Bargaining with the Billionaire (Billionaire Bachelor Mountain Cove)

by Maria Hoagland

  A twinkle in her eye let him off the hook. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ve got something.”

  Relieved, he started toward the shop door. He didn’t want to leave the two girls downstairs by themselves, but he also had no desire to spend much time alone with them. “See you in a minute?”

  Autumn laughed. “Right behind you.” She shared a quick word with Katrina and then waved to him as she stepped through the storeroom door.

  Only when she disappeared from view did Kian snap back to himself. He’d been mesmerized by her. Her beauty, the first thing he’d noticed that first night at the blues festival, wasn’t her only attractive feature. That she would consent to drop everything to come to his rescue said a lot about her character; that she’d done it for him left him grateful.

  When confronted with the uncomfortable situation of being alone with the two teenage riders, his first instinct had been to ask Autumn to join him, but why? For obvious reasons, he couldn’t ask another of his guy friends. That would have looked even worse than him alone with the young customers. Since she loved to bike, Emily probably would have done it, though getting her at the last second might have been a challenge.

  But things between him and Autumn had been strained, their last interaction a contest of wills. He had no idea how she took the delivery of the headphones the next day. Had she seen it as a joke, a jab, or the apology he meant it to be? Since he hadn’t known where he stood, asking for her help today had been bold. She could have easily and justifiably declined to help, but she’d unselfishly stepped past that.

  He made his way back down the stairs and checked the girls in. If their driver’s licenses were legitimate, they were both over eighteen, though not by much. They signed releases, and he was bagging the Spokes T-shirts they’d bought when Autumn stepped inside.

  “Hey, there! Everyone ready to go?” She walked over, confident despite wearing a wrinkled T-shirt and battered running shoes. She smiled at the girls. “I’m Autumn.”

  The girls introduced themselves, completely at ease with Autumn. She had them engaged in conversation, and they were halfway to the door when she looked over her shoulder at Kian. “Need me to carry anything?”

  Kian shook his head, bringing himself back to reality. “I got it.” He turned off the computer and grabbed his keys. “The van’s across the street.”

  The women were on the opposite sidewalk by the time he finished securing the front door. The way Autumn came in and took charge where she saw the need completely relieved the stress he’d felt. If she kept this up, he’d be the assistant and she’d be running this tour, but he was completely okay with that. If all he did was drive, provide equipment, and lead on the trail, he’d be happy. Well, content that he wouldn’t have to ward off unwanted advances, but maybe slightly disappointed. In the few minutes since she’d agreed to come, he’d begun anticipating the opportunity to get to know Autumn better.

  After a short drive and getting their equipment, they set out riding. They weren’t too far down the trail when Kian finally got his chance to concentrate on Autumn. A couple of times, both Sierra and Annie had tried to corner him alone, but he’d been able to redirect them gently with the promise of a small waterfall ahead. With them intent on finding it, he dropped back to ride leisurely with Autumn.

  “How’s Mafalda been treating you?” he asked. “She was pretty active when I locked up Sunday night—making all kinds of noise.” He’d been the one behind it, of course, though he wasn’t sure if he needed to continue the charade.

  He hadn’t heard anything in the last few days about the rumor. If a billionaire really was interested in buying the building and had worked something out with Roger Luman, surely Kian would have heard by now. For all he knew, it was just Roger doing his best to push Kian out again. Well, that wasn’t going to work.

  So he would keep up the Mafalda thing with Autumn a while longer. If she thought he believed a ghost was haunting the place, maybe she’d be spooked enough to dissuade any potential buyers who came her way. He could tell her the truth, but having her lie to buy him more time was too big an ask. Best to not even talk about it so he didn’t put her in the middle of his property dispute with Roger. Besides, teasing Autumn with Mafalda was fun and harmless.

  “Ghost?” She shook her head and let out a cross between a sigh and a laugh. “You don’t actually believe that stuff.”

