Page 13 of Bargain With the Boss

“Wouldn’t they have increased sales?”

“At first, sure. But Maitland owns the properties, and he’d price out the shop owners so he could get boutique shops that cater to the rich people he’s going to market to. Not to mention the high-end bungalows he wants to build around the lake will drive up the prices of homes on the lake. Not all of them are?—”

“Like yours?”

He growled. I tried to take my hand back because all of the passion in his eyes made my skin feel buzzy, but he held it firm. “I’ve got money, yes. And yes, my parents have a lake house, but right next door is one of my best friends in his much smaller post-and-beam house.” His eyes were hidden behind the mirrored lenses of his shades, but there was no denying his anger. “Not only does Arthur want to eat up all the land and paths that make the area desirable to people, but he wants to tear down swaths of trees for a golf course, for fuck’s sake.”

“It’s a big lake, Xavier. Progress can’t be stopped you know.”

“I know that.” His hold increased until I was so aware of him and his scent I wanted to push him away, but I also couldn’t look away from how intense he was. “Then the small shops go and so do the families. All the things that make Crescent Cove special will be gone.”

My heart raced in my chest. “That’s quite the worst case scenario you’ve got there.”

“I like this small town life. I don’t want it to be changed into a resort town.”

“It could be good for the economy though.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if it were individualized shops and eateries? We love the tourists that come here for the lake. And many come here for our Main Street because it’s so charming then they can take their families to the lake for fun. We’veexpanded our park to accommodate people visiting as well as community spaces for locals. That’s the important part of small town life.”

“There’s no happy medium?” I detangled our fingers andturned to the view of the lake. “Vacation cottages would bring even more people here.”

“There’s no happy medium for Arthur Maitland.” He turned me toward the west side of the lake. “See that billboard over there? Future home of Crescent Lake Resort & Spa.” His breath was warm on my ear as he crowded into me.

“Yes.”

“That whole spread would be the resort. From the edge of those trees to the docks.”

“Not small.”

“At all,” he said softly.

He turned me to face him again. I tried to back up, but he just followed me. My reaction to his passion shouldn’t have left me so unbalanced. “So you think you can fight that kind of expansion with small shops?”

“No.” His jaw flexed with his exasperation. “We’re not delusional, but we are encouraging expansion without losing the good parts of Crescent Cove. We have families as well as young professionals which is why we want the Lakeview Terrace to cater to new people.”

“Okay, then let’s see those plans. As well as a taco.” I backed away from him and all that passion.

I didn’t want to see the appeal.

Not when I had to ruin it all to save my people.

Chapter 4

Xavier

The line of food trucks with the spectacular view of Crescent Lake was the perfect blend of small town and forward thinking. The first one had arrived from Kensington Square, a nearby city, and had been such a success that a half dozen more had followed suit.

The mayor of our town was happy to lease spots and bring in more revenue especially since it showed off the jewel of the town—Crescent Lake. And brought people in from the nearby towns like Turnbull and Kensington Square on the regular.

Another reason I wanted to get our storefronts situated.

We were sitting on the perfect spot of land, and I was getting tired of watching all our plans die on the vine.

I pushed that down and drew in a deep breath. I could smell the sunshine on the air and distant laughter grounded me into the moment instead of all the things pissing me off.

The lunch rush was over and the trucks only had a handful of customers. Summer was teasing its way across the lake and I had a feeling people were playing hooky thanks to a warm breeze off the water.

The scent of cookies hit me first, followed directly by the spice of Mexican food—both making my stomach growl. Sydneywas quietly assessing her surroundings. I could practically hear the gears in her brain whirring from where I stood.