Castle in the Clouds Ch. 01

At this point Taylor turned to Andrew, red in the face. "Sir, please tell your lady that there is no need to lecture me."

Andrew laughed, catching even me by surprise. "Oh, but I quite agree with her!" He turned to me with gleaming eyes. "Did you say Russell Llewod?"

"I did."

"You're right on the money. He was hospitalized last month and the family was unprepared. I heard his children flew to New York City to tend to business there." He turned to Taylor. "You must be his sister's son, and your sister Ursula must be in the kitchen." As Taylor sputtered, Andrew reached into his pocket, retrieving his wallet. "Not to worry, our families are friends. Here," he said, passing him a business card. "Take the time to attend one of our one-week courses on luxury hospitality. It will help you understand each of the differences that Miss Claire pointed out to you tonight."

Taylor stood stiffly, his breath coming in huffs. He seemed to be trying to collect himself. After a moment he said haughtily, "If there is nothing else, I will leave you to your evening." And with that he turned on his heel and marched away. I couldn't help it - I burst into giggles, and with relief heard Andrew joining me.

Jack hurried to our table as Andrew and I, still laughing, were standing to leave. Andrew's bill would be paid by the deposit he used to get the reservation, allowing hasty exits, so I was surprised to see him approaching. He grasped my hand. "Thank you so much," he whispered fervently. "It has been a hellish month."

"Stand up for yourself!" I urged him, squeezing his hand. "You are a master at your craft, make him learn from you!"

Andrew clasped a hand to Jack's shoulder. "Do not worry, I will call Mrs. Llewod in the morning. I'm certain she will send her son down to investigate straight away."

As we three parted ways, I glanced at Jack curiously. "You don't mind telling Mrs. Llewod you were here? What if she has questions?"

"I told you, I am not bothered," Andrew insisted. "I have no public image to shame, running my business quietly the way that I do. And... well, friends of the family might actually be happy if they knew why I was here."

I watched him curiously as we descended the stairs, waving to the harried-looking hostess as we exited the side door. "I've never heard that before."

Andrew, who was holding the door open for me, stepped alongside me. "I fear I have not been completely open with you, Miss Claire. Perhaps for fear you would take pity on me, or treat me differently."

He held out his arm, and I accepted it, tucking my hand into his elbow as we walked away. I didn't even know where to, but it was nice to walk beside him, and the night was warm. "You were very honest with me not so long ago, Andrew. I hope you feel you can trust me with anything else you may have to say."

There was a heavy pause, but I waited, letting him speak at his own time. "I have a family," he finally told me, with a choked voice. "Two little children, a boy and a girl. But their mother... my wife... she passed away two years ago. I have not been with anyone... intimately... since then."

I gently squeezed his arm. "I can't imagine what you have been through in that time. I am so sorry."

Glancing into his face beside mine, I could see tears at the corners of his eyes, but he kept a stiff lip. "I am well-cared for, and very blessed. Many of my family friends have expressed the wish that I seek... the comfort of a companion, to ease my loneliness. It was actually one of my oldest friend's ideas to reach out to your escort agency." He turned to me, a smile dancing on those handsome lips. "I am glad he did. I have quite enjoyed your company tonight, Miss Claire. And, I have to admit, I find you quite enchanting... I would love to let your hair down." He laughed suddenly. "And yet, I feel conflicted! After seeing you dressing down that manager, I almost wish to have you for another job!"

I laughed with him. "What job would that be?"

He smiled almost sadly. "Our housekeeper - a dear, dear friend - she will be retiring soon, and we are seeking to hire her replacement."

I raised my eyebrows. "Housekeeping?"

"Oh, not in the modern sense," he reassured me. "I mean head of household - organizing the staff and the home. We host frequently at our family home, and there is a full staff to manage. It's quite an intricate job. And you have the exact same fire that Mrs. Henri has when she is giving a piece of her mind to mischievous staff!" He laughed again. "If only there were two of you!"

I don't know why I did it. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the adrenaline rush from covertly quitting my job, maybe it was the warm air and the feel of his muscles under my fingertips, maybe it was the way his black hair framed his face, maybe it was the dusty bachelor's degree for hospitality shoved under my bed desperate to be used. I stopped and turned to him. "Andrew... You don't need two of me. I have an idea."

