“Landon.” His deep voice booms across the mere feet separating us.
“Whatever.” I wave off his interruption. “If we’re going to be stuck together, at least we can make it bearable.”
His upper lip twitches. “I strongly disagree.”
Yet he wants to have sex with me? Typical male ego.
I tip my chin, cursing a blue streak vile enough to make me cringe. Almost. “Why can nothing be easy with you?”
“There’s no enjoyment in being easy, sugar. Figured you knew that.”
“You’re honestly enjoying this?”
“Aren’t you?” Landon has the power to piss me off faster than my father and brother combined. He must know it—or have a decent guess, if his relentless firing squad is any indication.
“Not even a smidge.” But there’s no truth to be found in my statement.
Even if I weren’t set on exacting revenge, Landon Winters is providing a decent boost in the excitement department. I’m not usually bitter or conniving. That bad aura can leave a stain, but provoking someone has never been so much fun. I immediately recognize those words as a weakness I can’t afford.
“So, neither of us is willing to surrender.” His slight detour in topic raises my hackles. He could derail our discussion for hours with a few misplaced words.
I roll my neck, a few joints popping with the stretch. “I guess that leaves us to finally getting down to business.”
“It’s about damn time you’ve warmed up to my idea.” He reclines in his chair with a moan any porn star would envy.
“Oh, please, stop.” A retching sound yanks from my throat.
“Why should I? You’re quite gorgeous, Savannah.”
“Quit flirting with me.” My tone borders on begging.
“Why?” A curious sparkle twinkles in his gaze as he repeats the question.
“It’s… weird.”
“Only because you like me hitting on you.”
I make another show of choking on bile. “You’ll never get me to admit such a despicable thing.”
“A new challenge? I accept.”
Why does it feel like I just signed my own resignation notice? Veering this conversation onto professional ground is my only chance to salvage his account. “Ditto, which is precisely what your demands are to me. Did you get my emails with the listings?”
Landon scowls. “Yes, but that can wait.”
“It should take precedence. I’m prepared to accomplish actual progress on finding you a property. That’s why I’m here, remember?”
“Terms and conditions change by the minute.”
I wag my finger, reverting to scolding him like a child. “Not in this case. What is it you do for a living exactly?”
“Taking an interest in me?” Chocolate-colored smoke ignites in his eyes. I wonder if he’d melt in my mouth.
Ripping my gaze off him takes more willpower than I’m willing to admit. “Consider it research of my own.”
“I buy businesses and make them bigger.”
“A global tycoon?” I’m not super positive about what that title entails, but it sounds cool.
Landon’s chest vibrates with amusement. It might be my imagination based on his stoic expression, though. “Sure, let’s call it that.”
“Are you a monopoly type of man?”
“Nah, that game has too many rules. I just take what I want.”
“How appealing.” And not at all surprising.
“You’re somewhat extraordinary too.” He’s giving me whiplash with his creative liberties.
I slap on a wide grin and cheese at him. “There you go giving me backhanded compliments again. Be careful, or I might think you’re trying to romance me.”
“There’s no threat of that happening. You should know better by now. If you don’t, the lesson will be easy enough to teach.”
The urge to flip him the bird twitches my middle finger. He’s the worst. Period. There’s no need to proceed with caution. Anyone with functioning vision and eardrums can attest to him being terrible. But I’m committed to the cause, dammit. Even so, he’s proving to be more foul than I originally gave him credit for.
Landon Winters represents everything that makes women run in the opposite direction. He’s the kind of wicked my mother steered me from, but I never believed such a man could exist. Yet there’s a piece that doesn’t quite fit. I’d risk losing this account on the odds that there are secrets lurking beneath his steely armor. The anger and hostility are a front to hide vulnerability underneath—I’m sure of it. He pushes people away with such practiced loathing that it must be a defense.
Suddenly, a new plan forms in my mind. I want to know what makes this man tick. I don’t believe he’s inherently rotten. Not down to the marrow, at least. Finding the good in people is somewhat of an obsession, and Landon