THE BEAUTIFUL CLEANER'S TALE

wildfire. Mr. Henry had brought the report and it lay discard

urvivor, shaped by a brutal past and bearing a

just in words on a page, gripped him with a ferocity he hadn't felt in yea

like steel. "Arrange a mee

, si

he didn't care. He was already moving, shruggi

w he was. Still, he should have been gentle with her. She had

was to help her – to protect her. He wasn't considering hav

couldn't explain was pus

e figure stepping into the dimly lit room. Ava Bennett. She looked even more worn down than he'd imagined; hair pulled bac

to just the two of them. She was right there, close enough to touch. He could see the faint tremor in her

was soft but steady,

imself back, to remember why he'd called her here. But the intensi

ancing around as though searching for an explanation. "I'm not sure I

ething you need to know. I don't want you just cleaning. Not anymore." He stepped closer, close enough to ca

stinctively. "I'm just doing m

erve better." The words tumbled out, faster than he could rein them in. "I read a

aw tightening. "I didn't

oice low, intense. "It's a chance. A cha

sharp, wary. "I do

n any of this. It isn't just charity. You're educated, aren't you? Why are you even working as a cleaner? You'll be working as my PA

icker of something else in her eyes - a vulnerability, a glimpse o

but not touching. "You deserve a better life, Ms. Benn

the floor. Then she took a breath, looking up wit

erstand. I'm not sure what to say,"

ch that he felt obligated to help her. She had to

y terms. I'm not someone y

breaking just enough to ease the coi

nice gesture in your bed, please, s

allion was

you as well,

eartily. Her sense of

d to giggle and remark

She was not heard by Stallion. He claimed to be hungry and snatched up h