"Think of it as an investment." I resist the urge to step back. "In karma."
His laugh is rich and genuine, startling us both. "You always did have a way with words."
"And you always did have a way of turning them into weapons." The words slip out before I can stop them, sharper than intended.
His expression dips, there and gone too fast to parse, before the easy smile returns. "Come on, Darce. We were kids."
"Don't." Heat rises in my cheeks. "Don't call me that. And don't pretend you don't remember exactly what you did."
He studies me for a long moment, head tilted slightly. The gesture is so familiar it makes my chest ache. "You've changed."
"That tends to happen in ten years." I straighten my shoulders. "Though I see your talent for stating the obvious remains intact."
"Ouch." He presses a hand to his chest in mock pain. "Is this what I have to look forward to all weekend? Because I have to say, I'm intrigued."
"Tomorrow morning. Nine o'clock sharp. Meet me outside the bookshop on Main." I turn to leave, then pause. "And Finn? Leave the thousand-dollar jeans at home. You're not in Manhattan anymore."
"Right. Got it. Any other orders, boss?"
"Just be there. And don’t expect me to go easy on you."
"Is that a threat or a promise?"
I glance back over my shoulder, letting him see my smile. The one I rehearsed in the mirror all those years ago and never got to use. Sharp as a paper cut. "I guess you'll find out."
His low chuckle follows me back inside, but I don't look back again. I have plans to make. Because Finn Bardot is about to learn that Dictionary Darcy has a favorite new word.
Revenge.
CHAPTER 5
FINN
Iwatch Darcy disappear into the library, her heels clicking against brick with determined purpose. My heart's still going like I just stuck a landing, and I tell myself it's just because she caught me off guard. Okay, I can also cop to a bruised ego.
She despises me. At first, I thought I was imagining it. I mean, who in their right mind drops three grand on a weekend with someone they hate? Evidently, Darcy Gable does.
The woman who just paid to boss me around for a weekend is nothing like the quiet bookworm I remember. That Darcy used to hide behind novels, wielding vocabulary like a shield. This one just went toe-to-toe with me without flinching. Called my bluff. Ordered me around like my net worth means nothing.
It's... irritating. And a little impressive.
And under the porch lights her hazel eyes had done the thing they used to do in fourth-period English when she was about to dismantle somebody, the gold in them catching. I hated that I still knew to look for it. Ten years, six continents, and apparently that particular piece of intel never got deleted.
I adjust my collar, still feeling the phantom heat of her glare. Out of habit, I check my reflection in the library window.My charm has roughly a ninety-nine percent summit rate. She looked at it like a spot of bad weather. Didn't even blink at the smile that makes Manhattan socialites swoon.
"Nine o'clock sharp," she'd said, like I'm some employee she can summon at will. "Leave the thousand-dollar jeans at home."
I glance down at my Brunello Cucinelli denim. Okay, so maybe they're closer to fifteen hundred. But that's not the point. The point is that Dictionary Darcy just managed to do what ten years of extreme sports couldn't—genuinely rattle me.
A burst of laughter from inside draws my attention. Through the window, I catch a glimpse of her rejoining her friends, head high, shoulders straight. No trace of that nervous teenager who used to triple-check her grammar before speaking. When did she get so... confident?
More importantly, why do I care?
I should be planning my escape. Making calls about that Colorado deal. Finding a way to pass this "weekend of service" off to some proxy. Instead, I'm standing here like an idiot, replaying the way her eyes sparked when she told me I wasn't in Manhattan anymore.
She's right about that, at least. Nothing about this situation fits my usual rotation of boardrooms and headline-grabbing product launches. Darcy Gable just dropped the price of a decent watch to turn me into her personal handyman, and I'm actually looking forward to seeing what she has planned.
I must be losing my damn mind.
