Kane watched as Sierra bit her lip, color flooding her cheeks. “Oh, I forgot! I need to get back to work for a meeting. Sorry—I’ll take a raincheck on lunch.”
Aspen frowned. “But you were going to drive me anyway?”
“Yeah, but now I can take the meeting and it’s really important.” She flashed a fake smile, refusing to meet Kane’s gaze. “I’ll see you tonight. Bye!”
She disappeared quicker than a flash of smoke.
“What’s up with her?” Aspen murmured.
“Probably just busy, baby.”
“I guess. She works too much.”
“Says the writing workaholic,” Brick teased.
Kane cut in. “She owns a clothes store in Duck, right? How long has she had it?”
Aspen wrinkled her nose. “About three years now. After her divorce, she worked in retail, then realized it was a perfect niche for her. She took some classes, opened Flirt, and is killing it. She’s always been a badass.”
The obvious pride in Aspen’s voice showed another piece of the woman he’d thought he’d known. Until the word uttered made him still and spin around.
“Flirt?”
“Yeah, the name of her shop is called Flirt. Thought you knew.”
A roaring filled his ears. He stared at Aspen as his thoughts began to whirl. “No, I didn’t. That’s an interesting name.”
Aspen laughed. “I know! Cute, right? I asked her where she came up with the idea and she said it was from a conversation she always remembered. We better get going, I’m starving.”
Kane tuned out their casual chatter as he got in the car, going over and over this new information.
She’d named her store Flirt.
Coincidence?
Odd that a thought kept circling his mind like a vulture, pointing to the weak spot. If their night together was all about sex and she didn’t care, why was she so frantic to avoid him? He’d already agreed not to say a word. Why look panicked at the idea of sharing a simple car ride or exchanging pleasantries in the waiting room?
At first, he figured it was the awkwardness. Nothing like being stuck with an ex who you’d rather not see. But her reaction didn’t add up.
He brought up the memory of their unexpected meeting at Sunfish and raked through for clues. She’d dropped a glass and hadn’t even jumped when it shattered at her feet. Stared at him with not just shock, but an unusual mix of emotion he still couldn’t figure out. There was more lurking beneath the surface. He’d been so caught up in her blatant rejection, Kane never stopped to think if there was another reason for her reaction. Was it possible Sierra pushed him away for a completely different purpose?
Out of all the names in all the world, she picked that one. Flirt. From a conversation she always remembered.
Their private joke.
Yes, maybe the answers were simple. Maybe it was his ego hoping to ease the sting of rejection.
Or maybe Sierra Lourde was hiding something she didn’t want him to figure out.
Kane considered his options. Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to dive deeper. If he stayed, they needed to be comfortable, and not consistently trying to avoid the other. And if there were other reasons Sierra was desperate to keep her distance?
He intended to find out.
Sierra stared in rising horror at the man rapidly closing the distance between them.
Was this a nightmare? A punishment? Or just Fate laughing her ass off at the unfortunate destinies of single women?
Her fingers clutched her wine glass in a death grip as Kane reached the table. “Sierra,” he said, his voice a combination of velvet and gravel. “How are you?”