He cocked his head to one side, considering me. "I'm listening."

"I'm quitting the escort agency," I told him. "Darcy is demanding I give her over half your fee. And I bet whatever girl she gives you to next, she'll do the same thing." I squeezed his arm lightly. "Hire me directly. Take me in as your housekeeper... and let me be your personal companion, at all times, anytime."

It was hard to see if Andrew was blushing through his dark shade, but his skin seemed to glow, and his eyes grew soft. "That... is an interesting proposition, Miss Claire."

I felt his eyes glancing over my suit and rise back to meet my gaze, and felt my body go hot. Fuck it, throw all caution to the winds. For once I was getting what I wanted. "Let's get a hotel room."

He raised one eyebrow. "I thought first dates were just meet-and-greets."

"Consider this a job interview."

Andrew reached into his pocket. "You're welcome to join me at my hotel room. Shall I call my ride?"

As he dialed for his driver, I texted Jess my change of plans, then silenced my phone. My location was still turned on in case of emergencies, but I didn't need her or Darcy blowing up my phone. I was about to get laid with a handsome, rich man, and hopefully come out the other side with health insurance.

--

The ride to the hotel was quick, but not quick enough. By the time Andrew was swiping his hotel key into his suite, I was shaky with nerves, wondering if I was biting off more than I could chew. I stepped into his luxury suite - because of course it was, this was the owner of Khatri after all - and took several deep breaths, taking stock of my surroundings as I tried to ease myself. I was a little surprised we had arrived at one of the more humble Khatri properties - still expensive, but there would be no A-list celebrities or billionaires on the top floors. The suite itself only had four rooms. I was standing in a living space and kitchenette; I could see an adjoining office space to one side, and a bedroom to the other, with, I assumed, a master bath beyond that.

Andrew was setting his suit jacket down on the table. "I don't spend a lot of time in my hotel rooms," he commented, as though he could read my thoughts, "so I don't go out of my way for accommodations. I hope this will do."

I chuckled. "This is beautiful, thank you." I leaned slightly against the kitchenette counter and took him in as he loosened his tie. Those fine chiseled features were doing things to me, and I tried to give myself over to that feeling. His movements may have been restrained by a similar kind of nerves to my own, but he still held himself straight, and no amount of nerves were going to erase a face like his.

The tie was also tossed on the table with the jacket, and he turned to me, deep brown eyes catching mine and holding them steady. "Well... what did you have in mind, Miss Claire?"

I walked towards him, putting just a pinch of swagger into my hips. "Perhaps we could have a conversation about my qualifications... and I could demonstrate my skills?" Stopping just a few steps shy of him, I glanced meaningfully down at his zipper, licked my bottom lip, and looked back into his eyes.

I was taken aback by his almost gentle smile. "You are forward, and I enjoy it. But I don't feel comfortable just yet with... being so intimate down there."

"Oh!" Well... that got rid of my opening move. Most of my moves, actually.

He took a step forward and reached out, tenderly. I stepped to meet his touch, suddenly feeling my heart hammering against my chest, as his eyes took on a new tone, a commanding one. "I'm more interested in what you would be comfortable with," he said in a low voice. His fingertips trailed along my jaw and tilted my chin just slightly, although we were standing eye to eye in my modest heels. Despite such a light touch, I felt rooted to the spot. I watched as his eyes danced up and down my body, frequently returning to capture my gaze. "I want to touch you... undress you... demonstrate to you my own skills for your pleasure."

"I would enjoy all of that," I said, and I meant it. I hadn't entered a "date" anticipating getting my own needs met in the longest time. "But who is interviewing who here?"

"All good job interviews are a two-way street." He stepped closer and placed his other hand on the small of my back, holding us almost nose-to-nose. "I have one request for you, Claire... Do not fake your pleasure. Do not perform for me. Let any noise you make, any moan or gesture, be genuine." He smiled devilishly. "It will make each gasp I wring from your lips all the sweeter."

"Yes sir," I breathed, warmth blossoming between my legs.

