She started working on autopilot, scrubbing a million toilets and cleaning up after the entitled guests of the exclusive hotel while her mind was lost in trying to find a solution. What kind of man would think selling their child was the best way out of their problems? What kind of man would demand that of somebody else? She didn’t know who this man who’d invaded their home was, but she knew she would never give herself to him. Just the thought of it was making her nauseous.

A few hours later, she came up to the penthouse suite—the room where that handsome stranger had made the ridiculous request. There was too much to worry about that she hadn’t thought of him all day, but he filled her head completely the second she knocked on his door.

And once again, her body started to react and overheat.

There was no answer, thankfully. She didn’t know what to do if he made the same offer again. She unlocked the door, pushed her cart in, and had to stop and squeeze her thighs together when she caught a pleasant scent. It had to be his cologne. Spicy and masculine, just like he was.

Her toes curled again, just remembering what he looked like. She’d only seen him for minutes, but his image seemed to have burnt into her head.

But she had to get over it. He was gay.

“Housekeeping,” she called out in case the two men hadn’t heard her.

Maybe they were still in bed or in the shower.

Again, the urge to claw the other man’s eyes out took her over. What the hell was wrong with her?

She left the cart in the living area and entered the guest bathroom. The heat was worse than the day before, but it hadn’t bothered her much until she walked into the penthouse suite. One look in the mirror told her she would have to tidy herself up before she saw Andrea again.

Strands of her hair had fallen out of her puff, and rivers of sweat were pouring down her face. Her uniform was beyond saving. It was a good thing the stranger wasn’t there to see all that mess.

She splashed cold water on her face, but that didn’t even begin to cool her down. She looked longingly at the shower behind her and then the sunken tub. What she wouldn’t give to soak in a cool bath or stand under a cool spray. But she still had a million more rooms to clean, and showering in the guest rooms would be an automatic dismissal.

She splashed more water on her face and then wet one of the clean face towels to cool her heated neck. That didn’t help much, either. She was on fire, and nothing would put the flames out. She wet the towel again as she undid all the buttons of her shirt and untucked it from her skirt. Then she placed the cool cloth on her chest.

That was better. She sighed in relief when her body started to behave. If the heatwave didn’t break soon, she’d be a puddle on the floor.

Half an hour later, she was considerably cooler and late to start the cleaning. There was nothing she could do about her sweaty uniform. At least she was invisible to the guests. All the clientele had money coming out of their eyeballs; the help was always invisible to people like that.

She picked up the towels she’d used and walked out of the bathroom to her cleaning cart.

And in walked the biggest man she had ever seen. He had been sitting when she’d first seen him, so she hadn’t realised how tall he was. She didn’t often meet people that much taller than her.

Her body heated again as if she hadn’t just spent all her allocated time cooling herself down.

She met that ice-blue gaze again, and her insides melted. He still looked as angry as he had when they had met—maybe that was his default expression. Maybe rich people looked at others like that because they assumed someone would ask them for money. But a shiver went down her spine at just how cold he was. Still, she didn’t look away. There was just something about him...

Her heart drummed so loudly she could hear it. Something washed over her whole body that felt gentle and overwhelming at the same time. Her body hummed with a need that shocked her with its intensity. She’d been hot before, but now she was burning up, and that fire shot straight down to her core.

“Why are you just standing there? Move out of the way.”

Someone’s voice drifted into her ears. It took her a moment to realise that Mr Sex-On-Legs’ boyfriend was standing next to him, and he looked at her just as coldly. What was with these people? Did they behave like assholes everywhere they went?

The urge to attack him returned, but she knew the consequences would be even more significant than losing her job if she gave in.

“Are you sure you want her?” the man continued, looking at her from top to bottom. “She can’t even follow simple instructions.”

Her gaze returned to the ice-blue ones. The anger in them almost knocked her back. Was he upset that she had denied his illogical request?

“Cover yourself up,” the sexy man growled.

That voice again.

She bit her lip to stop herself from saying something that would get her fired or arrested and squeezed her thighs together again.

She couldn’t help herself. His full lips parted slightly as if he was breathing through his mouth, and his chest rose and fell as if he’d been running. He looked like he was close to ripping her head off.

“Cover yourself up.”