Chapter Ten
Kayne knew the daywas going to be a disaster the moment Danica Giordano arrived at Chloe’s gym in full hurricane form.
She flung open the office door as if she expected confetti to rain from the ceiling.“Chlo-ee!”she whined.“Tell me you’re not serious about the new manager.”
Kayne had been leaning against the counter, scrolling through messages on his phone.He’d asked Tyler to pursue the text sent to Chloe last night, but, shocker, it was untraceable.He caught the way Chloe’s shoulders stiffened before she turned, the reflex of a woman bracing for impact.Then she faced her sister with the polite smile of someone trying very hard not to commit a misdemeanor before lunch.
“Morning, Danica.”
Danica stomped inside on heels that could double as medieval torture devices.“You hiredRobin?Robin with the box dye and unfortunate eyebrows?Seriously?I would’ve done it.I told you that.”
“You hate gyms,” Chloe reminded her.
“I don’t hate gyms.I hate sweating.There’s an enormous difference.”
Kayne took a slow sip of his water, silently filing that away underThings That Explain Danica.
Only then did Danica notice him.Her face lit up, body language flipping from tantrum to flirt in a single blink.“Oh!You’re here again.Hi, Kayne.”
He gave her the polite nod he reserved for rattlesnakes and malfunctioning machinery.“Ma’am.”
Her smile twitched.His work here was done.
Chloe stepped in before her sister could escalate into full performance art.“Danica, I have a shipment coming in any minute.Can we talk later?”
“Ugh.Fine.”Danica spun toward the door, hair swishing with enough velocity to stir air traffic.“But you owe me brunch.”
She left in a cloud of perfume and emotional chaos.
The door clicked shut.
Chloe slumped against the desk.“She’s exhausting.”
Kayne arched a brow.“I’m guessing this is the toned-down version?”
“That was one of her better moods,” Chloe admitted, rubbing her forehead.“Usually there’s crying involved.Or accusations.Or both.”
He wanted to tell Chloe she didn’t owe her sister this level of patience, but he already knew why she did it.Chloe loved people who didn’t deserve it.
And some stupid, bruised part of Kayne loved that about her too.
He opened his mouth to say something actually supportive for once, but his phone buzzed with Tyler’s ringtone.
