Page 27 of You Know You Wanna

Exasperation trickled through me, tightening my insides as I stared at the silver-haired man who was too damn rude for his own good. How Birdie and even Gracie seemed to love him so much, I didn’t know. From where I was standing, he was nothing more than a stubborn old man well past his prime who should’ve retired years ago.

To give credit where it was due, he’d built something great here. There was no arguing that, but I was tired of biding my time and tiptoeing around. Especially if Laurene was suddenly crying about going home again.

I had to get down to business, and I just wasn’t in the mood to fuck around anymore. Deciding to rip off the band-aid, I leaned with my elbows on the desk and kept my voice even regardless of the frustration welling deep inside of me.

“Do you have investors for this property? There’s a lot of potential here and I believe I can help you reach it⁠—”

“I’m not interested,” he said, not even hearing me out. “Move along, son. Better yet, check out and find someplace else to spend the rest of the summer if it’s property you’re here for.”

“Look, I know this place means a lot to you, but⁠—”

He looked up at me with fire spitting from those suddenly sharp eyes. I knew I’d touched a nerve. He scowled again, the lines on his face furrowing so deep that the wrinkles swallowed all his features, except for his burning eyes.

“You’re not the first to try to get this place right out from underneath me and you won’t be the last. I’m not interested in selling and I don’t need your kind of help. Now leave before I ask security to escort you out.”

“I’m a paying guest at your establishment.”

He pointed at a sign mounted on the desk. “We’ve reserved right of admission. By all means, keep spending your money here, but stay away from me and don’t try to approach me with this investment mumbo-jumbo again.”

“It’s not mumbo-jumbo,” I said firmly. “It’s sound financial advice and it can help you achieve things here that you’ve never even dreamed about.”

“Everything I dreamed of achieving here, I’ve already achieved,” he said proudly. “Now leave. Me. Alone.”

Exhaling slowly, I put my palms up and backed away. “Sorry I came on so strong. I came here to relax and all I can think about is business. I didn’t mean to push so hard.”

He looked up at me again, a little less venom in his gaze. “This is a place to disconnect from the world and focus on what’s really important. People find clarity here, if they allow themselves to. If not, you’ll leave here exactly as you showed up.”

“Awesome?” I smiled, thinking he was finally warming up to me.

“A vulture. Go find someone else’s bones to pick clean.”

I spun around and took off with another weight added to my already foul mood. I had no idea what I’d done to tick him off right from the start, but let the old man be pissed at me. It seemed to be a trend today.

Sure, it would make it harder for me to get what I wanted from him, but I wouldn’t let it deter me. I’d already decided that I wanted a stake in this resort and I would have it. No sour old grump with sentimental bullshit reasons for trying to hang on would stop me.

If I was a vulture, I wouldn’t be leaving here hungry.

Properly riled up, I was even more annoyed when I left the lobby, feeling like a human thundercloud as I stalked toward the Kids Camp. About halfway there, I realized that talking to Laurene in my current state was a bad idea, so I pivoted, heading toward the hiking trails instead.

Running a few miles should help me take the edge off. Then I’d go reschedule the meetings I’d missed, find my daughter, and bring her back to the suite with me. We could talk things through, and hopefully, she’d tell me where all this sudden anger was coming from.

At this point, it seemed to be something I was doing now, not anything I’d done in the past. A few days of work aside, I had no clue what could’ve triggered her like that. Heaving out a deep sigh, I broke into a run, sights set firmly on the far end of the main building.

On my way to the trails, I caught movement from the corner of my eye. Birdie was emerging from the yoga studio, and I slammed to a stop. She was humming under her breath, and as she stepped out into the sunshine, she tipped her face back to soak up the sun again. Just like she had done that morning when I’d gone to her class.

It seemed to be part of her routine, as was the smile that played on her lips when she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and did her thing. I wondered what she was thinking while she did it. What it was about this part of her routine that made her smile, apparently without fail.

As I kept watching her from across that short distance, my gaze broke away from her face and roamed down the length of her body. I couldn’t not notice that she looked sensational in her leggings and tight coral crop top. The outfit was showing off all her curves, and as she turned her back to lock up the studio behind her, I drank in the arch of her spine, noticing the glisten of sweat on her golden skin and the way her ponytail swished behind her head when she moved.

My mouth dried up, and for a moment, I forgot all about Alan and even the fight with Laurene. It was only for a moment, but it was a glorious damn moment.

One that reminded me that there was a lot more to life than investment opportunities and preteen hormones. It didn’t always feel that way, but there was life after divorce. Outside of work and even outside of parenthood, I was still me, despite everything I’d dealt with and everything I still had going on.

I just had to find a way to get back to that guy, even though I knew deep down what he wanted right then. As I finally crossed the space between us and walked up to her, I wanted her and I wanted her bad. Or good. Or whatever way I could have her.

All I really wanted was to sink inside of her and forget for a lot longer than just a moment that everything else in my life was suddenly going to hell in a handbasket.

And as always, now that I’d acknowledged what I wanted, I wasn’t sure I was going to stop until I got at least a taste of it.