Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

C ooper knew the precise time his revamped proposal had been delivered to Ariel: ten o'clock. Now, the timestamp on his computer read twenty-five and it would've taken her twenty-five minutes to high-tail it to Vance Corporation in Melbourne's CBD, including the time she would've spent jumping up and down on the spot having a tantrum.

She would hate the amendments he'd made to the proposal.

If the ruckus outside his office door was any indication, she intended on making her feelings known to all and sundry before she even made it into his office.

As he pushed back from his desk and strode across his office, the door flung open.

"You've got a nerve!" Ariel shouted, making a beeline for him while Beryl, his secretary, gave an apologetic shrug and made circles with her finger at her temple.

"I'll take it from here, thanks Beryl," he said, walking straight past Ariel to shut the door.

Not that it would make much difference. Half of Flinders Street would've heard Ariel's indignant shriek as she whirled and advanced on him, her eyes filled with emerald fire and her curls bristling like a fuzzy halo.

Not that there was anything remotely angelic about her, considering what they'd got up to last night and in the shower first thing this morning.

He couldn't get the images of their incredible night out of his head, which is exactly why he'd headed to the office after he left her gallery. He hated feeling off-kilter and that's how Ariel made him feel. Business grounded him and gave him a purpose. He needed clarity now more than ever and once this deal went through, he'd have it. Then he could re-evaluate his feelings for Ariel and what that meant for them.

"Why don't you take a seat and we can discuss the new developments like two rational adults?"

"Rational?" She drew back her shoulders, drawing his attention to her breasts straining against the paisley halter top that moulded her like a second skin, eliciting erotic memories of the way she'd felt lying on top of him last night—passionate, feverish, responsive—like a fantasy come to life. "You expect me to be rational when you have a courier deliver me this ?"

She reached into a straw carryall, pulled out a sheaf of papers, flung them onto his desk, and planted her hands on hips, like an avenging demon come to slay him. "Tell me this isn't what it looks like."

"What does it look like?"

He shouldn't antagonise her further, he really shouldn't, but a small part of him was enjoying their confrontation. She'd had all the comebacks last night, shooting him down in flames when all he'd tried to do was lay the foundations for a possible future as friends or maybe something more.

She hadn't listened to him, she hadn't acknowledged his honesty, and she sure as hell hadn't given them a chance even after the mind-blowing sex. If he were completely honest with himself, he didn't know if he wanted a future with Ariel, but he'd be damned if he walked away without exploring the fireworks that exploded whenever they were within two feet of each other.

She continued to confuse business with pleasure and the only way he knew to bring this to quick closure was to finish the business and move onto more of the pleasure. A lot more…of her soft lips clinging to his, her hands all over his body, her excited little moans as he licked her to orgasm…

"What is wrong with you?" She broached the short distance between them and snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Cut the vague act and start explaining."

Wrestling his raging libido into some semblance of control, he headed for the safety of his desk and away from Ariel's intoxicating scent. He'd never smelt anything like it and the weird perfume he could now label as neroli thanks to the tiny essential oil vial he'd spied in her bag the other day had grown on him. He doubted he'd ever smell oranges again without remembering the blonde goddess with eyes of green fire.

"Would you like a drink?"

"No. I would like an explanation." She grudgingly sat on the leather chair opposite his and folded her arms like a recalcitrant schoolgirl waiting for punishment from the principal. "Now."

He sat, straightening the messy papers scattered on his desk, hoping a few extra seconds would help calm her down. When he caught her eye and saw the narrow green slits glowing with anger, he knew a few extra hours wouldn't help.

"If you've read the amendments, you don't need an explanation. It's clear."

"The part where you're threatening me or the part where you'll do anything to get your grubby hands on the gallery?" She leaned forward, her fingers clenching his desk so hard the knuckles whitened. "Oops, silly me. The gallery doesn't mean a thing to you, it's the land you're after. I really must learn to clarify my terms, like you have in this pathetic excuse for a proposal."

He let her vent. He'd expected the animosity, the antagonism, but it hurt nonetheless. He cared about her. And he hadn't realised how much until now, when she glared at him with loathing and contempt.

Damn it, what if his plan backfired?

What if, in attempting to finish the business side of things and move onto the personal, he finished them completely?

