Page 27 of No Mane, No Gain

A knock at her door made her heart leap. She took a deep breath, smoothing down her sweater one last time before going to answer it.

Chaos stood in the hallway, looking devastatingly handsome in dark jeans and a button-down that stretched enticingly across his broad shoulders. His hazel eyes lit up as they roamed over her, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“You look beautiful,” he said, his deep voice sending a shiver down Olive’s spine.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Olive replied, proud of how steady her voice sounded despite the butterflies in her stomach.

Chaos chuckled, offering her his arm. “Shall we? Your ride awaits, my lady.”

Olive laughed, linking her arm through his. “Such a gentleman. Lead the way, good sir.”

They made their way down to the street where a sleek black town car waited. The driver opened the door for them, and Oliveslid in, followed closely by Chaos. As the car pulled away from the curb, Olive turned to him, curiosity getting the better of her.

“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going? Or is this one of those ‘I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you’ situations?”

Chaos grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Now where’s the fun in spoiling the surprise? Don’t worry, we’re picking up your friend Athena on the way. I promise it’s nothing sinister.”

Olive raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. That’s exactly what a sinister person would say, you know.”

“Damn, you’ve seen right through my evil plan,” Chaos deadpanned. “I suppose I’ll have to cancel the shark tank and the laser beams.”

Olive burst out laughing, the last of her nerves melting away. There was something about Chaos that put her at ease, even as he sent her heart racing.

They picked up Athena, who gave Chaos an appraising once-over before declaring him “acceptable.” Olive could have died of embarrassment, but Chaos took it in stride, seeming amused by Athena’s protective big sister act.

As they drove through the city, Olive tried to guess where they might be going based on the landmarks they passed. But when the car finally came to a stop, she found herself completely baffled.

They were parked in front of a trendy-looking building with large windows and a sign that read “Culinary Institute of New York.” Olive turned to Chaos, confusion written all over her face.

“A cooking school?” she asked.

Chaos nodded, a hint of nervousness creeping into his expression. “I arranged a special cooking class for my senior management team. I thought... well, I thought you might enjoy it. Was I wrong?”

Olive’s heart melted at the uncertainty in his voice. She reached out, squeezing his hand. “No, you weren’t wrong. This is... this is amazing, Chaos. Thank you.”

The relief on his face was palpable. He brought her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles that sent sparks racing up her arm. “I’m glad. Shall we?”

As they entered the building, Olive was struck by the bustling energy of the place. The air was filled with the tantalizing aromas of various dishes being prepared, and the sound of chopping, sizzling, and lively conversation.

They were led to a large, state-of-the-art kitchen where about a dozen people were already gathered, chatting and laughing as they donned aprons. Olive recognized a few faces from business magazines and tech news sites - these were some of the most powerful people in the industry.

A tall, muscular man with warm brown eyes and a scar above his right eyebrow approached them, a friendly grin on his face.

“About time you showed up, boss,” he said, clapping Chaos on the shoulder. “I was starting to think you’d chickened out.”

Chaos rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “As if. Olive, Athena, this is Baxter Lennox, my COO and occasional pain in the ass. Bax, this is Olive Russo and her cousin Athena.”

Baxter’s brows shot up as he turned to Olive, recognition dawning on his face. “Ah, so you’re the famous Olive. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Olive felt her cheeks heat. “All good things, I hope?”

“Oh, the best,” Baxter assured her with a wink. “I haven’t seen Chaos this worked up over a woman in... well, ever.”

“All right, that’s enough out of you,” Chaos grumbled, but Olive could see the pleased glint in his eye.

Baxter turned his attention to Athena, his grin widening. “And who might you be, beautiful?”

Athena raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Someone way out of your league, Casanova.”

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