The Billionaire's Daughter (15 page)

“Let
see.
 
You can start with the
laundry in my bathroom, and then we’re going to sort through all your clothes
to see what can be given to charity.”

Her
jaw dropped open in shock.

“Laundry?
 
My clothes?”

He
nodded.

“Yes,
Kate.”

“I
don’t know the first thing about doing laundry,” she confessed.

“Then
I shall have Lois teach you.”

“Cooking
is one thing,” she sputtered, abruptly shaken out of her nether world state,
her just made promises having been kidnapped by the shock of his direction.
“But laundry?”

Dante
leaned over her, kissed her cheek then stared at her.

“Bottom
still a bit tender, Kate?” he asked, his voice soft, but filled with menace.

Kate
gulped.
 

Yikes!
 
I’ve got to bite my tongue.
 
But laundry?
 
Really?

“I
asked you a question, sweetie,” he pressed, touching her backside.

Kate
nodded her head.

“Yes,
Sir.
 
Still tender,” she replied,
wishing she could think of something to say that would both appease him and get
her out of the chore.

“Would
you care to make it more so?”

She
was staring at him,

“Up
to you, Kate.
 
What’s it to be?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Kate
stared at the washing machine.
 
After two sharp smacks on her tender behind she had jumped from the bed
and scurried into the bathroom to shower.
 
Now she was in the laundry room with Lois beside her, sorting through
not only the towels and washcloths from the bathroom, but Dante’s clothes from
his time in the elements and other items that had been waiting to be laundered.
 
Lois was explaining that it was
important to separate the whites from colored items, showing her when to add
the bleach and fabric softener, and Kate was doing her best to concentrate.
 
It wasn’t easy. She found it tedious
and boring.

“This
is so not my thing,” she moaned.
 

“I
don’t think laundry is anyone’s
 
-
uh - thing,” Lois smiled, “but it’s a necessity of life.
 
If you are ever going to live outside
this house or be by yourself you should know how to do your laundry.”

“I
suppose,” Kate yawned,
 
“but I
could always take it to the cleaners.”

“You
could,” Lois agreed.
 
“But
apparently Dante has other ideas,” she added, hoping the reminder that it was
all his idea might get her mind back on the matter at hand.
 
“About the fabric softener,” she
continued.
 
“You can buy the liquid
type that goes into the rinse water or the cloths that you throw in the dryer.”

“Good
grief,” Kate declared.
 
“I can’t
take much more of this.”

“More
of what?”

The
sound of Dante’s voice startled them both.
 
The tall gorgeous man was hobbling into the large laundry
room.
 

“Kate
is finding laundry a bit boring,” Lois remarked.

“Ah.
 
Well I’m sure she’ll get over that in
time, won’t you Kate?” he asked, winking at her.

“Yes,
Dante, I will.
 
I can’t promise to
ever love it though,” she replied, dolefully.

“You
don’t have to love it but you should know how it’s done, Princess.”

Despite
the dreariness of the duty she felt an overwhelming desire to please him and
turned her attention back to Lois.
 
Inspired by his presence Kate did her best to elevate her interest level
in the tiresome task at hand.

Dante
watched until the washing was loaded and the machine was started.
 
Lois told Kate to call her when it had
completed its cycle, then with a smile and a nod to Dante excused herself.
 

“Kate,”
Dante began, as soon as the woman had left the laundry room, “I don’t think I
can make it up the stairs to your room to help you go through your
clothes.
 
You’ll have to do it by
yourself.”

Kate
bit her lower lip.
 
She still
couldn’t imagine giving away any of her beautiful things.

“I’m
quite sure there are many outfits you no longer wear or are out of fashion, or
more importantly, are not appropriate,” he said, seeing the flash of concern in
her eyes.
 
“When I say not
appropriate, you know what I’m talking about - right?“

“I
guess so,” she replied.

“No
guessing,” he said firmly.
 
“Get
rid of anything too short, or with a plunging neckline, or see through -
anything you know I would frown upon.”

Kate
sighed.
 
It sounded like a very
dreary chore and what he just described was most of her wardrobe!

“When
was the last time you had a clean out?”

“Uh.
 
Never, actually,” she admitted.
 

“Never?
 
Your closet must be bursting!” he
exclaimed.
 
He could easily imagine
the overwhelming number of dresses pressed against each other, hanging on
multiple closet rods.

“Come
to think of it,” she said, after pondering his question, “it is pretty
stuffed.
 
Maybe I can find a few
bits and pieces I can part with.”

“More
than a few I hope,” Dante replied.
 
“Take some large garden trash bags up to your room.
 
I know you’ll be interrupted to finish
the laundry but that’s ok.
 
You can
do two things at once.”

She
thought about her voluminous walk-in closet.
 
It was the size of a large bedroom and the clothes she had
outgrown or no longer liked she had simply pushed out of sight or stashed in
the drawers of one of her several dressers.
 

“I’ve
never done anything like that before,” she mumbled.
 
“I don’t even know where to start.”