His fingers dropped from my chin and took my hand, guiding me to the bedroom. "Let me start with a job description," he said, leading me to a set of large sitting chairs to one side of the splendid king-sized bed. He sat down and pulled me to sit on his lap. I balanced myself on his knee, sliding my suit coat off my shoulders and tossing it to the neighboring chair. Andrew drew me to his chest and ran his fingers through my hair. "May I let your hair down?"

"Here." I reached up to untie my hair, but he intervened, gently unwinding the elastic.

He combed through my tresses. "Gorgeous... Thank you." He kissed the hollow of my neck. "I actually have two households that will need management. The first is the Khatri estate, of course. And we have just completed construction on a new mountain estate, a winter home of sorts. I spend most of my working days there, and return to the main house on weekends. For your training, you would spend a week or two at the main house under the wing of my current housekeeper. Then I would bring you with me to the mountain estate, to demonstrate your skills there - and to be readily available to me. If you do well, you would take over for both households when Henri retires."

As he spoke, his fingers were making quick work of the buttons of my blouse. He opened it, letting his palms slide over the smooth skin of my stomach and waist, before reaching up to the shoulders to remove it completely. I helped shrug it off, felt him unclip my bra, and threw both aside before leaning back into his embrace. His hands wandered up and down arms, sides, and back, a warm and very welcome massage that chased away my nerves completely. He took a break from his speech to plant kisses on my shoulder blades as his hands finally found my breasts, massaging them in his palms with a rolling caress.

"The housekeeper is one of two heads of staff," he continued as his fingertips found my nipples, circling them softly. "The other is my butler. You will collaborate for major events, but largely work separately. The butler oversees the manservants - security, transportation, groundskeeping. The housekeeper oversees the housemaids, the kitchen, the 'comforts of home,' if you will." I bit my lip as he gave my breasts a firmer squeeze, then felt one of his hands wandering down to my waistband. He continued as he found his way underneath to cup me over my panties. "The staff are skilled veterans and don't need micromanagement, but you are in charge of overseeing that daily tasks are completed, schedules are met, accommodations are made. And when we have guests, you will be the true hostess behind the scenes, making plans for each event and seeing to it that they are followed through - oh?" He stopped as I slipped a muffled moan from the attention his fondling fingers were giving me under my skirt. "Are you enjoying this?"

"Mmf... yes, sir." The teasing petting was making me desperate to lose the panties and let him play with me properly.

He kissed my neck again, then withdrew his hand and gently guided me to my feet. I stood in front of him as he, with a little assistance, slid off my skirt. Warm palms caressed my ass and thighs, taunting me by avoiding the area he had massaged to attention seconds before. He kissed the small of my back. "Go lie at the edge of the bed, on your back."

I did as he requested, taking care to keep my walk seductive and not rush in my eagerness. As I perched myself at the edge, I watched him approaching, unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt as he did. Andrew hooked his fingers on the waist of my panties and pulled until I was before him completely bare, pussy glistening. He knelt, placing his face directly between my thighs. "Now it's your turn," he teased me, planting kisses on my thighs between sentences. "I'm going to eat you out, and as I do you're going to explain to me how you are qualified for the job. And Claire?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't cum until we're finished."

Damn! Confident, isn't he? And that confidence was working. My collarbones flush cherry red when aroused, and I could feel myself tinting pink already. "Yes, sir."

"Why don't you start with your education?" he said mischievously. Then with no further warning he dove in, long warm laps of his tongue enveloping my pussy from tip to tip. The gentle start was exactly the follow-up to his playful fingers that I had wanted, and I bit my lip again before taking a deep breath, willing myself to speak steadily.

"I graduated seven years ago from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a bachelor of science in hospitality management and a minor in communication studies. I have a dual concentration in human resource management and event design and management. I graduated summa cum laude and would be happy to send you a copy of my transcript."

Andrew made an encouraging noise but didn't stop his movements. He added, to the end of each long lap of my pussy, a tender circular massage against my clit with the flat of his tongue. I groaned, which seemed to please him. His eyes lifted to meet mine and his hands grasped my hips. I pressed on. "The dual concentration took me an extra year of study, but I used the time to take extracurriculars to help me broaden my skills, especially to learn international cultural practices and some basic psychology. And I paid my way through school with the job I have now, which gave me experience interacting with a wide variety of clientele on a more individual - oh fuck!"

