Читать книгу Tycoon's Delicious Debt - Susanna Carr - Страница 10

IMPOSSIBLE. THE WORD reverberated in his head. There was no way that Serena knew about his father’s transgressions. Aaron Brock would never have left behind damning evidence. Serena Dominguez had to be bluffing.

Cooper was tempted to close his hand around her finger pressing against his chest. He wanted to step closer so her finger would curve and rest against his breastbone. Prove to Serena that she was no match for him and force her to drop her hand.

The maître d’ hesitantly approached them to let them know their table was ready. Cooper closed his eyes and reined in his anger. As much as he resented the intrusion, he needed it. Serena was baiting him as if she had predicted his primitive response.

As they silently followed the man to the restaurant, Cooper automatically reached out to guide Serena, splaying his hand on her back. His fingers accidentally stroked against her bare skin. Cooper’s breath hitched in his throat as desire slammed against him. He felt Serena’s tension soar before she pulled away and walked ahead of him.

The restaurant was a blur of blue and white as his troubled thoughts clouded his senses. If anyone had greeted him, he wouldn’t know. His mind was churning as he ruthlessly pulled back the need to fight. Roar. Defend his territory and his family name in the most elemental way.

He waited until they were alone and seated at the table before he spoke. “I’m calling your bluff, Serena,” he said in a low tone as he ruthlessly controlled his temper. “If you had any damaging information, you would have publicized it.”

“And how would I have benefited from that?” she asked in an absent murmur. Serena didn’t look at him as she studied the oversize menu. “How do you feel about caviar?”

“Serena,” he warned.

She glanced up from the menu. “There is a reason why I’m successful in the financial world. Anyone can find information if they’re willing to keep digging for it. It’s how you use that information to your advantage that matters.”

“True,” Cooper said. “How you use unsubstantiated rumors matters, as well. Try to act as if these stories are true and it will backfire on you.”

She smiled as if his prediction was nothing more than a fanciful idea. “How much do you know about your father’s dealings?”

Did she really think he was going to give a direct answer? This socialite might be used to getting everything she asked for but he wasn’t going to indulge her. “I’ve worked in the family business for over ten years.”

Serena set down the menu and rested her arms on the smooth white tablecloth. “That’s not what I asked. I know of four instances when your father willfully broke the law to crush another company.”

A chill swept through him and he struggled not to react. Serena was correct. How had she found out? No one but him and his father knew the details. Cooper was privy to three of those deals because he had been working for his father during that time.

Those were the rare circumstances when Aaron Brock had almost lost a fortune but managed to snap the power from the jaws of destruction. He knew his father wasn’t proud of those moments or of his actions. Not that Cooper would admit that to Serena. Nor would his father’s conflicted emotions matter to her.

But it meant something to him. Cooper knew his father was driven and goal-oriented. Strong-willed and decisive. Those were the traits they shared, the qualities Aaron Brock developed in him as he taught his only son everything he knew.

Cooper still remembered the sickening feeling that permeated through him when his father had shared those secret details with him as a cautionary tale. He had been appalled by his father’s choices. Disturbed that his flesh and blood would be that merciless. And he wondered if time and circumstances would prove that he had inherited those traits.

Cooper didn’t agree with his father’s methods and refused to follow his lead. It had been a point of contention between them for years. He wasn’t close with his parents, yet he was a dutiful son. But would he break the law to save them? He didn’t know the answer and that concerned him. How far would he go to protect the family?

Or was it to protect the family business? Cooper gritted his teeth as he realized where his train of thought was turning. The Brock family and the Brock business were so entwined that he couldn’t separate the two.

All he knew was that it was his responsibility to protect his family. Even when his father’s sins had come back to haunt them. Cooper needed to take any threat seriously. If that meant protecting the Brock name and the business, he would do it.

“Tell me about one of these instances,” he encouraged Serena. “This should be entertaining.”

“Which one should I mention?” Serena glanced out of the window that overlooked the beach and tapped her finger against her lips. “I know. The deal that happened in Hong Kong. In fact, you were there,” she said with nonchalance. He knew she couldn’t determine just how much he had been involved with the outcome of that deal. “It had been your first time in charge of negotiations for your family’s company and you weren’t even out of university.”

Cooper remembered. He had believed the people he had been negotiating with were honest. He had almost lost the deal that could have weakened the family’s business. It was the first time he had seen just how hard and ruthless his father could be. It was also the last time he had disappointed his father.

“Did you know that Aaron saved the deal by using extortion and intimidation?”

He had found that out later. The guilt and responsibility had weighed on him. He had been so far out of his depth that it required his father to do whatever was necessary to protect him and the business.

That moment of realization was also when he knew he would not make the same choices as his father. He would build the Brock empire to be invincible but he would do it his way. He would prove to his father that he was just as powerful. That he was smarter, stronger and better. That he would never get into that kind of trouble where he had to make those choices.

“I guess that is how your parents protected you,” she said.

