Page 16 of Blame It on the Bikini (Ocean Shores #4)

"Perhaps a little too slowly, but this was a good day," she admitted.

"I'm going to start making more changes in my life, start going after what I really want.

" She paused, wanting to make one thing clear.

"But that doesn't mean I'm giving up the fight to keep this building. That's still at the top of the list."

"Along with Grayson."

She frowned. "Well, yes, because he's the one on the other side of this fight."

"I don't think that's the only reason he's on your mind," Josie said as she moved to the door.

"It is," she told her, but her aunt just gave her a wave and shut the door behind her. "It is," she repeated, but she wasn't sure she believed that any more than Josie did.

Saturday night, Grayson made the forty-minute drive from Oceanside to San Diego to meet with a real estate developer who might be interested in the Ocean Shores property.

As he walked into Pendry's rooftop bar, he felt immediately at home.

It was the kind of bar he often frequented—sleek, modern, expensive, and filled with dealmakers.

Jeff Parrish was waiting at a corner table, a man in his early forties with perfectly styled dark hair and the confident smile of someone who'd built a fortune by moving fast and taking big risks.

Jeff's company was headquartered in Los Angeles, but he was down in San Diego for a few days and had asked to meet him for a drink to discuss the Ocean Shores property.

"Grayson!" Jeff stood, extending a hand. "I'm glad you could make it."

"I was surprised to hear you were in San Diego."

"Drove down today. Doing a walk-through of one of our properties tomorrow. I thought we could discuss your beachfront building."

"Of course," he said, settling into his chair.

"Let's have a drink before we get into it." Jeff flagged down a waitress, a pretty blonde in her twenties. "Another Scotch for me, and whatever my friend here is drinking."

"I'll have the same," he said, watching Jeff's gaze follow the waitress back to the bar.

"Nice," Jeff said, a gleam in his eyes.

He smiled. Jeff was not only a big-time investor; he was also a big-time player. "Aren't you seeing someone?"

"I'm always seeing someone," Jeff said with a careless laugh. "What about you?"

"Too busy with work."

"And when you're not working…"

He shrugged. "That doesn't happen often."

"I'm all for focusing on business, but you have to make time for fun, too, Grayson. Spend some of that money you're making and blow off some steam."

"I've been having fun."

"When?" Jeff challenged.

"Actually, this morning. I explored an ocean cave when the tide went out and allowed us to gain access for a short time. It was very cool."

"You went into a dark cave that you could have died in, and that was fun?" Jeff asked with disbelief. "Tell me there was a pretty woman involved."

"There might have been," he admitted.

Jeff gave him a knowing look. "Now, we're getting to the fun part. I've never done it in a cave."

He rolled his eyes, seeing the glint in Jeff's eyes. "It wasn't like that."

"Why the hell not? That could have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Who's the woman?"

"No one you know," he said vaguely, relieved when the waitress brought their drinks. "Shall we get down to business?"

"Sure."

Jeff pulled out the folder he'd sent him on the property, and for the next hour, they discussed square footage, zoning regulations, and potential profit margins. Jeff's vision for the property was ambitious—luxury condominiums starting at two million, with penthouses going for considerably more.

"The location isn't as luxurious as I would like," Jeff said. "But I'm thinking we could buy up a smaller property just down the block and put in a spa, maybe some pickleball courts. That seems to be all the rage."

"That's true."

"And there's a country club golf course only five miles away.

Maybe we can add in a membership as a perk.

We'll have buyers lined up before we break ground," Jeff added.

"Right now, you have eighteen units bringing in what, maybe, thirty thousand a month total?

This new property would generate ten times that amount.

" He leaned back, clearly energized by the numbers.

"This is exactly the kind of deal that gets my blood pumping. "

Grayson nodded, recognizing the familiar excitement in Jeff's voice.

He'd felt that same rush countless times before, the intoxicating prospect of turning a good investment into a great one.

But tonight, something felt different. The numbers were impressive, the potential enormous, but the thrill wasn't quite there.

And he was blaming that lack of excitement directly on Lexie.

She'd gotten into his head. She was making him think about all the people who would be losing their homes instead of all the possibilities.

