"It’s about damn time you came back." The voice that came from behind the door was nasty. She stood her ground, though what she really wanted to do was turn and run from there. "Well?" His voice came louder. "Are you coming in, or are you planning to do your job from the hallway?"

Upon opening the door, Keri’s mind was reeling, trying to think just what she should tell him. Why worry about it, she asked herself. He seemed so angry now, it wouldn’t matter what she said. She chose to be happy and ignore him for the most part.

"Good morning, again, Kyle." Her voice rang out cheerfully. "I do apologize for forgetting about you." She stayed by the door, not sure what to do first. "Being my first day, you can’t expect me to be able  to please everyone."

Because she was still standing by the door, looking so sweet, and he felt so miserable this morning, he took a pillow from behind his head, throwing it at her with a quick flip of his wrist.

Because it was the last thing she had expected from him, she wasn’t ready for that. When she saw the white thing coming at her, her instincts had her throwing an arm up to defend herself. As she brought it up, she struck the half-open door at the same time as the fluffy object hit her.

"Oh! Damn!" She cried out, holding the hand protectively against her breasts, covered by her other hand. "Why did you do that?" Before she had the question out, Kyle was standing in front of her.

"I didn’t do that." He said defensively. He took her hand and was massaging it carefully, making sure she couldn’t pull it away when she tried, but not having to use much force to keep it where he wanted. "There doesn’t seem to be anything broken."

She was fighting herself more than him. His touch was gentle and it sent a strange feeling up her arm, spreading quickly over her entire body. "That’s lucky for you." She spoke sarcastically, meaning it that way. "It’s going to have such a bruise. What am I going to tell Mrs. Estep?"

"Lucky me." Kyle, still holding her hand, bent to kiss her, but she ducked, skirting around him. "What’s wrong?" His voice betrayed his reaction to being rejected, as she had just done.

"You forget, I’ve been warned about you." She was bending to pick up some of the things from the floor. "Are you always this messy? I assume you throw things at everyone who dares to make you angry."

Kyle stood by the door, just watching her again. "What about me?" He asked with an innocent look on his face that she knew he had to force. "What is it that you’ve been told that has you running so quickly from me?" He seemed to be a little aggravated, but about what, she didn’t know, nor did she care.

"Watch out for the lady’s man." She mimicked his brother as best as she could, creating a smile on the handsome face across the room from her. "I’ve come to clean up in here, and if you have another place to go, I wouldn’t mind if you left." She turned away from his bed, finding herself feeling very uncomfortable about the mess it was in, and the man was standing in the same room. "Oh, I see you’ve open the curtains." Funny how she hadn’t noticed before, but then again, she found this
man to be more than a little distracting. "That’s one more thing I don’t have to worry about, since I know you can do it for yourself. But the floor! How do you find anything to wear in all of this? Do you want me to change your bed?" Maybe with the quick mixture of subjects she had thrown at him, she would find it easier to talk about such personal things.

"I could think of other things more interesting." His teasing made her more uncomfortable. "But, whatever you think." Kyle kept his blue eyes on her, touching her from head to toe, as if with his fingers.

"I think, Mr. Estep, that you know how good looking you are, and that you could have just about any woman you wanted." Keri had turned around, starting to strip his bed of the covers. "I also think, Mr. Estep, that you are the kind, if you were a sailor, that would have a girl in every port." She was pulling hard on the bottom sheet now, rather than going around to the other side to take it off the last corner. "I think, too, I should want you to go downstairs while I’m doing your room." As the sheet gave at her pulls, she stumbled back a couple of steps, right into his arms.

He had seen what was going to happen, slipping behind her when she wasn’t paying attention to his whereabouts. "Personally, Miss Stewart, I think you think too much." Kyle held her, whispering in her ear, though she struggled to get away from him.

"Would you please let me go." Her words were just above a whisper. "Don’t you want me..."

"Yes."

"...to finish your room?"

"No."

"Kyle, please." She wiggled free, but knew it was only because he allowed it to be so. Taking the sheets and breakfast dishes with her, she left the room, thinking that she needed to get herself back together emotionally before she tried to do anything more with him and his room. On her way down the stairs, she was thinking more than watching, nearly bumping into Helen, Nina walking beside her.

Most everyone finds big changes in their lives. For Karen, everything she's ever known changed
in a weekend.
 
Karen tries to shine with confidence, though it's one thing she doesn't have. With a 3-year-old
daughter, she finds a housekeeping job for the Esteps, a childless couple who instantly adore
little Nina.

The house is larger than any she's been in, but she is determined she can do it. One thing has her
worried...Edward Estep warns her about his younger brother; their cook, Mrs. MacFadden warns her about the younger Mr. Estep.
 
Kyle is a lady's man, and his charms don't have to be turned on to make Karen notice him.
 
There is a much bigger problem than Kyle. Mrs. Helen Estep is desperate for a baby to raise.
Helen has a way to get Edward and Kyle to listen to her plan...