Chapter 137: Unnecessary Things

Maya gripped the tray tightly as she made her way up the stairs. What was she thinking? Margaret had tried to stop her but she had insisted on bringing him his lunch herself.

Her personal maid didn’t hide her displeasure, stating Maya was no maid, but there really wasn’t much she could do to stop her.

At the top of the stairs, her courage faltered. Was she longing for another compliment? What if he told her she was doing too much? What then?

She pushed the negative thoughts to the back of her mind and continued on despite how gut-wrenching it was.

Winnie’s lunch was sent out moments before she left the kitchen. With Arlo ill, Palmer had gone to the pottery workshop in his stead. Maya had made sure to put extra fruits and pie in an effort to appease her after their encounter with Theo.

Winnie had said she was calm multiple times but when she left the house, her mood was still sour. Maya felt a little twinge in her chest. As much as she wanted Winnie on her side, she didn’t want it at the expense of Winnie’s family and friends.

Maya knocked twice on the door of his private study. "Come in," his muffled voice came through the hard door.

She swallowed and carefully turned the handle while trying to balance the tray on one hand. She walked in, held the tray again with two hands and shut the door with her back.

"What are you doing here?" Keenan asked, raising his head from his desk.

"I brought lunch," she replied and pushed herself away from the door. If she was moving and doing her task, it blocked out the tone of his voice.

"I can see that. Why?"

"Palmer is out," she mumbled. It was an excuse. "Without Arlo, she has to deliver the lunch to Winnie."

"Palmer is not the only servant in the building," he replied.

Maya placed the tray on a different table—it was the only one that had any space. "I wanted to," she said and wiped her palms on the apron as she turned around to face him.

"Why?" He asked.

She shrugged. This was awkward, and maybe this time she had gone too far, but breakfast gave her a little hope and she wanted to see him.

"Are you mad?" She asked as she stared at him.

His body turned in her direction, an arm resting on his desk. He wore a black shirt and matching pants. His blonde hair looked finger-rumpled, and his green eyes glinted.

"Mad is not the word," he replied as he stood on his feet and stepped closer until he was right in front of her, locking her between himself and the table.

"I just can’t place my finger on why you would do such unnecessary things," he added.

She twisted her fingers between them. Her eyes were level with his chest. Her heart pounded, echoing in her ears, and she shut her eyes to try to get control of her emotions.

"They are not unnecessary things," she whispered.

"Oh, is this part of your grand plan?"

His hand reached for her chin and lifted it so she was forced to look at his face. It was only for a brief moment but her eyes lingered on his lips before she met his eyes. Maya didn’t mean to but it was hard not to think about it when he was nearly pressed up against her.

The expression in his eyes changed and she could tell he had the same thoughts as she did. His hand on her chin burned; she was deathly aware of the short distance between their lips—a distance she could close if she stood on her toes.

A warm breath coated her upper lip and his scent grew stronger. He let go of her and stepped back. "I asked you a question."

His green eyes had a deeper hue, and his pupils were dilated. A flash of him lifting her dress and taking her on the table made her face burn.

"T-there is no grand plan," she mumbled. "I just wanted to bring you lunch."

She grabbed the front of her apron and bent her head to try to hide how flushed she was getting. She wasn’t trying to get into his pants. She just wanted to see him but now there were several scenes in her head that she couldn’t be rid of.

"You should leave," he said and sat back down.

Maya nodded and lifted her head. He was turned away from her and he picked up the quill to get back to work. He was dismissing her but at least he didn’t say she should take the food away.

She took a step forward but didn’t head for the exit. Rather, she stood a few feet away from him. He stopped writing but didn’t turn around to look at her.

"I wanted to ask about Arlo. I didn’t hear back after last night, and the maid didn’t have much to tell me."

This time, Keenan turned his full attention to her. His brows were tight and he stared at her with a dark look in his eyes. "Why would you care about Arlo?"

"He is Agnes’s son," she sighed. "I just wanted to know."

"He’s fine," he replied and returned to work. "He shifted before dawn. He is still weak from the strain but Agnes should return by morning. You won’t have to do unnecessary things for much longer."

They are not unnecessary.

She wanted to yell this again but she knew it was a waste of time. He was trying to deter her but Maya refused to be discouraged. There was only about a day before she told him she was Penn. She was going to do her very best before then.

"Thank you, Alpha Keenan." She bowed and walked toward the exit. She could feel his gaze on her the entire time and she forced herself not to look back until she shut the door.