"You missed a spot."
I looked up to see the Lord of the Manor looming over me. He's not especially tall but from my knees he looked to be over six feet.
"Apologies, my Lord."
I have worked as the lone servant in my Lord Asher's small estate for over five years now, alone in the Manor but for one maid and the Lord himself. Despite his handsome features, dark green eyes and beautiful blond curls, he has never once hosted a party or courted a lady in all of my time working for him. He does not travel often and when he does he returns within the week, worn thin and exhausted as if the world beyond our walls has drained his very essence. The maid and I have always made sure to keep the manor in perfect order while he was away to ease his mind when he returned. The sight of his tired, grateful smile as I served him a glass of scotch after tending to his horse has never failed to warm me to my core.
That smile was now miles away. He coldly looked down on me as I scrubbed the floor. I was tasked with redecorating a drawing room and in my haste I had neglected to cover the floor. Inevitably, paint had splattered onto the hardwood and my Lord was, understandably, furious. I cannot help but feel ashamed, having made such a mess of a seemingly simple task.
And yet... A shimmer of tension seemed to sparkle through the air. The way in which my Lord stood over me, arms crossed and expression stormy, had me swallowing past a thick lump in my throat. My cheeks reddened at the sudden direction of my thoughts and I tried to scrub them away along with the paint drying on the hardwood beneath my knees.
"I must say that I am quite disappointed with your lapse of judgement," my Lord said, disdain clear in his voice. "I expected better of you, Hendrick, and I am starting to think that cleaning the floor is not punishment enough."
I hung my head in meek shame. "What else would you have me do, my Lord?"
His footsteps echoed throughout the room as he strode over to one of the large armchairs, situated next to an imposing bookshelf, and sat with his legs parted. "Come here, Hendrick." I started to stand but he raised one hand and shook his head. "On your knees, please." My mouth dried up and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth as I followed his order, crawling over to him on my hands and knees and settling between his legs. He reached down and tilted my head up with one hand on my chin, his palm soft against my skin and his eyes dark and intense as they gazed into my own. "You want to serve your Lord, don't you, Hendrick?"
I nodded, captivated by his sudden sensuality. My hands clenched on the legs of my simple linen trousers and I knew then that I would do whatever my Lord asked of me. My tongue clicked in my mouth as I opened it to answer, "Anything."
