Page 85 of Bargain With the Boss

He took another long sip, his gaze steady. “She’s in the Adirondacks with my sister.”

“Care to be a bit more specific?”

“Not really.” He pushed off the car and pitched his empty bottle in the green cooler filled with ice.

“Look, we had...not really a fight. Hell, I don’t know what we had. She jetted on me the next morning, if you know what I mean.”

“Not really.” He grinned. “Women don’t generally run from me.”

I shook my head and tried not to laugh. I didn’t want to like him, dammit. I hated what his family stood for in this town.

“And why did she run?”

I opened my mouth to tell him it was none of his business, but the look on his face told me that I’d lose any hope of an answer if I did.

“Things got too real for her I think.”

“And for you?”

“Real as it gets. And maybe I scared her.”

Because I wanted too much. And it wasn’t fading with a new day. Getting worse if I was honest.

I wanted to learn what made her tick. What made her laugh out loud with abandon. What she’d look like in my bed on a Sunday morning.

I wanted a damn lot, and I was afraid I’d already lost out on something amazing.

But how the hell did I explain that to a virtual stranger?

And the son of the man who could fuck up the town I wanted to protect.

“I don’t know Syd very well yet, but I do know she’s different from other women I’ve known. Fuck things up with her and I’ll be there to clean up the tears and show her how a real man can treat her.”

I took two steps closer, my hand fisted.

His face broke out in a wide grin, eyes crinkled at the corners in glee. “Yeah, you got it bad.” He turned back to his car and picked up a socket wrench. “She’s at the Earl in Lake George with my sister.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Don’t fuck it up!” he called out, but I was already down the path to my car.

I put the name of the place in my Maps app and swore at how many hours it would take to get to her. Hell, the entire place would probably be buttoned up for the night.

But I had to try.

I gunned my engine and hit the curve of Lake Road at ninety miles per hour.

I hoped the cops weren’t on the beat over there tonight.

I managed to get on the highway in record time and the east thruway felt like it took forever. I managed to shave thirty minutes off the main part of the drive, but once the signs for Lake George came up, I had to throttle it back.

It was a small town much like Crescent Cove, but their downtown life was much more congested. Bars and restaurants were doing a late business in deference to the sultry May night. The holiday was coming, which would kick off the season in the sleepy little town.

I slowed as downtown opened up into a lakeview that rivaled my hometown.

The Earl was right on the water and an impressive stone structure. Signs for a wedding were everywhere. The parking lot was valet only and there was a line under the overhang of the front of the venue. I rolled down my window and a hit from the early aughts floated down from the side of the building.

Carly Rae Jepsen’s anthem rolled out as I got to the valet.