He looked at Jenny.

Then at the dead car.

Then back at Jenny.

"You okay?"

Jenny crossed her arms.

"I'm perfectly fine."

Kai glanced at the broken car.

"Obviously."

She glared.

"Don't start."

Kai smiled.

"What happened?"

"I don't know."

He opened the hood.

Jenny stood beneath her umbrella watching him work.

"You always appear when someone's having a bad day."

Kai looked at her.

"Maybe you have a lot of bad days."

Jenny narrowed her eyes.

"Was that an insult?"

"No."

"It sounded like one."

Kai laughed quietly.

After a few minutes, he found the problem.

"Battery."

"Can you fix it?"

"Probably."

He grabbed a portable battery starter from his motorcycle.

He connected it.

The engine came back to life.

Jenny smiled with relief.

Then she noticed blood on Kai's hand.

She immediately grabbed his wrist.

"You're hurt."

Kai looked down.

"It's nothing."

"You say that about everything."

"It's a scratch."

Jenny pulled a tissue from her handbag and carefully wrapped his knuckles.

For the first time, Kai didn't joke.

He simply watched her.

Jenny looked up.

Their eyes met.

For one quiet second, neither moved.

Then Jenny let go.

"Don't misunderstand."

Kai smiled.

"I didn't say anything."

"Good."

He closed the hood.

"Your roadside assistance should be here soon."

Jenny looked at him.

"You're leaving?"

Kai put his helmet on.

"Unless you need something."

She hesitated.

"No."

Kai smiled.

"Goodnight, Jenny."

He walked toward his motorcycle.

Jenny watched him.

"Kai."

He turned.

She looked at him for a moment.

Then quietly said,

"Thank you."

Kai nodded.

"Anytime."

He rode away.

Jenny stood beside her car, watching his taillight disappear into the rain.

She didn't know it yet.

But the mysterious biker she'd dismissed as "trouble" had officially become someone she couldn't stop thinking about.

And that was exactly what annoyed her most.

Because Jenny Laurent didn't fall for people easily.

She didn't chase.

She didn't confess.

And she certainly didn't lose control.

Not yet.

To be continued.