But those possibilities weren't for Lexie or the other tenants.

They'd be given relocation packages that would allow them to rent other apartments in the area, but they would never be able to go back to Ocean Shores.

Shaking his head, he reminded himself he was being too sentimental.

And that had never been one of his weaknesses.

"What's the timeline?" Jeff asked.

"I need to finish my evaluation. Another few weeks."

"Why so long? Is something going on?"

"No. I just have things to take care of before we can entertain offers."

"Don't wait too long," Jeff warned, signaling the waitress for another round. "When opportunity knocks, you answer, and that opportunity is practically knocking down your door."

"I'm aware."

"Good. Glad to hear it. Now, tell me more about the woman who took you into a cave."

"Nothing to tell. She's a photographer, and she was taking pictures. I was just checking out the cave."

"Does Victoria Sterling know you're exploring caves with someone else? My sister is friends with her. She said Victoria has been talking a lot about you."

"We've only gone out a few times. It's nothing," he said with a shrug.

"Better make sure she knows that. I grew up with girls like Victoria. She's nearing thirty, her friends are all married, and she's getting itchy. That's why I don't date anyone over twenty-seven anymore." Jeff gave a hearty laugh, but there was also something hollow about it.

Jeff was ten years his senior and chasing women far younger than him. It should have seemed enviable—the freedom, the wealth, the endless options, a new beautiful woman every weekend, but it just seemed…lonely.

The waitress brought them another round of drinks, and Jeff raised his glass. "To working together. To our generation making things even bigger and better than they've been."

He clinked his glass, sipped his Scotch, and felt far too eager to end the meeting. And as their conversation moved to golf, Jeff's third favorite topic after business and women, he wished he could find an excuse to leave.

As if on cue, he got a text. It was from Victoria.

The Children's Hospital gala is next Saturday. Should I put you down as my plus-one? It's the social event of the season. Let me know ASAP. The tables are filling up fast.

He stared at the message, feeling a distinct lack of interest in her text, too.

What was wrong with him? Golf and society events were as much a part of his life as Jeff's.

But right now, that life felt very far away.

And Jeff had just reminded him that women like Victoria didn't like casual relationships that weren't going anywhere.

"Problem?" Jeff asked.

"Yes," he said, seeing his opportunity to go. "There's an issue with a deal I'm doing in Singapore. I have to make a call. But this has been good. I'll be in touch."

"I hope to hear from you soon."

He nodded, took another sip of his scotch and then got up and left. Jeff called the waitress over as he walked away, and when he got to the door, he looked back and saw them chatting. Jeff really didn't waste an opportunity when he saw one.

But he was more than happy to go. He was tired and feeling off.

He needed a good night's sleep. Then he'd start feeling more like himself again.

But as he neared Ocean Shores, he thought about Jeff's plans to turn the complex into a luxury condo building, to create a spa nearby, perhaps with pickleball courts, and other entertainment opportunities.

This whole area would look completely different.

It wouldn't be a neighborhood for the average person, someone working a blue-collar job like Kaia or Ben, or building their own businesses, like Lexie, Ava, Liam, Madison, and Gabe.

That wasn't his problem, he reminded himself. Change always came. Progress couldn't be stopped.

But it wasn't just thinking about Ocean Shores that had made him feel restless; it was seeing Jeff, hearing him talk about their shared world.

Did he want to follow the same path as Jeff?

Did he want to be chasing deals and younger women when he was forty-three?

He'd never thought much about marriage or family.

He hadn't seen a loving marriage between his parents, and it was the excitement of eventually running his father's company that had always gotten him up in the morning.

With a sigh, he pulled into the parking lot just after eight.

He could hear the soft murmur of conversation and laughter as soon as he walked into the courtyard.

Lexie was sitting on the other side of the pool at a table with Kaia and Emmalyn, a bottle of wine between them, the string lights over the pool casting a warm glow over their faces.

He paused in the shadows, knowing they'd invite him to join them as soon as they saw him.

But that would be a mistake. He'd already gotten too close to Lexie.

The cave experience and the kisses that had followed had been damned good.

Too good. Too memorable. Which was why he was going into his apartment and locking the door, not to keep anyone out, but to keep himself in.