Page 14 of Bargain With The Boss (Crescent Cove: The Moguls #2)

“Your sister flipped him off.” My eyebrows shot up. She wasn’t kidding about the strength of the drink. I should probably back off, but the watermelon sweetness lured me into taking a deeper drink.

Heath snickered. “Did she now?”

“He was being a hotheaded jerk.”Claire rattled the ice cubes in her cup.

He pulled something else out of the cooler, then the hiss of meat on the grill added another layer to the air. “X is a good dude. We have a few friends that overlap, even if he doesn’t have much time for them anymore.”

I was hesitant to discuss Xavier. It wasn’t like I knew him well, but loyalty had been knitted into my DNA. And now I was odds on two different ends. What my mother wanted from me and sitting here with FHK’s rivals.

Even if they were the children, not Arthur.

Claire touched my arm. “It’s okay, Sydney. I really like you, but if it’s too difficult to be my friend I understand.”

I swallowed down half of my drink. “We are not our parents.”

She leaned forward and held up her cup. “Damn right.”

I clinked my cup to hers then finished it off. “Refill please.”

“Tell me you didn’t drive.”

Claire laughed. “Actually, I drove her here. She doesn’t have a car.”

“Handily, I have a spare bedroom in the pool house.” Claire held up her cup. “Me too.”

“Pool house?”

Claire shrugged. “I tried to move out of the house, but compromised to get my own space on the property. I converted the pool house into a cottage.”

“Oh. I’m sure I can call an Uber or something.”

Claire returned to her cozy corner of her lounger. “Sure, but let’s just see.”

No plans was a new thing for me and I decided to lean into it.

The day drifted into evening as we laughed and talked about the hardships of having rich families. It was a unique problem to have. Claire was much like me, sitting under the weight of parental expectation. Heath had a layer of that, but he also didn’t seem to fit the frame of a real estate mogul.

He seemed much more down to earth with a restless vibe.

Heath started up the fire pit to combat the cool air coming off the water.

“Why are you hanging with us anyway? What happened to Danneel?”

“Daria.”

“Right, sorry.” Claire’s eyes danced in the low light from the fire and the solar bulbs strung around the patio.

Heath was sprawled out in another lounger, his eyes heavy-lidded with a full belly and whatever was in the punch. “She wanted...” He trailed off with a shrug.

“More?”

He sighed. “Wanted me to introduce her to Mother.”

Interesting that they had more formal names for their parents as well. It made me feel less like a freak for not having a connection with my family. For never feeling like I belonged.

“Ahh.” Claire dug out an ice cube. “That’s not happening,” she said before crunching around it.

I glanced from her to Heath. “Why is that?”

“Mother has her list of approved women,” Claire said matter-of-factly.

“I thought my parents were bad.”

Heath sighed. “Remember how I said this place was like a soap?”

I nodded.

“Well, our mother believes that I should marry for money.”

“Or property,” Claire said and held up her cup.

He groaned. “Or property.”

“You guys make me feel way less awful about my mother and father.”

Claire giggled and got up for more of the punch. She refilled my cup even though I was well past tipsy. I didn’t say no. “The design queen doesn’t have you lined up with suitors?” She sat on the bottom of my chaise.

I moved my legs and she slid into the chair with me, wrapping an arm around my thighs. Her easy affection would usually unnerve me, but I was feeling quite mellow thanks to the watermelon goodness.

“Michelle Keller doesn’t trouble herself with things like my love life. I’m simply her tool toward greatness.”

“Yikes.”

“Did you know that Miss Design Queen doesn’t design half the things she says she does?”

“Really?” Claire lifted her head. “You?”

“Yep.” Loose tongue, alert. I couldn’t stop it though. “I do all the Christmas collections. Me. And I get none of the credit.” I sat up and swung my legs off the side. I needed to walk.

Heath held up his cup. “Damn right you deserve the credit.”

“I don’t even want the credit. She just railroads me into doing what she wants.” I huffed out a breath as I stood and paced. “Then she tells me that if I don’t fall in line then she’s going to?—”

I broke off, noticing a form in the shadows.

Xavier walked into the space. “She’s going to do what, Duchess?”

Heath got up from his lounger. “What the hell are you doing here, Hastings?”

Xavier held up a hand. “I’m not here to make trouble, just here to collect Sydney.”

“From the enemy camp? Are you supposed to be some sort of knight or something? Or are you a rook?”

Xavier crossed his arms over his chest. “This isn’t a game, Syd.”