Andrew's pleased chuckle was muffled by my labia lips, which he was sucking firmly as his thumb circled my clit. I breathed heavily, and knew that I was glowing red without looking down at myself. My gaze was captured by his as he relinquished my labia and gave me a cocky grin. "Now, I won't be hearing language like that around my staff, will I?"

"N-no sir."

"Good. Continue, please." He returned abruptly, his tongue diving into my now gaping pussy and lapping furiously, weaving his tongue around my labia folds as his thumb continued to massage my clit to full attention.

I groaned and threw my head back, almost embarrassed with how quickly he had found one of my favorite ways to be touched. It took several deep breaths to get my head back on track. "After I graduated I worked part-time for about four years with an event coordination service. Our clients - ohhhhh fffuck." He had returned to his long laps, ending each journey across my dripping pussy with a firm flick on my clit. He started slowly, but was gaining speed. My fingers involuntarily curled in the bedspread as I fought to concentrate. "Our clients were... mostly banquets for collaborations between corporations, sometimes holiday events. I was highly rated and was asked to work full-time, but the salary couldn't... oh god... couldn't make up for the financial loss of leaving my current job, and the hours were... incompatible. Mmmf!" I muffled my groans as my hips rolled against my will, pressing my clit against his tongue, silently begging him for more.

He was receptive and changed tactics. He focused on giving my clit broad, pressured licks, while one finger found its way into my folds, then two. He began a steady rhythm in and out of me, focused not on speed or on force, but on keeping his pace. He watched me with those dark eyes, as if challenging me.

"I... At my peak I was responsible for leading teams of twenty leaders, with their own staff beneath them." I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push the words out of my mouth. If I could finish this, I could lose myself in the sensation, and finally earn release. "Food, music, speakers, transitions, staff schedules, it was all me. I spoke with clients directly. I haven't lost any - oh god! A-any of my skills, and I'd be honored to bring these skills to your home." I opened my eyes and found my vision blurry. I gazed down at Andrew and bit back the urge to beg.

If I expected a verbal answer, I was about to be pleasantly surprised. His approval was expressed not with words, but with an increased pace. His tongue flew in circles on my clit and his fingers, dripping and glossy from my pussy, accelerated their delicious assault. I threw my head back and cried out, wordlessly, as I felt myself coming to climax, heart pounding, chest flushed ruby, pussy throbbing. My back arched and I lost all restraint. The gates opened and I flooded with warmth, shuddering up and down my spine, succumbing to the first orgasm another person had given me in years.

I fell back on the bed, panting, toes and fingers still curled. I felt him stand and sensed more than saw him licking his fingers clean. He climbed up onto the bed next to me and helped ease me into a more comfortable position, bringing my head up to a pillow. "Your pussy is delicious," he murmured in my ear. "Thank you for the treat."

I laughed with shaky breath. "Thank you. Your confidence in your skills is... well warranted." I propped myself up with one elbow and trailed my fingers along the collar of his shirt. "I believe it's my turn to repay the favor."

Andrew took my hand in his and rested it on his chest. "I... was not prepared for this. There's a certain... toy I like to use, that I don't have with me. I'd like to wait until we have that to have you repay any favors."

"No fair." I rested my head back down and laced my fingers with his. "You can't give me an orgasm and expect me to not give you one in return."

"If you're going to be mine," he told me, "you're going to have to get comfortable with your own pleasure. That's what I enjoy most... what I've missed the most." His eyes turned to the ceiling as his voice faded.

Andrew wasn't the first widower I'd had as a client, and I was prepared for the rush of emotions he was about to experience. I placed my head lightly on his shoulder, then snuggled closer as he wrapped an arm around me welcomingly. I traced my fingertips along his chiseled jaw and stubble. "How are you feeling?"

He took a deep, shuddering breath, and let it out slowly before answering. "I don't know if I will ever stop missing her," he said quietly. "But... it felt right, being with you like this. It feels right." A hand reached up to quickly rub away his tears, and he cleared his throat. "I hope she'd understand."