Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
My grin turned predatory. I had to admit, I was enjoying myself. It was fun to make James squirm. Twin dots of red flamed up his cheeks. I had a feeling this was a man who was used to getting his way.
Well, I didn’t plan on being that easy. “For a small fee,” I added, “I’ll even let you keep your car parked in our lot.”
We both turned to peer out into the giant, mostly empty lot. When I turned back to look at him, James was staring at me with a knowing look. He flexed his fingers against the counter. “I’ll pay you a thousand dollars a night for the next five nights, guaranteed.”
I opened my mouth to give the expected snappy rejection, but the words stalled on my tongue. Five thousand dollars would be more than enough to finish fixing up the room I wanted to use as an example for my uncles to see my vision. And after just booking the two Burnside rooms at full price for the entire week, I didn’t have to feel as guilty about siphoning off the extra from James’s bill to pay for the renovation project. It was for the inn after all. It wasn’t like I was taking the money and jetting off to Hawaii or something.
I hated giving in to this man, but I knew that being stubborn wasn’t going to get me what I wanted. I might lose this battle, but I intended to win the war.
I stood up and reached my hand out for a shake. “Prepay up front in cash and you have yourself a deal.”
He took my hand in his which turned out to be a huge mistake. His fingers wrapped around mine, firm and strong. The warmth from his grip reminded me of the night before when that same hand had clasped the back of my neck. Our eyes met and something passed between us. I felt a shudder slowly make its way through my body.
His lips parted on a breath. “I don’t have it.” His voice was low and unsteady. “In cash, I mean,” he added. “I’ll have to find a bank.”
I pulled my hand back quickly and rubbed it on my thigh behind the counter to get the memory of his touch off my skin. This wasn’t the sexy, kissing James, I reminded myself. It was the business James. And he was going to help me foil his own damned client whether he knew it or not.
“I guess you’d better head to town, then. Barwich Trust closes at four.” I turned around and busied myself with nonsense against the back wall of the reception area, straightening piles of paper and checking the printer connections.
When I glanced over my shoulder to see if he was still there, I found him standing in the exact same spot. He smiled slowly. “I’ll be right back, then.”
Now it was my turn to check out his ass he left, stalking across the parking lot with purpose, the shockingly bright bathing suit tight across his ass, giving me a view that made me sigh. Why did he have to be so fucking gorgeous? And sexy? This whole proposition would be so much less confusing if he were ugly and old. Then I wouldn’t have to keep reminding myself that he was the enemy which meant keeping my hands off.
An enemy who was about to fork over five thousand dollars cash.
I shook my head. Christ, he was actually going to give me a thousand dollars a night to stay in a shitty motel room.
I scrambled to grab the keys for our three best rooms so I could check them out to see which one I wanted to give him. Halfway down the walkway toward the first room, though, I hesitated. I was supposed to be making him suffer, right? Which would mean giving him one of our crappiest rooms.
But that idea didn’t sit well with me either.
After all, the Sea Sprite was like a second home to me. Despite the leaking toilet and dated shag carpeting, I was proud of the place. James already thought ill of the inn; I hated the thought of confirming his assumptions.
Besides, if I could somehow make him see the beauty and history of the place, maybe there was a shred of human decency somewhere in him that would allow him to see what he was asking us to give up with this development deal.
In the end, I chose my favorite room because I couldn’t help myself. We called it the Turret Room, but it wasn’t anywhere close to being an actual turret. It was simply the room on the end of the building that had an extra set of windows facing the water as well as a metal spiral staircase just off the sliding patio doors that led to a private rooftop area with two lounge chairs and an endless view of the ocean.