Riley loves women. Lots of women. He’s not a player, but he likes to pass the love along more than the rest of us Adams boys do.
Five years ago, I definitely got around more than I care to these days. Now, I’m looking at my friends and seeing that a lot of them are getting married or even having kids, and I can’t help but wonder if I’m doing everything wrong.
I have a big, beautiful house on the ocean. I work my ass off to have nice things. And yet I come home to an empty home every night.
The fact that Stella is here to make some stupid fucking offer on a priceless piece of land irks me and makes me hate her. But that doesn’t explain why the hell I fucked my hand last night, imagining I was hate-fucking her.
It’s been months since I’ve been laid. That’s got to be the only reason why I’m even thinking about her in that way. Because even right now, looking out into the dining room and seeing her sitting at my parents’ table? It annoys me. She has no right to be here, and I don’t know why I fucking agreed to this.
Bringing my beer to my lips, I chug it down before tossing the bottle into the recyclable.
Enough small talk, Fireball. Let’s fucking talk about why you’re really here.
Here I sit, at the head of the table, surrounded by some of the hottest men I’ve ever seen. And unlike Ridge, they’re not assholes.
Riley is a flirt. He could charm the skin off a snake, no doubt. Easton is a bit cockier than the other two, and he keeps looking down at his phone like he’s checking the time. And then there’s Tucker, who seems to be the shyest.
That leaves Ridge. The man who can say a million words in one short sentence because his words pack such a punch. His eyes may be bright blue, but there’s a darkness inside of them that I find as terrifying as I do sexy. His boat is namedEastern Outlaw, and I guess that kind of fits.
In fact, I think I can tell a lot by their boat names, which I looked at this morning.
Riley’s isGold Digger, and next to it is a drawing of a woman in booty shorts and a crop top, holding a shovel. Easton’s isRisky Business. Sweet, shy Tucker’s boat is named after his mother,Katherine Grace.
Tucker is the oldest of the four boys, and just knowing he named his boat after his mother proves he’s the nicest one in thebunch too. It all checks out because every time I look his way, he smiles and turns beet red.
“Stella, would you like another glass of wine?” Katherine says kindly as she gets out of her seat to refill her own glass.
I look at the glass and then back at her, knowing I shouldn’t because I need to have a clear head if I’m going to talk business with them.
And by someone, I mostly mean Ridge. Or Riley, who comes on to me for the twentieth time.
“Uh, sure.” I nod before I stand up. “You know what? I’ll go with you.”
A flash of concern crosses her face, but being the polite woman she obviously is, she covers it quickly with a smile and heads toward the kitchen.
Once we’re alone, she fills both of our glasses up. “So, is this your first trip to Maine?” she asks, setting the bottle of wine down.
“It is,” I answer, sipping from my glass.
This wine is really good, and I don’t know why that surprises me, but it does. Then again, I was surprised when I drove in and saw how gorgeous Mr. and Mrs. Adams’ house is. Whatever idea I had for the fishermen around here, I guess I was wrong.
“I hope you are enjoying it so far,” she says sweetly. “I know it’s been chilly out, but at least the whole town is decorated for the holidays, so that’s nice.”
“It sure is,” I say as I almost choke on my wine.
She’s not kidding there. This place looks like the North Pole. Even the grocery store was decorated with Christmas lights and holiday music blaring. For most people, that would be charming. For me, it makes me despise it.
Just like their house and all the decorations inside of it. Or the huge-ass Christmas tree in the living room, set in front of thewindows that take up the whole front of the house, overlooking the water. This family loves Christmas—that’s for sure.
“Well, shall we go back in and rejoin dinner?” I ask, turning toward the dining room, but her hand touches me.
“Hang on a second.” She stops me in my tracks, coming in front of me.
“Look, you seem like a really nice woman. And obviously smart too.” She smiles. “I don’t want to come off as rude, so I hope you don’t take this the wrong way.” She pauses. “I understand you’re here with one thing in mind. Getting this land. And while I appreciate a hardworking woman, I need you to understand something. Our land is priceless. And those men in there are never going to budge on it. And besides, even if they were … you’d still have to go through me.”
I stare at her, but before I come up with something to say, she carries on.
“You are beautiful, but don’t think for a second you are going to charm your way into the heart of any of my boys and get them to sign over something that’s been in their family for decades. It will never happen, Stella.”
