Page 29 of The Charmer
“Fine,” she echoed, tilting her head up like a queen and marching away, leaving him with a tantalising view of a straight, bare back courtesy of her daring dress, while the rest of it cascaded from her waist to the floor in shimmery shades of aquamarine, turquoise, and emerald, the exact colour of the Great Barrier Reef on a clear day.
So much for a connection. He tried to be nice and what did he get for his trouble? An earful. He tried to be rational about this business deal between them and what did he get? Angst.
And she hadn’t even heard his pitch yet.
He’d never pretended he was anything but the heartless tycoon she thought he was. Business meant everything to him. It was all he knew.
He’d blitzed his uni degrees, waltzed into a cushy job, and proceeded to set the business world alight. He deserved to be confident. Failure wasn’t in his vocabulary. Never had been, never would be.
And no matter how stubborn the eccentric Miss Wallace wanted to be, he’d make sure he wouldn’t fail this time.
He couldn’t. There was too much at stake.
Chapter Nineteen
“You are enjoying yourself, bella, yes?”
Ariel took a sip of her sparkling mineral water, not wanting to lie to Sofia, yet needing a few seconds to compose an honest but graceful answer.
“Everyone seems to be having a wonderful time,” Ariel said, knowing it sounded lame and the astute Sofia would pick up on it in a second.
She did.
“I do not care for everyone else, bella. What about you? Are you all right?”
Ariel nodded and forced a smile, hoping it didn’t look like a grimace. “I guess I’m just tired after rushing the portrait.”
Sofia beamed. “Ah, yes, the portrait. It is magnificent. Maria loves it.”
“And seems to be infatuated with the model.”
Ariel inclined her head towards Sofia’s sister, who for a woman of forty looked fifteen years younger in a siren red poured-on dress, luscious dark hair that hung in perfect waves to her shoulders, and huge, expressive brown eyes firmly fixed on Cooper, along with her talon-like hands gripping his arm as she smiled at him.
“So that’s what is troubling you…” Sofia waved her hand towards Maria in an abrupt, dismissive gesture. “Don’t be jealous, bella, she is no competition to you.”
Ariel stiffened, not liking Sofia’s implication. She’d have to care to be jealous and she didn’t. Caring about Cooper would be akin to skipping into the dentist with a big, goofy grin on her face and clapping her hands with glee: pure and utter madness.
“I’m not interested in Cooper, so you can get that maniacal matchmaking gleam out of your eyes,” Ariel said, her stern glare having little effect.
Predictably, Sofia ignored her. “How can you not be interested? The man is handsome, successful, charming, cultured—”
“And out to ruin me.”
Ariel glared at Cooper through narrow eyes, wondering why he let himself be pawed. Didn’t the guy have any dignity?
Considering how fast he’d whipped off his clothes to insinuate his way into her good graces, probably not.
“Maybe you should listen to him, see what he has to say about the gallery, before jumping to conclusions?”
Sofia’s tone had softened and Ariel knew that while she meant well, her friend didn’t have a clue.
“That so-called charming man probably wants to kick me out of the gallery, tear it down, and erect some awful monstrosity that won’t fit in with Brunswick Street.” She shook her head. “I’ve been fobbing off his kind ever since Aunt Barb died. He’s not the first and he won’t be the last but one thing I’m sure of, I’m not leaving. I promised Aunt Barb.”
Sofia laid a comforting hand on her arm, patting it gently. “Babs would’ve wanted you to be happy. She was one of my closest friends and I know how much she loved you, how much joy you brought to her life. She would want the same for you.”
Sofia paused, as if searching for the right words. “Instead, you’re working too hard, battling to keep the gallery open. You won’t accept help from anyone and you bristle like some feral cat whenever anyone offers. Perhaps it is time to reconsider?”
“No.”