Claimed by my Frenemy (Beachside Billionaires #1)

1. Mia

1

MIA

This place is a disaster. Not only does it look like it was designed in the eighties, but there’s also some clear water damage in the bottom floor bedroom. I make another note on my pad of paper as I stare at the wall. There’s probably mold growing behind it, based on the stained wallpaper.

A knock at the front door makes me jump.

How can I have a visitor? No one has lived here for at least a few years, and I just got here this morning, so it’s not like my grandmother had regular visitors who don’t know she’s passed yet.

Curious, I approach the front door cautiously, peering through the peephole. When I see who it is, my heart starts pounding. How has this handsome man found his way onto my porch?

He’s standing back from the door, looking sideways at another property, the perfect illustration of feeling bored as he waits for me. I can’t quite see his hands, but it doesn’t look like he’s carrying anything for me. Does he live on this street maybe?

He steps forward and knocks on the door again, and I stumble backward. I square my shoulders and smooth down my spaghetti strap tank top. Why am I so afraid of opening the door?

I’m just going to open it, ask him what he wants, then go on with my life. It’s not that big of a deal. Yet it feels like one as I finally pull the door open and we come face-to-face. He smiles at me, and his smile is dazzling.

It’s clear he knows just how good-looking he is.

“Hi, Theo.” He offers his hand, and it’s only as our hands are shaking that I catch some hesitation in his voice.

“Mia,” I tell him, even though I’m pretty sure he already knows that.

Theo takes his hand back and stuffs it in his pocket, which gives me the chance to study what he’s wearing. Despite being at the beach where everyone wears flip-flops and shorts wherever they go, Theo is wearing nice, khaki dress pants with a short-sleeved, collared shirt. He looks good, handsome, sexy even.

I want to ask him what he’s doing on my front porch, but that sounds so hostile. I shove my hands in the pockets of my light stone shorts, their frayed edges rubbing against my upper thigh.

“Are you the owner of this place now?” Theo asks, craning his neck back as he looks up at the porch roof and toward the second floor, like he’s evaluating what sort of property I have.

I smile excitedly. Theo must be one of my neighbors. I scan the houses across the street, wondering if one of them is his. “Yes! This is my place now! It was my grandparents’, but my grandmother just passed away, and, well, the place passed to me. I’m down here fixing it up.”

Theo nods, running his tongue across his lips. He doesn’t smile with me, though. Instead, there’s something serious about his face, like he has bad news for me. Maybe I’m reading too much into the situation.

It doesn’t help that it’s Theo standing there. The same Theo I knew back in high school. He’s changed a lot. Back then, his hair was long and stringy, but now, it’s cut closely around his head, which makes him look more grown up. But I can’t get caught up in comparisons. I’ve also changed in the last ten years.

In high school, I had a purple highlight in my black hair for the longest time. I also wore my hair as long as possible, but now, it just brushes the tops of my shoulders.

“You haven’t done any work yet, or I would have seen you fixing up the property.”

I nod slowly, not sure where Theo is going with this.

“Good, then I’ve caught you at a good time. I’d like to talk about something.”

I glance over my shoulder at the outdated dining set that has belonged to my grandmother since I can remember. I don’t know if I want to invite Theo in when I don’t even know the topic of conversation he wants to bring up.

I assume it’s not to pull out a high school yearbook and go through it together.

Leaning against the door, I shrug, deciding we’ll converse right there. “Well, what is it?”

“Do you have any idea how much your property is worth?” Theo asks. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, clicking on the screen a couple of times before turning it around to show me. I’m trying to mull over where this conversation is going when a row of numbers fills the screen.

“Your grandmother paid about $60k for this house back in the 70s. It’s done nothing but increase in value. Now some of that is due to inflation. Setting that aside, it’s estimated to be worth around $600k right now. That’s a 100% increase in value. Unfortunately, because of the state of the house, most of the value comes from the land it’s sitting on. Take the house off, and the land is still worth half a million. Now?—”

I push the phone back toward him, squinting. “I mean, these numbers are great and everything, but why do you have all this information about the house? I don’t understand why you’re here giving me the history of it.”

Theo tilts his head to the side, and I have to admit it’s very attractive. He has a teasing smile on his lips like he’s about to tell a joke, and I want to be in on it. He has definitely aged well. That’s for sure. No one could call him unattractive.

Theo's eyes glint with a hint of amusement as he stows his phone back in his pocket. "Mia, I'm offering to buy your property."

I blink, momentarily stunned. "Buy it? Why would you want to buy this old, rundown house? You just told me how little it’s actually worth, at least according to you."

"It’s not just according to me. It’s according to the research I’ve conducted, though you’re welcome to do your own research if that makes you feel better about it. The point is that the land it’s on is valuable. I’ve got plans to develop a small resort here. Your property would allow the plans to move forward unhindered.”

My heart sinks. Develop? That would mean tearing down my grandmother's house. "You want to tear it down?"

He nods. "It’s not in good condition, Mia. It would cost more to repair it than to start fresh."

I shake my head, feeling my temper rise. "This place has sentimental value, Theo. It’s been in my family for generations. You can't just put a price on that."

Theo’s expression hardens. "Sentimental value doesn’t pay the bills. Think about it. You’re looking at a lot of money here. More than enough to buy a nicer place elsewhere and have plenty left over. I’m even willing to pay you a little extra for a quick closing."

I cross my arms over my chest, trying to ignore the rapid beating of my heart. "It’s not just about the money. This place means something to me."

"And what, exactly, does it mean to you?" Theo challenges, raising an eyebrow. "It’s a house. A house that’s falling apart. Don’t let nostalgia blind you to a good opportunity. Not everyone will be willing to pay you more than it’s worth."

His dismissive tone strikes a nerve. "Nostalgia? This house holds my childhood memories, Theo. My grandparents lived here. I spent summers here, holidays. I might have grown up just over on the mainland, but I spent as much time here as possible. You can’t replace those memories with money."

He scoffs. "Memories won’t fix the mold in the walls or the water damage in the bedroom. Be realistic."

"Realistic? You’re the one being selfish. All you care about is your stupid resort and making a profit! You don't care about this place or what it means to me." My voice is rising, and I force myself to stop talking. My chest continues to heave up and down as my annoyance rolls through me.

Theo narrows his eyes, frustration flickering across his face. "You think I’m being selfish? I’m giving you a way out, Mia. A chance to start fresh. Wouldn’t you rather invest the cash I’d be paying you in a new property, one that you won’t have to worry about fixing up?"

"I don’t need a way out. I need you to leave. This conversation is over."

Theo takes a deep breath, visibly trying to control his temper. "Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when this place falls apart around you."

I slam the door shut, breathing heavily. Theo’s muffled curses reach me through the wood, but I don’t care. How could he be so heartless?

Leaning against the door, I try to calm myself. I shouldn’t feel this way, so attracted to someone who’s only thinking about his own gain. But the memory of his dazzling smile and the way his eyes sparkled before I told him there was no way he was going to buy my grandparents’ house out from under me… They still affect me.

I clench my fists, determined not to let him get to me. This house is more than just property. It’s my history, my family. And no amount of money will ever change that. Besides, I have big plans for this place, and Theo has no idea how profitable they will be. He has no idea about a lot of things, including how stubborn I can be.