Page 7 of Revealed

Michael is still waiting on me as I exit the office. Immediately faced with temptation, I know I just lied through my teeth. I dream of embarrassing Ashton, with this man, more than anything.

Chapter Five

FrancescaRose

“How was your first meeting with your new husband?” Michael says, covering his chuckle with a cough.

“No one told me howcharminghe could be.” My response drips with sarcasm.

Michael’s laughter breaks free, highlighting the dimple in his cheek, and I fight the inclination to swoon. He leads me through the front of the house past the large staircase.

“Let me get you to Ms. Kathy to handle business, then I’ll give you a proper tour of the house and the grounds.” His hand moves to my lower back, guiding me through the lower level of the home to the kitchen.

The smell of bacon has my mouth watering and my stomach growling in unison. We round the kitchen to find a full breakfast spread laid out buffet-style. Two chefs work around each other prepping meals and setting out quick breakfast options for staff to grab. Kathy sits at the main kitchen table. Her glasses are perched on her nose as she flips through the grocery ads for theweek. She hears us enter and her eyes light up when she sees us.

“Francesca, just in time! Grab you something to eat, honey. This won’t take long. I just want to update my grocery list to make sure I grab foods you enjoy,” Kathy says, barely looking up from her notepad.

“Take your time and eat, I’m gonna take care of the trash, and then we can get our tour started,” Michael says as he brushes past me, his sandalwood scent surrounding me briefly.

A few guards come through the kitchen, grabbing premade plates, before leaving just as quickly as they arrived. I fix my plate while covertly watching Michael move around the kitchen, emptying the two full trash bags. The chefs at the stove give their thanks as he moves around them collecting what little trash hasn’t been tossed. Once my plate is stacked, I slide into a seat at the table with Kathy.

“Cooking breakfast for the staff is a nice gesture. Ashton doesn’t strike me as someone who would make something like this happen,” I comment tentatively.

“Ashtondoesn’tmake it happen. I do,” Kathy responds with a cheeky smile and a wink. “Figure it’s the least I can do for the night shift that keeps us safe. As the house manager I have a bit of free range and I choose to make sure everyone’s happy.”

Her honesty brings me a level of comfort I hadn’t expected to feel. Generosity isn’t often encountered in a world which calculates your worth based on what you can provide for others. True to her word, our conversation moves quickly as I tell her my food preferences. I’ve relayed my need for all things sweet and salty, along with my dependence on lavender tea to help me sleep. She shocks me when asking what my favorite meals are, specifically for when Ashton is out of town. My time at theRose compound is looking better by the second–as long as I don’t have to deal with my husband.

Kathy and I are laughing about my failed attempts at cooking during my college years when Michael comes back from his trash run.

“Oop, I owe you a cup of coffee. I’ll put it in a to-go cup so you two can be on your way.” She pushes herself up from the table and I thank her around the last pieces of bacon in my mouth.

“Thank you, Michael, for helping out,” Kathy says graciously before placing my coffee cup on the table and grabbing my plate to take to the sink.

“You know I don’t mind helping out where I can.” He turns his attention towards me. “Ready for that tour?”

“I am,” I confirm, standing to leave.

“Oh, make sure to show her the library!” Kathy calls out.

My eyes practically bug out of my head. “There’s a library? Let’s start there.”

Michael just laughs at my excitement and leads the way.

It’s clear the Rose family is powerful and has plenty of money, but I didn’t realize how deep their pockets ran. Everything about the main house on the property is larger than life. The halls we move through are floored with real, dark hardwood. The walls are adorned with beautiful art pieces that look as though they belong in museums. Generations of blood money stands out on every inch of the space.

Michael grants my wish, starting our tour with the two-story library containing floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. I spin, taking in the room with awe. When I stop, he’s leaning against the doorwatching me with amusement lighting his eyes. I giggle with embarrassment, moving to a shelf and unexpectedly finding Harlequin Romance novels among the titles. We honestly could’ve started and ended the tour here because I want to get lost within the pages. He practically has to drag me out of the room, promising that we can come back once we’re finished exploring the grounds.

From the library we find ourselves in a decent-sized dining room with a table large enough to seat twelve. On the table is décor echoing the current fall season.

“I guess now is the best time to tell you that Ashton will expect you to join him and his father here for dinner most nights,” Michael says reluctantly.

“Why?” I question, unsure if he would have an answer.“Ashton didn’t mention anything about sharing dinner with him during our meeting.”

“The message was given to me for you. That’s how most communication will happen. In regard to dinner, Evander is big on tradition. Families eat together and respect each other’s time.”

“And if I refuse?”

“There’s no refusing Evander Rose,” he sighs. “Dinner around here moves like clockwork, so you would be spending an hour at most in their presence. You can handle that, Princess.”