Page 4 of Our Chaotic Love Affair

Cyclone Cleo walked into the kitchen with chaos rolling off her in waves. Her hair was different from the last time I saw her. It was mostly black now, with a shock of vibrant purple framing one side of her face. She was wearing massive sparkly earrings that caught the light and a black dress with fishnets that shouldn’t work but absolutely did.

I let my gaze travel up, taking in the details I told myself I wasn’t supposed to notice. The way the dress hugged her ample curves. The rings on her fingers. She was wearing at least ten, maybe more. The red lipstick that was always perfectly applied.

I intended to sweep my gaze back down and complete the assessment but then our eyes met. And I was trapped.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened. Cleo looked at me and I forgot how to function like a normal human being. Those deep, dark eyes pinned me in place. For a moment that stretched too long, I couldn’t look away.

Her red lips curved up at the corners. “Who invited Captain Crunch the Numbers?”

And just like that, the spell was broken. Irritation flooded in where fascination had been. I was back on familiar ground.

It was going to be a very long weekend.

CHAPTER 2

CLEO

Idid not just drive through hours of traffic from New York City to spend my getaway weekend with Cash Bancroft.

A vacuum cleaner would be better company than him, and I loathed housework. In fact, one of my favorite fantasies—the kind I indulged in during particularly soul-crushing subway rides or while waiting for my phone to charge—was dreaming about being well off enough to hire a housekeeper.

I wouldn’t stop with a housekeeper. I wanted it all. I wanted a whole damn staff to take care of me. I wanted a personal chef, and a personal shopper for things like groceries and necessities. All the boring adulting stuff that ate up time I could be spending on literally anything else.

I would never hire a shopper for fashion or accessories, though. Or general fun stuff. That was sacred territory. My closet was my kingdom, and I was the only monarch who got to rule it. Besides photography, social media strategy, marketing, and playing dress-up in my own wardrobe, shopping was basically my favorite pastime.

My least favorite? Being in a room with Cash Bancroft.

Bleh.

However, I had to admit it could be ridiculously fun to grind his gears. And he was pretty to look at. He’d probably die if he knew I thought of him as pretty. But that was because he was cynical. And boring. Pretty didn’t only apply to women. He was gorgeous. Sexy. Handsome.

But he was also an uptight asshole. He was the kind of guy you could stick a lump of coal up his ass and by the end of the day he’d shit a diamond.

“What the fuck is Captain Grump?” Cash muttered before taking a sip.

“Captain Crunch the Numbers,” I corrected. “Be a gentleman and get me a beer.”

He arched one of those dark brows that was thick and bushy and of course it looked good on him.

I rolled my eyes. “Please, Captain Crunch.”

I fought back a grin so hard it hurt my cheeks. The man was so easy. All that education, all that money, all those tailored suits, and he couldn’t handle a little cereal-based nickname.

I made my way through the kitchen, my new baby bouncing against my hip with each step. And by baby, I meant my brand-new camera. She was a gorgeous piece of equipment that set me back almost eight thousand dollars. It was a tax write-off. That was the only way I could sleep at night or I would absolutely work myself up. It was a business expense. An investment in my future. But still. Eight grand. My credit card had wept when I swiped it.

Worth every penny, though. The camera was going to take my content to the next level. I couldn’t wait to get some shots on the beach.

“Cleo!” Melody’s voice cut through the ambient chatter. I looked up to see my best friend practically bouncing toward me.

I opened my arms just in time for her to crash into me. We hugged like we hadn’t seen each other in years instead of a week and a half. But it had felt like months. Austin and Melody had been busy spending most of their time in the Hamptons, and I’d been holding down the fort back in the city.

I was doing what I always did, managing Melody’s inbox and social media presence while she’d been living her best beachy life. I wasn’t jealous. I sounded like it, but I was not. I loved that she got her man. I had helped her get him. Kind of.

Yes, I might have been hesitant about Austin Bancroft at first, but he had proved himself. He was not the jackass I thought he was. His brother Cash, on the other hand? I was certain there were no redeeming qualities about him.

“You made it!” Melody pulled back. She was glowing like she’d swallowed lightning bugs. The inner glow was so obvious. And beautiful.

“Of course I made it,” I said. “I wouldn’t miss an all-expenses-paid weekend in the Hamptons for anything.” I paused, letting my smile turn mischievous. “Seeing you is a bonus. I could do without Lurch over there, though.”