Cooper’s mouth twisted. He used to think that. That Aaron Brock would do anything to protect him. But his father stamped out that naive thought very quickly. Aaron had to demonstrate power and so did his son.

“I remember Hong Kong very differently,” he finally said. “I’m interested in seeing this proof of yours.”

“Do you think I walk around with it on my laptop? Or keep it in the hotel safe? No, I have all of the physical proof far away from here.”

Physical? Did that mean she had found original documents and firsthand accounts? Dread pulled at him in all directions. This was worse than he imagined. “How long have you been gathering these stories?”

“They are not stories,” she insisted. “They are facts.”

“How long?” he repeated.

“Years.” She shrugged as if her answer didn’t matter. “It has been a hobby of mine since I was a teenager.”

Hobby? An obsession, more like it. Most debutantes filled their days with shopping and parties, not systematically gathering condemning evidence on a powerful company. Why would she spend so much time on something when she couldn’t change the outcome? What kind of socialite was she?

When Serena thrust her chin out with defiance he wondered if she saw the questions in his eyes. “However,” she said, “I’m willing to keep quiet about what I have found in exchange for the Harrington shares.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“That I have proof?” she said with a scowl. “Or that I won’t use it?”

All of it, Cooper decided. It wasn’t adding up. Why would someone spend years gathering information on the person she accused of ruining her life and then promise she wouldn’t use it? The Harrington shares were worth a lot, but were they enough to abandon her lifelong pursuit for revenge?

He could not give up the shares. He needed them for his own protection. Cooper might have a stellar reputation in the business world but no one knew about his first solo business deal with John Harrington, Jr.

Cooper was still ashamed of how he had obtained his first deal. He had been desperate to prove himself and show that he didn’t need his father’s name or influence to be a success. John Jr. knew how hungry Cooper was for negotiating a deal and had dangled insider knowledge in front of him. Cooper grabbed at it like a starving man. His first deal was huge and he made a stunning debut in the financial world. It helped him create a legendary image but only John Jr. knew the truth.

It was only a matter of time before John Harrington, Jr., used that information and the truth could destroy Cooper. When he had won the shares Harrington couldn’t afford to gamble away, Cooper knew he could keep John quiet. The Harrington shares were Cooper’s insurance for now.

“I want to see this so-called proof before I even consider giving up the shares,” he told Serena.

She glared at him. “I just gave it to you. I didn’t make it up. How would I have known the places and people unless I had the facts?”

“You repeated hearsay and rumors,” Cooper declared. “I won’t allow myself to be blackmailed for something that doesn’t exist.”

Her fingers bunched into a fist. She was obviously offended that he questioned her word and the work she had put so much effort into. “As I told you,” she bit out, “I don’t have the papers with me.”

Cooper nodded as if he was placating a child about to have a temper tantrum. “Of course you don’t.”

“And it would take too long to have them sent here,” she almost growled.

Cooper tilted his head. Too long? “Are we on a deadline?”

“Yes.” She pressed her lips together. He could see how she gathered her courage before she made her ultimatum. “If you don’t agree with this deal by the end of the week, then I will release the information about your father to the press.”

Hell. He could not let that happen. He needed to get her to see reason and gain her sympathy before she made a move. That required him to change tactics.

“Serena, I’m sure we can come up with an agreement that will satisfy both of us.” He covered her hand with his. His thumb grazed her wrist and he felt the kick of her pulse. He glanced up, startled, and saw the interest widening her eyes as the pleasure chased across her face. She snatched her hand away as if she’d been bit by something dangerous.

Serena Dominguez had been very careful around him. She had shut down his propositions and invitations. His flirtatious banter had been met with cool disdain. But she couldn’t hide her body’s reaction. She could no longer conceal the way her lips parted or the flush in her cheeks. She didn’t seem aware of her body language when she battled with him. Serena would often get closer, open and inviting, as if she forgot all the reasons she needed to maintain a distance.

“You can’t sweet-talk me into changing my mind,” she warned.

He bet he could. His smile was slow and lazy. Confident as the thrill of the hunt sizzled through his chest. As much as she tried to fight it, Serena Dominguez was attracted to him. He had just discovered her weakness.

Unfortunately, the attraction they shared was his weakness, too. He hadn’t seen that she was a worthy opponent until it was too late. But he knew he could use it to his benefit. He could get close to the fire without getting scorched. And, if he played this right, he would get Serena in his bed and on his side.

Serena didn’t like his seductive smile. She didn’t like how it sparked an uncontrollable excitement in her. The hum of energy danced in her veins and she needed it to stop. She placed her hands in her lap and absently stroked her wrist as if it had been burned.

How did Cooper have this kind of power over her? One grazing touch and she couldn’t think about anything else. It didn’t make sense. He had the Brock blood running through his veins. She should be shuddering with revulsion at the thought of breaking bread with him.

