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So I focus on Alena, swept away in her fiancé’s arms. They’re perfect together. I watch them for minutes until she shyly waves at me. She’s finally found the love she deserves, and a warm, fuzzy feeling, wanting romance and believing in love, showers me and…

Oh shit.I stagger.I’m buzzing again.

That’s it. Too many emotions for one night.

I hug Alena goodbye. We make happy, teary, and tipsy plans to go dress shopping before I stagger out of the front door into the night.

CHAPTER THREE

VALE

The briny beachair revives me as I tap on my phone, squinting to read it.

Focus, Vale. Focus.

“What are you doing?” A smoky voice asks from the shadows of the garage.

I whip around, shocked as darkness slices angles across a face until the gas lamp light reveals …it’s Mr. Allen, and like always, I suddenly fight for breath in his presence.

I hate it. I hate the effect he has on me. It’s oddly arousing as I wave my phone. “Getting an Uber.”

“I’ll drive you home,” he orders.

“I’mfinnne.” Did I just slur?

“No, you’re not.”

“Yesssss, I ammm.” Yep, I got a margarita mouth.

“Vale,” he sneers, “you’re not getting into a stranger’s car when you’ve been drinking.”

“Okay, Boomer. That’s what Ubers are for.”

“I’m not a Boomer,” I stumble a bit as he stalks my way, demanding, “and you’ll do as I say.”

Yes, this man is hot, but yes, he can be a royal asshole. He always does this. He always takes over whenever I hate to need him. He did it when I was a teenager, and he’s done it every day since I called him to help me with a big accounting mess I made at my job, and now?

He fucks with my emotions. They shift from enamored to annoyed and…

Wait. Was he out here waiting for me to leave?

Who cares? I’m equally stubborn.

“You always forget; you’re Alena’s dad. Not. Mine.”

“No. You’re my … myguest, and it’s a Sunday night.” He flicks his cigar into the sand. “It’ll take an hour for an Uber to get here, and that’s unacceptable.” He jerks his chin toward a van parked in the garage. “Get in my car.”

“You’re not the boss of me,” I sass back, suddenly sixteen again. “And it won’t take an hour. It says it’ll be here in…”

I check the app and roll my eyes.

“Uh-huh.” He sounds amused, my pulse rising as he nears. “What does it say?”

“None of your business.”

“My property.” He casts shadows over me. “My business.”

I snap my phone behind my back. “It says nothing.”

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