Page 12 of Bargain With The Boss (Crescent Cove: The Moguls #2)

Xavier

I clicked off my fifth zoom meeting for the day and put my head down on my desk.

“Sir, you have?—”

“Devon, if you tell me one more time about the next meeting I’m going to scream.”

“I think you’ll appreciate this bit of news. Your two and three o’clock have been rescheduled.”

I sat up. “Really?”

“Yes. You do have the Japan call this evening, but I suggest you go have some—” My assistant cut off when I stood.

“Lunch. God, yes. I need to get out of this place for a few hours.” I hung my jacket off the back of my chair and yanked at my tie.

It looked like a simple tie, but the words “fuck off” were printed in the smallest of fonts and in the shape of a stripe.

A gift from my sister which made me laugh every time I wore it.

I draped that over my jacket and unbuttoned my light blue shirt.

Devon sighed. “Must you strip every time you leave?”

I reached into the bottom drawer of my desk for my Loki T-shirt. I had a rotation of Avengers shirts for the times I could escape my office. I could go with a regular undershirt, but I enjoyed Devon’s appalled faces.

“It’s hot out there, Dev. This is so I look professional and unwilted when I get back.”

“You could have extra dress shirts, sir. I have a closet of them for you.”

“I know.” I patted his shoulder on my way back. “Because you are the literal best assistant and I don’t deserve you.”

“As long as you’re aware of it, sir.”

I laughed as I headed out into the main office. I spotted my father and slipped around the back of room to the stairs instead of the elevator. I didn’t need to deal with him today, thanks.

Once outside, I started for my convertible but rerouted to the garage. My mechanic had dropped off my Honda Shadow last week and I hadn’t had time to bring it back to my house. It was a damn good day for a ride.

And I was craving a lobster roll from The Shanty.

Since I had a few hours to kill, I took the scenic route, letting the rumble of the engine blow out all the stresses of the day.

It was surprisingly stressful to play nice all day with clients who thought bonds were the height of investment.

In this market they weren’t even the safe bet, but a lot of my father’s contemporaries were tied to the past.

Ten minutes into the ride, the tightness in my shoulders had flown off behind me.

The days like this were exactly why I never strayed far from the Cove for long.

I could smell the lake before I saw her.

Boats were out in full force today. I did a quick drive-by of Lakeview Terrace.

The workers were there and the dumpsters looked packed to the gills. Good sign.

Gavin’s truck was missing so he was probably on another job. He always had a half dozen projects going at once. I never knew anyone who worked so hard.

Not wanting to get in the way, I let my tires eat up Lake Road.

The food trucks beaconed. I should be smart and stop there instead and get back to the office, but I gunned it and headed along the far side of the lake where the boardwalk and watercraft rentals were.

The Shanty was right in the heart of the tourist area.

School was still in session in New York, but some people were already visiting from the southern states. Kids and parents were filling the summer rental properties, enjoying the pre-season lulls.

Or maybe not such a lull. The pier and beach crawled with people.

The scent of buttery lobster finally overpowered the crisp breeze off the water. I grinned as a boy did a cannonball off the large raft floating a few yards from the pier. A handful of girls on towels shrieked as they were doused.

I remembered doing the same to my sister’s friends. Some things stayed the same on the lake.

I scanned the water and noticed the slips on the pier were empty save for two sloops. One had a trio of guys hauling a massive chest onto the deck. Ten bucks there was a helluva lot of beer inside. The other had two women sitting on the side of the bow with their feet dangling over the edge.

I moved closer to the boat, frowning at the tail of red hair flapping in the breeze. It was tucked through the back of a ball cap. The woman had a dark pink sarong draped over her shoulders against the blazing sun. It looked vaguely familiar.

Suddenly she got to her feet and the endless length of her legs came into view under cutoffs I’d picked out myself. “Duchess?”

