The Tycoon's Defiant Southern Belle (2 page)

At least until this prickly beauty walked into his life.  “I supposed I can just sense
these things about people,” he came back.  He leaned down to open the door for her,
ignoring the claws from the cat as the fluffy animal dug into his skin to maintain
his balance on his shoulder. 

Jade shivered as his warm hand touched her upper arm, feeling that same electric current
spark down her spine and leaving a tingling sensation all over her body. 

He had a point, she supposed.  And it was true about her own plans for the town. 
If she had her way, everyone would just stay put and life would carry on exactly as
it had been ever since she and her mother had moved to Sullivan Island in South Carolina
fifteen years ago.  “I don’t have a plan, necessarily,” she said and walked out of
the house.  Initially, she was relieved to be out of the house and back in the humid,
night air.  But that was before they reached the edge of the patio.  She was just
about to carefully step down but then he grabbed her around the waist and effortlessly
lifted her off of the crumbling patio to the weed-choked grass below, leaving her
gasping in surprise, her hands grabbing onto those hard, fascinating muscles in his
upper arms. 

It took her a long moment to re-gather her thoughts after that.  “But…” she said,
wondering why he was looking down at her like that.  “Um….It’s just that, everyone
here was doing fine until you came along and started buying up all the businesses.”

“I am only interested in pharmaceutical companies and patent holders.  There are several
very strong, very good companies in this area that are being underutilized.  What’s
the harm in building up the local economy?”

Jade shook her head, knowing that the man wasn’t being completely honest.  Walking
through the forest, she tried to focus only on her anger with this man’s brutal business
tactics and not on how large or muscular he was.  She wasn’t the type of woman to
be interested in bulky men.  She preferred substance!  “You’re not just buying up
local companies.  You’re buying up companies all over the United States and meshing
them all into one, large, homogeneous group.”

He waited for her to continue, his hand reaching out to steady her when her foot caught
in one of the rotting logs.  “And what’s the problem with that?” he asked. 

Jade huffed as she stepped around several more fallen trees, not wanting the man to
touch her any more.  Her mind went blank and it was hard to argue when one couldn’t
remember what one was arguing about.  “They aren’t individual companies any longer. 
They aren’t competing with each other and pushing to find the next best thing in health
care.  You’re buying up too many companies, Mr. Donati.”

“Perhaps I have other ways to induce competition.”

She let out a guffaw that sounded too loud in the intimate night air.  “I’d like to
see that happen.  And what are your plans for your new house?” she demanded as she
stepped into her own yard filled with her moonlit gardens.  Turning to face him now
that the threat of embarrassing herself over a tumble had diminished.  “You’re probably
going to tear that down and build a string of cookie-cutter houses, aren’t you?”

Angelo wondered what she would do if he bent down and kissed her.  He liked her fire
and her courage.  Hell, he liked a whole lot about her, he thought.  No one had ever
challenged what he did before.  Even Dominic and Zayn, who were his best friends since
childhood, never questioned what he did.  Of course, they understood the financial
reasons behind his decisions.  And most likely approved since they had similar strategies
in their business dealings. 

“Have dinner with me tomorrow night and we’ll discuss the possibilities,” he told
her. 

Jade was stunned by the invitation.  Of all the things he might have said at that
moment, offering her dinner seemed way down on the list of possibilities. “I don’t
think so,” she came back.  “I don’t...”

He leaned forward slightly.  “Careful, Jade.  If you don’t want me to tear down the
house you’re so in love with, perhaps you should meet with me and try to change my
plans.”  He waited a heartbeat before he said, “Or are you all talk and no action?” 
His body responded instantly to the flare of anger he caught in her eyes.  “Or maybe
you don’t have the courage to take on my house.”

He hadn’t been planning to renovate the house, but at the look of surprise and hope
in her eyes, he suddenly decided that it would be a perfect idea. 

“What do you mean?”

He reached out and touched her cheek, his finger skimming along her earlobe.  He caught
the shiver of awareness that zipped through her and smiled.  “Dinner tomorrow.  My
place at seven o’clock, Jade.” 

