The Naked Boss

A persistent scratching sound tore through the quiet morning. Gemma blinked her eyes open. The rattling noise at her front door refused to stop. It sounded as though wild claws were desperately trying to dig through the solid wood.

She grabbed a heavy jacket from a nearby chair and slipped it over her thin nightwear. The Gallo estate provided every servant with their own private living space, a luxury she deeply appreciated, but the isolation meant she had to deal with whatever was trying to break in all by herself.

Gemma crept toward the entrance and pulled the door open.

A huge, furry dog sat on the porch. Its massive tongue hung out of its mouth, panting happily as it stared up at her.

Gemma let out a long breath of relief and squatted down to pet the animal's broad head. She had not seen any pets on the sprawling property when she moved in yesterday.

"Hi there, little fella. You aren't lost, are you? Where is your master?" she coaxed softly, scratching behind its ears.

The dog let out a loud, booming bark. The massive animal abruptly spun around and scurried away.

"Hold on!" Gemma hollered.

She rushed out of her doorway, chasing after the retreating animal. She turned the sharp corner of the servant's housing block and slammed face-first into a solid wall of pure, unyielding muscle.

Before she could stumble backward and hit the hard pavement, two thick, powerful arms clamped around her waist. The man instinctively caged her in a protective, iron grip to keep her steady on her feet.

Startled, Gemma snapped her head up. She looked into the striking, chiseled face of her boss. Lorenzo stood towering over her, his broad chest rising and falling from his morning workout.

Gemma gasped and quickly pulled away from his touch, putting distance between them as if she had just committed a mortal sin.

"Good morning, sir," she greeted in a rushed, breathless voice.

Lorenzo stood frozen on the walkway, momentarily confused by the sudden collision. He had simply been out for his usual morning jog. However, his sharp senses fully registered the incredible softness of the woman who had just been pressed so intimately against his hard torso. The lingering warmth of her delicate curves sparked an instant reaction in his blood.

Lorenzo studied her face closely. He found himself deeply captivated by the wide, beautiful blue eyes staring back at him in pure shock. Recognition dawned on his handsome features. This was the new maid Agata had hired.

His dark, predatory gaze slowly dropped from her flushed cheeks down to her chest. The heavy jacket had slipped open during the collision. She stood before him wearing nothing but a ridiculously thin nightdress. The morning chill caused her nipples to pebble against the sheer fabric, putting her raw, natural beauty on full display.

A sudden, powerful stir of desire caught Lorenzo off guard. His cock twitched hard and heavy inside his athletic sweatpants, craving the tight heat he had felt pressed against him just a second ago. He had spent half the night fucking Silvia into oblivion, yet this innocent little maid had him instantly hard all over again.

Gemma noticed the intense, heavy stare fixed right on her chest. Pure horror washed over her features. She realized with a sickening jolt just how exposed she was.

She tightly clutched the lapels of her jacket together. Without uttering another word, she spun on her heel and abruptly scampered back into her small house.

Lorenzo watched her flee. A smug, arrogant smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He assumed his famously handsome features and towering physique had simply flustered the naive girl. Women practically begged for his attention on a daily basis. He figured seeing him sweaty and shirtless had just stirred her up.

"Come on, King, let's go," Lorenzo called out.

The massive dog trotted back to his side. Lorenzo turned his back to the servant's quarters and resumed his grueling morning routine.

Inside the safety of her room, Gemma leaned her back against the wooden door and waited for her racing heart to calm down. Once her breathing leveled out, she walked over to the small rug beside her bed and knelt down to begin her morning prayers.

Gemma closed her eyes, letting a deep sense of peace wash over her mind. She spoke quietly to God, finding immense comfort in her strict religious routine. She always felt certain that a higher power was watching over her steps in this unfamiliar, dangerous mafia world.

After finishing her prayers, she headed into the small bathroom for a quick wash. She dressed in a fresh, modest maid's uniform and moved into her tiny kitchenette to prepare a simple bowl of noodles for breakfast.

While eating, Gemma strictly focused her thoughts on her ultimate goal. She needed to earn enough money to get Cosima out of their current situation. If she kept her head down, worked hard, and saved every single penny from her paychecks, she could finally ask the sisters at the convent to let Cosima come live with her on the estate. It was a massive, difficult plan, but her pure devotion to her sister made every struggle worth it.

Gemma placed her empty bowl into the sink and headed straight out the door. She walked toward the massive Palazzo to begin her daily chores.

She entered the sprawling kitchen and found Agata already wiping down the marble countertops.

Agata paused her work and smiled warmly. "How was your first night, Gemma? You are glowing this morning."

"It was lovely, Agata. Thank you," Gemma replied, grabbing a clean cloth to help.

Agata let out a hearty laugh and waved a hand in the air. "I will finish up here in the kitchen. Why don't you head upstairs and handle cleaning the boss's bedroom instead?"

Gemma nodded and left the kitchen. She navigated the massive, winding hallways of the Gallo estate, incredibly thankful that Agata had given her a thorough house tour the day before. Otherwise, she would have been hopelessly lost in the sea of luxury.

She reached the heavy oak door belonging to Lorenzo's master suite. She knocked gently on the wood. When no one answered, she tentatively turned the handle and let herself inside.

Gemma stepped over the threshold and froze in shock.

The luxurious space was vandalized. It looked as though a localized earthquake had torn through the four walls. The expensive silk bedsheets were ripped halfway off the mattress and tangled in a knot on the plush rug. The pillows were thrown haphazardly across the floor. The heavy, polished mahogany table in the corner of the room was shoved forcefully out of its usual place, bearing strange, smeared handprints on its surface.

She stood in the doorway, blinking at the chaotic aftermath. She wondered how a tornado could have isolated its destruction to this exact room without touching the rest of the mansion. Shaking off her immense confusion, she walked further inside and set to work.

Gemma spent the next twenty minutes straightening the heavy furniture, picking up discarded items, and pulling the ruined bed linens into a neat pile.

Halfway through her chores, the handle of the adjoining bathroom door clicked.

The heavy wooden door suddenly swung wide open. A thick cloud of hot steam rolled out into the bedroom. Lorenzo stepped casually out of the bathroom, bringing the sharp scent of expensive soap and raw masculinity with him.

He was stark naked save for a single white towel tied loosely around his waist. Drops of hot water rolled down his broad, muscular chest and traced the deep ridges of his abdomen, disappearing straight into the low-hanging fabric.

Gemma let out a choked gasp. She was appalled.

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers before she whipped around to face the opposite wall. Her breath started coming in shallow, erratic pants. Her heart thudded wildly against her ribs, threatening to break through her chest.

She had just seen a man nearly naked for the very first time in her sheltered life. She stared blankly at the expensive wallpaper, her entire body rigid with sheer panic, realizing with absolute dread that this day was not looking promising for her at all.