Page 56 of The Potter

Halle leans in and makes this sound, and I’m yanking her from a hug before I realize what I’ve done.

“Vance!” she scolds, smoothing her dress and flashing the baby a regretful look.

Ask me how much I give a shit. “We need to leave. We don’t have time for all your damn hugs.”

For a moment, I think I’ve hurt her feelings, but then she narrows her eyes at me and points her finger. “Go wait for me in my room.”

I chuckle. No one tells me what to do, even sweet little things that make my dick rock solid. “Finish saying goodbye.” I give her no indication I’m moving from this spot until then.

We lock glares for a moment, then she lets out this long sigh and turns back to the boy. “You have my number, right?”

He nods, never taking his harsh stare off me. One day, kid, you’ll be old enough to be a threat but never to me. Ms. Belle may take pity on you, but you’ll never get a chance to slide your fingers between her legs and hear her whimper for more. Not like I will.

“Okay, good. Call me if you have any questions or if you just want to chat. I’ll probably be bored. I don’t know what you even do at a conference held at a winery.”

You talk. You drink. You fuck.

It’s pretty simple and the only reason Astor attends. But I don’t burst her bubble about her precious boss. She’s already upset enough with this whole plane fiasco. Astor and his stupid visuals.

“I’m sure your boss won’t mind keeping you company.” The second pain in my ass shoots me a dark look, which sends Halle doubling over in a fit of laughter.

“Vance isn’t my boss,” she tries explaining through pants of laughter. “And he’d rather push me from the plane than spend more time with me than he has to.”

A knot settles in my stomach at her admission. “And yet, I’m the one keeping you from being fired.” And having an episode on the plane. I wouldn’t exactly classify that as a dick move.

“I’m sorry, Vance. I didn’t mean it that way. I was only joking. You’re right, you’ve been so kind helping me with all of this.”

The teenager in front of her snorts. “I’m sure kindness was exactly why he offered to escort you onto his private jet.”

If I could form a relationship with anyone right now, I would have agreed with the kid’s observation. A few years ago, that’s exactly what I was doing. Wooing women on my personal jet while we contributed to burning through the ozone layer with our self-satisfying carbon footprint. But now, with trembling hands in my pocket from looking over the file in Duke’s office earlier… Suffice it to say, my game with women has long since abandoned me.

“It’s not like that—” she tries explaining before he cuts her off.

“Call me Rem.” He shoots me a narrowed glare. “My name is Remington.”

For some reason, this makes Halle smile. “Remington,” she repeats like she’s trying out his name for the first time.

“Did you not know his name?” I find myself asking.

She shakes her head, stepping up to Remington and taking back the hug I pulled her from earlier. “Thank you, Remington. I owe you.”

This whole conversation makes me want to bash my head against the brick wall, but fortunately, Halle takes pity on me and steps back. “I’ll be back on Saturday. Kay?”

Remington, whose name we all know now, nods, tipping his chin as she climbs into the passenger seat.

“See you later, kid. Don’t drown the fish.” Or yourself. It’d only keep Halle here longer.

He spares me no mind as he smiles back at Halle, pulling out a cigarette and addressing me quietly. “Make her cry, and I’ll flush your career down with the fish.”

This kid has balls.

I’m impressed.

Too bad his threat means nothing. You can’t threaten a man who has nothing left to lose.

I lost my career a year ago.

At this point, I’m only here to save Duke and Astor’s.

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