Page 4 of Body Check

“Until I’m told otherwise, this ismystudio, and I intend for it to be a place of growth and well-being. You and your distrustful energy aren’t welcome here,” Dakota said flatly.

Looking startled, Gavin closed his mouth and gave him a short, jerky nod. “Apologies.”

Without another word, he turned to go and the woman—Amelia—mouthed an ‘I’m sorry too’ before she did the same.

When they were gone and the echo of their footfalls had gone silent, Dakota turned to his sister. They both burst into startled, nervous laughter.

“Uhh, shit,” he said as the force of what he’d done hit him.

Violet wiped at her eyes, still laughing. “Well, I’m proud of you, but when I told you to stand up for yourself more with men, that wasn’tquitewhat I meant.”

Dakota felt a little faint. “Oh, fuck. I just told off my new boss, didn’t I?”

She snickered again. “Yes, yes you did.”

ONE

OCTOBER

Gavin knocked hesitantly on the doorframe of the studio. “Uh, Dakota?”

When Dakota had called Gavin’s assistant, Amelia, last week to request a meeting, Gavin had debated if it should take place in his office upstairs, or down here in Dakota’s studio.

Gavin had thought maybe having it in his office would feel too much like he was trying to assert his authority, but now that he was here, he wondered if this qualified as ‘invading the sanctity of the studio’ or whatever words Dakota had flung at him during their first in-person meeting.

Gavin had royally,royallybotched that one.

He’d stuck his foot in his mouth more times than he could count that day. But no matter how bad he felt about his assumptions that there was something inappropriate about Violet and Ned’s relationship—and God had he been wrong there!—he still didn’t like Dakota.

Gavin had managed to smooth things over with Violet, thankfully.

Over a cup of coffee, he’d apologized again and gotten to know her a little. She did seem like a lovely person—inside as well as outside—and he was glad they’d talked and cleared the air.

However, none of his attempts at winning Dakota over seemed to have worked.

Gavin had tried to strike up friendly conversations any time they passed in the hallways of HCI, but Dakota’s politeness held an undertone of barely hidden sneering dislike. He always had a reason to hurry back to his studio and never lingered any longer than was strictly necessary.

He was a frustrating mystery, that was for damn sure.

And Gavin still wasn’t convinced all this fancy-ass equipment was really going to move the needle on the team’s chances of winning. Look, he’d seen the data and yes, there were benefits to improving the guys’ strength, flexibility, and balance, no question about that.

Gavin simply wasn’t convinced it was what was going to get the team into contention again.

Still, he’d been surprised by Dakota’s request for a meeting and was hopeful they might put some of the animosity behind them.

“Dakota?” Gavin said again, venturing through the door and peering around.

The studio was empty this time of day.

It was shaped like a long rectangle, with mirrored walls, mats spread out on the floor, and rows of the low Pilates reformermachines and the taller ones that really, really looked like strange, kinky sex beds.

“Yes?” Dakota said, emerging from a doorway set into the side wall and startling him.

“Ahh, just here for our meeting,” Gavin said.

Dakota’s gaze swept over him, and he narrowed his eyes like he was taking in Gavin’s shorts and muscle shirt and finding them wanting.

“Well, you certainly don’t look like you’re dressed for a meeting,” he said cooly, the smooth, rich tone of his voice flowing over Gavin.

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