With that, he tapped the bannister of her tiny, wooden deck and Jasper quickly crawled
down his arm and snuck in through the dog’s door, his tail twitching as if to say
that he’d done his work for the night. 

“Fine,” she snapped.  “I’ll be there.  I’m not afraid of you.”  She glared up at him,
wishing he weren’t so tall and scary looking. 

Angelo’s hand moved down her neck, the pad of his thumb resting on her racing pulse. 
“If you’re not afraid of me, then you must be attracted to me.”

Jade gasped, shocked by his words.  Unfortunately, by the time she could think up
an appropriately scathing reply, the man had disappeared into the dense trees that
separated their properties. 

Jade couldn’t believe how unproductive her day had been.  By six o’clock, she was
actually reduced to glaring at the clock, daring it to move forward.  And when it
actually clicked over to six-oh-one, her head dropped to her drafting table with a
thud. 

“I am NOT going to dinner with that man,” she told herself.  “I don’t care if he steam
rolls the property and builds a parking lot on top of it.”  She sat up and spun around
in her chair, scowling at Rufus, her dog, as he tilted his head at her exclamation. 
“Okay, so I’m lying!” she admitted to him.  “But I’m still not going to have dinner
with him tonight!”  She’d picked up her phone to call him several times throughout
the day to tell him that, but each time, she’d remember that she didn’t know his phone
number.  Which was why she was sitting here, glaring at inanimate objects, pretending
like they could stop simply because she willed them to do so. 

Jasper would have to pick that moment to jump up onto the bed right next to Rufus. 
The darned cat just stared back at her and Jade knew with absolute conviction that
he only wanted to be fed, but she interpreted the look on his face to be a direct
challenge for her to get ready for a night with the tall, dangerous man.  “Don’t you
dare get into this argument,” she told the cat. 

Jasper’s only response was to twitch his tail, demonstrating his irritation with both
her admonishment as well as her tardiness in putting food in his bowl. 

She stomped off into the bathroom and showered, but only because she was hot and sweaty. 
A shower would cool her down and it had nothing to do with getting ready for a date. 
Besides, even if she were going to meet him for dinner, it definitely wouldn’t be
a date.  It would simply be a business meeting.  A time when she could try and convince
him to leave her town alone.  She didn’t want things to change.  Change was bad. 
She’d had enough change in her life and she was happy with the way things were. 

Her hands froze in her hair, suds streaking down her back as she heard those words
in her mind.  “A business meeting?”  No, she wasn’t even going to talk with him about
his new house.  The man was going to do what he wanted with the house.  He was callous
enough to fire people left and right which indicated that he didn’t have a great deal
of compassion for human beings.  Everything was reduced down to profit.  Why had she
thought for even a moment that she could convince him to stop his rampage through
her perfect, little city? 

If the man were intent on destroying her town, what could she do to stop him? 

Rufus added his two cents in with a bark from the bathroom doorway.  The noise startled
her out of her mental arguments enough to realize that Rufus only barked when something
was going on that he didn’t like. 

Jade’s eyes slashed over to the doorway and she gasped when she saw the tall man standing
there watching her. 

She frantically grabbed the towel off of the hook beside the shower, her eyes shooting
daggers at him.  “What are you doing here in my house?” she demanded, trying to cover
herself up and turn off the water while at the same time, keep the soap out of her
eyes.  “Damn you!  Look what you’re making me do!”

Angelo chuckled, mesmerized by her lush curves that were all warm and rosy from the
hot shower.  “What did I do?  I’m standing over here in the doorway.”

She stomped her foot, irritated that he was being so obtuse.  “What are you doing
here?” she demanded, pushing a dollop of bubbles out of her eyes.  “In my house!”
she clarified.

“I came by to make sure you were coming to dinner tonight.  I suspected that you would
wimp out on me.”

