“She’s crying,” Knox said, and she could only be grateful that his voice didn’t carry over the din of diners and music.
“Shit.”Jesse pushed his face next to Knox’s to peer into hers, his eyes wild, his hand groping for hers on the bar.“Chloe?What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, fighting to keep more tears from falling.She didn’t know why she was crying, except that there was too much emotion inside her and she couldn’t seem to keep it there.“I’m fine,” she insisted and tried to step back.
But Knox turned his hand to cradle her cheek, holding her in place, and his touch was so tender and so sweet she thought she might just start bawling.“No, darling, I don’t think you are.”
“Whatever’s wrong, we’ll fix it,” Jesse promised, his voice so sure, so strong, while panic flared in his eyes and his hand gripped hers like he was ready to yank her to safety.
Overcome, overwhelmed, she leaned forward to press her forehead to his.“I didn’t mean to do this.This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“What wasn’t?”Knox asked quietly.
I wasn’t supposed to feel all of this, she thought, and was working up the nerve to say it out loud when Mo said, “What the hell is going on here?”
Chloe leapt back, jerking her hand out of Jesse’s.Mo stood at the end of the bar, hands fisted on her hips, her face grim and her eyes hot.Oh, shit.“Nothing.Knox was, um, looking at my earrings.”
Mo, not an idiot, narrowed her eyes.“Your earrings.”
“For his sister.Her birthday’s coming up, and he thought she’d like them,” Chloe explained, choking back the panic that wanted to bubble free.“He wondered if I could make another pair, but with bigger discs.”
“And you were, what, kissing him out of gratitude?”
Chloe blinked.“I wasn’t kissing him.”
“Dammit, Chloe, I warned you about this.”
“Warned her?”Knox asked.
Mo didn’t so much as spare him a glance.“You’re fucking them, aren’t you?”
“Hang on a minute,” Jesse said, getting to his feet.
Mo shot him a sulfuric look.“You stay out of this.”
“The fuck I will,” Jesse said, temper flashing.
“Easy,” Knox murmured, laying a restraining hand on his husband’s arm.“You’re out of line, Mo.”
Mo’s sturdy body stiffened with outrage.“I’mout of line?”
Knox’s reply was calm, measured.“Yes.Chloe’s a grown woman—”
“Who’s fucking two married men,” Mo shot back.“Apparently Jesse isn’t the only fuckboy on the team.”
Knox’s face went hard as stone.“Watch it.”
Her stomach in her knees, Chloe stepped forward.“Aunt Mo, stop it.”
Mo turned back to Chloe.“God, Chloe, what were you thinking?What is your mother going to say?”
Chloe couldn’t stop the flinch.“Just…back off, okay?This isn’t your business.”
“Of course, it is!You’re my niece.You’re myemployee.How do you think this makes the bar look?The new restaurant?We’ve put everything into this, Chloe, and you, this… God, it could wreck everything.”
Knox came off his stool as shock sent Chloe stumbling back.“Mo, come on.”
“Are you firing me?”Chloe asked through lips gone numb.
