Page 50 of Bargain with the Bachelor
Maybe it was the acid boiling in my veins.
I hadn’t met Larson Overstreet before, but of course I’d recognized him—and not just from TV.
Larson’s father was the president and CEO of one of the oldest and largest asset management firms in the country.
His mother was Corina Videau, the famous clothing designer and heir to the Vivienne Videau cosmetics fortune.
He was the heir to a double-fortune, not to mention the hefty salary he must have pulled down from his gig on national television.
No wonder his family had a “beach house” in Eastport Bay. While I’d always been level-jumping with Kristal, this guy was firmly in her league.
She belonged with somebody like Larson—which meant I couldn’tstandthe idea of her spending time with the sonofabitch.
It took all my strength not to tail them in my own car. Instead, I forced myself to go home and get some work done.
As the hours ticked on, that became more and more difficult to do. By the time darkness fell, I had determined to make some changes. This intolerable situation couldn’t go on.
Pretending I didn’t want Kristal was just lunacy at this point.
Giving up on work, I started pacing the front of the house, keeping an eye on the windows to check for headlights pulling into the drive.
“What’s with you tonight?” Josh asked. “You’re jumpy as a jackrabbit.”
“Nothing. I’m just thinking.”
I checked my phone for the umpteenth time. It was after nine p.m. They’d been together for nearly seven hours now. How many sights was she going to show him anyway?
And then I thought about whatkindof sights she might be showing Larson Overstreet and nearly threw the phone against the wall.
Finally, a car pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of the house. My shoulders sagged in relief.
But Kristal didn’t get out of the car right away. Instead, it sat running, the headlights on, but the passenger cabin remaining dark.
What was going on? Were they making plans for another date?
Was he kissing her?
I went to the front door, intending to fling it open and charge outside like a shotgun-wielding father, but I stopped with my hand on the doorknob.
What am I doing?
Iwasn’ther father. I wasn’t her boyfriend. I sure as fuck wasn’t her “brother.” I had no right to question her relationships with other guys.
Turning back around, I resumed my pacing, grabbing handfuls of my hair in frustration and impatience.
“What the hell are you doing?” asked Hap.
“Kristal’s home.”
“So?” He gave me a puzzled look. “Where was she?”
“She went out—with a guy.”
Hap nodded in understanding, staying silent, but Reid must have picked up on the vibe of the exchange.
“What do you care?” he asked. “It’s not like you’re dating her… are you?”
Paul’s head popped up. “We had a pact. None of us is going to date her. Right?” He looked around the room for support. “Right?”
