Page 28 of An Unexpected Turn
“Hi, I’m Claudia Ng.” Her friend extended her hand to Kristina.
“I’m so sorry,” Peyton said, pressing her palm against her forehead. “This is my friend Claudia. She came up to help me unpack what I could before your crew gets to work in the living room and kitchen.”
“Nice to meet you, Claudia.” I stood and shook her hand after she greeted my sister.
“Gets to work?” Kristina looked me over with a raised brow.
“My new condo was flooded the day before I was supposed to move in. Most of the floors are water-damaged. My uncle hired your brother to fix it until I could pay him back.” Her red lips, the ones I almost tasted a week ago, curved in a grin. “Uncle Keith is annoying that way.”
“I know your Uncle Keith well.” Kristina nodded. “We could never shake him when he was in school with my brother. Always around.”
“Sounds like my uncle.” Peyton laughed before her gaze flicked to mine, and her smile faded. We still had that same problem of looking everywhere but at each other, though glancing back enough to make it tense.
Tonight was even worse. I tried not to notice her painted-on jeans and blouse low enough to tease a little cleavage. It was another picture I didn’t need in my head as I planned to camp out at her condo for the next week or more.
“I’ll let you guys enjoy your dinner. It was nice to meet you, Kristina.”
“Very nice to meet you both,” Kristina said, her eyes flicking to me for a second before she smiled.
Claudia waved before they followed the hostess to a table.
“Keith’s niece?” My sister gaped at me once they were out of earshot. “The one he’s always talked about like she’s his third kid? Holyshit.” She blew out a long breath and fell back against her seat.
“Holy shit, what? That I’m working in her condo? She just told you Keith hired me.”
“He didn’t hire you to eye-fuck each other like I just saw.”
“Shh.” I craned my neck around the restaurant. “For Christ’s sake, keep your voice down.”
She rolled her eyes. “They can’t hear from all the way over there. But do you really think it’s not obvious? Even her friend looked between you two like you were about to pull Peyton onto your lap. Keith really has no clue?”
I groaned, rubbing my eyes before I shook my head. This was exactly what I’d been afraid of—someone picking up on whatever was brewing between us.
And of course, that someone had to be my sister.
“I hate that this is my first question,” Kristina said, glaring at me with wary eyes. “But how old is she?”
I scrubbed a hand down my face.
“Thirty-two.”
She leaned back with a slow nod. “Okay. Not that young.”
“Young enough.” I took a long pull from my beer.
“Keith may shoot you.”
I let out a sad laugh. “I wouldn’t blame him if he did.”
“So this is ...” She tapped her fingers on the table, chewing on her bottom lip. “A little icky maybe, but not so terrible. You’re adults, right?”
“The last time I saw her before a couple of months ago, she was fifteen.”
She shrugged. “You weren’t interested in her then.”
“Despite how it looked,” I began, having no energy for a hollow denial, “nothing has happened between us.” My chin fell to my chest when my sister shot me a glare. “Not really, anyway.”
“Yet. And you’ll be working on her condo, alone. Unless you send some of the crew, which I’m guessing you won’t.” She chuckled before squeezing my arm. “I want to see you happy, and God knows I can’t judge anyone’s love life, but make sure you understand all the repercussions before you start something with your best friend’s niece.”
