Kiss Me That Way: A Cottonbloom Novel by Laura Trentham

Author:Laura Trentham [Trentham, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Published: 2016-06-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

He’d walked into the room, drawn to her like a ship seeking a safe harbor in the storm. Not that he was nervous exactly, but a chord thrummed off-key and disorienting in his chest. The sight of her calmed him. He’d grabbed two drinks and stalked her. From behind he took in the expanse of white exposed by the low plunge of her dress and the sexily mussed artful updo. Yet under the soft, seemingly delicate skin of her back was toned muscle.

He was a natural hunter, studying his prey, exploiting weaknesses, applying the necessary leverage to achieve his goal—whether it was to trap or annihilate. The mentality contributed to his success and solidified his reputation as a ruthless negotiator.

Monroe wasn’t playing a game. Her gaze was hungry, and he found himself wanting to match her candor. Why pretend? This was what he’d come for. To see her. To have her see him. To show her he was as comfortable in this world as he was on the river. That he could compete with and beat the Andrew Tarwaters of the world.

“I’m here representing the Fournettes. That okay?”

“Of course. I just wasn’t expecting…” Her gaze trailed down his body.

Her dismay made him smile, as had the reaction of the parking attendant who’d gotten the pleasure of parking the old truck. Cade was enjoying flaunting the juxtaposition of his youth and what he’d made of himself.

“You look beautiful. That dress should come with a warning label.”

The blush suffusing her fair skin started at her chest and reached into her cheeks. And he could tell because the front plunged nearly as deeply as the back. The clutch pressed under her arm and the blue-stoned pendant that hung between her breasts discreetly emphasized the soft curves. He wanted to touch her but was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop.

“You clean up pretty well yourself,” she said with a sultriness that was unbalancing.

The black Armani suit he wore had been tailored for him. Off-the-rack suits never had enough give to comfortably contain the breadth of his shoulders, and he’d learned from Richard that packaging mattered. Especially to the group gathered tonight.

“I occasionally get gussied up and paraded around to potential investors and companies interested in licensing my patents.”

“Just how rich are you?”

Coming from any other woman, the question would have put him on guard and have him seeking the nearest emergency exit. But Monroe had tossed the question out with a vagueness that told him she didn’t really care. It was simple curiosity.

“I have enough money to do what I want. Travel. Have fun.”

“Like helping Tally get her gym off the ground?”

He clenched his jaw and debated whether to deny it. Normally, he didn’t have a problem twisting the truth to fit his agenda, but Monroe had awakened his long-dormant conscience and it loomed like a Titan in his mind. There was no doubt in his mind they were in negotiations. He just wasn’t certain what was at stake. “She wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.

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