Tycoon's Delicious Debt. Susanna Carr
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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.