Chapter Six

"YOU!" Ethan roared again, loud enough this time to cause Ivy to come running back into the bedroom.

"Ethan, what is going on here?" she questioned, looking back and forth between her son and her beloved assistant. Theresa's face was a pale shade of sea green, and her lower lip quivered slightly in nervousness.

"Well, I, I-uh, well…" Ethan mumbled, trying to find the right words. Trying to explain to Ivy that ITHISI was the waitress that dumped the soup on his head.

But when his eyes met Theresa's, all was lost. They looked so scared, so vulnerable, that Ethan knew he couldn't do it. He couldn't rat Theresa out to his mother.

"Ethan? You were saying?" Ivy prodded impatiently, crossing her arms across her chest.

He took in a deep breath and glanced back at his mother.

"Um, she looked like this…person…that I met once, but, um, it's not her. Sorry, Theresa, if I frightened you."

Slowly, the color returned to Theresa's cheeks and her breathing returned to normal. Now, her eyes just bore into him, questioning his actions.

They were also relieved…relieved just enough that Ethan knew that spending time with Theresa would be fun.

After all, every man needed a slave…

"Oh, well, alright dear." Ivy smiled brightly then left the room, leaving Ethan and Theresa alone together. Theresa walked closer to the bed, and Ethan found himself replaying the scenes of his dream over again in his mind.

She sat down in an overstuffed chair beside the bed, wringing her hands together nervously. Ethan glanced over at her, eyes drawn to her legs as her skirt rode up just enough to reveal a span of tanned, smooth thigh. Quickly, he dropped his eyes down to the bedspread, trying to ignore the fact that Theresa was the only women ever, besides Gwen, to cause such… excitement in his body.

He found himself wondering what it would feel like to touch her thigh, run his hand over her skin. He knew it would feel the same as it looked, like pure silk, and that-

"Mr. Crane, I just wanted to thank you for covering to your mother," Theresa interrupted, breaking Ethan's daydream. " Um, that was a really generous thing to do, and I hope I can do something to repay you."

It took Ethan a moment to focus in on what she was saying. He just couldn't shake the thought of what her skin would feel like against his, what it would taste like against his lips…

Shaking his head, he blinked up at her, trying to form words that might resemble a response.

"Oh, uh, right. Well, I could see that my mother dotes on you, and, um, I wouldn't want to upset her by telling her that you're the loony girl that I dealt with yesterday."

Theresa shifted in her seat, face hardening. Ethan knew it was wrong to egg her on, but he couldn't help himself. Other then having the bowl of soup dumped on him, fighting with her had been fun. Sort of relaxing… like stress relief.

"Well, anyway, thanks for saving my butt, Mr. Crane. If there's anything that I can do for you, you just let me know."

Hmmm…this was going to be very fun. She was practically begging to be his personal slave! Anything that I can do for you…

"Well, okay, Theresa, since you offered…I guess, to begin with, if you could please pick out something nice for me to wear today, I'd be very grateful. Nothing too dressy, though. I like my pants lightly pressed, with no starch. Shirts the same way. I still need to unpack, so if you could take care of that, I'd appreciate it. Oh! If you could also run me a shower- just warm enough that there's a bit of steam- I'd appreciate it."

Ethan shot Theresa what he knew was a cocky grin and settled back into his pillows. The look on her face…it was almost too much to take! Her face drained of all color, then turned to a bright, bright red in a matter of seconds. Her body trembling with disbelief, she pulled herself out of the chair she was sitting in and turned to face him, eyes blazing.

Ethan could tell that she was trying very hard to control her temper. Her entire body was shaking, and she clenched her wrists down at her sides.

"Anything else I can do for you, Mr. Crane?" she asked, gritting her teeth together and taking a step closer to the bed.

This was just too easy!

"Oh, actually, there is, Theresa. I haven't had breakfast yet, so if you could just run down to the kitchen and-"

"Oh, I don't think so. If you think I am going to go make your breakfast, Crane, you are smoking some heavy-duty crack rock."

"Theresa, I didn't want you to make it for me, I just wanted you to go and tell Cook that I'm hungry."

"For anything in particular, Mr. Crane?"

Yeah, for you his head screamed out, much to his dismay.

But when Theresa let out a piercing "EXCUSE ME?" Ethan knew that he hadn't just said it in his mind.

He had said it out loud.

Theresa's jaw dropped incredulously, and Ethan's heart began to beat a rapid speed.

He had just royally screwed up.

The upper hand was now Theresa's.

And by the bright gleam in her eye, she knew it too.