my mother's beauty might help me, but my awkward movements and quivering voice might make me a loof more than a siren.

"Get up," Thomas instructs.

"Pardon me?"

"You want a practice run, so do it," I stand to my feet.

Thomas takes my hand, tugging me so I stand between his legs. His blue eyes meet mine, and they're on fire.

"Practice on me," his voice murmurs.

I try to avoid his curious gaze, but the blue hue seems to be all I can find. "It's just a lot to take in. Your world is so different from mine, and I feel as if I'm doing this all alone."

"This is as easy as it gets, daffodil," he smiles so widely. Did he always have dimples? "Besides, I'll be there with you as your partner."

"I can't seduce Cato if I have a man at my side."

"Yes, you fucking can, because he'll certainly want what he can't have," Thomas reaches up, cupping my cheeks and brushing his thumb over my bottom lip. "You will be irresistible."

Our eyes meet, and the low tone of Thomas' voice rumbles through my mind like thunder. He'll certainly want what he can't have. You will be irresistible. My hands comb back stray tendrils of his dirty blonde hair as I take a step towards him. He lifts his head, his ocean irises twinkling in the streams of sunlight.

What would it be like to kiss him? I could dismiss the occurrence as practice. It would dim my curiosity for physical attraction, yet only fuel my heart's need to fill in the empty void. Anything between Thomas and I would be done in rash haste. Besides, he's my boss now. It certainly would be against some unwritten code.

He said it himself. I bend the rules. Test the waters. See what gets me into trouble.

My hands gain a mind of their own as my touch travels up his inked arms, up to his shoulders until I'm pulling him closer towards me. Thomas cups my chin with his rough fingers and guides me closer to him, and I find myself settling in on him. His hot breath heats up my skin, sending goosebumps down my neck.

His lips brush mine. Nerve endings spark at the tease. "Save the seduction for Cato."

Then, he lets go and pulls away.

My cheeks blush like wildfire as Thomas stands from the couch. What has gotten into me?

"We'll start preparations tomorrow," Thomas' voice comes out rough. "Take the day off and enjoy yourself. I'll pick you up in the morning."

Then, he leaves me alone in his apartment.

━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━

I have never had spare time before. I lay in the grass in the city gardens and listen to the songbirds, breathing in the scent of the fresh daffodils.

As I lay by a bed of daffodils, I think of Thomas, about how I almost kissed him, and he pulled away. Thomas is no ordinary man; infact, he's my boss now, but how come I can't get the image of him and I out of my mind? Whatever this new confidence is inside of me, it's making me a lovesick doting puppy, and I don't like it.

Maybe turning my attention toward Cato will cure me from Thomas. Although, Cato is just as infectious.

I return to the Leveque estate, knowing Evelyn will have my work cut out for me. I rush through the front door and search for her, but stop as I hear voices in the parlour.

I wander into the room, and freeze on the spot.

There sits Evelyn, talking to none other than Cato himself. He's lounging backward, his green eyes dancing with delight as he catches sight of me. Except hanging from Cato's arm is another woman, one with long legs, illuminating ivy eyes, and plump lips. She kisses Cato's cheek.

Evelyn catches me instantly. "Oh, Maureen! Right on time. Can you get us another cup of coffee, hmm?"

My skin flares up with irritation as I slowly approach the empty cups on the coffee table. Cato doesn't have a girlfriend. He didn't have a girlfriend, as of last week. He wouldn't bring a woman back here to meet his parents if he wasn't serious, right?

I stop at the sound of Cato's voice. "Try not to spill this time."

Of course he didn't forget about the soup.

I force myself to nod. I know Cato's had his fair share of other girls, but actually seeing one of them nauseates me. This isn't jealousy, is it? Whoever this girl is, she doesn't deserve him, but what makes me think that I ever will?

As I leave the parlour, I feel the burning of green eyes follow me out of the room.

━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━

Maureen's heart is already going to war. Who will win?

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Updated August 7, 2022.