1. Rosa Flores

As I stretched my back and looked around the living room, I couldn't bat away the exhaustion I felt.

Everything in my body literally ached.

I had just had two days off and was back at my housekeeping job, where I lived on location five to six days of the week, depending on how much my bosses needed me. But despite having had some time off, my body was exhausted.

That's what happened when you helped watch you sister's two little terrors under five when they were sick. But even then, I couldn't stop the smile on my face when I thought about my niece and nephew. They were a handful in the best way. They had so much energy and kept you laughing the entire time. I was always amazed by my sister after I babysat. Elena was an emergency room nurse who worked crazy hours and juggled her kids as a single mom yet never complained all while making it look seamless. Easy almost.

I yawned and shook my head. Nope. I could not be doing that. Yawning would only make it worse, and by the look of the house, I didn't have time to sit.

I stepped out to the pool area and frowned. It seemed my bosses, three of the hottest men I had ever seen, had thrown some kind of get-together. A party. My stomach dipped and my heart frowned. It probably wasn't a get together or a dinner party, a small voice in my head whispered. It was probably a date. Or dates. I scanned the room and tried not to frown as I searched for evidence.

Did they have women over?

Mr. Lane, Mr. Brooks, and Mr. Jennings never had women over.

Or none who stayed the night at least.

I should know. I had been working for them for the last six months. Originally from Southern California, a year ago, I moved to Seattle to help my sister when her good-for-nothing ex went out one day and simply texted her that he wouldn't be coming back. Two days later, Elena was served with divorce papers. And if that hadn't been enough, he gave up his parental rights to make sure he didn't pay her a dime of child support. I dropped everything and moved to help her. She was the only family I had left, and she needed me. When I first arrived, I worked odd jobs to help out financially.

Six months ago, my old boss from California called me asking if I would be interested in a housekeeping position. When she told me the details of the pay and benefits, I jumped on it. Even with having to live on the property that much of the week, with the pay, my sister could swing the discounted rate of the daycare center the hospital provided.

I licked my lips and stared at the empty beer bottles by the pristine pool.

This wasn't like them.

The men of the house hardly had guests over, much less threw what seemed to be a party.

"Rosie?" A deep voice startled me, and I jumped. My hand flew to my chest, and when I turned around, my eyes widened at the man who stood there. It took everything inside of me not to swoon at the sight of one of my bosses.

"Mr. Brooks," I whispered and tried to calm my racing heart. I wasn't usually a jumpy kind of person. But the fact the house was so different than usual had my mind running crazy. What the heck have they been up to while I was gone?

"I am so sorry." He stepped forward. His beautiful light blue eyes seemed contrite. He was beautiful masculinity. Tall, so much taller than me; all three men I worked for and who lived here were. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You didn't," I clipped a little to brusquely and then sniffled. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I didn't mean to sound cranky." The pressure between my sinuses started to throb, and I shook my head. My little terrors seemed to have passed me whatever bug they had been fighting. Or maybe it was late summer allergies? God, I hoped it was.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I opened and shut my mouth because my nose chose that moment to tickle, and it felt like I was about to sneeze. Thankfully, it passed, and I simply shook my head and cleared my throat.

"Did you need anything?" Like me in your bed? My sex-depraved brain was on a roll. But then again, it had been a while since I'd gone out and got myself any.

"Oh no, I just saw you were here and wanted to say hi." He smiled, stopping about three steps away from me. I breathed in and stifled a moan.

Casey Brooks always smelled good. Not only did he look like he stepped off a surfing magazine, with sun-kissed skin littered with freckles and light blue eyes that seemed to almost glow when he looked at you, but he had curly dirty blond hair that seemed to turn lighter as the summer progressed.

"Hi." I smiled tightly, fighting making an ass out of myself again.

"I'm sorry about the mess." He pointed behind me. "Can I help you?"

"Mr. Brooks, you pay me to clean up after you guys." The easy smile fell from his lips. His hand rose to scratch the back of his neck.

"But not this kind of mess." He frowned, and I hated that I missed his light blue stare when he looked over my shoulder. I could see a muscle at his jaw tick almost furiously.

"It's okay." I shrugged. "Looks like you guys had a good time." I smiled tightly, and when his eyes connected with mine, my stomach did a somersault.

