Page 93 of After You Returned

Her nostrils flare. “I’m as mad as a kraken and ready to rain down vengeance like a leviathan.”

I bite my tongue to stop from laughing at her references to mythical sea creatures. I don’t want her going all leviathan on me. Being on the receiving end of vengeance is never fun. Doling it out, on the other hand? Oodles of joy.

“What happened?”

“Jeremy put a swimming pool in our backyard.”

“How dare he? This is outrageous. A billionaire put a swimming pool in his backyard. What was he thinking? Maybe we should contact the police.”

She crosses her arms over her chest and glares at me. “He shouldn’t be spending all his money on our house. We don’t need a pool. Or a chef’s kitchen. Or fifty bathrooms.”

I lift my eyebrow. “Fifty bathrooms?”

“Slight exaggeration for dramatic purposes.”

I nod. “I’ll allow it.”

“He shouldn’t be spending his money on me.”

I scowl. “Why not?”

“It’s ridiculous. I don’t need it.”

“Parker, he loves you and wants to spoil you.”

She blows out a breath, and her shoulders sag as the tension flows out of her body. “I know but how am I supposed to spoil him?”

“I have a few ideas.”

She glares at me. “If you mention sexual favors, I’m kicking you out of here and banning you for life.”

I wag my finger at her. “Ban me for life and I’ll be forced to steal Viking.”

“Good luck. Mr. Moneybags bought him a new cage, bed, and security.”

“Viking has his own security? What is it? Tough otter bodyguards who hiss and glare at you when you come too close to Viking?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Actually, I would. It’s important to know how to steal a live mascot. Even if the live mascot is from your town and you’re ‘not supposed’ to steal him. But there’s no way Parker will tell me what security measures she’s added. She loves Viking too much to allow him to be stolen by the residents.

“There’s no reason to ban me. I wasn’t actually referring to sexual favors. There are other ways to spoil your billionaire lover. You can bring home coffee and treats. Show up at hisoffice with lunch because he’s too busy to take a break. Get pregnant because he’s dying to give you children.”

“You had me until the end.”

I shrug. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“You never can,” she mutters. “What can I get you?”

“Two humongous coffees and whatever treats you have left since it’s the end of the day.”

She waggles her eyebrows. “Going to see Miles?”

“We’re meeting at his surf shack.”

“The love shack!”

“At least you’re not as mad as a kraken anymore.”