Page 99 of Only for the Season

Jeremy

“Are you certain this is what you want to do?” Chuck asks.

Am I certain I want to move across the country to live with the woman I love? There’s no doubt in my mind. I knew the second I stepped onto the jet to leave Smuggler’s Hideaway, it was the last time I’d leave Parker behind.

“This is going to cause a lot of upheaval in the company,” Jennifer, the human resources manager forApparoo,adds.

The other members of the board – including Eli – haven’t questioned me once since I announced my desire to move the company to the island of Smuggler’s Hideaway. In fact, Eli smirked and muttered something along the lines of ‘about damn time’.

“You’ve never done something this impulsive before,” Chuck claims.

Eli barks out a laugh. “Never done something this impulsive before? Did you miss the time he thought up and developed an app while he was supposed to be on vacation? By the time he returned to the office, he had a marketing plan ready.”

Chuck waves a dismissive hand in the air. “I meant impulsive as in the business. Not the apps he designs.”

The apps are the business. He’s the operations manager, he knows this.

“Is this because of a woman?”

I glare at him. “None of your business.” Chuck is a member of the board, but we’re not friends. We’re colleagues.

“It is my business when a little baker from a small town in the middle of nowhere wraps you around her finger and doesn’t let you come home.”

Little baker from a small town? How does he know about Parker? I certainly haven’t told him. Has he been spying on me? Another reason to avoid social media.

“What are you talking about?”

He rolls his eyes. “Don’t avoid the question. Are we moving the entire headquarters ofApparooto the middle of nowhere because a woman is leading you around by your dick?”

How dare he! Who the hell does he think he is? I jump from my chair and prowl toward him.

Eli steps in my way. “He’s not worth it.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What if he said those things about Paisley?”

“I’d laugh at him because he’s jealous and has a small dick.”

“Fine,” I mutter and return to my seat. I’ll let this go. I’ll be the bigger man.

“Remember what happened the last time you decided a woman was ‘the one’?” Chuck asks.

I growl at him. He’s a liar. Before Parker, I never thought a woman was ‘the one’. Hell, before Parker, I didn’t have relationships that lasted more than a weekend. She’s the exception to every single one of my rules.

“You ended up having to settle out of court when she threatened to sell company secrets to the highest bidder.”

“I didn’t tell her any secrets and you know it.”

The woman in question planted a bug in my phone. She came and sat by me in a hotel bar. We had one drink together and then said our goodbyes. She tried to get me to accompany her upstairs to her hotel room, but I declined.

Parker would never do any of those things. She’s too honest and loyal.

“I don’t like this,” Chuck continues to complain.

“And I don’t like how you lied to get me to come to California when you didn’t need me.” I could be in Smuggler’s Hideaway now with Parker. Instead, I’m in the office arguing with this asshat.

“You shouldn’t be away from headquarters for a month.”

Someone has gotten too big for his britches. He doesn’t get to decide when or how long I’m in the office. I’m in charge here. This is my company. Being a member of the board doesn’t give him license to control me.