Page 13 of Hotel Mallois

Once changed and pushing her cart, Jodie exits the elevator on the top floor with the same smile she entered with a few minutes ago, but it vanishes instantly when just before reaching Katherine's penthouse door, it opens and she finds her boss dressed in a silk robe, barefoot, withdamp hair while letting out the same sophisticated woman from the other day, Annie.

Jodie can't hear what the two women say to each other when they kiss cheeks, but something burns in her chest without her being able to control it, and she feels she could turn into a dragon and breathe fire when both women notice her and Annie passes by her side, looking down at her as if she were nobody. The cleaner follows her with her gaze until Annie reaches the elevator and enters, at which point Jodie turns and meets Mrs. Taylor's surprised look.

"I didn't know you were coming today," Katherine says, caught off guard.

"I'm not scheduled," Jodie responds harshly, "but I asked Mr. Kumar to let me do an extra shift and he approved it, I thought he would have notified you."

Katherine pushes a strand of hair behind her ear thoughtfully. Jodie would spit another fireball at her if it weren't for how incredibly seductive she finds the gesture.

"Maybe he did by email, but I haven't checked," Katherine says.

"It doesn't matter, it's obvious I caught you at a bad time, I better leave," Jodie says, turning the cart.

"Don't be silly, you're already here, come in, after all, I..." Katherine catches herself just in time before saying something inappropriate.

Jodie clenches her jaw and turns the cart back around, though she tries, the fury inside her grows unstoppably because jealousy is eating her alive. It's the second time in three weeks she's seen that woman with Katherine. Arethey officially a couple? Just thinking about it makes her want to run out, find Annie, and wipe that stupid smile off her face by dunking her head in the dirty laundry basket; she's sure she'd never recover from such trauma.

"I suppose you want me to start with the bedroom," she says as she passes in front of Katherine, without looking at her face while pushing the cart forcefully.

Katherine follows her, observing her defiant attitude and that furious look the cleaner has had since she arrived, and immediately believes she can guess what's happening. While closing the door, a twisted smile forms on her lips and she tells herself she shouldn't play this game, but before she knows it, her tongue has already loosened.

"Actually, no," she responds sharply, making Jodie turn in surprise, "today we fucked on the couch."

Jodie holds her gaze for a few seconds while swallowing, then glances sideways at the couch and thinks about how much she'd enjoy setting it on fire.

"Fine, I'll start with the kitchen then," she says, feeling that if she doesn't get away from Katherine, she might throw something at her head.

"Suit yourself, make yourself at home," Katherine smiles, walking to a table full of documents, grabbing her laptop, and sitting on the couch to check her email.

Jodie busies herself emptying the dishwasher and filling it with dirty dishes while trying to calm down, but she can't stop imagining Annie with her hands on Katherine's body and finds it impossible. She leaves what she's doing and goes decisively to the cleaning closet to,after a minute, appear in front of Katherine with the steam cleaner ready.

"I need you to move from there, I have to disinfect that couch."

Katherine raises a defiant look and connects it with Jodie's, causing a surge of tension in the penthouse. Both women maintain it for a few seconds until Katherine nods, calmly closes the laptop lid, and rises very slowly until she's standing in front of Jodie, who feels her heart has just dropped between her legs.

"You're very bold speaking to me like that," Katherine says, approaching her ear before walking away and disappearing down the hallway, leaving Jodie drowning in her own desire.

Chapter 9

Another day arrives, and Jodie Sinclair returns to the Mallois Hotel at her usual time. She follows her daily routine; enters the locker room, puts on her uniform, checks her work sheet, and collects the cleaning cart with everything needed to change sheets, towels, and leave everything spotless. The morning passes without incident, and after lunch, this time alone because Sarah has the day off, she prepares to go up to Katherine Taylor's penthouse. She's nervous because she doesn't know what she'll find today, though she's pretty certain it won't be Mrs. Taylor's friend—she thinks with a hint of mockery—since their encounters tend to be more spaced out. Jodie runs her hand through her hair and slides it along the ponytail she made that morning, scolding herself for keeping track of the days Annie visits the hotel. Even though Katherine might own her thoughts, and why not? The source of her solitary orgasms, the housekeeper knows she could never compete with someone like Annie, whose sophistication isworlds apart from Jodie's bearing. And the money—she doesn't even want to think about it.

She reaches the penthouse door and exhales through her nose before taking a deep breath. She takes out the magnetic key and enters her boss's home.

"How are you at taking notes?" asks the Mallois Hotel owner while flashing a smile that Jodie labels as ironic.

"Very good, actually, it's one of the best things I do," answers the housekeeper, matching her boss's tone.

It's not that Jodie has changed overnight and stopped being that reserved woman who couldn't look Katherine in the eyes without her legs shaking. The housekeeper has always had a strong character and never hesitated to hold anyone's gaze, but since the mountain of debt and problems fell on her, she had to tame that fierceness that had always accompanied her to get a job—or two—that would help her stay afloat. And when she saw Katherine Taylor and her heart decided to become a cheerleader at a football game, her mind collapsed and adopted a shyness that until now she didn't know she had. That's over now, something in her has rebelled, and finally, she can be the real Jodie in front of her boss and anyone else.

"Then you're perfect," Katherine says while searching for her purse and grabbing a notebook. "Olivia is going to be a grandmother soon and has taken leave for a few months to help her daughter. The poor thing is a first-time mother and is having a terrible time controlling her nerves."

Jodie nods, and when her boss walks past her to go to the door, she can't help but check out that round bottom she considers perfect. She asks for permission to change clothes and runs to the locker room to do so. Later, as they cross the hotel lobby, an employee stops Katherine, and she tells Jodie to wait in the car.

"Good afternoon, Jodie," Mike says with a bright smile and opens the back door of the vehicle.

Jodie freezes and has to turn her neck to make sure he's opening the door for her. She's not used to this.

"Hi, Mike," responds the housekeeper, snapping out of her trance and entering the car when the bodyguard gestures for her to get in.

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