  “You didn’t hear anything?” He feigned incredulity. He worked to keep a straight face, especially when she didn’t look anything but bored. “Doors scraping, things falling, ghostly moans?”

  “I heard what sounded like a bad Halloween soundtrack.”

  Which was completely true.

  She stared him down.

  “And you think it was me?” He kept his face open, surprised. All that practice of not laughing at his own jokes during comedy routines came in handy.

  Her face scrunched like a little kid upset because she couldn’t get her way. She raised her index finger in warning. “I know it’s you.”

  Her challenge made it easier to hold back his smile. “Why would I do that?”

  She narrowed her pretty brown eyes at him. “I keep asking myself the same thing. Why would you?” She raised her eyebrows. “I’ll figure it out.”

  “You keep telling yourself that, kid. But until you know me—I mean, really know me and my motivations—you might want to be careful not to leave things out for Mafalda to get into. She can be a bit of a troublemaker.”

  “Um-hmm.” Autumn looked away, keeping her eyes on the trail, the trees around them, anything but him. In those few quiet moments, he knew the subject was closed. “Okay, then,” she continued, “tell me about Kian Gould. You own a shop called Spokes that somehow doubles as a bike shop . . . and a comedy club?” She jumped her bike over a small tree root. “Not two things I would generally put together.”

  She was completely comfortable on a mountain bike, and he loved it. Just because she wore full jewelry and makeup and looked like a supermodel didn’t mean she couldn’t kick back and have fun. All he had to do was see her wrinkled shirt to remember she was a real person.

  He turned her question back on her. “Why not biking and comedy?” He purposefully rode outside the narrow path to work on widening it. He’d only started using this particular trail earlier this spring with a group of Emily Wood’s friends, so it was rather undeveloped. “Both bring people happiness.”

  “Is that your goal, then? Bringing people happiness?” She sounded skeptical and a little surprised. As if this kind of motivation had never occurred to her. Wasn’t that what jewelry did?

  “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.” Knowing what was coming up, he pedaled harder to crest a small knob and then jumped his bike over the top.

  She worked to catch up. “I agree,” she said, slightly out of breath. “It’s more the combination. Why not choose one and focus on it?”

  “People say do what you love.” He just happened to have more than one love.

  “I get that.” She lifted a hand to the earring dangling on the side closest to him. The way he’d seen it flip around with every bump, it had to be painful, especially if the bike helmet pinched it against her head.

  “Oh, yes. The rich and famous daughter who makes jewelry for royalty.” He chuckled warmly.

  Autumn’s face drained of color. “Did my dad actually say that?”

  “Not to everyone.” But pretty close. It was the chamber of commerce meeting, so a good fifty small-business owners. “He’s just a proud papa. Don’t stress.” He could tell she was stressing though, so he redirected back to her earrings. “I thought earrings were interesting accessories for cycling. Branding?”

  “Some might see it that way.” She was silent for a moment. Was she concentrating on the trail, or had he offended her? “It’s not branding, though, not really. It’s actually the other way around. I make the jewelry because I like to wear it. It’s who I am.”

  “Yeah, a g
irly girl,” he teased.

  She laughed as she sped up to pass him. “Right. A girly girl splattered in mud and drenched in sweat, wishing I could wear a baseball cap instead of the helmet.”

  He laughed along with her. “And you still would have worn jewelry.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Of course.” Her tone said she would have it no other way.

  “Like I said. Branding—which isn’t a bad term.”

  “I take it the comedy club is a new thing?” She changed the subject, and he let her.

  “One week and counting.”

  “Congrats.” The word felt reserved. “Why now?”

  Kian aimed for an angled rock off the worn path and exaggerated a jump off before responding. “Like they say, you miss every shot you don’t take. Stand-up in my own club was something I’ve always wanted to do, and I would have regrets if I didn’t at least try. I didn’t need one of my future ghosts to be regret.”

  Autumn didn’t respond, her expression far away from the trail and their conversation. Something was definitely on her mind. Laser-focused, it was as if she were trying to see through the trees into what lay ahead.

