The Messy Maiden Read online

  The Messy Maiden

  Shona Husk

  Contents

  Copyright

  Back Cover Copy

  1. Untitled

  2. Untitled

  3. Untitled

  4. Untitled

  5. Untitled

  6. Untitled

  7. Untitled

  8. Untitled

  9. Untitled

  10. Untitled

  Afterword

  Excerpt

  Other titles by Shona Husk

  About the Author

  The Messy Maiden

  Copyright 2014 Shona Husk

  Copy edit by The Grammar Smith

  Cover Design by Melody Simmons from eBookindiecovers

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

  Created with Vellum

  Back Cover Copy

  The way to a man’s heart is with food, and the Messy Maiden has men eating out of her palm with her sexy videos mixing “girl next door” attitude with lingerie and dessert.

  After losing her secretarial job Saskia Maiden created a new online persona to help pay her bills. Now she juggles secretarial temping with being the Messy Maiden…but she has no time for dating and what man would want to date a woman who spends her weekends teasing other men? However she is unwilling to give up being the Messy Maiden because she has a five year plan and she never wants to be broke again.

  Ian Walker discovered the Messy Maiden after his fiancée left—she decided that his love of food was unnatural. He calls it a kink that he likes to indulge in occasionally. When a temp starts at his office he knows her voice. While he knows he shouldn’t tempt fate, he wants to get to know Saskia.

  When the truth is revealed things get messy.

  Chapter One

  Saskia put a last lick of mascara on and checked that her wig was secure. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to realize that it was a wig—or that she’d spent so long getting ready. She was supposed to be simply flawless all the time. She smiled and made sure she didn’t have lipstick on her teeth. She might be the Messy Maiden on camera but her appearance was always perfect…at least to start with.

  She picked up her laptop and placed it on the vanity next to the sink. The red computer was the one she kept especially for this. She didn’t want any parts of her life accidentally intersecting. While the laptop got going she took off her bathrobe and adjusted her black lingerie. A fine red ribbon traced through the lace. That it was a tax deduction was a bonus. All of her props for tonight’s live show were ready and within grabbing distance, but off camera.

  This had to look effortless. Natural…like she was into it.

  The Messy Maiden was bubbly, bright and flirty.

  Her webcam girl persona was easy to slip into. By the time she was in her wig and makeup she was ready to chat to strangers. Usually there was food and a lot more mess involved, but tonight it was just leg shaving. One of her many male fans had suggested it, so once a month she now did her legs for anyone who was willing to pay to watch.

  It was fairly popular.

  She wasn’t sure if it was popular because she was doing her legs or because of the running commentary…or maybe the men were just intrigued about what went on in a woman’s bathroom? She didn’t know. What she did know, however, was for one private call she’d been asked to shave her underarms. The caller had enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately she’d also seen how much via the reciprocal webcam.

  There was such a thing as oversharing.

  Saskia had strict rules about how she behaved, one of which was that she would never get naked on camera. However she always wore either a bikini or lingerie. That was kind of expected. At first it had been horribly awkward. She’d always been a lights out kind of woman. Now though she was comfortable in her skin and if men were jerking off while she shaved her legs…well so be it. They were paying, so they could do what they wanted in the privacy of their own homes.

  She rubbed her hands together, put on her sexy smile, double checked everything, then turned the camera on.

  There were guys, and maybe some women, already waiting. She didn’t know as they all used screen names and not everyone had a camera, some liked to watch and not be seen. At first it had weirded her out. But it had become easier and she loved the extra money in her bank account.

  “Hi, here I am live from my bathroom.” She was leaning over a little, flashing a bit of cleavage. She had to make doing her legs a little sexy. “You know what spoils the look of beautiful lingerie?”

  Saskia’s hands slid over her body, then she placed one foot on the vanity. “Hairy legs –yes, my lovelies, tonight, I’m doing my legs…” She paused for dramatic effect and caressed her calf, her knee, all the way to her thigh, as she did.

  Everyone logging in knew this was public show, if they wanted a private chat, or private show it would cost extra. Saskia found it was a little more difficult when there was no one to talk to, but that was the way this worked. All tonight’s viewers had logged in after hearing her leg shaving announcement on her site. Saskia ran her hand over her leg again. She hadn’t done them for two weeks and they really needed doing. She knew at least one of her followers liked to watch her oil her legs, paint her toe nails or anything really as long as her legs were hairy. They always had a private chat before leg shaving day.

  Part of her online persona was that she always ended up covered in stuff. Shaving her legs meant extra shaving foam and flicking it around. She was really good at making it look accidental. That had taken practice.

  She went to work taking her time and keeping the chatter up as though she was talking to a lover who was also in the bathroom. It meant making regular eye contact with the camera and smiling a lot. She was the girl next door, someone who was easy to talk to. Fun.