“You sure about that? All you guys are moving pieces all over the chess board of Crescent Cove.”

“You’re drunk.”

“Maybe.” I stumbled a little. Stupid flip flops never stayed on my feet right.

He dropped his arms and moved my way.

“Back up. I’m fine.” I held up my cup and he took it from me. “Hey!”

He sniffed and then zeroed in on Heath. “You plying her with drinks?”

“She’s a grown woman.” Heath rolled his shoulders and set his own cup down. “If she wants to be here, she can stay here.”

Xavier turned toward Heath. “Is that right?”

Heath grinned. “She sure is pretty. My sister likes her. What’s not to like?”

Xavier’s hand fisted.

I rushed over. “Don’t.” I pushed him back. “You already were enough of an asshole earlier, member?”

He frowned at me. “How many of these have you had?”

“None of your business.” I shook back my hair. Sometime between burgers and my refills I’d lost my hat. Claire had supplied a hoodie from her magic lockers in the boathouse after the sun set.

He took a deep breath, and I could see his jaw firming.

I tapped his cheek. “Gonna need a bruxism guard if you keep that up. I know, I have one.”

He laughed. “Duchess, you drive me crazy.”

“I’m not a duchess, dammit.”

“Drunk Duchess at the moment, but still regal as fuck.” He pulled me into him. “Say goodnight.”

“I’m not going with you.”

“I’m going to take you home. You don’t have a car and neither of these two should be driving.”

“I’m staying with Claire. She invited me.” I pushed him back. “She’s my new best friend.”

“I am!” Claire shouted.

“Oh, hell.”

“And they’re not the enemy. You’re just a jerk.” I stabbed him in the chest.

“Duchess—Sydney, I know I overreacted a little earlier.”

“A little? You were way out of line.” I pushed him back a step with each punch of my finger. “You are just as bad as their father. So fixated on your end goal you can’t see anything else.”

He grabbed my hand and hauled me into him. “I see plenty and you don’t know what you’re talking about.” His eyes glowed in the firelight.

“Just one more person who thinks I’m an idiot.” He tried to reach for me and I twisted out of reach. “Go home, Xavier. You weren’t invited.”

Claire got up and stood beside me, locking arms with me. “You’re trespassing, Mr. Hastings.”

He growled. “I’m not leaving without her.”

“Oh, you are.” Heath came up behind both of us. “She said she wasn’t going with you, period.”

A part of me wanted to go to him, but that high-handed remark pissed me off.

“Sydney?”

“Just go.”

He stalked off through the trees and the sound of an engine broke the night. How had we not heard it before?

Because I was actually having fun. I was with people who wanted to be around me.

And I felt like I belonged for the first time in a long time.

“C’mon, Syd. Why don’t we go watch Princess Bride and sack out.”

“ Princess Bride ?”

“Tell me you know that movie.”

I laughed and leaned into her. “I do. It’s one of my favorites. Just don’t tell my mother. She thinks it’s overly romantic and silly.”

“That’s the whole point. And the hope.”

“You guys good to walk alone?”

Claire elbowed her brother. “We’re not that drunk.”

“Sure you’re not.” His voice was indulgent. “I’ll clean up. You guys go on.”

Claire threw her arms around her brother. “Thanks.You’re the best. I didn’t like Daria anyway.”

“Go on, get.”

Claire and I trundled off following the path toward the pool that went with the pool house.

“I wish I was a little more sober. I’d jump in that pool.”

She giggled. “Me too, but we better sit somewhere we can sleep just in case. A morning swim sounds nice though.”

I nodded. “Sure does.”

The pool house was very cottage-like with warm lights around it and more flowers that made my heart happy. This would be exactly the kind of place I’d live if I could. Not the condo that I’d bought because it was a good investment.

We laughed as we bumped against each other up the two steps to her door. It had a stained glass cutout with dragonflies in each corner and moonflowers in full bloom. Inside her living room was cozy with a massive television and game console.

“Next time we play Mario Kart.”

I laughed. “I’ve never played a video game.”

“Oh, girl.” She shook her head and pushed me onto a couch then went to the small kitchen. “We will fix that soon.” She banged around and came back into the living room with two bottles of water and pulled two blankets out of a basket at the end of the sectional couch. “But first, Westley.”

“Westley,” I said with a sigh.

I didn’t make it through the scene where Buttercup called him Farm Boy.

And when I fell into sleep, I realized that Xavier’s eyes were much like Westley’s.

How about that?