Page 224 of My Real Love Affair

I walked out, leaving Summer standing in that studio with her destroyed plans and her shattered schemes.

I pushed through the exit doors and stepped out into the bright morning sunshine. I felt like I could finally breathe properly for the first time in days.

And then I saw him.

Austin leaned against his sports car at the curb, looking like every fantasy I’ve ever had. He wore a perfectly tailored suit that made his shoulders look impossibly broad, and designer sunglasses that I was pretty sure had a five-figure price tag. His hair was slightly tousled from the wind, and he was grinning at me like I had just hung the moon.

“Hey, beautiful!” he called out and actually catcalled me. Several people looked over. “Come here often?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. The absurdity of it all had me grinning like a damn fool. Austin, being ridiculous and perfect and exactly what I needed.

I paused to do a little curtsy, playing along, and his grin widened.

“That’s my girl,” he said, pushing off the car and coming toward me. “How’d it go?”

“It went perfectly. Summer’s done. The Spill Room won’t touch her story.”

He reached me and pulled me into his arms, sunglasses still on, and I could see my reflection in the lenses, flushed, happy, and victorious.

“You’re incredible,” he said. “Absolutely fucking incredible.”

“We make a good team.”

“The best team.” He pulled off his sunglasses so I could see his eyes. “Ready to get out of here?”

I pulled out my phone and powered it off, exactly as we had planned. No way to track us, no way for anyone to find us. For the next twenty-four hours, we were going dark while Cash and the legal team handled the fallout.

“So ready,” I said.

Austin opened the passenger door for me with a flourish. I slid into the buttery leather seat. He came around to the driver’s side, and within moments, we were pulling away from the curb, leaving Summer and her schemes and all the drama behind us.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Somewhere no one will find us. Somewhere we can just be us.” He reached over and laced his fingers through mine. “Cash will handle the cleanup. Our lawyers will make sure she can’t come after us again.”

CHAPTER 71

AUSTIN

The Hamptons house was exactly what we needed. It was a sprawling estate set back from the road, surrounded by tall hedges that guaranteed complete privacy. It belonged to my family, but none of my brothers used it much. They all had their own properties out here, which meant this one sat empty most of the year. Perfect for a weekend where we needed to disappear.

I pulled into the circular driveway, and Melody let out a small gasp. “Austin, this is gorgeous.”

“Wait until you see the inside,” I said, coming around to open her door. “And the pool. And the beach access.”

“There’s beach access?”

“Private beach. About a five-minute walk through the dunes.”

She looked at me with those hazel eyes that still made my heart skip. “You Bancrofts really don’t do anything halfway, do you?”

“Would you want us to?”

“Absolutely not,” she said, laughing. “Show me everything.”

I gave her the full tour—the gourmet kitchen that put my penthouse to shame, the living room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pool and ocean beyond, the masterbedroom with a bed so large it was almost ridiculous. Five other bedrooms, all empty. A media room. A gym. A wine cellar that could have stocked a restaurant.

“This is insane,” Melody said, spinning around in the master bedroom. “How many people usually stay here?”