Thanks, Howard.
The man was more like a grandfather to me, and I loved him, but he was a perpetual oversharer.
“Yeah, we’ve all heard it. You’re basically the devil over at the Blushing Bride,” Jesse said with a laugh.
I shot them both a warning look and forced a smile. “Don’t be silly. We’re thrilled about you moving here and knocking down the most historical building in our quaint town and putting up a high-rise hotel that blocks the views for everyone who lives here.”
Jesse and Howard just chuckled and started walking toward the door leading to the yard in the back.
Myles moved beside me, leaning down close to my ear. “The diamond business must be slow if you’re booking out weddings in small-town Alaska. Or was this all part of your plan to get me in the sack and try to change my mind about the hotel?”
I watched as the door closed once Jesse and Howard were outside before turning to the jackass beside me. “Are you kidding me right now? I would never have gone home with you if you’d shared your last name. You made it sound like you were here for the night—I didn’t know you were staying.”
“Hey, you’re the one who lied about your name and your business and the fact that you fucking live here. Let’s not throw stones when we live in glass houses, you little honey badger.”
“‘Honey badger’? Seriously?” I hissed.
He leaned down again, his lips grazing the edge of my ear. “Your pussy tastes like honey, and you’re a sneaky little badger.”
I couldn’t speak; my mouth was hanging open when he pulled back and smirked.
“Honey badger got your tongue?”
“Let’s just get through this incredibly awkward moment, and then we never need to see one another again,” I grumped as I stormed toward the door.
Violet’s eyes widened as we made our way outside, and I could feel his big body hovering behind me. I’d shared the details of my wild evening last night with the girls this morning over coffee and bagels. I’d told them that we hadn’t had sex, but that the man had still managed to rock my world.
“Mr. St. James. We had no idea you were coming to town,” Violet said, eyes wide as she extended a hand to the man beside me.
“Really? I thought with all those impressive police connections, you’d know everyone coming in and out of town. I’m guessing your name is not Marilyn Monroney?” He smirked, keeping his voice low as Howard talked with Jesse and Susannah and pointed out at the water.
“I mean, it’s not my professional name, as I try to keep my police chief status on the down-low.” Violet chuckled, because she thought everything was funny.
“I’m guessing Dr. Pepper is in surgery with the penguins?” he asked, and I glared at him.
“Is this funny to you? This is a disaster. I had no idea who you were.” I shook my head and threw my hands in the air.
“Listen, you little deviant—I didn’t lie about my name or what I did for a living. This disaster is your doing. So suck it up, buttercup.” He turned his attention to Howard when he called him over, and he walked away.
I squeezed my eyes closed and counted down from five. It was a little trick my father and I had always done since I was a little girl. When I opened my eyes, Violet was smiling.
“I kind of like him,” she said.
“Like him? He’s the enemy, Vi.”
“And you did naughty things with the enemy.” She chuckled as Susannah called my name, and we moved in their direction.
“Myles thinks the tent should be over here because of where the sun sets. You’d have the perfect view,” Susannah said as she batted her lashes at him.
“I agree with Myles,” Jesse said.
Of course they agree with the handsome billionaire.
They were all looking at him like he was the best thing they’d ever seen, and it infuriated me.
“Well, the sun doesn’t set until ten p.m., and the reception starts at five.” I glared at him before turning my attention back to Susannah.“If you recall, you wanted the tent situated so that you would have the perfect view of the water and the mountains, which is right over there, where we’d originally planned to have it.”
They nodded, and Howard left to go inside when Lydia called for him.