No man had power over her. Financially. Physically. Emotionally. She had witnessed how her mother’s future had been decided on by her father’s whims and choices. Serena didn’t understand why any woman would surrender that kind of control over their lives.

Cooper leaned forward and she automatically pressed her spine against the ornate wood chair. “Is this why you have avoided me all month?” he asked in a husky voice. “Because you see me as the enemy?”

“How could I avoid you?” she asked irritably. “You were everywhere I turned.”

“You refused every invitation I offered.”

“You mean every indecent proposal,” she snapped. He had been direct but never crude or coarse. She sensed the savage hunger beneath his veneer of civility, yet the man managed to make the promise of a one-night stand sound like a sacred experience. She rejected him outright but he didn’t give up. If anything, his invitations became more extravagant and imaginative. It had become a game between them.

There were moments when she wished she could have entertained the idea. A few times she wanted to forget about this revenge. Just for one night. Break free from the dark emotions that suffocated her. Explore the attraction she shared with Cooper. Enjoy life.

That was when she knew Cooper Brock was very dangerous. Not once had she considered stepping back from her vengeful plans until she met him. It worried her. She didn’t know why she felt that way. Did it mean her drive was weakening? Or that her desire for Cooper was stronger?

He propped his elbow on the table and rested his strong chin against his hand. “Why didn’t you say yes?”

Serena frowned. The man’s arrogance was reaching legendary proportions. “I wasn’t interested.”

“Yes, you were. From the moment we saw each other.”

She fell into silence as she remembered the first time she had seen Cooper. It was one of the few moments in her life when she’d followed an impulse and didn’t consider the risks. She had regretted it ever since.

Serena had been in London and heard Cooper was going to be the guest speaker at a charity dinner. She had decided to attend so she could study him from afar. It hadn’t quite worked out that way. He had noticed her the moment she had stepped into the ballroom.

“Why were you there that night?” Cooper asked, and his mouth tilted into a lopsided grin. “Was it to meet me? You had been so fascinated with what you had already learned that you needed to see me in the flesh?”

Cooper’s teasing comment wasn’t that far off from the truth. She had been reluctantly impressed by his achievements and she’d believed—hoped—he wouldn’t live up to the hype. As much as she tried to convince herself that he got where he was because of his name, she had a feeling he would have been a success no matter what.

“I wanted to support a worthy cause,” she said primly. Serena didn’t feel the need to encourage his oversize ego.

“Really?” His Southern drawl was thick and sexy. “What was the charity for?”

Her mind went blank. Serena’s eyes widened as she tried to recall the charity’s logo but it was all a little fuzzy. Her full attention had been on Cooper Brock. From the amused gleam in his eyes, Cooper knew it.

“It was one of the many events I’ve attended in the past month. They all blend together,” she argued. “What do you remember from that night?”

“Your hair was pulled back in a severe knot,” he said quietly as his features softened, “and you wore a navy blue dress.”

She gave a jerk of surprise. “How—Why do you remember that?” And why did she remember every detail about him that night from the way his designer suit hung from his shoulders to the stubble shadowing his angular jaw?

“I remember that dress was better suited for a nun.” He shook his head and smiled at her. “Promise me you’ll never wear it again. Do mankind a favor and burn it.”

Serena pursed her lips, refusing to return his smile. The dress had been dowdy for a reason. She had decided to follow the unofficial dress code of her peers and chose dark, conservative clothes. She had worn no jewelry and a minimum of makeup but it didn’t help. She had still stood out. “I was trying to blend in with the other guests.”

Her plan had been to stay in the shadows and get lost in the crowd while she studied him. Cooper Brock had been easy to find. Everyone had a tendency to gravitate to him. He had been holding court in the hotel ballroom, surrounded by titans of industries who were hanging on to his every word.

And then he noticed her when she crossed the threshold. He had done a double take and his voice had trailed off. Cooper had reared his head back as if he had been struck. And the moment their eyes had met…

Their gazes held as she remembered that moment of impact. She knew Cooper was remembering it, too. Serena’s skin grew hot and she felt an insistent tug low in her belly. That instantaneous connection had been scary, exciting and shocking. Serena was used to wielding power over men, but not like this. And no man had made her want to capitulate immediately. Completely.

She had been tempted to turn on her heels and run but she also knew it would have been useless. Cooper Brock would have pursued her. And she would have considered letting him catch her. That had knocked some sense into her. Serena had known that her only option was to stand up to him and defy every wish he made.

She wondered how strong his desire was now that he knew she had the power to destroy him. At the moment it was so thick it was almost tangible. But how quickly would it disappear once he realized she was going to go through with her revenge? Would he still watch her silently with that slumberous look when she went back on her word? Would he want to caress her after she told the whole world how his father conducted business?

As much as the attraction between them intrigued her, she wasn’t going to submit to it. She was going to toy with Cooper, let him know what it was like to lose everything. She was going to crush the Brock empire just as they had crushed her father’s company.

And then she was going to discard Cooper Brock and move on with her life.