  Of course, it was all a lie. She hadn’t had a boyfriend in nearly a year. According to her friends she was a boring workaholic bordering on being embarrassing. Fortunately her job as a secretarial temp meant that those friends who’d rather not know about her job as the Messy Maiden didn’t have to. Not all were supportive. She’d learned that the hard way.

  Slowly she dragged the razor up her shin. She’d already managed to flick shaving cream on her cleavage and belly and there was still one leg to go. When she glanced at the screen she noted how many people were logged in.

  Who’d have thought Friday night shaving her legs could be so profitable?

  Four years ago when she’d first started this business, she hadn’t. But being broke and desperate had made her willing to try anything and after reading about webcam girls in one of her boyfriend’s smutty mags she’d decided it was worth a go.

  He hadn’t agreed.

  He hadn’t lasted much longer.

  Over her knee and up her thigh…before webcamming she’d never shaved beyond the knee, now she went until she reached her bikini line. Bikini line always got waxed, though. There was no way she was going on camera with a hair poking out the side of her panties. She had standards, not all her viewers did. She’d had more than one request for bikini line shaving. Even private offers. She’d declined them all, no matter the money. Her rules were set in stone

  One leg done she started the other. With a smile and a wink at the camera she checked the numbers. Yup, almost half had dropped off after one
leg. She hoped they enjoyed the rest of their weekend.

  “After this I’m going to paint my nails…I was thinking purple.”

  People were messaging but she didn’t stop to read them, and some of them she didn’t really want to read…again with the oversharing.

  Second leg done, there were still people there, ready to watch her paint her nails…or check out her panties. Whichever, she didn’t care.

  It hadn’t been that easy at first, she’d tried to be more modest, keep her legs closed. But what had made her particularly popular was acting as though this was an intimate conversation. She talked and didn’t worry about the roll of skin that formed at her waist when she leaned over, or that they got a good view of her ass when she rinsed off her legs in the bath.

  Sometimes she was kind of sad that they thought this was really her. They thought they knew her. When all they knew was the skin she put on for this job. Come Monday morning she’d put on her shirt and suit and play another role for a different audience. One that would no doubt be horrified about what she was doing.

  Which one was the real Saskia, she wasn’t sure anymore. She had fun on camera…maybe this was the real her and corporate Saskia was the fake? The latter was certainly poorer. The Messy Maiden had allowed her to almost pay off her mortgage.

  But it was a gig that couldn’t last forever. She’d get too old, plus at some point she actually needed focus on her real career and quit temping. Even though temping was easy. She was never in one office long enough to get close to anyone and no one ever asked the temp to join in after work activities leaving her nights and weekends free to work.

  Maybe her friends were right and she was working too much.

  They certainly harped on about her not having dates to weddings, or parties.

  There was more to life than dating wasn’t there? How many twenty-six year olds were financially secure? None of her friends wanted to hear that. Smut money they called it. So she’d stopped talking about it.

  She sat on the edge of the vanity and shook the nail polish bottle. “I’m busy planning my next video. If you have any suggestions leave me a message.” She leaned over and grinned at the camera again. Then she started painting the sparkly polish onto her toe nails.

  “This is quick dry. My favorite brand.” She held the bottle out. “Not sure about the color, though, as I bought it on a whim. You know when you’re shopping and you buy something that you usually wouldn’t but it seemed like a really good idea at the time?”

  She nodded even though no one could see her head. “I bought a pair of shoes that way too. Only ever wore them once. Strappy gold sandals with heels higher than I can walk in…but geez they looked good on me.”

  They were what she called bedroom shoes. Great for that kind of fantasy where the shoes stay on but she didn’t have to stand in them. Pity she hadn’t had a boyfriend to try them out with. Her relationship status was something she never discussed. Nor was her location, though most people guessed she was Australian because of her accent.

  “What do you think?” She pointed her toes at the camera. Purple polish really wasn’t her thing. She was trying too hard, but it had looked so pretty in the bottle.

  There was a flurry of comments. She read some so she could acknowledge them in a general way. Someone wanted to lick it from her toes. That wouldn’t taste very nice.

  “Well I think I’m done for the night.” She slid off the vanity. “I hope you are too!” She blew a kiss and turned off the camera.

  For a moment she just stood there…then she checked the stats and did a little dance.

  Sometimes she wondered why she bothered temping at all.

  Chapter Two

  Ian paused mid-sentence at the sound of the woman’s voice as it carried to his office. He forgot to listen to the man he was talking to. “Uh, I’m sorry I lost my train of thought.”

  “Not had your coffee yet?” The voice on the other end of the phone inquired.

  He’d drunk half of it then started making phone calls to clients. There were several big audits happening at the moment and he had to make sure that they all went smoothly. The woman who had derailed his thoughts laughed at something, her voice drawing closer and capturing all of his attention.

