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I flinched at her yell It appeared I had unwittingly awoken a dragon “I can” I’d also had si thirty I hadn’t wanted a relationship until Cooper so my future plan had been to be artificially inseht But both Bailey and I were only two years away froe I knew all the possible risks and conancy in the mid to late thirties
So yes, I could i and more
The bell jingled above the front door just as Bailey opened her mouth to fire a second launch of pent-up frustration Her eyebrows iether and she snapped, “What the hell are you doing here?”
At this, I half expected to turn and find Vaughn standing in the hallway but was surprised to find an older, very distinguished-looking gentle facial features He was dressed immaculately in a three-piece suit
Cold, dark eyes narrowed on Bailey “Do you speak to all your guests like that?”
“No, but then, uests are not Ian Devlin” She huffed and rounded the desk to stride over to hiet out”
He gave her a blank, cold look “I’ton”
I’d been so busy studying the villain I had heard all about, but had yet tomy name
“What do you need froot all mother hen on me
“That’s a ton and me only”
“I don’t—”
“Bailey, it’s fine,” I interrupted, striding over to him “Whatever you have to say, just say it”
Soton, you’ll want to discuss this in private” He gestured to the front door “Take a ith me”
“Don’t, Jess”
But I was curious and ht the attention of this man And I didn’t like the look in his eyes
“It’s fine I’ll be right back” I squeezed her shoulder, ignoring the concerned look on her face
Following Ian Devlin outside and onto the boardwalk, I didn’t like the feeling I got off this guy He uished and well coiffed, but there was a slickness about hier on Maybe it was just because my friends had filled uy i way I just wanted out of his presence “Well?”
Heto look out over the beach “Do you like it here, Dr Huntington?”
“If I didn’t, staying was asinine”
He flicked me an unimpressed look “May we continue without the immature smart-ass comments?”
I huffed, “Only if we er crap Get to the point, Mr Devlin What do you want?”
In answer he pulled out a piece of paper from inside his waistcoat He handed it to me
Bemused, I took it; and when I unfolded it, it felt as if the boards beneath iven way
Blood rushed in my ears and I couldn’t quite catch my breath
“I have your attention Good”
I looked up fro hands “Ho did you get this? This was sealed by the courts”
He shrugged nonchalantly “Money goes a long way in this world”
No No NO!
The worst thing aboutI couldn’t even tell the best man I’d ever met, and this son of a bitch knew it
I started to tremble, visibly, and I hated that this asshole could see what he’d done to me
“Have you told anyone?” My voice shook, too
“Why would I do so that’s not in my own best interests?”
Ugly understanding dawned “What do you want?”
The“I’m sure you’ve heard I lost out on the Beckwith property”
I nodded stiffly,Cooper, telling Bailey, telling everyone and ruining my new life here
“As you can i a little frustrated But then I caet”—he tapped the record in ht, How can this benefit me?”
“And how can it?”
He turned to face me fully “I want Cooper’s pub and he won’t sell And it looked like he never wouldbut everyone is all atwitter over how cuckoo he is for Dr Jessica Huntington” He gaveabout small-town life, Doctor: everyone knows everyone’s business And what everyone knows is that Cooper Lawson is in love And he’d do anything for the people he loves”
Disbelief struck me dumb
Was he actually suggesting what I thought he was suggesting?
Was this blackmail?
“You’re going to convince him to sell that bar to me”
My breath finally gusted out of me “Are you nuts? This isn’t an episode of Dynasty, Mr Devlin This won’t work Cooper would never give up his bar Not even for me”
“A man like Cooper will do it if you need him to Tell him you’re in serious financial trouble You do have student debt and I doubt working for Miss Hartwell is putting much of a dent in that debt Or tell him you have an ill family member who needs the medical bills paid Say whatever you need to Stick to those kinds of things, though Cooper likes to be a hero He can’t help himself Press that hero button and he’ll sell his bar I’ll swoop in and enerous offer That’s a proly awoken a dragon “I can” I’d also had si thirty I hadn’t wanted a relationship until Cooper so my future plan had been to be artificially inseht But both Bailey and I were only two years away froe I knew all the possible risks and conancy in the mid to late thirties