Tycoon's Delicious Debt

She hesitated, fiercely gripping her evening purse as the surprise rippled through her. Cooper Brock was already here? Before her? She had assumed he would be like most businessmen and arrive late in a failed attempt to set the tone of the evening. The fact that she hadn’t anticipated this maneuver sent a wisp of unease down her spine.

“Obrigada,” she replied softly as she turned to the bar where the older man gestured. It was her custom to arrive first and take early control of the battlefield. Cooper had taken her move. Why? The man relied on his family name and his charm to make things happen. Either he was eager to get this over with or he found her a worthy opponent.

She immediately saw Cooper. He was leaning against the carved wooden bar as if he didn’t have a care in the world. His light gray suit and white shirt opened at the neck accented his lean build. She took a moment to study her quarry as he stared at the drink in his hand.

Cooper Brock made her think of the mythical cowboys from the Wild West. She wasn’t sure why. Serena had never seen him wear a Stetson over his expensively tousled sandy-blond hair. But she knew he was a man who followed his own code of honor and would risk everything to protect his territory, his family and his woman. He may be the heir to an empire but Cooper created and controlled his own destiny.

She always thought that his craggy face matched his stubborn personality. It was all angles from his high cheekbones to the blade of his nose and the slash of his mouth. But it was his silver eyes that dominated his face. They were surprisingly expressive, at one moment playful and fierce the next.

Cooper glanced up sharply and her gaze clashed with his. Her heart leaped violently. She wanted to inhale deeply but the breath stole from her lungs. She was mesmerized as his features sharpened while he hunched his shoulders.

This time his eyes flashed with an unspoken challenge and she darted her gaze away. Her instincts screamed to keep him in her sight in case he pounced but she ignored it. Serena steadfastly refused to look at Cooper in the eye as she walked toward him, keenly aware of the sway of her hips and the way her silk dress grazed her bare legs. Her skin prickled as she felt his gaze drift along her curves. She wondered if the halter dress had been a poor choice.

When she had been getting ready for dinner there had been a moment when she considered covering herself from shoulder to knee. She had immediately discarded the idea. There was no need to hide or change her style. This dress was part of her armor, her carefully controlled image. She would not allow Cooper Brock to determine what she wore.

But as his attention rested on her full breasts, her nipples stinging as they tightened, Serena recalled why she had hesitated. She was used to men staring at her, wanting her. She often used their reactions to her advantage. She couldn’t do that with Cooper. She instinctively knew that if she taunted him, the power struggle between them would shift. The sensual mood she’d create would boomerang back and the desire she felt would be used against her.

Cooper Brock was definitely not a man to tease. The lust he had for her was barely restrained and it would not take much to unleash it. Just the thought of it made her skin heat and created a pulsating ache low in her belly. This reaction of hers was inconvenient. Distracting. Wrong.

“Serena,” Cooper said by way of greeting before he motioned for the bartender.

She requested a glass of wine and didn’t look in Cooper’s direction until it was necessary. “You’re here early,” she commented lightly, hoping it didn’t sound like a complaint. “You must be staying nearby.”

“I booked myself here in The Harrington.”

Her stomach gave a vicious twist. That close. She wasn’t sure how she felt about him being under the same terra-cotta tile roof. She wouldn’t be able to get away from him. A man like Cooper Brock couldn’t be contained by the bright white walls and iron grille windows. But Serena showed no reaction and waited for her drink under his intense gaze.

Cooper slugged back the rest of his drink. He grimaced from the bite of the hard liquor and set the crystal tumbler down with a thud. “Okay, Serena,” he said. “What do you want in exchange for the Alves land?”

She chuckled as she accepted the glass of wine from the bartender. “You Americans. So abrupt and aggressive,” she chided. “Do you realize that this is why I was able to swoop in and get the deal?”

Cooper scowled at her. “I don’t believe in wasting time.”

“You need to relax and socialize.” She turned, resting her elbows against the bar as she tilted her head back to meet his silvery-gray eyes. “Learn something about the person with whom you are negotiating. Having a grasp of their native language would be nice.”

“I make deals around the world. It would be inefficient—not to mention impossible—to learn all the languages.”

