“Getting toned.”
He nodded. “Okay.” He showed her how to use the free weights to work toward that goal, and as she began lifting a small barbell, she was acutely aware that he was studying her. To make sure she was doing it right or just to watch her, she didn’t know, but it not only made her self-conscious but also sent a swarm of butterflies swooping around in her belly. “Am I doing it right?” she asked to distract herself from the erratic beating of her heart.
“Yeah.” Jake’s voice was deep and soft.
Chloe glanced at him and saw her feelings reflected in his eyes. Maybe she should set the barbell down so she could throw her arms around him and kiss him. About to do just that, when she heard her name being called from the doorway, she reluctantly tore her attention from Jake to see Beth standing just inside the room.
What was she doing there so early?
Chloe set the barbell down, disappointed to no longer be alone with Jake, and knowing she had to hide her feelings for him, she had to work to conceal her frown. “Beth. Hi.” Chloe caught the way Beth pursed her lips when she looked at Jake and kind of bristled on his behalf, but instead of reacting, she pushed a smile onto her lips. “What brings you here at this time of the morning?”
Beth turned her attention to Chloe. “I have to take off early today so I thought I’d make up for it by coming in now.” Her eyes narrowed. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No. I mean, Jake’s just helping me with my workout.”
Beth barely glanced at Jake. “Uh-huh.”
Why did Chloe even care what Beth thought? Well, besides the fact that she was her best friend, Beth had the power to get Jake fired by telling Scotty that Jake was hitting on Chloe. Anyway, Chloe had made a promise to Jake to keep their relationship a secret. She would honor that.
Wanting to put an end to the uncomfortable interaction, Chloe smiled at Beth. “I’ll let you know when I’m done and then we can talk.”
Beth nodded. “Okay. Enjoy your…” her eyes slid to Jake “…workout.”
Ignoring whatever Beth was implying, Chloe turned her back on Beth and lifted the barbell to resume what she’d been doing.
“She really dislikes me,” Jake said.
Chloe set the barbell down and faced him. “She’s just looking out for me.”
One side of his mouth quirked up. “Because she thinks I’ll take advantage of you.”
“Exactly,” she said with a smirk.
Jake leaned in close and said, “The only way I plan on taking advantage is to kiss you whenever I can.”
Chloe grinned. “I can live with that.”
Chuckling, Jake pressed his lips to hers, giving Chloe exactly what she’d been looking forward to from the moment she’d woken up.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“What’s really going on between you and Jake Mitchell?” Beth asked with a frown as she sat across from Chloe in Chloe’s office later that morning.
“Not a thing,” Chloe said, surprise at how easily the lie rolled off of her tongue.
Beth stared at her with narrowed eyes, like she was trying to discern if Chloe was telling the truth. “Hmm.”
Needing to know if she had actually convinced her, Chloe said, “What do you mean, ‘Hmm’?”
Beth leaned forward and rested her forearms on Chloe’s desk. “I mean, I’m not sure you’re telling me everything, Clo. But I don’t know why.” She sat back, her brows furrowed. “You always tell me everything, so what’s different this time?”
The difference was, this time Chloe wanted to keep the man she was interested in around and she didn’t want anyone to know how she felt because if people found out they would mess it up. That had happened too many times before—she’d begun dating someone famous, the media had found out and had hounded both of them until they couldn’t take it anymore. Of course this time it was very different. Jake was a regular guy—a huge part of his appeal—but if people like Beth or Scotty knew she was interested in him romantically, they would try to stop it because they would think he was trying to get something from her when he wasn’t. They didn’t know him like she did, didn’t know that he was a good guy who only wanted to keep his job.
Chloe looked at the earnest expression on Beth’s face and immediately felt guilt crash over her. But why? It’s not like she was obligated to tell Beth everything. Yes, she wanted to, wanted to share her excitement at her new romance, but she couldn’t risk it. Besides, there was that promise she’d made to Jake.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Beth.”
Beth stared at her for several beats. “I don’t trust him.”
“Who?” Chloe asked, her eyes wide in pretended innocence.
Beth frowned and tilted her head. “You know who. Jake Mitchell.”
Annoyed now, because Chloe trusted him completely, Chloe sighed. “He’s doing exactly what Scotty hired him to do.”
Beth rolled her eyes. “He didn’t hire him to be your personal trainer.”
Chloe burst out laughing because she had no interest in him being her personal trainer. Her only goal was to be alone with him. Working out just happened to be a way to make that happen without it looking suspicious.
“What’s so funny?”
Chloe shook her head. “Nothing.”
Beth squinted at her, but didn’t reply. “Something’s going on with you and I know your bodyguard has something to do with it.”
Beth was too intuitive. Or maybe the fact that Chloe had confessed to that first kiss and had been happy about it led Beth to figure things out. Regardless, Chloe had to squash any idea Beth had that she needed to step in and protect Chloe.
“Leave him out of this, Beth.” When Beth’s eyebrows shot up, Chloe added, “For me. Please.”
Beth slowly nodded. “I knew it. You have a thing for him.”
“Beth.”
“What? You do, don’t you?”
Wow. Her promise to Jake had lasted all of… she glanced at the time on her phone…thirty-four hours. Well, she hadn’t exactly confirmed anything, but Beth was no idiot. She knew.
Deciding it was best to be at least a little bit up front, Chloe let a tiny smile curve her lips. “I don’t know yet, okay?” That wasn’t exactly true. She definitely had a thing for Jake, but she wasn’t ready to confirm it.
Frowning deeply, Beth shook her head. “You hardly know the guy.”
That was kind of the point of spending time with him, she nearly pointed out, but kept her lips zipped.
“I mean,” Beth went on, “I’m sure he knows all kinds of things about you, but who is he? Really?”
“Would you stop it? There’s nothing going on between us, okay? I just think he’s hot. Can’t I have a little fun with him while he works for me? Break up my day and all of that?” Lies, lies, and more lies. But at least it would get Beth off of her back.
“So you’re just having fun? Jake doesn’t mean anything to you?”
Jake was definitely beginning to mean something to her, but it was best if Beth believed otherwise. “Exactly.”