I Owe the Tyrant Four Little Heirs novel Chapter 78

He grabbed her arm and turned her back to face him.

“Ah!”

Another piercing scream escaped her lips, and she quickly covered her eyes with her hands.

“Niamh, did you see a ghost?” Jareth demanded, his ears ringing from her screams.

She shook her head frantically. This was way more terrifying than any ghost.

He grabbed her wrists, pulled her hands away from her face, and leaned in close. “Niamh, go run the bath. I need a shower.”

His breath, tinged with the scent of tobacco, washed over her. Her gaze fell on his bare chest, and her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her throat. Her face flushed a deep crimson.

“Did you hear me? I need a shower,” he repeated, his normally cold eyes softening.

Her shyness was… cute. Her cheeks were flushed like ripe apples, and her eyes darted around, unable to meet his.

“I… I heard you,” she stammered, not knowing where to look. If she looked at his face, she’d get lost in his intense eyes. If she looked at his body… well, he was naked.

“Niamh, bathing the CEO is the first lesson in your training. Understood?”

What? Bathe the CEO? He had hands, didn’t he? Why couldn’t he bathe himself?

“W-why?” she stammered. She had never been a secretary before, but she was pretty sure this wasn’t in the job description.

“Because I’m disabled,” he replied.

“I’m going,” she said, scrambling to her feet and running into the bathroom.

The tub wasn’t even full when Jareth walked in. Hearing him, she turned and saw he was wearing nothing but a pair of black briefs.

She dropped the shower head and bolted for the door. She was moving so fast that as she passed him, she slipped on the wet floor and started to fall.

Jareth shot out a hand and caught her around the waist, saving her from a nasty fall. Their eyes met, and once again, she felt herself falling into those deep pools. The world around her disappeared.

“Niamh, are you doing this on purpose?” Jareth’s low voice broke the silence.

His words snapped her back to reality. She realized he was holding her in a half-embrace, her hands pressed against his warm, solid chest.