“Well
I’m afraid I can’t get up the stairs with this ankle so you’ll just have to
manage,” he stated. “I suspect your closet is rather large.
 
Would that be right?”

Kate
rolled her eyes.
 

“You
could say that,” she said a little testily.
 
“It’ll take forever.”

Dante
leaned against the wall and folded his arms.

“Then
I guess you’d better get started.”

There
was a somber tone to his voice and Kate felt a new dust devil flit to life.

“I
guess I’d better,” she replied, wishing she felt more enthusiastic.

“The
trash bags are in that utility closet,” he said, pointing to a door at the back
of the laundry room.
 
“And don’t
forget to come back down in half an hour to check to see if the washing machine
has stopped.”

Kate
nodded as she made her way to fetch the trash bags.
 

“I’m
going to soak my ankle for a while.
 
When you have two trash bags full bring them down to me.”

“Yes,
Dante,” she replied, a wave of submission sweeping over her.
 
She found the utility closet was full
of supplies, including several boxes of garden sized, heavy duty trash bags.
 
She pulled out half a dozen.

“I
hope dad calls back today.
 
I can’t
stand the suspense,” she remarked, following Dante out of the laundry room.

“I’m
sure it will be alright,” he replied, suppressing his grin.
 
“I don’t think he wanted to cut you off
and I’ve given him an option.
 
And
you too!” he added.
 
“Hopefully
you’ll both make the right decision,” he finished, stopping to stare at her
intently.
 

“I
promise to do as I’m told,” she replied.
 

But it’s not going to be easy.
 
Laundry and closet clearing!
 
Ugh!
 
What else will I have to do?

“I
know you mean that,” he answered, leaning down to kiss her.

His
lips touched hers and a thrill shivered down her spine.
 
Impulsively she dropped the trash bags
and flung her arms around his neck, pushing herself against him.
 
Taking her wrists in his hands he
pushed her back.

“No,
no, naughty girl.
 
No trying to
distract me.
 
Pick those up and get
up to your closet,” he scolded.

She
grinned.

“Are
you sure I can’t tempt you for just a little while,” she crooned, placing her
hand on his growing manhood.

He
clutched the back of her hair, and with his free hand swatted her hard.
 
She let out a yelp.

“Positive,”
he growled, but with a sardonic smile on his face.
 
“Now scoot.”

“Ok,
ok,” she wailed.

He
released her and she immediately scooped up the trash bags and hurried
away.
 
Dante hobbled back to his
room and filled the tub with warm water. He wasn’t on his crutches but limping
on the foot hadn’t been as painful as he’d feared.

 
After sprinkling in some epsom salts he
carefully unwrapped the bandage from his swollen ankle.
 
It was still dark and angry but the
swelling had decreased, and settling himself on the edge of the tub he lowered
the painful joint into the tepid water.
 
It felt good and he relaxed, imagining Kate busy at work in her
closet.
 
He shuffled sideways so as
to rest his body against the the wall, and closed his eyes for what he thought
was a brief moment.
 
The sound of
the phone ringing startled him, and he discovered the water had turned
cold.
 

Lifting
his foot from the tub he placed it gingerly on the bathroom mat and began
patting it dry.
 
He heard the door
to his suite open and looked up expectantly.
 
Kate entered the bathroom, phone in hand.

“It’s
dad,” she whispered urgently.

He
sat back down on the edge of the tub and took the phone.
 
Kate watched anxiously as he made some
small talk, then agreed to something and said his goodbyes.
 
He handed the phone back to her.

“You’ll
be very happy to know that your father has given you a second chance,” he
smiled.

Kate
squealed, and lunged forward, kissing him squarely on the mouth, almost
toppling them both into the tub.

“Oh
Dante, you’re the best!” she declared.
 

“Just
calm yourself a minute,” he said firmly, taking her arms and backing her away
from him.
 
“The terms are very
strict and I’ll tell you in a minute.
 
But first things first.
 
Bandage my ankle please, and then we’ll have a sit down and discuss the
call.”

“Sure,”
she beamed, unable to control her enthusiasm.

“There’s
a fresh ace bandage in that bag there,” he said, pointing to a small paper bag
on the bathroom counter.
 
“I’ll
walk you through it.”

Kate
withdrew the bandage from the bag and settled on the bathroom floor.
 
Slowly and carefully, under his precise
instructions, she began to wrap Dante’s injured ankle.

“It
looks so much better,” she remarked, “and in such a short time.”

“Yes.
 
I’m very pleased,” he agreed.
 
“I thought it would take longer for the
swelling to go down.”

“It’s
all my special care,” she smiled, lifting her head and looking up at him.

He
smiled back at her and nodded his head.

“I’m
sure!”

She
turned her attention back to the bandaging and was done in a few minutes.
 
He stood up, put some weight on it, and
moved carefully back to the sofa.
 
Once settled he lifted his foot on the coffee table.
 
He had to admit it felt a lot better.

“You
did a good job,” he commented.
 
“Not too tight but enough to give it some support.
 
I’m sure I’ll be walking better in the
next couple of days.”