Page 5

“What’s with him?” Brad asks Sinclair in a low voice the moment she reaches him. “You bringing your boyfriends to my studio now?” He nudges her playfully in her side, and she giggles.

He means the studio his fashion designer mother pays for.

Brad acts like he’s it because he has a few celebrity clients that Mommy sent his way using her connections.

I know guys like Brad. It’s my job to know who he is and what makes him tick.

The background checks we run on anyone coming into the Beauforts’ lives only tell us so much.

I learn everything else by my own observations.

“Ugh, that’s my father’s head of security. He’s just with me while my car gets fixed,” Sinclair answers, not attempting to keep her voice down like Brad.

He looks over at me and jerks his chin in greeting, pulling his shoulders to puff his chest out.

I stare back, leaning forward and bringing my hands together to crack my knuckles. His brow creases before he looks away, returning his attention to Sinclair as he takes her through a warmup.

She doesn’t look my way again for an hour.

A whole hour of Brad putting his hands on her hips as he ‘helps’ correct her already perfect form as she squats.

A whole hour of him walking around her in a circle, complimenting her technique as he has her doing burpees, his eyes sliding to her ass more than once.

Followed by a longer than necessary warm down where he helps her stretch by pressing her thighs against her chest one at a time and bracing himself above her, using his bodyweight to push them down.

Monty straightens next to me with a low growl as he watches.

“I hear you, Boy,” I murmur.

“Oh wow, that was great!” Sinclair gushes as she stands and towels her face once they’re done.

“You’re doing well with your strength, Sin.” Brad grins, all teeth and no shame as he reaches out and runs a hand over her upper arm, his thumb inches from the curve of her breast. “Your triceps have got some killer definition. I think we need to work on your flexibility more though.”

“More stretches?” she asks, eyes wide like she’s hanging off his every word.

He nods, his eyes flicking down her body. “Yeah. More stretching you out together. But next time, okay? I have Kendall coming in next.”

“Kendall Jenner?” Sinclair gasps.

He taps his nose with a wink. “You know I can’t tell you that.”

Sinclair’s glowing as she walks over to her bag on the bench next to me and bends to fuss Monty.

“Brad’s great,” she says.

“Monty doesn’t think so.”

She stands with one hand on her hip, looking at me. “You know what your problem is?”

I hold her gaze, waiting for her to enlighten me.

“You don’t have anything nice to say about anyone. Is that why you’re so quiet? Can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all?”

“Sound piece of advice. Who gave you it?”

“No one,” she snaps.

I nod. “No one gave you that advice. Uh-huh.”

Her face falls. “Are you… Are you implying that I say mean stuff? You think I’m a Beaufort Bitch like the person who wrote on my car, don’t you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face. I’m sorry you’re stuck with me, like I’m stuck with you.” She sniffs, reaching for her bag.

“I told you, when you’re with me, I carry that,” I say, lifting it from the bench as I stand.

“Are you going to try to do everything for me?” she snaps.

“If I deem it appropriate.”

She stalls as she reaches for Monty, her gaze flicking over me. Then she lifts him into her arms and sinks her face into his hair as she cuddles him.

I follow her out of the studio as she calls goodbye to Brad. He slinks away into a back room after I spot him eyeing her ass again, and he notices me glaring at him.

Sinclair grabs the door handle as we reach my car.

I move behind her, placing my hand over hers.

“I told you, when you’re with me?—”

“Your job, I get it.” She inclines her face, and her eyes meet mine over her shoulder. Hers are full of fire. “I’ll just keep quiet like a good little helpless client needing protection.”

Our faces are inches apart as she slides her fingers out from beneath mine, the warmth of her body seeping through the fabric of my shirt as I lean closer to open the door.

“I don’t think you’re helpless, Sinclair. But until the threat against you is neutralized?—”

“You promised my father you’d take care of me; I get it.” She sighs as she slides into the seat. “Everyone always wants to manage me. No one believes I can do things myself.”

“You think I want to manage you?”

She shakes her head with a humorless laugh. “Come on. I know you work for my father, but I see you with him and Sullivan. You’re all buddies. They’ve always tried to wrap me up in cotton wool.”

“They love you and want you to be safe.”

She sighs, stroking Monty absentmindedly. “I love them too. But it’s suffocating. At least when…”

Her face closes off. I can guess what she was about to say.

‘At least when her brother was alive, she had an ally.’ He was a daredevil, a free spirit like Sinclair.

The two of them always had each other’s backs.

I admired that about him. How he knew how to love and protect her without dimming her personality.

She hasn’t been the same since he died. She’s always had a smart mouth.

But her eyes used to light up when she doled out the sass.

Not anymore.

I lean inside the car and hand her the seatbelt. Monty being on her lap prevents me from doing it myself like I’d prefer.

Her face is pinched as she takes it from me.

I clear my throat. “We’re going to be spending a lot of time together. You can call me Den if you like.”

“I’ve never heard anyone call you Den before.”

“No one does.”

“Then why would I?”

“I thought it might make you feel more comfortable.”

She studies me with narrowed eyes. “Do you want to call me Sin? My friends do.”

“Do you want me to?”

She smiles sweetly. “Nope.”

She reaches for the door handle and slams the door closed, then looks at me through the glass, triumphant like she’s won a game I didn’t know we were playing.

I take a slow breath in and let it out through my nose slowly. Jenson would have traded places with me, given the chance. He’s always gotten along with Sinclair the best out of the three of us. She likes his jokes.

But Sterling insisted.

“Denver’s the best we have.”

He knows everything about me.

And somehow he still trusts me with his daughter.

I can’t let him down.

Sinclair ignores me as I sink into the driver’s seat, but she stiffens as I reach toward her.

“I already did it.” She lifts her eyes from her phone as I check her belt is fastened correctly and there are no twists in it.

Monty licks the side of my face, and the scent of meaty dog breath coats my cheek.

Sinclair snorts. “Monty,” she scolds, quickly placing her thumb to my face.

She wipes the damp patch away before her eyes meet mine.

Her pupils dilate and she pulls her hand away as though she didn’t realize she was touching me. For a couple of seconds, she just stares at me. Then she snaps her eyes forward to the street.

“Can we go now?”