  It sounded very familiar.

  His dick started stirring as if it knew exactly why her voice was familiar. The Messy Maiden. Impossible. At least he hoped it was impossible. The idea that she could turn up here was horrifying. He tried to shrug it off. He’d always been careful. Always modified his voice. Even if by some cruel and random twist of fate she was here, she’d never recognize him.

  “Can I give you a call back in a few minutes? I’ll grab that info you wanted as well.”

  “That would be great. Give a better context.”

  “Back in five.” That was so unprofessional. However getting the figures would be beneficial, so it wasn’t a complete loss.

  Beth from HR knocked on his open office door. “Mr. Walker is the Audit Manager. Ian, this is Saskia Maiden the secretarial temp for the next four weeks.”

  Saskia didn’t look anything like the Messy Maiden. Saskia had short honey brown hair and a small nose ring. The Messy Maiden had long dark brown hair…and purple toe nails at the moment. His gaze lowered to her feet but her toes were hidden by a very sensible pair of black heels.

  “Pleased to meet you.” He smiled, greatly relieved that his fantasy hadn’t accidentally stepped into his reality.

  “You too.” She gave a small prim smile. “I’m sure I’ll forget everyone’s name after this intro.”

  There were no teeth in her smile and no sparkle in her eyes either. However her eyes were the same shade of blue, he was sure. But this woman had barely any makeup on. Her lips were natural not red or pink. But her voice…her voice was the same. It was unnerving.

  And arousing.

  Her gaze flicked to his eyes again, and for the first time in a very long time the old self-consciousness rose. He refused to look down. He held her gaze daring her to say something. He wanted her to say something.

  Maybe the similarity was because she’d only said a few words; he was sure that if he had a proper conversation with her there’d be no similarities. He glanced at her face again and caught her trying not to stare. He was use to that. One brown eye and one green eye drew attention. It was why he always wore sunglasses when online with the Messy Maiden.

  Hadn’t Beth said Saskia’s last name was Maiden?

  A cold shiver ran down his back. He was going to need an extra strong coffee just to make Monday make sense. It was just a surname and he was just being overly paranoid. Saskia wasn’t her. She didn’t even look like her…but he knew appearances could be easily changed. He was putting way too much thought into this.

  There was no way she’d recognize him even if it was her.

  He was pretty sure the partners wouldn’t appreciate knowing what he got up to on the weekend, or that his subscribed to a website specifically to see a woman cover herself in food. His dick chose that moment to remember Friday night’s leg shaving and toenail painting. He’d stayed for the whole thing. There was something very intimate about being in a woman’s bathroom while she did that…it was almost as arousing as the sploshing when she covered herself in food.

  Unable to stop himself from hardening he made a move for the door. “I need to moving, grab some files, but I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

  The women parted so he could get past. He didn’t glance back. He was really off his game this morning. While he didn’t do it very often, he was going to close his office door for the rest of the day and hope that the temp secretary didn’t talk much.

  Like the Messy Maiden, Saskia had a very sexy voice.

  True to her word she forgot three quarters of the names. She always did. Ian Walker was hard to forget though. Aside from his eyes—which he must know drew attention—he had an angular face. Harsh but handsome. She wanted to see him smile. He had lush lips, and she bet that
when he did smile it would light up his eyes.

  Even if his eyes had been the same color, they would have still attracted her. They added an allure to his features. Maybe it was the thick dark lashes that gave them a softer edge. Like his lips, they were sensual instead of thin. Yes, if he’d been handed out different eyes and lips in the genetic lottery his face would’ve taken on a rather hard and uncompromising edge.

  There was no respite even though it as her first day and she was still working out where to save documents and which printer tray had the letterhead paper. As a temp she had a few days grace to get it together and she always put more effort into learning the company systems than people’s names.

  However she was aware when Ian approached and the way he looked at her…it wasn’t desire as much as curiosity. He placed some papers in the in tray. The usual occupant of this seat had obviously tried to clean up and de-clutter. Unfortunately she’d put it all in her drawers. A quick perusal had revealed her favorite football team, that she had two boys and a husband, and that she really liked purple stationary.

  Perhaps she should leave her purple nail polish here for someone who would appreciate it? The idea made her lips curve, but the smile was halted by Ian’s presence. She was a busy temp, not a flirty secretary.

  Ian paused before leaving. “Have we met before?”

  She glanced up and smiled, lips together face in neutral. “I don’t think so, I’m sure I’d remember.”

  He’d be hard to forget. And yet now he’d mentioned it…there was something about him…but she’d remember his eyes.

  He frowned, his dark eyebrows drawing down and his lips pressed together. “Maybe our paths have crossed in the city.”

  “Maybe.” Working in the CBD it was entirely possible that they’d waited in line at the same sandwich bar. Or passed on the sidewalk.