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Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what came next.
“And you had a crush on her,” Steve finished.
He looked relieved that Steve had said it first. “You could say that.”
Steve stood. “Okay, we’re done here.”
Donalan looked a little shaken by his abruptness. He reached his hand out and Steve shook it for the second time in less than ten minutes. “I have to say that’s the shortest successful interview I’ve ever been on. I don’t need a week to think about it. I’ll take the job.”
“Good.” He knew he sounded gruff, but he couldn’t help himself. Donalan was a good-looking guy. An unattached good-looking guy. A guy who had some kind of history with his girlfriend.
It suddenly occurred to him why the title had seemed all wrong.
He hadn’t wanted to call Kitty his girlfriend.
What he’d wanted to say was, his woman.
#
Steve got to the restaurant first, which didn’t really surprise him any. In all the while he’d known Terrie, she’d never been on time for anything. He’d just ordered a beer when he spotted her weaving her way through the tables toward him. She was tall and model thin, with long dark hair and the best tits money could buy. The kind of woman who turned heads and knew it. She was also a snake and a liar. But a smart one, he’d give her that. It was hard to believe that at one time he’d been in love with her. Or at least, he thought he’d been in love with her.
They’d met a few years after he’d moved to Tampa. He and Dave were just getting started in the construction business and they were making good money. Terrie was a real-estate attorney, a few years older than he was, and divorced with a young son. She’d encouraged Steve to invest in a company with one of her clients, Ted Ferguson, a hotshot land developer from south Florida. Dave hadn’t wanted in on it, so Steve had kept his two businesses separate. It didn’t take long for the investment to pay off. Before Steve knew it he’d made his first million, and the money just kept on coming. The relationship with Terrie had flowed naturally. She was attractive and they’d started sleeping together. He thought the fact that she had a son and was professionally stable was a good omen. But the minute they’d said “I do” things had gone downhill.
“My God, it’s hot out there!” She made a face then sat down, leaning over just enough to give him a deliberate view of her cleavage. “I detest Florida in summer. Thank God for air-conditioning.”
The waiter brought him his beer and Terrie fluttered her fake eyelashes at him. “Will you be a sweetheart and bring me a water with lemon, please?”
The poor shmuck smiled right back. He brought her the water and they proceeded to order.
“Tell me about the offer,” Steve said, getting down to business.
“It’s a hundred thousand less than the asking price, but I don’t think we’re going to do much better than that.”
He tried to hide his irritation. “I told you that two years ago.”
When they’d first put the house on the market, he’d insisted that they price it to sell. The faster they got rid of the house, the better. But she’d squawked at every offer that came along, refusing to consider any kind of negotiation. After a few months, the offers stopped coming. Not that it was any skin off her nose. He’d paid for every square inch of that house with his own cash, although technically, according to the state of Florida, the place was considered joint community property. Terrie stood to make a very nice undeserved profit at closing.
“Yes, well, you were right.” She gave him a well-practiced smile. “We should have priced it better.” It was the closest she’d ever get to admitting that she’d been wrong.
The server brought them their food. Steve waited until he left before he said, “So what changed your mind? Let me guess. You need cash.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re revolting. Is everything about money to you?”
He shrugged. This was one game he wasn’t going to let himself be dragged into. When they’d been married, she’d loved to rub his nose in the fact that he barely had a high school education. She hadn’t minded his money, though. She’d spent that like his wallet was on fire.
“I still haven’t heard anything that we couldn’t have talked about over the phone,” he said.
“I just… I wanted to make sure that you understood that we need to accept this offer. If you must know, I have an opportunity to invest in a land deal in south Florida, so yes, some extra cash will come in handy now.” She looked over at him through her lashes. “What about you? Isn’t it about time you got a place of your own? You must be tired of playing house with what’s he
r name.”
Terrie knew damn good and well Kitty’s name. Last year they’d been forced to work on a real estate deal together.
“I’m happy where I am now, thanks,” he said tightly.
She shook her head sadly. “Oh, Steve, I really hope you’re not leading that poor girl on. I mean, she doesn’t think that you’re going to marry her, does she?”
He stilled. “That’s none of your business, Terrie.”
