Heart of Stone

If it was finalized. By the look in her cornflower-blue eyes, that might not be happening anytime soon.

But he wanted to see her again.

And what he wanted right now, right this very minute, was to kiss her. But Stone refrained from that particular need. He had to play this cool. He had to forget about how attracted he was to Tara Parnell and remember the real prize.

He wanted that land. And her. But he couldn’t tell her that, of course. Not yet, anyway.

“I want us to talk about it,” he said, hoping she would stick around long enough for that, at least. “We need to have a calm, rational discussion.”

She yanked her arm away, as if disgusted with him. “I am not calm and rational right now. And I want to get as far away from you as possible.”

He didn’t blame her. Stone knew he had her cornered. It was how he worked. He negotiated through his lawyers and managers, then he sat back and waited, always silent, always low-key, and always one step ahead of the rest of the pack. It drove people crazy, but it worked. But strangely, today’s victory didn’t bring him the usual rush of adrenaline he normally got when closing a deal. “I did try—”

Her finger in the air stopped him. “Do not tell me again how you tried to warn me. Nothing could have prepared me for this.”

“I’m willing to explain it to you,” he said, wishing he could explain his need for more money and power, his need to be successful at all costs. “If you sit down and let me bring my people back in, I can show you why this is a fair offer.”

She paced the floor, giving him ample time to enjoy the way her crisp suit fit her slender, petite body. He also enjoyed the way she tossed those thick, blond bangs out of her pretty eyes.

Except those eyes were now centered on him.

“Okay,” she said, the one word calm and quiet. “Get them back in here. Where do I sign?”

Her defeat floored Stone. Literally. He sank down in his own chair, ran a hand through his long bangs, then glanced up at her. “What? No fight? And to think, I was so looking forward to sparring with you.”

She turned then and he would never forget the look in her eyes. Forget disgust. She hated him. Stone could feel it to his very soul. And nothing had ever burned him so badly.

“I don’t have any fight left,” she said, her words devoid of any emotion. “I have to consider my children.” She turned away again.

Don’t let her cry, Stone silently pleaded. Although he wasn’t sure to whom or what he was pleading.

But she didn’t cry. She just wrapped her arms against her stomach, as if to ward off being sick, then turned to face him. “Since you know so very much about my late husband, and me, too, for that matter, Mr. Dempsey, then you probably know that I can’t hold out any longer. I’ve used up most of my assets to pay off the credit cards and the other bills. I’ve used some of the life insurance to make the house payment, and while I’m trying to sell the house, I still need to buy groceries and clothes for three growing girls, not to mention school supplies and health insurance, so I’ve sold off everything I could to have some sort of cash flow. But soon that will be dried up, too. And my salary, as nice and cushy as it might seem, won’t begin to cover the debts my husband left because my company has threatened downsizing and I won’t be getting a raise anytime soon.

“So, you see, I’m tired of fighting. I’m tired of playing games. I need the money you’re willing to pay for that land, even though we both know it’s worth more than the price you’ve quoted me. And I need it now. Today.” She leaned over the table again, then grabbed a pen, her hand steady in spite of the emotion cresting in her voice. “So, call the lawyers and accountants back in and show me where to sign. I want to get this over with.”

Something inside Stone changed. It was a subtle shifting, much like sand flowing through a sieve. It was just a nudge of doubt and regret, coupled with admiration for her spunk and strength, but it pushed through enough to scare him to death. He couldn’t go soft. Not now. Not after he’d been working this deal for months.

But he did go soft. Goodness, he wasn’t such an ogre that he’d cause a woman’s children to go hungry. Was he?

“Look, Tara, we don’t have to do this today.”

It was her turn to pounce. Tara lunged across the table at him, her blue eyes bright with tears she wouldn’t shed, her expression full of loathing and rage. “Oh, yes, we do have to do this today. Because I will not allow you to continue to humiliate or goad me. You’ve won, Mr. Dempsey—”

“I’m Stone. Call me Stone, please.”

She gave the suggestion some thought. “Okay, then, Stone. You’ve won. You can have the land, as long as I never have to see you again. I’ll deal with your middleman, and anybody else who wants to do your dirty work, but don’t you ever show your face around me again. That has to be part of the deal.”

Now Stone actually felt sick. Sick at himself for being so rude and ruthless. He felt deflated, defeated, done in.

By a blue-eyed blond widow who had turned out to be very hard to deal with. A blue-eyed blond widow who’d just told him she never wanted to see him again. Only, he had to see her again. Now he had to convince her of that, too.

“You’re not serious,” he said, giving her a half smile full of puzzlement.

“I’m dead serious,” she replied, giving him a tight-lipped ultimatum. “I want it in the contract.”

Stone got up, pushed at his hair. “You want me to put in the contract that you won’t have to ever see me again?”

“That’s what I said—but I want it worded—that I don’t want to ever see you again.”

“That won’t hold up. You’ll have to see me, Tara, to finish up the paperwork, at least.”

“Then the deal’s off. You did say you like to remain in the background, let other people handle the details. What was it—you prefer to stay anonymous?”

“But that’s crazy. Once the papers are signed, that clause won’t mean anything. And it won’t matter.”

“You’re right,” she said, smiling at last. “It won’t matter then, because you won’t matter. At all.” She rubbed her hands together, then tossed them in the air, as if she’d just washed away a bad stain. “I’ll be done with you by then.”

Stone felt sweat trickling down the center of his back. This deal had all of a sudden turned very, very sour.

Surprisingly, he wanted it to matter. He wanted to matter to her. And he certainly didn’t want her to be done with him just yet. Because he wasn’t done with her, not by a long shot. In fact, as the famous saying went, he’d only just begun to fight.

Stone watched her, saw the agitation on her pretty face, but decided he was willing to suffer her wrath just to keep her near. “We’re not finished here, Tara. Because I’ve just decided I’m not ready to sign that contract.”

Her rage went into double overdrive. Giving him an incredulous look, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I want to reconsider this deal. We’ve waited this long, why not take it slow and think it through?”

“I told you, I want to get this over with.”

“Yes, I heard that loud and clear. And I’m asking you to wait. Just one week.”

She stomped and shifted, her taupe heels clicking softly against the carpet. “I’m agreeing to your offer on the land. You can’t intimidate me or play games with me anymore. What more can you possibly hope to gain by waiting, Stone?”

He came around the table, and unable to stop himself, he pushed at the fringe of bangs falling against her cheekbone. “Your respect,” he said. “I’ll be in touch.”

Then he turned and left the room.

Chapter Three

I t had been nearly a week.

Tara stood at the window of her bedroom, looking out over the swimming pool and trees in her lush backyard. It was beautiful, and Chad had been very proud of it, but Tara didn’t see the shimmering water of the pool or the tropical foliage that she’d paid a landscaper to plant in her yard.

She only saw red. Because of Stone Dempsey.

He’d said he’d be in touch, but in the four days since she’d met with him, she hadn’t heard a word from the man. Even his trusted associate, Griffin Smith, wouldn’t return her calls. And she’d called several times. If Stone really wanted to win her respect, he could at least return her phone calls.

But then, maybe he had decided she didn’t merit any respect after all. “I guess I blew it,” she said aloud, her hands going to her aching head.