Cooper slugged back the rest of his drink. He grimaced from the bite of the hard liquor and set the crystal tumbler down with a thud. “Okay, Serena,” he said. “What do you want in exchange for the Alves land?”
She chuckled as she accepted the glass of wine from the bartender. “You Americans. So abrupt and aggressive,” she chided. “Do you realize that this is why I was able to swoop in and get the deal?”
Cooper scowled at her. “I don’t believe in wasting time.”
“You need to relax and socialize.” She turned, resting her elbows against the bar as she tilted her head back to meet his silvery-gray eyes. “Learn something about the person with whom you are negotiating. Having a grasp of their native language would be nice.”
“I make deals around the world. It would be inefficient—not to mention impossible—to learn all the languages.”
“Then don’t be surprised if I manage to swoop in and interfere with your deals again and again.” How many deals would she have to steal before he struggled with the same uncertainty she’d wrestled with every day for the past decade? It would never be enough. He would never know what it was like to have his security stolen from him, to be paralyzed with fear.
“I won’t let that happen.” His voice was rough with impatience. “Now, what do you want from me?”
“I am willing to give you the land,” she said. She had no use for the Alves property but he didn’t need to know that.
He tipped his head back and watched her closely. She knew his mind was whirring as he tried to determine the trap she was laying. “How much are you inflating the price?”
“I’m not.” She had toyed with the idea of making a profit from the exchange. Serena equated money with security and the more money she acquired, the more protection she had against the injustices of the world. She knew she could make money from the transaction but it was more important to focus on her main goal. “I will give you the land for the same amount that I paid.”
His eyes narrowed as he gave her a dark look of suspicion. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I want something more than money.” She took a sip of her wine and the fruity notes burst against her tongue. “I want the shares to The Harrington.”
His startled bark of laughter shattered the quiet atmosphere of the bar. “Hell, no.”
“Then I guess we have nothing to talk about.” She set down her wineglass, picked up her small purse and moved to leave.
He wrapped his hand around her wrist and stopped her. Her limbs went rigid as the wild energy coursed through her body from his simple touch. Serena stared at his dark and calloused hand that covered her diamond bracelet. The anger of seeing a Brock touching her mother’s jewelry warred with the traitorous need to yield to his hold.
“Why are you leaving?” Cooper’s voice was soft and husky. Almost intimate. “We’ve only started to negotiate.”
“I’m not here to barter,” she said coldly. She wasn’t going to fall for his charm. “I told you my price.”
“Why would I give up those shares?” he asked with a hint of incredulity. “Don’t you read the news?”
“Of course.” If Cooper had learned anything about her, he would know that her daily routine was consumed by gathering news and information. It was how she gained and protected her wealth.
“This is the worst time to sell or trade my shares. There’s a feud raging between the Chatsfields and the Harringtons,” Cooper reminded her. “The publicity has increased the bookings at The Harrington, increasing its value.”
She yanked out of his grasp but her skin still tingled from his touch. “Why else do you think I want it?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” He lowered his head, moving closer. She fought the urge to take a step back. “You apparently know my portfolio and you want something of lesser value? It doesn’t make sense.”
She thrust out her chin. “Perhaps I have sentimental reasons for wanting the shares.”
“A lovers’ weekend?” he said in a growl.
She raised an eyebrow. She did not like the possessive quality of his tone. “I’m not one of those women who gets sentimental about sex.”
“Good to know.” His eyes suddenly sparkled. Serena didn’t know if he was enjoying the thrust and parry of their conversation or if he was imagining a no-strings sexual escapade with her.
“This meeting is not an exploratory conversation,” she said in her haughtiest tone. “It’s not a discussion and it’s not the foundation for negotiations. I am telling you what I want in exchange for the Alves land.”
“Then this conversation is over. I am not giving up my shares.” Cooper thrust his hands in his pockets and gave a sharp nod to his head. “A pleasure as always, Serena.”
She waited until he began to stroll away. “I’m assuming you spoke to your father this afternoon,” she said.
Cooper paused and looked over his shoulder. His gray eyes were guarded but he showed no expression. “Of course.”
“Does he remember the name Felipe Dominguez?” Her chest tightened as she waited for the answer.
“Yes.”
“Hmm,” she said, hating how the sound seemed almost strangled. She had often wondered if Aaron Brock would remember the Dominguez name. It had been fourteen years and while his actions had changed the course of their lives, it had meant nothing to him. “What did he say?”
He walked back to the bar and leaned his arm on the smooth wooden counter. “I wouldn’t repeat it in front of a lady.”
Serena was tempted to roll her eyes. Why would Cooper think she had delicate sensibilities? She had gained quite a vocabulary during her time living in a seedy neighborhood but it wasn’t nearly as colorful as the language she heard in the financial industry. “And what excuse did he give for his actions?”
The corner of his mouth pulled in a wry, lopsided smile. “My father is not one to give excuses.”
“I’m not surprised,” she murmured.
“He said he had teamed up with Felipe Dominguez while negotiating a deal in Rio de Janeiro. But that Dominguez had tried to double-cross him.” She saw the cold glint of anger in Cooper’s eyes. “My father retaliated.”
It was the bare facts, Serena noticed. Did Cooper know the incredible stress Felipe had been under while working with Brock? Felipe was no match for that bully. Her loving father had gradually become cruel and distant. Serena still longed for the man he used to be.
Cooper’s summary of the events also failed to include the slow decline of her family’s fortune or the devastation they had suffered. “Aaron Brock destroyed everything that belonged to my father.”
“My father was protecting what was his,” Cooper argued.
“And not caring that a mother and child were collateral damage,” she pointed out. The fury, as familiar as a childhood companion, began to swirl inside her. Her mother had suffered more than she had. Beatriz Dominguez had been a vivacious woman but Serena didn’t understand her mother’s fragility until after her parents’ bitter divorce. Too focused on her own loss, Serena hadn’t seen the signs until her mother had a breakdown. Beatriz had never been the same. At times it felt that Serena had switched the mother and daughter roles with Beatriz. She was the minder and the protector and she always felt responsible for not taking better care of Beatriz when it mattered the most.
“What was your father’s side of the story?” Cooper asked. “Did Dominguez betray my father?”
Serena