Page 52 of Summer People
He grunts. “Which is why I’m picking you up. You don’t know how to drive this yet.”
“Does the sheriff give out golf cart licenses too?” I tease.
With a shake of his head, he turns so he’s facing the house, but I can see the smile pulling at his lips again. “Be ready at six thirty.”
With another laugh, I press on the gas, jolting backward, then slam on the brakes.
He spins around again, those damn lips twitching. “You ready to go home yet, Princess?” The words come out smooth this time, the fire in his eyes telling me has no interest in me leaving.
I laugh as I press on the gas, jerking backward again. “Nope. Not yet!”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
fisher
The ringingin my ears startles the shit out of me. I jerk back, heart hammering, and yank my headphones off. On instinct, I search the monitor set to watch Libby’s house. But it’s not showing a motion notification. No one is there.
It’s just the alarm I set to ensure I’m not late.
I rub a hand down my face, shaking off the shock. Maybe if I hadn’t set the alarm’s volume to the highest setting, I wouldn’t be drowning in adrenaline, but then it could have easily become background noise, and I’m an expert at tuning that shit out. And the last thing I want is to be late for the girls.
An hour and a half ago, when Libby came by asking if Sutton wanted to get ready for the lobster bake with her, I welcomed the plan. Alone, I’ve had more time to work. And this way I won’t have to deal with hacking Langfield Corp’s email later tonight.
I didn’t know much about Langfield Corp before agreeing to this job, but I learned quickly that everything the Boston billionaires who own the company have is the best. Including their cyber security. Their firewall is intriguing. It’s different in so many ways from the systems most massive corporations use. That alone means that what should have taken me thirty orforty minutes took the entire hour and a half. Mostly because I spent too much time fascinated by how the Langfields’ system operates and exploring ways to work around it.
A smile threatens as I hit the last few strokes that prove that as high-end as the firewall is, it’s no match for me.
Not that anyone at Langfield Corp will know who the ghost that left them the parting gift is.
I rub my hands together just as my second alarm blares through the headphones sitting on the desk. I grab my phone and silence it, then shoot off a single text.
Me: I win.
Now that I’ve finished, I have to get the girls to a lobster bake.
Quickly, I toss on a clean white T-shirt and run my hands through my hair, then stride across the yard. I’m climbing the porch steps when the door opens.
“Thought it was six thirty sharp,” Libby teases from the threshold.
I can’t form an answer because, holy shit, one look at the gorgeous woman in front of me, and all the circuits in my brain short out.
Between the short pink sundress that clings to her perky tits, the long, wavy blond hair, and huge blue eyes sparkling at me, I can’t decide where to focus. Everything about her is perfect.
“Did I take your breath away, growly bear?”
With a huff of a laugh, I climb the three steps and stop in front of her. A breeze rushes past us, bringing with it a hint of cold, and she shivers, her body breaking out in goose bumps.
On instinct, I brush a lock of hair from her face so I can see her pretty eyes. “Growly bear?” I cock a brow and lean in. Instantly, I’m hit with a whiff of her sweet scent. My stomachtightens and a desire to wrap an arm around her, to tuck her against me, almost takes over.
She shrugs, but I swear she shifts impossibly closer. “Yeah, that’s not it. But I’ll find a nickname for you eventually.”
I search her face, drinking in every detail. Although I’m not willing to admit it, I love that idea. “Careful, Princess. A nickname might have the town folk thinking you like me.”
“Never.” She gives me a shove so pathetic I don’t budge.
Instead, I grab her hip and hold her to me.
Her breath catches, and her body tenses almost imperceptibly.
