they think it benefits me to do so—they’ve not once been intimate or affectionate around me. Mamá’s never gotten over my father and quite frankly, I don’t think she ever will. That’s what’s so unfair to Donovan and why I attempt to fill the void of her mental absence.
But even if their marriage was on the fritz, I wouldn’t approve of Darcy’s blazing red fingernails anywhere near Donovan’s firm chest or broad shoulders. Darcy is a bitch with ulterior motives. And my stepfather deserves better. He deserves better than my mother, too, but I’d never voice that one aloud.
“He’s in a meeting,” Darcy sneers.
Yep, saves all of her catty bitchiness for me and me only.
“I’ll wait. It’s important. I’m leaving tomorrow and I need to talk to him.”
She rolls her eyes and drags her attention to her computer monitor. Her gaudy nails tap away at the keyboard as she ignores me.
Since she chooses to pretend I don’t exist, I give her the same treatment and make a beeline for Donovan’s office door. “Miss Jayne!” I hear her protesting in my wake, along with the sound of her chair scraping against the marble floors, but she’s too slow. I shove through the double doors to his office, abruptly turning and clicking the lock in place behind me.
“—the fucking mountain to its goddamned knees for all I care. The resort is mine, not theirs, Dan,” Donovan snarls at the man from across his desk as I enter, interrupting a meeting indeed.
I let out a sigh of relief to see it’s his CFO, Dan Reed. Donovan’s steely glare snaps to mine and for a moment, I freeze. He appears furious. But as soon as he registers it’s me standing in his office, the anger melts away like butter and a smile tugs at his lips.
“Hey,” I say with a wave. “I wanted to talk to you before I have to leave tomorrow.”
With a small nod, he redirects his attention to Dan and motions to the door. “I’m sorry, man. I don’t mean to take it out on you. Figure something out we can work with. We’ll continue this later this afternoon when I’m in a better frame of mind.”
Dan rises to his feet. He’s taller than Donovan, an old high school basketball superstar in our town, which means he’s nearly twice as tall as me. The man gives me the creeps but I never let it show. As his pervert eyes skim over my low-cut top, I roll my eyes and storm past him, ending his peep show.
Donovan is glaring after him by the time I reach his desk and sit down. The door slams shut behind us and silence fills the empty air. When his eyes find mine again, a fondness glimmers in them. I chew on my lip and try not to shiver under his gaze.
“Hey, sunshine,” he says, his voice low. “Couldn’t wait until dinner tonight? Your mamá reserved us a booth at your favorite Italian restaurant on Main Street.”
I drop my purse into the floor and thread my fingers together over his desk. When I lean forward, my heavy breasts sit on top of my arms. Unlike Creepy Dan, I actually like when Donovan notices my body.
And boy, does he notice.
Unashamed, his eyes drop to my lips for a brief moment before flicking down to my chest. A hiss of air leaves him before he clears his throat and finds my eyes again.
“I went to The Joint. I thought maybe I could interview some people to see if—” I start, but his fist slamming on the desk startles me and the words freeze in my mouth.
“What have I told you about going there?” he snaps and rises to his feet. “With Dale and all the other goddamned dirtbags in this fucking town? You know my stance on this, Nadia. You’re barely eighteen years old, for crying out loud!”
I bristle at his outburst and lean back in my chair. “I’ll be nineteen in a few months. Anyway,” I seethe, ignoring him, “I started asking around. To see if there were any drifters who could have passed through here last August. I know it’s been a year, Donovan, but people don’t forget stuff.”
His lips press into an
But even if their marriage was on the fritz, I wouldn’t approve of Darcy’s blazing red fingernails anywhere near Donovan’s firm chest or broad shoulders. Darcy is a bitch with ulterior motives. And my stepfather deserves better. He deserves better than my mother, too, but I’d never voice that one aloud.
“He’s in a meeting,” Darcy sneers.
Yep, saves all of her catty bitchiness for me and me only.
“I’ll wait. It’s important. I’m leaving tomorrow and I need to talk to him.”
She rolls her eyes and drags her attention to her computer monitor. Her gaudy nails tap away at the keyboard as she ignores me.
Since she chooses to pretend I don’t exist, I give her the same treatment and make a beeline for Donovan’s office door. “Miss Jayne!” I hear her protesting in my wake, along with the sound of her chair scraping against the marble floors, but she’s too slow. I shove through the double doors to his office, abruptly turning and clicking the lock in place behind me.
“—the fucking mountain to its goddamned knees for all I care. The resort is mine, not theirs, Dan,” Donovan snarls at the man from across his desk as I enter, interrupting a meeting indeed.
I let out a sigh of relief to see it’s his CFO, Dan Reed. Donovan’s steely glare snaps to mine and for a moment, I freeze. He appears furious. But as soon as he registers it’s me standing in his office, the anger melts away like butter and a smile tugs at his lips.
“Hey,” I say with a wave. “I wanted to talk to you before I have to leave tomorrow.”
With a small nod, he redirects his attention to Dan and motions to the door. “I’m sorry, man. I don’t mean to take it out on you. Figure something out we can work with. We’ll continue this later this afternoon when I’m in a better frame of mind.”
Dan rises to his feet. He’s taller than Donovan, an old high school basketball superstar in our town, which means he’s nearly twice as tall as me. The man gives me the creeps but I never let it show. As his pervert eyes skim over my low-cut top, I roll my eyes and storm past him, ending his peep show.
Donovan is glaring after him by the time I reach his desk and sit down. The door slams shut behind us and silence fills the empty air. When his eyes find mine again, a fondness glimmers in them. I chew on my lip and try not to shiver under his gaze.
“Hey, sunshine,” he says, his voice low. “Couldn’t wait until dinner tonight? Your mamá reserved us a booth at your favorite Italian restaurant on Main Street.”
I drop my purse into the floor and thread my fingers together over his desk. When I lean forward, my heavy breasts sit on top of my arms. Unlike Creepy Dan, I actually like when Donovan notices my body.
And boy, does he notice.
Unashamed, his eyes drop to my lips for a brief moment before flicking down to my chest. A hiss of air leaves him before he clears his throat and finds my eyes again.
“I went to The Joint. I thought maybe I could interview some people to see if—” I start, but his fist slamming on the desk startles me and the words freeze in my mouth.
“What have I told you about going there?” he snaps and rises to his feet. “With Dale and all the other goddamned dirtbags in this fucking town? You know my stance on this, Nadia. You’re barely eighteen years old, for crying out loud!”
I bristle at his outburst and lean back in my chair. “I’ll be nineteen in a few months. Anyway,” I seethe, ignoring him, “I started asking around. To see if there were any drifters who could have passed through here last August. I know it’s been a year, Donovan, but people don’t forget stuff.”
His lips press into an
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