One Bossy Offer (60)

“You’re pathetic,” I growl.

“Really, Miles? It’s been years and you can’t say hello before launching into a guessing game? I have no earthly idea what you’re mad about now.”

Yes, you do.

Yes, you fucking do.

“You don’t know you’re going after my neighbor’s property to twist my arm? Spare me. You don’t want it. You don’t need it. You never even heard of Pinnacle Pointe before you came after me. If you’re that hellbent on forcing me into a corporate partnership that’s never happening, you can’t go dragging innocent parties into this. And you’d better hope I never spot any detectives you put up my ass. I’ll press charges for harassment and private espionage.”

“Oh, sweetie,” she croons. “Don’t flatter yourself. It’s just business... But I guess you always did have trouble with making everything so personal.”

My fingers pinch the phone until they hurt, wanting to crush it.

“Stay the fuck out of Pinnacle Pointe,” I rasp.

Stay the fuck away from her is what I mean, but I know it’ll make this a hundred times worse.

She scoffs loudly. “Miles, Miles. I may never understand what you see in that little hole-in-the-wall place. However—”

“You just said it. Your offer on the inn is pointless.”

“Can I get a word in?” She clears her throat loudly. “My offer was far from pointless, and I think you’ll agree 'generous' is a far better description. You should’ve seen the way her mouth dropped when she saw the number. I suppose it is a lot of money for a twenty-five-year-old—”

“She’s twenty-six.”

Fuck, I shouldn’t have said that.

“Well, at least now I know why this has you so twisted up.” Simone’s giggle comes out like a harsh rattle. “Honestly, I’m proud of you. A part of me was worried you’d never totally move on, but look at you. Dating an employee? How deliciously scandalous.”

She’s so goddamned patronizing I could puke.

“What’s the matter? You don’t want to be neighbors? I’m sure you could just move your new girlfriend in, and she’d be a lot richer. No harm, no foul.”

“I’d rather catch Ebola from a monkey bite to the face than wind up your neighbor.”

She sighs so slowly I can feel her nails raking down my neck, setting every hair on end.

“Always so dramatic. Same old Miles. Anyhow, I’ve gotten wind that you’re very interested in the same property, but for some odd reason, you aren’t making much progress. Are you just upset I made a better offer? I’d be happy to turn around and sell it to you—maybe at a loss, provided you’re willing to make other accommodations.”

“Fuck you entirely, Simone,” I snap. “If you want to keep your roost at a functioning company and an endless supply of that imported shit that’s killing your lungs, you’ll listen very closely. Stay away from me. Stay away from my property. Most of all, stay the fuck away from Miss Landers.”

So much for focusing on the big picture and not letting her get to me.

I wish I was above this right now, not struggling to keep my head above the quicksand.

She’s quiet for a minute.

“Wow. You really do hate me, don’t you?”

I don’t answer.

“Miles, you know what happened wasn’t my fault, right? You can’t keep blaming me forever. Your mother—that’s not fair. If I had any inkling what was happening, I never would’ve kept you that night when you could’ve—”

“Enough,” I grind out. “Shut your lying mouth.”

I can’t believe she dared to bring it up just to deny responsibility again.

“You’re a piece of fucking work. Even if the worst didn’t happen, what you did was a stark warning of how you do business. You’re reckless,” I grind out. “Reckless and self-serving.”

I hate that I can see her smile in my head, dark and red and carnivorous.

“A quality people find admirable in men,” she says pointedly.

“Nothing you do is admirable. Don’t act so wounded.”

“Tomato, to-mah-to. Enemy, partner. What’s in a word besides the meaning we give it?”

“I told you once, any relationship we’ll ever have is over. Respect it or don’t and see what happens. If you want hardball, I’ll have every major law firm in Washington on you like—”

“Except for the ones on my payroll, you mean,” she cuts in, adding a loud yawn. “Really, I’m not worried about facing you in court. You’re twice my size and still a big drama queen.”

My jaw clenches, so ready to show her some drama she can’t ignore.

“But it doesn’t matter. You’re a businessman above all else, Miles Cromwell. You know how absurd this is, even if you won’t admit it.”

“That you offered the moon for a property you don’t want just to get to me? Yeah, it’s fucking outlandish.”

She breathes a long sigh into the phone.

“We’re CEOs, whatever our history. We have companies to grow and people to look out for. If you won’t do it for yourself, will you do it for them? This is so sad. You’re letting bad blood come before honest business. No one operates at our level that way if they’re smart. You know that. We basically own the Pacific Northwest media space. We’re both titans. If we just put this drama behind us and extended a hand—”