“Then don’t be surprised if I manage to swoop in and interfere with your deals again and again.” How many deals would she have to steal before he struggled with the same uncertainty she’d wrestled with every day for the past decade? It would never be enough. He would never know what it was like to have his security stolen from him, to be paralyzed with fear.

“I won’t let that happen.” His voice was rough with impatience. “Now, what do you want from me?”

“I am willing to give you the land,” she said. She had no use for the Alves property but he didn’t need to know that.

He tipped his head back and watched her closely. She knew his mind was whirring as he tried to determine the trap she was laying. “How much are you inflating the price?”

“I’m not.” She had toyed with the idea of making a profit from the exchange. Serena equated money with security and the more money she acquired, the more protection she had against the injustices of the world. She knew she could make money from the transaction but it was more important to focus on her main goal. “I will give you the land for the same amount that I paid.”

His eyes narrowed as he gave her a dark look of suspicion. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I want something more than money.” She took a sip of her wine and the fruity notes burst against her tongue. “I want the shares to The Harrington.”

His startled bark of laughter shattered the quiet atmosphere of the bar. “Hell, no.”

“Then I guess we have nothing to talk about.” She set down her wineglass, picked up her small purse and moved to leave.

He wrapped his hand around her wrist and stopped her. Her limbs went rigid as the wild energy coursed through her body from his simple touch. Serena stared at his dark and calloused hand that covered her diamond bracelet. The anger of seeing a Brock touching her mother’s jewelry warred with the traitorous need to yield to his hold.

“Why are you leaving?” Cooper’s voice was soft and husky. Almost intimate. “We’ve only started to negotiate.”

“I’m not here to barter,” she said coldly. She wasn’t going to fall for his charm. “I told you my price.”

“Why would I give up those shares?” he asked with a hint of incredulity. “Don’t you read the news?”

“Of course.” If Cooper had learned anything about her, he would know that her daily routine was consumed by gathering news and information. It was how she gained and protected her wealth.

“This is the worst time to sell or trade my shares. There’s a feud raging between the Chatsfields and the Harringtons,” Cooper reminded her. “The publicity has increased the bookings at The Harrington, increasing its value.”

She yanked out of his grasp but her skin still tingled from his touch. “Why else do you think I want it?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” He lowered his head, moving closer. She fought the urge to take a step back. “You apparently know my portfolio and you want something of lesser value? It doesn’t make sense.”

She thrust out her chin. “Perhaps I have sentimental reasons for wanting the shares.”

“A lovers’ weekend?” he said in a growl.

She raised an eyebrow. She did not like the possessive quality of his tone. “I’m not one of those women who gets sentimental about sex.”

“Good to know.” His eyes suddenly sparkled. Serena didn’t know if he was enjoying the thrust and parry of their conversation or if he was imagining a no-strings sexual escapade with her.

“This meeting is not an exploratory conversation,” she said in her haughtiest tone. “It’s not a discussion and it’s not the foundation for negotiations. I am telling you what I want in exchange for the Alves land.”

“Then this conversation is over. I am not giving up my shares.” Cooper thrust his hands in his pockets and gave a sharp nod to his head. “A pleasure as always, Serena.”

She waited until he began to stroll away. “I’m assuming you spoke to your father this afternoon,” she said.

Cooper paused and looked over his shoulder. His gray eyes were guarded but he showed no expression. “Of course.”

“Does he remember the name Felipe Dominguez?” Her chest tightened as she waited for the answer.

“Yes.”

“Hmm,” she said, hating how the sound seemed almost strangled. She had often wondered if Aaron Brock would remember the Dominguez name. It had been fourteen years and while his actions had changed the course of their lives, it had meant nothing to him. “What did he say?”

He walked back to the bar and leaned his arm on the smooth wooden counter. “I wouldn’t repeat it in front of a lady.”

Serena was tempted to roll her eyes. Why would Cooper think she had delicate sensibilities? She had gained quite a vocabulary during her time living in a seedy neighborhood but it wasn’t nearly as colorful as the language she heard in the financial industry. “And what excuse did he give for his actions?”

The corner of his mouth pulled in a wry, lopsided smile. “My father is not one to give excuses.”