  He allowed the lapse in conversation, concentrating on biking. When he sped up, she kept pace. In anticipation of a gnarly turn where Emily and Finn had wiped out a few months before, Kian slowed.

  He turned his attention back to Autumn, who remained preoccupied but perhaps relaxed enough to be receptive. “What’s up?” he asked. He looked ahead to check his clients. Four tires on the ground and two bodies on the seats. All was good.

  “What makes you think something’s up?” She swiped at a lock of hair that had bounced out of her ponytail.

  “You’re too quiet.” When he focused, he could hear the gurgling of the river and the splash of the waterfall not too far off in the distance.

  “You don’t know me well enough to say that. Maybe I’m a quiet person.”

  Fair enough, except his instinct told him otherwise. “You weren’t quiet at the blues festival. We talked a lot that night.”

  She swerved back and forth on the pathway, leisurely weaving around rocks. “About music and the people around us and the inadvisability of concert T-shirts with entertainers’ faces on them. Nothing important.”

  “True,” he said. And she’d never gotten serious the way she had during this conversation. They must have touched on something weighty for her. “You’re right, I don’t know you well, but something does seem to be bothering you.”

  She gave him a sideways glare. “Besides you?” At least she was teasing.

  “Oh, I’m bothering you?” He blew out a scoff. “I guess I can just go ride with Rory and Paris.” Already forgetting the girls’ real names, he said the first duo of teenage girls he could think of. He pedaled harder to accelerate, threatening to ride away, but then coasted until they were side by side again.

  “Right.” She smiled. “I’m pretty sure you don’t want to feed that frenzy.” She had him there.

  “Yeah, it wouldn’t be fair to them. Not when I’m off-limits,” he said, hoping she’d understand that his interest was in her.

  “Why exactly are you off-limits? Any other guy—”

  “I’m gonna stop you right there, darlin’. I am not any other guy.” He’d like to think it was because he was honorable and noble and that Autumn would notice.

  “That remains to be seen,” she teased.

  At least he’d pulled her out of her funk. The happy, laughing Autumn was back. “Ouch! Don’t I get credit for saving you from the creeper?”

  She put her hand up in his direction like she was stopping him and waved it back and forth. “Don’t you dare. You said we’d be even now, remember?”

  “That doesn’t mean I can’t help you.” He eased back into seriousness. “Talk to me.”

  “I was just thinking. You mentioned branding and being brave. My dad goes and brags about me, and now I’ve got this deadline crushing down. My name and brand are on the line here. This is a huge deal for me, and for the first time ever, I’m completely at a loss.” She wiped the back of her wrist against her forehead. “What happens when I can’t come up with anything?”

  “Give yourself permission to look outside the box.” The words were cliché, but he meant it. “I want you to step back and think a minute. Forget about the auction. Forget about anything you’ve tried to plan out the last few days. Now let your mind wander. If you could do anything . . .” He paused, the only sounds between them the spinning of the gears and wheels, the water they were getting closer to, and the laughter of the teenagers who sounded like they might have discovered it. “Did anything come to mind, something you barely considered before because it’s so different? What intrigues you, inspires you?”

  “And if it fails?” Once Autumn maneuvered the corner and straightened out again, she reached out and trailed her fingers through the leaves on the smaller trees by the path. “It seems counterintuitive to do something completely different than what I’ve done before, because that worked. That success is what got me this gig in the first place. Something different might be a big mistake.”

  “Like the comedy club. It might fail. I might have invested a big chunk of money and effort into a venture that might never take off. Will that ruin what I’ve created with Spokes?” He raised both hands, palms up, and then set them back on his handlebars. “So far, so good. One week and counting.”

  “Yeah, but one weekend—one show—isn’t enough to know if it’s going to pay off in the long run. How do you know it’s going to work out?”

