Page 54 of Billionaire's Coastal Haven

“And if they fight us?”

“Send them to me. I’ve dealt with negotiations like this in the past. It’s my money, my name. They’ve already approved the permits for the house, so if that’s all I get, I’m still happy.”

“What about Zoe?”

“What about her?”

“I know you bring her coffee and breakfast most mornings. Why?”

“Because I want to.”

“I need a better reason that that.”

“What does this have to do with the cabins or the council’s demands?”

“She’s like a sister to me, so you do. People are starting to talk.”

“And?”

“When people start talking, usually it’s not a good sign. If you think you can buy her off, you’re wrong. She doesn’t have that kind of pull with the council anyway.”

“I don’t care about the council.”

“Then what’s with all the presents? The car? The food?”

“I don’t know.” I rake my hand through my hair. “I like her. That’s the answer you’re looking for. I want to take her on a date, but she won’t budge.”

I’m an idiot. We shared one kiss, and she ran scared. I should take the hint that she doesn’t want to have anything else to do with me. One kiss can’t determine my life, even if it invades my thoughts.

Even if every time I decide to move on and stop caring, I see her smile, hear her laugh, smell that sweet cinnamon scent she wears, and I’m back in the estate library kissing her like it’s the only reasonable use of my time.

How do you move on when one kiss makes the rest of your life feel pointless?

Collin watches my expression as my mind tumbles through a litany of irrational thoughts.

He nods. “You seem like a decent guy, but we don’t know you. Your reputation says you keep to yourself, but that means you keep a lot hidden. Your resources make it possible for you to do whatever you want. Zoe is fragile.”

“You don’t know her if you think I can break her.” She’s more likely to break me.

Collin shakes his head. “I’m not worried that you will hurt her. She’ll hurt herself proving she is the person everyone wants her to be. That’s how she’s always been. Don’t put her in a position to choose your happiness over her own, because she will never choose herself.”

Heaviness settles in my chest. That’s exactly what Zoe will do. It’s what she’s doing with the town council. “I want her to see herself the way I see her. Strong, capable, passionate. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”

He settles his hip on the edge of his desk. “And then what?”

“And then we see what she wants.”

“You won’t be able to whisk her away from Rainwater Bay. Her roots are too deep, and she needs community to give her purpose.”

“You know an awful lot about her.” Is his attachment more than platonic? Did I miss the signs that he’s in love with her?

He folds his arms over his chest and drops his gaze to his dusty boots. “She and I know what it’s like to live in burdensome shadows.”

“Your grandparents? Your dad?”

“Not something I’m willing to talk about.” He pushes off the desk and returns to his chair. All business, like our conversation about Zoe didn’t happen. “The electricians will be at the estate tomorrow to pull new wiring.”

“They know about the salvaged chandeliers and sconces? Can we bring them up to code?”