She gritted her teeth and glared right back.  “I still haven’t decided if I’m going
or not.  I don’t need the business and I certainly don’t think I need the irritation
of you as a client.”  She simply couldn’t believe she was talking to a potential client
like this.  Not to mention, speaking to a man like Angelo Donati, male extraordinaire,
while in her shower wearing only a towel and bubbles to protect her from his too-knowing
gaze, neither of which were doing a very good job of hiding her nakedness from him. 
“Would you mind getting out of my bathroom?” she demanded, her fist holding the towel
around her carefully since it was in jeopardy of falling down. 

“What’s wrong with me in your bathroom?  I’ve seen a naked woman before.”  He leaned
back, crossing his arms over his chest, appearing as if he were relaxed and ready
to look at her body for the rest of the night.

She couldn’t believe his gall!  “A gentleman would remove himself and go wait in the
living room,” she growled out with a pretend smile, shooting daggers at him.  Of course,
a gentleman wouldn’t have entered her house in the first place. 

His response was a slow, sexy smile, his eyes lighting up with mischief.  “A gentleman
wouldn’t have even come into your bathroom.  So I guess that means I’m definitely
not a gentleman.”

“Pretend!” she almost yelled at him. 

Angelo was so charmed by her anger that he threw back his head and laughed.  But he
did as she commanded, leaving the bathroom but he didn’t close the door.  His gentlemanly
instincts, as narrow as they were, didn’t bring him to that level of selflessness. 

He stepped back into her bedroom, smiling when he heard the bathroom door slam shut
with a click of the lock.  He didn’t mind though.  As long as that door was closed,
he could roam about her house, discover more about her.  And wouldn’t that infuriate
her even more!  What an appealing thought. 

He strolled over to her closet and sifted through her clothes, pulling out one after
another of her dresses, discarding almost all of them until he came to a red chiffon
in a wraparound style.  He loved this style on women.  The neckline always plunged,
hugging a woman’s breasts and showing just enough cleavage to be enticing and yet
still trying to appear demure.  He added a red, lace thong that he discovered in her
drawer and a pretty, red lace bra that was barely anything at all.  Yes, he thought
as he laid all three items out on her bed, the woman would look stunning in this dress. 
And without it, he thought with relish. 

When the shower shut off, he walked over to her bathroom door and knocked.  “I have
your outfit ready for you,” he said through the silence. 

Jade simply could not believe the audacity of the man!  “You went through my closet?”
she demanded, fury rising up to almost choke off the words. 

“And your drawers,” he replied, aware that his amusement was coming out in his tone. 
“You have some lovely underwear, Jade.  I approve of your choices.  So open up and
I’ll hand these in to you.”

Jade couldn’t believe what she was hearing!  The blush that stole up her cheeks when
she realized that the man had gone through her underwear was almost painful, heating
her face and making her fan herself with the towel.  “Get out of my room, Mr. Donati.”

“Call me Angelo, and open the door so I can hand these to you.”

“Just get out,” she snapped.  “I’ll choose my own outfit.”

“That’s not going to work.  You’ll probably pick one of those horrible flowered pieces
and those will look ridiculous on you.”

Jade’s mouth fell open with horror.  She’d actually been thinking of exactly that
– a pretty flowered dress with a high neckline that would show him that she was a
lady and not a trollop to be messed with.  “I’ll choose my own outfit as soon as you
get out of my bedroom.”

“I’m not getting out. So you can either open the door and grab these items now, or
I can open the door and watch while you choose something else.  But I reserve veto
power over your selection.”  Angelo realized that he hadn’t had this much fun in a
long time.  If ever. 

Jade closed her eyes, praying for patience.  She wasn’t about to step out of this
bathroom without clothes.  It took her several more seconds to finally make the decision
to reach out and get the clothes he was offering.  But she gripped her towel around
her carefully, ignoring the spark of excitement at the idea of him seeing her like
this.

She was just about to slam the door shut, the red dress and underwear in her hand
when his palm pressed against the door.  She was gently, but firmly, pushed back so
that his head and those enormous shoulders were in the steam filled room.  “By the
way, Jade, you have an incredible figure.”  He waited for the predictable but still
delightful blush before he continued, “Don’t be ashamed to show it off a bit more.”

