Breaking the Cycle Read Online Free Page B

will be too.”
    Max paused. “Yes. I know what I’ll be doing.”
    Jack pushed himself away from the rail and stood straight. “You’re hired. And so is your assistant. There’ll be no change in your salary. I’ll negotiate your assistant’s with you at a later time. I promise it’ll be fair. Be here Monday to sign your contracts. And give Roadie your two weeks’ notice. You belong to Hard Drive now.”
    Jack strode back into the conference room, closing the door behind him. Max shot one last glare at the door before he walked out the front door.
    »»•««
    The beautiful afternoon was perfect to do some gardening. Chloe dug the trowel deep into the moist soil. She scraped out the black dirt then turned to the potted, pale pink hyacinths at her side. Gently tapping the bottom of the pot to free the plant, she set it in the hole in the ground. She patted the extra dirt around the flower to secure it.
    She turned as she heard the purr of a motor alongside the curb. She brushed the dirt off her hands and stood as Max threw open the door and jumped out. He raced across the yard to her.
    “Max, what are you doing here?” she asked.
    “I have the best news, Chloe,” he gushed.
    “What is it?”
    “I found you a job. You’re already hired. You’re going to be my assistant.”
    “You got me re-hired at Roadie’s?”
    “No. I’m taking a job at Hard Drive as a trainer there. You’ll be an assistant trainer. Jack, the owner, is going to pay you a generous salary. It’s a full time job, with benefits like medical insurance. I get to write your schedule, so I can work around all the third Thursdays. And if you’re sick on other days, I’ll smooth it over with Jack.”
    “Isn’t Hard Drive that MMA gym?” she asked warily.
    “Yes. Jack has been trying to get me to work there for years.”
    “But you love Roadie’s. Why would you quit?”
    “Because you need a job.”
    “Max, you shouldn’t have given up a job you love so much.”
    Max touched her chin with his fingers and tilted her face to his. “You need the job, Chloe. You need the insurance. Come on. Come and work with me again.”
    The feel of his fingers on her face made her shiver. Being anywhere near him did that to her. A smile slowly crept across her lips. “Sure, Max. Thank you. Really, you shouldn’t have. But thank you so much.”
    “You’re welcome. We need to meet with Jack to sign our contracts. Then, we start in two weeks.”
    Chloe bit her lip uneasily. “Max, there is one thing. All those guys. I mean, being around men makes me nervous. That’s why I usually taught classes geared for women.”
    He grinned at her. “I remembered you telling me that shortly after you started at Roadies. It’s part of the deal. They bother you at all, we’ll walk. Jack won’t let that happen. All right?”
    She smiled again. “All right. Thank you again.”
    “Sure. See you Monday?”
    “I’ll be there.”
    “Awesome.” Max leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek. Chloe’s heart nearly burst out of her chest as she watched him jog to his car and climb in. She waved as he drove away.
    »»•««
    Max stood tall as he scrutinized the crowd surrounding him, Jack, and Chloe. He plotted his method of attack. To get these men to listen to him, to trust him, he would have to exert himself as the Alpha male. He had been to many of this type of gyms and watched trainers get walked on too many times. It wouldn’t happen to him or Chloe. He glanced down at the Hard Drive team jacket he wore. Dressed like Jack’s stooge wasn’t helping his cause.
    He fought a small smile from his lips. Scattered amongst the hard, muscular men were a few women. He saw the relief in Chloe’s eyes. He worried, for her sake, that the team was all male.He had no idea what caused her distrust of men. He was the only guy she would talk to at Roadie’s, and that was only because he was so persistent. And so darn adorable.
    “I hired Max and Chloe to help you be the