Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
"Yeah," she laughed. "Okay Nix, I've got your back. Don't worry."
"I'll get right on that."
"Perfect. And get his last name too. Lee is pretty common."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. She was right, but there was no subtle way to ask now. "There's no good way to—"
"It's Lancaster." His deep voice froze me in place.
"Did he just say—" Torey's voice boomed through the speaker. "Holy. Shit."
I turned to face him, irritated that he looked just as good in sweats and a t-shirt as he had in his fancy suit. Which, come to think of it, made perfect sense now. "Lancaster. Lee Lancaster."
"That's me," he grinned. "Nice to meet you, Nix."
A low growl escaped my throat as I glared up at the man who towered over me by at least six inches. "Good news, Torey. He's not going to kill me—he's just going to kill Holiday Grove." I ended the call, gripping my phone like a lifeline. "Lee Lancaster."
"Yes, we've established that part. Along with the fact that you're finally convinced I'm not a psycho killer."
"Not of people, anyway," I grumbled. What were the odds that this beautiful specimen, this gift of eye candy sent to help me weather the storm, would turn out to be the man determined to destroy everything I loved about my hometown? Had to be some cosmic joke.
Right?
"Look, Nix, I'm not sure what you think you know about me, but you've got it all wrong." He clenched his fists at his sides—a move that probably worked wonders on people who jumped to do his bidding, decimating amazing towns across the globe.
"Oh, I've got it all wrong, do I? My little pea brain can't possibly comprehend your billion-dollar business, right?"
"That's not what I'm saying."
I knew I was being unreasonable, but the flood gates had opened and I couldn't stop. "Then what are you saying? Are you or are you not about to erect a giant penis—" I scoffed. "I mean resort, that's going to destroy Holiday Grove?"
"Not sure what a penis has to do with anything, but the only truth you've spoken is that I'm building a resort. Everything else sounds like a delusion."
My jaw clenched so hard that stars danced at the edges of my vision. "Delusion? Hardly! I live in reality, Mr. Big Man Developer Who Wants To Destroy Everything In His Path Just To Make A Buck!" The fury coursing through me scattered my thoughts, leaving me sputtering and incoherent. "I can't believe this," I shouted, snatching a bottle of wine from the fridge before storming upstairs.
Yep, the universe was definitely punishing me.
Chapter 4
Lee
Istood in Nix's kitchen, staring at the spot she'd vacated with such speed I half-expected to see skid marks on the floor. I rubbed my hand, bewildered by what had just happened. Usually when a woman discovered I was Lee Lancaster, billionaire real estate developer, they grew more interested, not less. And they certainly never looked at me like I was some type of super villain. But Nix's golden brown eyes had narrowed to cat-like slits the minute I formally introduced myself. She'd planted her hands on her hips and told me exactly what she thought of me.
Even if she'd gotten a lot wrong.
It was oddly refreshing.
And deeply awkward to be stuck inside a home with a woman who so clearly despised me.
Too bad, because she was a knockout even in those whimsical Santa pajamas that hugged her curves like a second skin. Following her up the stairs to her brother's room had been anything but a hardship, not with the mesmerizing sway of her hips and the soft whisper of cotton between her thighs. Her beauty went beyond her figure—full lips that seemed almost too generous for her face, high cheekbones that hinted at exotic ancestry, and those expressive eyes that blazed when she was upset or sparkled with amusement. Thick red waves cascaded around her shoulders, and my fingers itched—even now—to discover if they were as silken as they appeared.
Talk about cosmic irony—the one woman offering shelter from the storm happened to despise me on sight. At least she hadn't kicked me out—yet—so I counted that as a win.
Since I was still technically a guest, I examined the contents of her fridge and smiled when I spotted a beer from the local craft brewery across town. I cracked it open, letting the icy fizz slide down my throat and gradually ease the tension from my muscles. The beer was excellent, and something mouthwatering wafted from the kitchen counter, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since last night's opening in a different time zone.
I was about to investigate the slow cooker when footsteps creaked overhead. I settled back at the large kitchen table as Nix descended the stairs, her movements deliberate until she halted two feet away, fixing me with a glare. I rose to face her the way I confronted all challenges—head on. "Do you want me to leave?"