Jade was relieved when she was able to close the door on his dark, enigmatic eyes. 
She could breathe more easily when he was away from her and she tried very hard to
suppress the anger surging through her.  He was just trying to get a rise out of her,
she knew, but it took a great many calming breaths before she was able to open her
eyes again. 

As she stared at the now-closed door, his words struck her.  He thought she had a
nice figure?  She clutched the red dress, her mind going over his words.  No, he hadn’t
said nice.  He’d said “incredible”! 

Shaking her head and wiping the ridiculous grin off of her face, she pushed away from
the door and dropped the towel.  Quickly pulling on her clothes, she ignored the way
the fabric stuck slightly to her skin.  She might have toweled off, but the humidity
in the bathroom still made her skin damp. 

When she stepped out, she immediately spotted Angelo leaning against her dresser,
looking as if he had nothing better to do than relax in her bedroom. 

“I like this room,” he said, walking towards her.  “It’s just like you.  Pretty, delicate,”
he ran his finger down her heated neck, running the pad against the neckline.  “Very
feminine.”  He pulled back, his eyes hot with the need that she suddenly also felt. 
“I want you to create this kind of environment for me in my house.”

His touch was making her daffy, she thought and tried to find that irritation that
had been so strong only moments before.  But with him so close, she wasn’t feeling
anger.  She was feeling….no, she thought with horror.  She was not attracted to this
man.  He was in her bedroom, he was stealing away all the things she considered so
precious in her life such as continuity and the very basis of a southern lifestyle. 
This man was the enemy in so many ways. 

She took a deep breath, shaking her head.  “I have to finish getting ready,” she said,
trying to slow down her breathing.  “Would you mind waiting out in my living room
for me?”  She’d completely forgotten that she had planned to call and cancel tonight’s
dinner meeting. 

She waited, frozen with this strange, heated and aching desire while he considered
her request.  His eyes moved from her still-wet hair down to her bare feet with the
pink-tipped toenails, smiling slightly.  “I’ll feed Jasper and Rufus for you.”

When the door closed behind him, Jade just about fell onto the rose covered bedspread,
her mind reeling with the impact of his touch on her body.  How could a man she completely
disrespected and who disagreed with every part of her moral code, do something so
disastrous to her concentration? 

“Ten minutes, okay with you?” he called through the closed door.

Jade jumped up and quickly turned on her hair dryer, fluffing her super-straight,
black hair as best she could.  Normally, she would have pulled her hair up into some
sort of knot on top of her head because of the summer heat.  But for some reason she
wasn’t going to delve into tonight, she left it down, cascading down her back.  She
put on a light coat of powder, a touch of mascara, another dab of mascara to make
her eyes look more sultry…then because her mascara was thicker than usual, she applied
a smoky shadow to her eyelids, happy with the sexy, confident woman looking back at
her.  A touch of lipstick, gold, dangly earrings and she was finished. 

Standing back, she surveyed her appearance.  Did she look like she was trying too
hard?  Did she appear as if she were going on a date? 

She never would wear red to a client meeting. 

With a grimace, she started to pull the dress off but the knock on her door startled
her.   “There’s been silence in there for too long, Jade.  That means you either look
fantastic and you’re having second thoughts because you look hot and are afraid to
come out, or you look horrible and are trying to figure out a different way to impress
me.”

Jade rolled her eyes and pulled open the door, startled when he was already leaning
against the door frame which made him too close.  She froze and looked up at him,
nervous now as his dark eyes went from her silky black hair to her sassy, red pumps. 

“Nice,” he said, but his tone indicated that she looked much more than ‘nice’ and
her stomach did a little flip flop. 

“Where are we going to dinner?” she asked, hoping that he hadn’t been serious about
dining at his place. 

“This way,” he said and led her out the door.  “I figured you would dress up for me,”
he said with derision since he’d chosen her outfit, “so I took the liberty of driving
over to chauffer you.  I didn’t want your beautiful shoes to get messed up walking
through the dirt and trees.”

He slammed the door to his navy blue Maserati before she could say anything.  And
the dratted man was already in the driver’s seat before she thought of jumping out
and running inside.  But as he backed out of her driveway, she knew that he’d just
consider her terrified if she did that.