"I'm not threatening you, Ariel, I'm giving you an opportunity to come out of this deal a winner."

"You're trying to buy me off to get what you want." Her scornful stare burned a hole straight through to his conscience. "And if I don't comply, you go ahead and offer the council twice what the land is worth by the end of today?"

She shook her head, golden curls rioting around her face and a perfect contrast for the faint pink staining her cheeks. "Wow, lucky me, that's some opportunity ."

He gritted his teeth, wishing it didn't have to be this way. "This deal has to go through. Today," he said, feeling like a heel when the fire drained from her eyes only to be replaced by fear.

"I need more time."

Her whispered plea slammed into his soul, raising questions he'd rather ignore.

Was his dream more important than hers?

Did he care enough about her to turn his back on the primary motivating factor that dragged him into the office these days, the thought of leaving and never coming back once he sealed this deal?

If he cared about her, how much? And what was he going to do about it?

"Time isn't going to help," he muttered.

It would help either of them. He needed to get out of Vance Corporation , she needed to start a new gallery elsewhere with the money he was determined she would have. And once this pesky business was out of the way, they needed to recreate the fire that had consumed them last night, repeatedly.

"You don't know that. There's the National Trust, the Victorian Arts Council…" she trailed off, the truth finally dawning in her stricken eyes. "You've already made the offer, haven't you?"

Cooper hesitated, knowing he couldn't lie to the woman he loved yet aware the truth would potentially ruin what little chance they had for a future.

The woman he loved?

He slumped in his chair, the truth detonating.

He loved her…

No way.

He must've slipped up under the strain, substituting the L word for caring. Yeah, that sounded better. He cared for her. Much better.

Yet when he met her defeated stare, unshed tears glistening green, his heart made a mockery of his head.

For a guy who thrived on cool, hard facts, who used logic to sort through problems, an emotion he had little time for had snuck up and sabotaged him.

The longer Ariel stared at him, the worse his heart ached, until it took every ounce of willpower not to leap from his chair and cradle her in his arms.

"Tell me the truth."

Cooper startled, shocked that she'd seen right through him in his moment of clarity, before realising she meant the truth about his offer to the council. Worse, that what he was about to say would rob him of any chance to express his newly discovered feelings to the woman who needed to hear him out.

Taking a deep breath, he selected his words carefully. "I have approached the council and had discussions about the sale of land, but nothing has been formalised."

"But you've basically thrown more money at them than they know what to do with, right? So if I don't accept your offer and sell before the lease is up, they're going to jump at it straight away?"

He nodded, hating the dejected slump of her shoulders, the shaking hand that fiddled with a curl near her right ear, winding it furiously around and around.

"So what was the extra time about? Giving me another twenty-four hours to stew before I finally capitulate and make your day?"

Scorn dripped from every word and she straightened, anger replacing defeat in her eyes.

That's my girl , he thought, admiring her fighting spirit yet wishing he wasn't the one to instigate it.

"I want you to do this of your own accord, to make the decision yourself."

She laughed, a harsh, hollow sound that had nothing to do with happiness. "That's rich, coming from you."

Tapping her temple, she looked heavenward as if deep in thought. "Let me see. I get to make my own decision as long as it's by the end of today and it's what you want. Thanks sooo much."

The hatred in her eyes cleaved his heart in two. "We're going round in circles here. That's my final offer and as a smart businesswoman, I think you should take it."

Though it wasn't his final offer, not if he had any say. Once this mess got sorted and they could put business behind them, he had a host of other offers in mind, the main one being a relationship.

He didn't have a lot of experience with love.

He'd loved his mum; she'd died when he was too young.

He loved his dad; Eric may as well have died for all the attention he'd paid Cooper since he joined the firm.

He learned love wasn't a reliable emotion but one thing was for certain, he loved Ariel, and he'd make damn sure he gave it his best shot.

Her steady gaze eyeballed him. "Why is this deal so important to you? You've used words like imperative to justify it yet I don't understand why a ruthless businessman like you would fluff around for a few weeks, posing almost naked, going out for coffees, attending art shows, when you could've shafted me right from the start. What's really going on?"

Cooper bit back an ironic smile. She'd given him a chance to hint at his burgeoning feelings.

