to hyperventilate. “Cooper, that’s too much. I can’t accept.”
Annoyance creased the corners of his eyes. “My money is as good as anyone’s. At least I came by it honestly.”
He meant it to sting, and it did. But Vivian couldn’t let emotion or personal need into this conversation. “I didn’t tell you all that stuff about my parents and Gerald to make you feel sorry for me, and I won’t take advantage of…”
“What?” He lifted a brow. “Our relationship? We don’t have one. Our history? It sucks. You’re not taking advantage of anything except a solid opportunity. This is a business deal, plain and simple.”
Vivian blinked away the burn of his cool assessment of their relationship.
Message received, Mr. Hayes. Last night meant nothing to you. I mean nothing to you
.
But if that were true…
“Why are you doing this?” she demanded.
Cooper shrugged, pacing a few steps along the lakeshore as if he were restless. “I don’t know, I like it here. Sanctuary Island is pretty, the people are nice, some of my best friends have fallen for local girls…it makes sense to establish a base camp somewhere. Might as well be here.”
Vivian narrowed her eyes. “What about all that stuff you said, when you thought this was my vacation home? You sure weren’t interested in having a base camp then.”
“I changed my mind.”
Breathing deeply through her nose, Vivian turned to look at her cabin once more in the harsh, unforgiving mid-morning light. Temptation prodded at her to accept, arguing that she’d never get another offer this good.
“There’s only so much of a fight I can put up, here,” she said absently, her imagination already working on the list of supplies and tools she could buy with the purchase money.
“I’m not sure why you’re fighting it at all, to be honest.”
“Would you believe it’s been a long time since anything surprised me in a nice way?” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “I started to get used to bad luck.”
Cooper smiled, slow and predatory in a way that pumped adrenaline into Vivian’s bloodstream. “We’ll see if you still feel lucky when you hear my conditions.”
***
Cooper had learned to trust his instincts over the years, to let the universe guide him. The universe had led him to his best friends, his most memorable experiences in foreign lands…and it had also led him back into contact with Vivian Banks.
There was something between them, and he needed more time to figure out what it was. Other than the obvious, he acknowledged silently with an appreciative scan of her lithe, slender form. They’d always been compatible in bed, and when they first knew each other, they’d been compatible everywhere else, too.
Things were different now. They were both different people, a lot of water had passed under the bridge—so much that maybe it had flooded and washed the bridge out completely.
But maybe not. He looked at Vivian now, hope and apprehension warring in her eyes, and he knew he wasn’t ready to walk away. Did that mean he was giving up on his revenge?
Not entirely.
Cooper smiled, and it must not have been a very comforting grin because Vivian immediately looked wary. That was okay. She should be.
“What conditions?” she asked cautiously.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and cracked his neck lazily. “I think the amount I’m offering buys me input into what renovations you do.”
She nodded slowly, the line of her shoulders relaxing slightly. “That seems reasonable.”
That was because she hadn’t heard the kicker. “I’ll also want to oversee the renovations personally.”
Vivian’s jaw dropped for a bare instant before she closed her mouth with a snap. “You mean, you want to stay on the island so you can order me around and watch me work?”
“Not exactly.” Cooper sauntered closer, feeling like a lion stalking a gazelle when she quivered in place, clearly fighting the urge to fall back. “I want to stay
Annoyance creased the corners of his eyes. “My money is as good as anyone’s. At least I came by it honestly.”
He meant it to sting, and it did. But Vivian couldn’t let emotion or personal need into this conversation. “I didn’t tell you all that stuff about my parents and Gerald to make you feel sorry for me, and I won’t take advantage of…”
“What?” He lifted a brow. “Our relationship? We don’t have one. Our history? It sucks. You’re not taking advantage of anything except a solid opportunity. This is a business deal, plain and simple.”
Vivian blinked away the burn of his cool assessment of their relationship.
Message received, Mr. Hayes. Last night meant nothing to you. I mean nothing to you
.
But if that were true…
“Why are you doing this?” she demanded.
Cooper shrugged, pacing a few steps along the lakeshore as if he were restless. “I don’t know, I like it here. Sanctuary Island is pretty, the people are nice, some of my best friends have fallen for local girls…it makes sense to establish a base camp somewhere. Might as well be here.”
Vivian narrowed her eyes. “What about all that stuff you said, when you thought this was my vacation home? You sure weren’t interested in having a base camp then.”
“I changed my mind.”
Breathing deeply through her nose, Vivian turned to look at her cabin once more in the harsh, unforgiving mid-morning light. Temptation prodded at her to accept, arguing that she’d never get another offer this good.
“There’s only so much of a fight I can put up, here,” she said absently, her imagination already working on the list of supplies and tools she could buy with the purchase money.
“I’m not sure why you’re fighting it at all, to be honest.”
“Would you believe it’s been a long time since anything surprised me in a nice way?” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “I started to get used to bad luck.”
Cooper smiled, slow and predatory in a way that pumped adrenaline into Vivian’s bloodstream. “We’ll see if you still feel lucky when you hear my conditions.”
***
Cooper had learned to trust his instincts over the years, to let the universe guide him. The universe had led him to his best friends, his most memorable experiences in foreign lands…and it had also led him back into contact with Vivian Banks.
There was something between them, and he needed more time to figure out what it was. Other than the obvious, he acknowledged silently with an appreciative scan of her lithe, slender form. They’d always been compatible in bed, and when they first knew each other, they’d been compatible everywhere else, too.
Things were different now. They were both different people, a lot of water had passed under the bridge—so much that maybe it had flooded and washed the bridge out completely.
But maybe not. He looked at Vivian now, hope and apprehension warring in her eyes, and he knew he wasn’t ready to walk away. Did that mean he was giving up on his revenge?
Not entirely.
Cooper smiled, and it must not have been a very comforting grin because Vivian immediately looked wary. That was okay. She should be.
“What conditions?” she asked cautiously.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and cracked his neck lazily. “I think the amount I’m offering buys me input into what renovations you do.”
She nodded slowly, the line of her shoulders relaxing slightly. “That seems reasonable.”
That was because she hadn’t heard the kicker. “I’ll also want to oversee the renovations personally.”
Vivian’s jaw dropped for a bare instant before she closed her mouth with a snap. “You mean, you want to stay on the island so you can order me around and watch me work?”
“Not exactly.” Cooper sauntered closer, feeling like a lion stalking a gazelle when she quivered in place, clearly fighting the urge to fall back. “I want to stay
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