  She’d voiced one of his innermost concerns, but he wouldn’t feed it or allow it grow into fear. “I don’t. But I’m willing to try, even if that means I’ll fail.” He pointed out the turnoff on her other side. Bike tires stuck out far enough for him to tell that the girls had found the waterfall. “There’s our stop. You’re not going to want to miss this.”

  They pulled into the turnoff and leaned their bikes against trees near the others. In the distance, they could hear the excited screams that could only mean the girls had decided to take a quick dip in the pool at the base of the waterfall.

  “Do you have your phone on you?” Hopefully, the question was casual enough that she wouldn’t catch on.

  “Nope. I left it in your van. Why?” Autumn picked her way down the dirt path toward the sound of rushing water.

  “Pictures.” He pulled his phone out of the exercise belt he wore to hold it and a couple of emergency energy gels. “Don’t worry. I’ll share.” He unclipped the exercise belt. “And how are you with swimming?” He was still going for casual, though in a few more steps, she would be close enough that he could push her in.

  “Wishing I’d worn a bathing suit.”

  That was all the answer he needed. He took off his helmet and shoes and tucked his phone and sunglasses with his socks into one. Autumn followed suit. As soon as she stood, he grabbed her hand and started running toward the edge of the small cliff she likely didn’t know was there. “Jump!” he said at the last second.

  And she did.

  Refreshing, cool water enveloped him—heaven on earth. It flowed around and over him as he slowly made his way toward the edge of the pool. Swimming fully clothed was too cumbersome to enjoy, but the quick dip was enough to make the inconvenience worthwhile. He pulled himself from the water and onto a flat rock. Now the sun on his face felt glorious, and he leaned back, tilting his chin to the sky to soak it in.

  Autumn lifted herself up onto the rock beside his. “Ah!”

  He felt water spraying from her and opened his eyes to check. She clutched her hair in one hand and squeezed down, leaving a puddle between the two of them.

  “I needed that.” She leaned back on the rock, back flat and knees dangling over the edge.

  Kian’s two clients darted in and out from beneath the waterfall’s spray about half a football field away.

  “I did too,” he said. Like her, he settled back against the warm gra
nite, water leaking from his clothes and steaming on the rock. Birds and bugs chirped around them, tree leaves rustled in the slight breeze, and Kian basked in the calm peacefulness and sunshine.

  After a good solid five minutes of nothing, Autumn cleared her throat. “I think you’re right.”

  “Of course I’m right,” he agreed. They still lay on their individual rocks, unable to see each other’s expressions. “I’m always right.”

  “Yeah, and I know everything.” Her sarcasm met his—strong but not biting.

  “About the need for refreshment?” He meant the water, but now his stomach grumbled with the thought of lunch.

  “I meant about not creating a ghost of opportunities past.” She sat up, cross-legged, and faced Kian. He did the same. She flashed him a quick, self-conscious smile that got his pulse racing and his mouth dry. “Any tips how to look outside the box?”

  “One.” He nodded. “Pack up your worries and set them aside for the day.”

  “I’m trying, but it’s not that easy,” she muttered, looking away. “I can’t decide on a design, and I can’t even try anything out because I don’t have my supplies. UPS said they delivered my packages, even though I don’t have them.” She growled her frustration. “I checked the online tracker, called, everything.” She passed a hand over her eyes for a moment. “Every day I’m without them, I’m that much further behind.” She shook her head and then looked back at him. “Tossing them aside is easier said than done. I can’t turn off my brain.”

  He tipped his head to the side. How could he help? “Tell you what. Give me your worries and concerns. Box them up, put them in my backpack, and I’ll carry them for you. When you’re ready to deal with them again, I’ll give them back.” He reached over and picked a sprig of downy phlox. Trying not to let caution get the better of him, he reached over and tucked it behind her ear. The delicate pinkish-purple blossoms looked beautiful in her brunette hair.

  Her fingertips brushed his as she repositioned it more securely. A shy smile touched her lips before she shook her head, barely holding back a laugh. “Pack up my concerns. You’re nuts.”