Page 2 of Beautiful Desire
Alden sits forward, clasping his hands together on top of the desk. “I sympathize with your situation, Georgia. I really do, but?—”
“If you sympathize with my situation, lease me the building,” I blurt out. “Lease it to me, then. I’m a great tenant, just ask Ruth. She’ll tell you I’ve never missed a payment or even been late. Not even once.”
Brows wrinkled, he looks at me with disdain, yet keeps his voice even. “As I was saying, decisions have been made. The plans are already in motion. I’m sorry, Georgia. I wish I could help, but unfortunately, my hands are tied.”
“That’s utter bullshit,” I bark. Blood rushes to my ears as my heart pounds so hard I can feel it in my throat.
Come on, Georgia. Calm. Down. Be levelheaded about this. Snapping at him isn’t going to get you anywhere.
“It’s not bullshit, Georgia.” He grits out my name through his teeth. It pisses me off. “It’sbusiness.”
“You know as well as I do, it’s personal too.”
Alden St. James was once married to Denise—who is now married to my father—and Alden and Denise have a son together—Fletcher, my stepbrother. And sure, Fletcher’s an adult now, in his mid-twenties, but when my dad and Denise first got together, he was a kid. Up until Fletcher graduated from high school, our families would spend Christmas together, for Christ’s sake, so for him to sit here and pretend this isjust businessis horseshit and, quite frankly, insulting.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Georgia.”God,it grates my nerves how often he uses my name when speaking to me. I swear, it’s an intimidation tactic all seedy, rich men use to get their way.“Our family’s personal history has nothing to do with my decision to purchase that piece of property, or any property, for that matter. I am a very successful businessman, and I didn’t get to where I am today by letting my personal relationships or frivolous matters influence my decision making, and as a businesswoman yourself, I would think you would do the same.”
My left eye twitches as I stare at the man before me, wondering where the fuck he found the audacity to speak to me like that.What a fucking egotistical jackass.As I clench my fists until I can feel my nails digging into my palm, I bite down on my molars so hard, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them cracked. “Wanting to keep my bookstore open isn’t afrivolous matter. As I said before, it’s my livelihood.”
“And as I said before, my hands are tied.” Bringing his attention to the computer, he clicks his mouse a few times, clearly pulling something up before he adds, without even looking at me, “But the good news is, demolition for that block doesn’t begin for another several months. That’s plenty of time to find a new place to lease.”
“It is not that simple.” I choose my words carefully, wanting to keep my tone even and my voice down. No matter how goodit would feel to give him a piece of my mind—or break his nose with my fist, it won’t get me anywhere. Hell, driving three hours to Charleston to talk face to face may not get me anywhere either, but at least if it doesn’t, I can leave here knowing I tried everything I could.
“Blossom Beach is an incredibly small town. It’s damn near impossible to find good commercial property to lease, and for the size I need, there aren’tany. That bookstore is my baby. It’s seen my blood, sweat, and tears, and if I lose that storefront, there won’t be another. Do you get what I’m saying? If you take that building from me, I will lose my business. I will lose everything I’ve worked my ass off for. This may be just another business decision for you, and you may be able to keep personal feelings out of it, but I do not have that same luxury. Unlike you, I don’t have a net worth in the high millions; I barely have a savings account. If you take time off from work, you’d be fine. So fine, in fact, I’d be willing to bet you wouldn’t even feel your pockets getting tighter.
“But me? If I don’t work, for even a single month, I won’t make ends meet. My bills won’t get paid. My mortgage won’t get paid.” I hate that my voice cracks. Hate the pressure building behind my eyes, and the tightness in my throat, but I especially hate how he’s witnessing it all, sitting there with pity in his eyes.
Rubbing his hand along his jaw, Alden sighs. “Georgia?—”
“No, please let me finish.” My tone softens, full of emotion as I hold up my hand. “Asking you to change your plans isn’t fair of me, I know that. I know it would cost you money, but at the end of the day, you would still be okay—you’d still have your cushy bank accounts, your vacation homes, your boats. If you lost out on money from this, you would be fine. But I wouldn’t. If you move forward with this plan, I will loseeverything. So please, I am begging you—and that’s not something I do,ever—if there is ever a time to allow emotions to affect your decision making,it’s now. There must be some sort of an agreement we can come to, some scenario that allows me to stay where I’m at. I will do whatever it takes.Please.”
An uncomfortable feeling settles in my chest as soon as I get the words out, and it only intensifies as the seconds tick by and Alden says nothing. Elbow propped on the arm of his chair, his fingers rub along his stubbly chin while he shifts his attention to the computer screen again. I can’t read his expression, and it’s making me squirm.
Finally, clearing his throat, Alden slides his gaze over to me. “Whatever it takes?” he asks, arching a brow.
Um, what?My face twists up before I can stop myself. “Anything legal and within reason, yes,” I clarify. Eyes narrowed on him, I add, “I’m not going to sleep with you, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
In the span of a few seconds, I watch an array of emotions wash over Alden’s face. His dark, bushy brows furrow, a deep crease settling between them, before shooting up, wrinkling his forehead. Pressing his lips together so tightly they blanch, he frowns and shakes his head. “No, that is, in fact,notwhat I was getting at,” he mumbles, sitting up straighter and clearing his throat. His whole face is a bright shade of red, and the vein in his forehead pops as he looks everywhere but at me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this man look even remotely flustered or uncomfortable, and if I weren’t so on edge and stressed out, I’d probably find it amusing.
“Hey, as a woman in our society, you never know,” I offer with a shrug.
Alden finally meets my gaze across the desk, his discomfort rolling off him in waves. “No, Georgia, I have never, nor will I ever, exchange property for sexual favors.”
“Okay, in that case, I’m listening.”
“My son,” is all he offers.
“What about him?”
“Next month, Fletcher will be moving to Blossom Beach to live with his mother for the foreseeable future.”
“He is? That’s news to me. Since when?” I ask, brows pinched. Then, shaking my head, I add, “Never mind. I’m gonna need you to quit saying everything so vaguely. What does Fletcher moving in with my dad and Denise have to do with me?”
There’s a brief pause, and then, “I’d like you to keep an eye on him.”
“Keep an eye on him?” I scoff. “He’s a grown-ass adult, and I’m not a babysitter.”
“I’m aware, Georgia. Thank you.” Alden huffs out a small chuckle. “I’m not asking you tobabysithim. More like…” He gestures in front of him with his hands, like he’s trying to find the right words. “Keep him in line, make sure he doesn’t get himself into trouble.”