She turned and there was no denying the honey colored shades perched on her slim nose. Fuck, her tits were on full display. The filmy bit of pink couldn’t hide the way the simple black suit hugged her in every single way. “Xavier? I thought you were at work.”

I glanced past her to the other woman with her. I frowned. She was vaguely familiar. Knowing most people in town was a blessing and curse. Then I noted the name of the boat.

First Maitland .

My fingers clenched at my sides.

“What are you doing with her?”

She glanced from me to Claire Maitland. “We met at Vintage December. This is Claire?—”

“I’m well aware who she is.”

Claire peeked around Sydney. She was wearing a similar baseball cap and sunglasses ensemble with a bikini top. She was bronzed from the sun unlike my redhead. “What’s your problem?”

The irrational anger had me whirling around as I stalked toward the boardwalk.

“Xavier, wait.”

The telltale snap of flips got closer just before she grabbed my arm.“Hey, I’m talking to you.”

“I can’t believe you’re associating with her.”

“She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.” She yanked me to a stop. “Why are you being such a jerk?”

“She’s a Maitland!”

She looked over her shoulder and Claire was standing on the boat with her hands on her hips, then back to me. “As in Arthur Maitland?”

“Yeah.”

She dropped her hand and mirrored Claire. “I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, well now you do. Let’s get out of here.”

“No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“Why should that matter? You haven’t said many kind things about your father. Does that make you any less because you’re his son?”

She was right, but I couldn’t push the anger and resentment away. “That’s different.”

“Is it? That’s pretty small-minded of you.” She took a few steps back and turned back around.

“Duchess, wait.”

“Nope. I don’t want to talk to you right now. I’m going back to my friend who’s been really generous and kind today.”

I caught up to her. “Syd.”

“Go back to whatever you were doing,” she threw over her shoulder.

“A few of my meetings got canceled. I came out to get some air.”

“If you say so.” She walked faster, her long legs eating up the path back to the pier.

I fell back, frustration replacing the contentment. “I want to see you tonight.”

“Enjoy wanting,” she called. “I won’t be available.” She reached up to Claire who helped her back on the boat.

Claire shielded her eyes then lifted a middle finger.

Annoyed, I took off back toward the crowd and the boardwalk. The idea of eating churned my stomach. I passed each eatery and gave halfhearted smiles to people who greeted me.

All I wanted was my bike.

I gunned the engine and instead of turning back toward the Cove, I opened it up and roared my way up Lake Road and passed signs for Maitland’s Spa and Resort.

Anger built until I pushed the engine well past the speed limit.

I leaned over my handlebars as the heat of the day warred with the wind of my speed.

Hadn’t I made it clear to her how important it was that our town was protected from Maitland? All this untouched land was good for the ecosystem of our town. I understood and even welcomed progress, but Maitland’s plans would put in his glitzy, sprawling buildings instead of working with the land.

He’d cut down hundreds of acres of trees that helped with erosion. And a spa wouldn’t be enough for Arthur. He’d want more houses and larger ships anchored here. Our quiet town would be lost to the party set.

As the anger built, I slowed the bike before I did something stupid.

Fuck. I parked and tossed my helmet before I stalked up to the rocky view that overlooked the lake and let out a primal scream that blew out most of the rage until I could breathe around it again.

It wasn’t even about Claire and Sydney—it was that I couldn’t see around the problem.

I was good at working around problems. It made me a good businessman.

I was the ideas guy where Gavin was the muscle and the refinement.

Jude was the temperament we needed between us.

He wasn’t so close to the rivalry between the families.

Gavin had his own issues with Maitland even beyond the land grabbing. More personal ones he wouldn’t speak about unless we got him good and drunk and even then they were more angry rambles.

But we had a firm goal between us.

We wanted to protect Crescent Cove.

And it felt like that goalpost was getting further and further every fucking day.

All of this land would be razed and mar the view from the lake.

Hell, it would roll into the boardwalk, taking away the family charm.

All the memories of my childhood would be erased.

I wouldn’t let that happen, no matter what I had to do.