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It was just too damned bad that she was still so powerfully attracted to him. It was even worse to think that if he hadn’t been her arch-nemesis—if he’d just been cat-rescuing Glowering Stranger—she would have liked him. A lot.
Maybe deep down inside, she still did.
“Look.” He dragged a hand through his hair, the lines of his body tensing as if he were fighting an internal battle. “I’ll stop pushing you to sign the contract.”
“What dirty negotiation tactic is this?” Suspicion lanced through her. “A sucker punch? AGame of Thronestwist? You pretend like you’re walking away before you turn around and hit me with a battle-ax?”
“I don’t play dirty.” His jaw tightened. “Do I want and need your signature? Yes. Have you made it crystal clear that nothing I say can convince you to sell? Yes. Am I going to cut my losses and leave? No.”
“What are you going to do then?”
“Let the contracts speak for themselves and be available to answer any questions, both before and during the Mariposa Business Association meeting.” He reached past her to open the driver’s side door. His bare arm brushed against hers, sending a jolt of heat straight into her blood.
Aria flinched. Their eyes collided with a sudden crackle of electricity.
“You…” She paused, rubbing her hand over the spot on her arm that he’d touched.Focus.“According to council guidelines, any association member is allowed to request a topic for debate at the meeting.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “A debate?”
“Yes.” She folded her arms and gave a short nod. “I challenge you to a debate about Oceanview Plaza before the vote. We can put all the issues and controversies on the table. You state your case. I’ll state mine. No moderator and no preassigned questions. Just you, me, and the crowd at the Hotel Casa Grande.”
“Why the Hotel Casa Grande?”
“We hold the association meetings in the lobby.”
“The meetings aren’t at the city hall?”
“The Mariposa Business Association meetings areonMariposa Street. I’ll ask Nico to put our debate on the agenda. But until then, we agree that any fighting about the contract or Oceanview is off-limits.” She arched an eyebrow and slid her gaze over his T-shirt. “You in?”
He studied her. She could almost see the assessments and considerations snapping together in his mind.
“I’m in.” A husky note edged his voice.
“Truce?” She extended her hand.
He hesitated for a second, then closed his fingers around hers, almost engulfing her hand in his big grip. Her nerves jumped to full alert at the scrape of his warm palm against hers. She tightened her hold as they shook hands firmly.
Then a moment passed, as if they were each waiting to see who would pull away first. She loosened her fingers slightly and their hands slid apart. His fingertips brushed her palm. The light touch sent heat clear up her arm.
Her pulse accelerated. She’d never known a handshake could be so sexy.
“I’ll take that ride, if you’re still offering,” he said. “As an olive branch.”
Aria nodded. As she started toward the driver’s side door, the tightness in her shoulders eased. Though she would stand her ground and fight if she needed to, she disliked actually sparring with Hunter. Or with anyone.
Her arguments with her sister Callie had always left her prickly and raw, and any conflict with Steve had been downright frightening. That was why she’d turned to animals after she’d come back to Bliss Cove. They never made her feel bad.
She pulled herself into the driver’s seat as Hunter got in beside her. Sexy stuff aside, she liked the idea of them returning to a degree of cooperation. She’d enjoyed their unexpected teamwork the night of Porkchop’s escape far more than she’d even been willing to admit.
While she was under no illusions that they could ever work together again, maybe they could coexist with some degree of accord. Though that wouldn’t resolve their situation, it might make it easier to deal with.
She hoped.
