Page 19 of Bargain With The Boss (Crescent Cove: The Moguls #2)

Sydney

I was so confused.

And turned on.

And comforted.

What the hell was this man doing to me?

I finally stepped away from him and the loss of his arms ramped up that confusion. I wasn’t a touchy kind of person and this man was always putting himself in my space.

“Hungry?”

I frowned and met his gaze. “You don’t want to go home?”

“No. I’m hungry.”

“You’re very confusing.”

“I’m very capable of surviving even if I want you...horizontal, was it?”

I sighed and pushed him away then opened the door.

He laughed and waited for me to get in so he could close the door. The fact that he was always worried about taking care of me added another annoyance. I wasn’t supposed to be getting distracted by him. And I certainly wasn’t supposed to have sex with him.

Surely it had to be just the physical needs. I’d been so busy for the last few years that dating often fell by the wayside. The only men I’d actually dated lately had been ones I knew through work functions.

Maybe I needed to sleep with him simply to do something for me that had nothing to do with Seattle or my mother.

Because my body certainly thought it was a good idea. I was about three seconds away from an actual orgasm just from making out with him, for God’s sake. That never happened.

More often than not I was the only one who could make me climax. And that was hit or miss.

Usually because I was too damn tired to care.

“Food sounds good,” I said quietly.

He turned the car on. “Want to stay in the Cove or go elsewhere?”

“Your choice.”

I was tired of making them.

He pulled back onto River Road, heading back into town.

Except, he didn’t. A sprawling restaurant on the lake came into view. As he pulled into the parking lot, I spotted a massive boat with a number of women coming and going down a gangway. Were they carrying books?

When we parked, I noticed a sign near a tree festooned with balloons, ribbons, and mason jar lights. Groups of people were gathered around tables, books in hand.

“Emma is at it again,” Xavier murmured.

I glanced at him. “Is that a signing?”

“Probably. We have a few authors in Crescent Cove these days. It’s brought a lot more readers to the area. Emmaline is Mason’s wife. She is all about the events during the summer months.” He got out and came around to open my door—again.

I was getting too used to this kind of treatment.

“Want to go get a book signed?”

“No, that’s okay. I was just surprised.” I looked up at him. “How do you know all these things?”

“It’s my business to know. Helps us make choices about the properties we buy.”

That made sense. It was still confounding.

Seattle was so very different from Crescent Cove.

Or maybe it was just that I never had time to look up when I was home.

There was work or entertaining for work.

I rarely had time to see friends, let alone cultivate relationships.

My team were the only people I was truly close to.

Xavier’s hand was at the small of my back again, but this time it felt different.

His thumb gently traced circles along my skin.

I should step forward, out of his reach, instead I swayed into his side. He led me up the stairs and we were seated quickly. We were in between the lunch and dinner crowds. And I was pretty sure the star of this Friday afternoon was the book event.

Inside, I was impressed by the dual levels of tables. There was a bar on both floors. A dozen tables were full leaving more than double that empty. The hostess led us up to the second floor and out to the deck.

The wind off the water kept it cool enough and we were seated in a shady corner. In the distance I heard the music and laughter from the event, but it was muted enough not to be annoying.

“Wine?”

It was a bit early, but I nodded.

The waiter came by, and I let Xavier order for us. I was just going to enjoy myself and stop thinking for once.

He folded his hands and leaned forward. “Tell me all the dirt on Jude.”

I laughed. “Not much to tell. We went to different schools.”

“Surely you have something to spill.”

I didn’t want to explain just how cold our house had been. There was very little laughter or fun. There were dinner parties, and we were trotted out for photo ops then we were to disappear just as quickly.

Our nanny was kind enough, but Mother had a list of approved entertainment and it had been hard to deviate from that.

Jude and I had been tight as children, but our mother’s rigid demands took their toll.

Xavier covered my hand. “Is it a sore subject?”

I slipped my hand away, laying them both in my lap. “You come from a household full of overachievers, don’t you?”

He sat back in his chair, looking out on the water. “I do. Luna was a light and made things better when we were kids. Who could ever be mad at her when she was always laughing and spinning—literally.”

He lifted a glass of water to his lips as if to wet them.

“You mentioned there was some tension between you two for a time.”

