Page 28 of Bargain with the Bachelor
Looking up, she gave me a weak smile to go with the cliché.
Panic compressed my temples. Leave Eastport Bay?
I couldn’t let that happen. If Kristal moved away, we’d never get to know each other better, which meant I’d never have a chance with her. She would create a whole new life for herself somewhere else.
With someone else.
A sudden thought popped out of my mouth before I’d even turned it over a couple of times for consideration.
“Work for me.”
Her head jerked back. “What?”
“Yes. Doing photography. We need someone to take photos for our website, publicity stuff.”
Honestly, my partners and I had never discussed publicity shots, but we might need some at some point, right? I could certainly findsomethingfor her to do.
Kristal’s forehead creased as she stared at me. “I don’t need your charity. I told you before—”
“It’s not charity. It’s work. You’re a photographer. We need photographs.”
“Hunter.” Her arms folded in front of her as she shook her head back and forth. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but there’s no way you need a full-time photographer on staff at a software company. Anyway, I don’t do that kind of photography. I’m an art photographer. I shoot landscapes. I’ll just keep looking. Something will turn up somewhere.”
Somewhere. Possibly out of state. She had no living family here now. An out-of-state move would mean I might never even see her again.
“You know…”
A new idea percolated inside my brain. A new approach. “There is a wayyoucould helpme.”
“What do you mean?”
“You could move in with me.”
Chapter Seven
Snow White
Kristal
“Excuse me?”
Either the wine had gone to my head in record time and I was hallucinating, or Hunter Bestia had just made me an indecent proposal.
He kept going, speaking in his deep, matter-of-fact voice. “You said there’s not enough room at Cinda’s place. My house ishuge—way more space than I need. You could move in, stay as long as you want—rent free.”
Flames of indignation licked at my skin. “I’mnotgoing to be your mistress!”
Hunter’s dark eyebrows shot up. He raised both hands in front of him in aWhoa theregesture.
“No, not like that.” He laughed. “I live there with six other guys. And before you make assumptions, I’m not proposing a reverse harem situation either.”
“I don’t even know what that is.”
He swept a hand through the air as if erasing his last words. “Forget I mentioned it. Anyway, the mansion is divided into five condos. Each one has several bedrooms. We’ve got tons of extra space. You could live there, keep your job here while you look for something else… and you could keep taking your photographs around Eastport Bay.”
Most of those things sounded great, but I still wasn’t clear on the living arrangements—or why he’d make the offer.
“With all of you guys there and how well Chipp is doing, you can’t possibly need help to pay the rent.”
