The Maid's Deception-Chapter 14 - 13: Step away from my employee

Julian Pierce was indeed handsome tall, though not quite as tall as Damien, with sandy brown hair and warm hazel eyes. He had an easy smile and an air of approachability that contrasted sharply with Damien’s controlled intensity.

He crossed the room with confident strides, shaking Damien’s hand. "Good to see you. It’s been too long."

"Three weeks. Hardly an eternity."

"For you, maybe. Some of us actually take breaks from work." Julian’s eyes slid to Aria, and his smile widened. "And who is this? I don’t think we’ve met."

"Sarah Mitchell," Damien said before Aria could speak. "New housekeeper. Sarah, this is Julian Pierce."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Pierce." Aria kept her tone professional, her smile polite but not warm.

"The pleasure is entirely mine." Julian’s gaze was appreciative but not crude—just genuine admiration. "And please, call me Julian. Mr. Pierce makes me feel ancient."

"Julian," Damien’s voice had an edge to it, "whiskey?"

"Absolutely. The Macallan 25, if you’re feeling generous."

Aria moved to the bar cart, grateful for something to do with her hands. She could feel both men watching her as she poured Damien with that penetrating intensity, Julian with open interest.

She brought the glass to Julian, approaching from the right as instructed.

"Thank you, Sarah." He took the glass, his fingers brushing hers deliberately. "You’re very efficient. How long have you been with the Blackwood household?"

"This is her third day," Damien said, accepting his own glass from Aria without any hand-brushing. "She’s still in her trial period."

"Third day? You certainly picked a quick learner." Julian’s eyes never left Aria’s face. "Where did you work before this, if you don’t mind my asking?"

This was exactly what Damien had warned her about. Julian was smooth, making conversation feel natural when it was actually an interview.

"Private households in Boston and Philadelphia," Aria said carefully. "Similar positions."

"And what brought you here?"

"Julian." Damien’s voice was sharp enough to cut. "We have business to discuss. Stop interrogating my staff."

"I’m just being friendly." But Julian backed off, settling into one of the leather chairs. "You’ve always been too uptight about these things."

"And you’ve always been too casual."

The tension Lucy had mentioned was immediately apparent. These two men were friends, but there was definitely an undercurrent of competition.

Aria retreated to her position near the bar, trying to be invisible while remaining attentive. The conversation turned to business something about a potential merger, market projections, regulatory concerns. She understood maybe half of it, but she noted how Damien dominated the discussion while Julian pushed back, testing, probing for weaknesses.

They were both intelligent, both strategic. But where Damien was controlled and precise, Julian was charming and adaptable.

"Refresh?" Julian held up his empty glass, looking directly at Aria.

She moved to take it, and as she did, Julian stood smoothly, suddenly much closer than necessary.

"You know," he said quietly, "if you ever get tired of working for this taskmaster, my company is always looking for talented people. I pay better and the hours are much more reasonable."

"Julian." Damien’s voice was ice. "Step away from my employee."

"I’m just making conversation..."

"Now."

Something in Damien’s tone made Julian raise his hands in mock surrender and step back. "Alright, alright. Possessive as always."

"Protective. There’s a difference." Damien stood, moving between Julian and Aria in a gesture that was both subtle and unmistakable. "Sarah, you can go. We’ll handle our own drinks from here."

"Yes, sir." Aria set down Julian’s glass and retreated, grateful for the escape.

But as she reached the door, she heard Julian’s voice, pitched low but audible: "She’s beautiful, you know. And clearly intelligent. Quite the find."

"She’s staff." Damien’s response was cold. "And off-limits."

"To me, maybe. But what about to you?"

Silence. Aria knew she should keep walking, but something made her pause just outside the door.

"I don’t know what you’re implying," Damien finally said.

"Come on. I saw how you looked at her. How you positioned yourself between us. You’re interested." Julian’s tone was amused. "Which is new. You never pay attention to staff. So what makes her different?"

"This conversation is over."

"Is it? Because I think...."

"Julian." Now Damien’s voice carried a warning that made even Aria’s skin prickle. "Drop it. Or leave."

Aria didn’t wait to hear more. She hurried down the hallway, her heart pounding.

He’s interested. Julian had said it. Had noticed something in the way Damien looked at her.

But interested how? In catching her? In testing her? Or.....

No. She couldn’t let herself go there. Couldn’t let herself believe that the tension between them was anything more than a powerful man toying with someone he suspected of deception.

Except...

"I don’t share my staff’s attention."

"She’s off-limits."

The possessiveness in his voice when he’d said those things. The way he’d physically placed himself between her and Julian.

That wasn’t about protecting an employee. That was something else entirely.

"So?" Lucy appeared, practically bouncing with curiosity. "How did it go? What’s Mr. Pierce like?"

"Charming," Aria said truthfully. "Exactly like you described."

"And Mr. Blackwood? Was he weird?"

Possessive. Protective. Territorial.

"He was... attentive to detail," Aria said carefully.

Lucy grinned. "That’s code for ’yes, he was being weird.’ I knew it. He always gets like that when Mr. Pierce is around. It’s like some kind of alpha male thing."

That was exactly what it was. And Aria was caught in the middle of it.

Later that night, alone in her room, Aria tried to process everything that had happened. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Three days. She’d been here three days, and already things were spiraling in directions she hadn’t anticipated.

Damien Blackwood was supposed to be an obstacle someone to avoid, to navigate around, to remain invisible to while she completed her mission.

Instead, he was pulling her closer. Requesting her specifically. Giving her access to his private spaces. Defending her from his friends.

Interested in her.

And worse.....so much worse....she was interested back.

The way her body responded to his proximity. The flutter in her stomach when he looked at her. The way she found herself thinking about him when she should be thinking about her mother, about the mission, about anything else.

This was dangerous. This was exactly the kind of distraction that could destroy everything.

Her phone buzzed her Sarah Mitchell phone. A text from an unknown number.

You did well tonight. Sleep well, Sarah ..... D.B.

He had her number. Of course he did. Probably had access to all staff contact information.

But the fact that he’d texted her personally, at night, after she’d left...

Aria stared at the message for a long time before typing back: Thank you, sir. Goodnight.

His response came immediately: Just Damien. When it’s just us, call me Damien.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. This was crossing a line. Moving from professional to personal in a way that violated every boundary she’d set for herself.

She should ignore it. Should maintain distance.

Instead, she typed: Goodnight, Damien.

Three dots appeared, showing he was typing. Then disappeared. Then appeared again.

Finally: Dream of me.

The audacity of it stole her breath. The presumption. The confidence that he was already in her head.

The fact that he was absolutely right.

Aria didn’t respond. Just set her phone aside and lay down, staring at the ceiling.

Dream of me.

Like she had a choice.

Like she hadn’t been dreaming of gray eyes and dangerous smiles since the moment she’d met him.

Like she wasn’t already in so much deeper than she’d ever meant to be.

Three days. Only three days.

And Damien Blackwood was already under her skin in a way that terrified her.

Because she was starting to suspect that he’d been under her skin from the very first moment. That whatever game he was playing, whatever trap he was setting, she’d walked into it willingly.

Maybe even eagerly.

And the worst part? Some dark, reckless part of her didn’t even want to escape.