He met my gaze again. “My parents are traditional and conservative. Luna was anything but in a box. She’d been created to break out of it and make something beautiful with the confetti she’d left behind. It should have been celebrated.”

I couldn’t imagine being that free. This time, I was the one to reach out to him.“But now it is.”

“Because she’s forgiving.” He tangled his fingers with mine. “If I hadn’t bumped into her at a school function, I may never have been brave enough to mend our relationship.”

I frowned. “School? Oh, the teacher.”

He laughed. “Yes. My family gives a pretty healthy endowment to St. Agnes. I just so happened to be there as the Hastings mascot for all intents and purposes. You should have seen her. She’s got lighter hair than mine.

She had this skirt on that had every color imaginable with a T-shirt practically shouting she was a witch.

Let alone all the crystals she was wearing.

And her now husband was completely besotted, smiling at her like she was the sun. ”

The softness in his eyes made my chest tighten. “Sounds like she’s magic.”

He nodded. “That’s pretty accurate. Seeing her started my wake-up call. I’d been so locked down with being everything my family wanted me to be that I’d allowed myself to cut off my sister. It was stupid and selfish. Then I found her on the floor of her apartment, and it scared the hell out of me.”

I sat up. “What?”

“Morning sickness is no joke evidently. She was so dehydrated that I almost brought her to the damn ER.”

“I didn’t realize it could be that serious.”

“Not for everyone, but my sister definitely had a rough first few months. After that she was practically a goddess. Everyone was drawn to her. Even our parents. It took some work, but my mother is trying. Luna having the first grandchild definitely pushed her to be more open.”

I tried to picture my mother cooing over a child.

It wouldn’t come.

“I was asking about Jude and you have me talking about Luna again.”

I shrugged. “I wish there were stories to tell. Jude was a serious, studious boy. Our— my father was hard on him. Always wanting him to be smarter or more athletic or more...anything.” I swallowed against the emotion. “Makes sense now that we know Jude has Hamilton blood in him.”

“Blood? That’s so formal.”

“So was my house. Love was conditional or transactional.”

The waiter came back with the wine and an appetizer, breaking the confessional between us.

“Did you have time to look over the menu?”

I hadn’t even lifted it. “Do you have a fish special?”

The young man with a faux-hawk smiled. “Actually, it’s my favorite dish today. Honey garlic salmon with fresh green beans from our own gardens. We have a creamy rice side, new potatoes, or salad if you’d rather.”

“The rice sounds nice. I’ll have the salmon.”

“Perfect. How about you, Xavier?”

“I’ll have the filet with coconut shrimp and a salad with the house vinaigrette.”

“You got it.”

“Thanks, Theo.” He smiled and handed over our menus.

When he left, Xavier slipped a tomato laden baguette slice onto a small plate for me and then himself. “I don’t know about you, but I worked up an appetite.”

My face went hot as I remembered the moment on the vista.

I looked at my watch for the first time in hours, realizing it was far more than a moment. I took a sip from my glass, the crisp white wine didn’t help.

When I glanced at him, the smile reminded me of the first time I met Xavier.

The shock of the news of Jude’s impending fatherhood—again—and Maddie had left me off-balance and reeling. Then there was this cocky man with curly hair standing in the kitchen. He looked like he’d stepped right off the pages of GQ.

My brother was literally slipping away from me, and Xavier thought I could be charmed by him.

Right now, he had the same smile. Like he had a secret.

Except it was me with the real secret.

“Excuse me.” I placed my napkin on the table and grabbed my wristlet. “I need to run to the ladies’ room.”

He stood and I could feel his eyes on my back as I rushed inside.

I knew it was abrupt, but I needed a second to catch my breath.

I was stupid to go out with Xavier. I should make my excuses to go back to my suite.

If I was really smart I should just go back to Seattle and try to change my mother’s mind. Maybe if I worked harder, she could leave Jude alone to his happiness. He could come back long enough to make it look like we were a happy family for the merger then be free.

Thinking back to our childhood made it all so much worse.

I didn’t need the garden stores.

I could let that go.

One of us could escape.

I stopped at the railing just inside the building as my eyes adjusted to the dim room compared to the sun. The room blurred as I tried to squash down my spinning mind.

Maybe I could make her see that. I could save my department and go back to what I’d been doing. I’d survived this long, hadn’t I?

“Duchess?”

I turned to Xavier’s voice.