"We didn't. Malcom's idiot nephew decided to throw himself an impromptu graduation party since he heard we were in Spokane this weekend."

"Oh." I pressed my lips together. The tightness in my gut loosened. "A graduation is important to celebrate," I added because I wasn't sure of what else to say.

"Maybe, but he should have asked," he muttered. I shrugged.

"True."

"How about I go change and help?—"

"Oh no!" I cut him off and accidentally reached for his arm. My hand touched his forearm, and his body locked up tight. He didn't seem to like being touched. Or maybe he doesn't want to be touched by you, goof! I quickly removed my arm. "Sorry! I just mean. umm, a mess is a mess. I got this. But thank you for the offer." I could read the frustration in his gaze, and when he touched the spot I'd touched with his other hand like he was trying to wipe me away, I took a step back.

"Careful." His hand reached for me, and I looked behind me. I hadn't realized how close I was to the hot tub.

"Oh, thank you."

I stepped aside and away from his touch. He exhaled slowly and, without releasing me from his gaze, he asked, "Can I get you something to drink? Eat?"

"Mr. Brooks?—"

"Can you please call me Casey, Rosie?" I pressed my lips together and nodded slowly. I didn't like it. Calling him by his first name would only make how I felt for him and his two business partners and roommates worse.

"Sure," I mumbled but dropped my eyes to the ground. "I should get started on all this."

"You got in late," he noted. My brows burrowed together, but I didn't dare look up at him.

Casey Brooks was hard to read.

One moment, he was offering to help me clean when that was what he literally paid me for, and then he was bringing up the fact I'd been late for the first time in six months. If anything, I was always early.

"I missed the bus, I texted, though," I explained. I could have sworn he moved in closer.

"Bus?" he asked, and I nodded.

"My sister's car isn't running the greatest, so I told her to take mine today."

"Oh, that's a shame. We have a great shop that could help." There he went, offering his help.

"Thank you, but I'm sure she knows someone." Elena always knew someone.

"For next time, you can call me. I can always pick you up. Or Jett and Mal could." His offer sounded genuine, and it was sweet.

And that was the last thing I needed from my sexy bosses.

"It's okay." I shook my head. "You shouldn't need to?—"

"But what if we wanted to?" he asked, cutting me off. I blinked and stared at the man in front of me, fighting tooth and nail everything inside of me that was dying to read into what he was saying.

But I was nothing if not a realist.

Casey, Malcom, and Jett were not men who would see me as anything more than the hired help. Maybe an acquaintance since I basically lived in their home in one of the back rooms far from everyone and everything.

"I, umm, thank you," I said softly. "That's really sweet of you." And it was. He was my boss. He didn't need to offer me anything.

"Shh." He winked, and my heart rate picked up with the mischief that twinkled in his azure stare. "Don't tell anyone. It'll mess with my street cred." He grinned, and I laughed.

"It's our secret." I shook my head and stilled again when another deep-sounding throat cleared.

I looked behind Casey only to find Malcom Jennings dressed to the nines in an impeccable suit I knew cost more than my and my sister's car combined. He glared in our direction.

"What secret?" he asked. I felt my stomach drop to my feet.

Malcom was handsome in a different way than Casey. Where Casey was fun and easy to be around, Malcom was his complete opposite. Extremely stern, he seemed to always be watching even when his eyes weren't on you. For the first month, if it hadn't been for the fact that my paycheck helped my sister with bills and daycare in a way I knew no other job would, I would have quit. I always felt like he watched me as if he thought I was going to steal something.

And in a way, six months later, he still made me feel that way.

"That I'm sweet," Casey replied without looking behind him. He simply winked at me.

"That you're—" I recognized that growly tone. He was upset. But then again, it felt like Malcom Jennings was always upset about something.

"I better get to work," I whispered, and his hard eyes cut to me.

"I think that would be a good idea," Malcom clipped. I flinched.

"Right," I whispered. "Excuse me." His harsh words might have stung, but they were good for me. I needed the reminder.

They weren"t my friends or someone to hang out with and get to know. And I sure wasn't someone they saw as a woman. I turned and moved to grab the trash bag I had taken out and walked toward the farthest end of the pool area to start picking up the mess that had been left behind.