And get the same reaction he had last night before they'd had sensational sex and he'd revealed how much he liked her? No way. Making a total ass of himself twice in less than twenty-four hours wasn't his style.

He settled for semi-truth. The least he could do considering she'd stood up to everything he'd thrown at her and then some.

"This deal is my ticket out of here. It's something I've been planning for a while now and I really need to make it happen."

Her lips twisted in a cynical smile. "Why? Aren't they paying you enough? Not enough perks? The boss got you over a barrel?" She snorted. "Though with a company name like Vance Corporation , I'm guessing you big shots keep it all in the family."

Ironic, considering he'd lost the remainder of his family—his dad—that fateful day a year ago when he'd signed on the dotted line, beyond excited to be working with someone of Eric's reputation. Back then, he had big dreams, the two of them working side by side and taking this company into the stratosphere.

Too bad his dreams had turned into nightmares.

"My father's the CEO," Cooper said, knowing how chuffed Eric would be about being labelled a big shot. That's all his father cared about these days: making money, acquiring prime land, developing properties. At the expense of the things that used to matter to him, like fishing, four wheel driving, and camping with his son.

Despite Cooper's drive to leave Vance Corporation behind, he knew he'd miss his dad. It was the only time they saw each other these days and as much as it hurt to be shut out of Eric's life, Cooper hadn't given up on him completely. Maybe his father would realise the cliche ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder' held an element of truth and would make an effort to patch things up once Cooper left?

He hoped so, but he wouldn't hold his breath.

Ariel quirked an eyebrow, losing none of her sass despite the anger tightening her exquisite features. "So it can't be the pay or the perks that's the problem if daddy holds the purse strings. What is it? The executive bathroom not up to scratch? You've lost your car park?"

I've lost my best mate, my dad.

And it hurts like the devil.

He could've articulated his loss, but now wasn't the time. Not when she bristled like an angry echidna. He settled for "It's time for me to go it alone. You of all people should understand that."

Ariel blushed and squirmed in her seat, and he held up his hand to ward off whatever she was about to say when she opened her mouth.

"My motivation is irrelevant. What needs to be done right now is you placing your signature on the dotted line before five o'clock today. That's all that matters."

He rustled papers, hoping she got the message. He needed to concentrate on the business at hand and away from the sensitive topic of his motivation, because the momentary concern he'd glimpsed in her eyes had him wanting to blurt the sorry tale just to get it off his chest.

But he couldn't. He was a guy, a tough Aussie bloke, a man's man supposed to stifle his feelings and get on with things. His dad's mantra, not his. And for the last year, he thought his dad's mantra sucked.

"All that matters?" she muttered, grabbing her bag and leaping from her chair like she'd sat on hot coals. "What matters is that you're a selfish, spoiled rich boy who always gets what he wants. You don't care about who gets trampled on the way or whose dreams you ruin. And to think, I was actually feeling empathy for you a few seconds ago, about the going it alone doing it tough thing."

"I don't need your pity." He shot to his feet, torn between wanting to blurt the truth and telling her to get the hell out for her damning character assessment.

Though he didn't know what rankled more: that she thought so poorly of him or the tiny, niggle of truth in what she'd said.

He was selfish.

He did want this deal to go through, whatever the cost.

But what if it cost him the woman he loved?

"I guess not. A guy like you wouldn't need anything from a girl like me." She sneered. "Besides sex, of course, and now that you've got that, it's back to business as usual."

He'd been grateful she hadn't mentioned what had happened at her place last night, preferring to focus on their business discussion, separate from the other important issue: them. But now she'd mentioned it, they had another confrontation looming and he hoped the fallout wouldn't ruin them completely.

"That's not fair," he said. "We talked about what happened last night before I left this morning. Our relationship has nothing to do with this."

"You would say that."

Her scathing glare of condemnation kicked him in the guts before she headed for the door.

"Last night was incredible, Ariel and you know it. Don't spoil it by bringing business into it."

She hesitated at the door but didn't turn around.

Damn it, the sooner this deal went through, the sooner he could move onto more important things, like showing this stubborn, beautiful woman how much she meant to him.

"This needs to be finalised, Ariel. Today."

She ignored him and strutted out the door, slamming it in her wake, a hollow, empty sound that reverberated through his soul as he realised she'd slammed the door on any chance of a future between them.