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Despite my better judgment, I went with my gut and began buying up the rest of the properties. However, the plan wouldn’t work without acquiring every single house, so Corbin Sage, the stubborn owner of the property right in the center of the rounded street end, was frustrating the hell out of me.
Then my luck took a turn for the better, and Mr. Sage’s lawyer called and told me that the old man was ready to meet.
“You really think you can convince him to sell?” Jason’s tone was dubious, and I scowled. “You aren’t exactly the most charming of the three of us. Maybe I should fly out for—”
“I know how to work a fucking deal,” I interrupted, making him laugh.
“Then how come you can’t seem to find a date to all those fancy galas you attend?” he teased.
I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair, staring out the wall of windows that overlooked LA. “By choice, asshole.” Then, with a mental shudder, I added, “You know I’m allergic to weddings.” The last thing I needed was a wife to deal with. “I don’t need a woman distracting me from my goals with their clinginess and penchant for emptying my bank account.” It would take a fuck of a lot for that to happen, but I was making a point.
“Touché.” He couldn’t argue since he and James were of the same attitude. But that didn’t mean we didn’t give each other shit over our monk-like lives. We were still brothers, after all.
“I told Hank to begin working on the construction permits for the other properties.”
“You’re that confident, huh?”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see it. “I won’t take no for an answer.”
* * *
“Mr. Sage,”I greeted the elderly man as I strolled into his home office.
“Corbin is fine,” he said as he waved me toward one of the highback leather chairs in front of his desk. He smiled, and though his eyes looked tired, there was a twinkle in them that seemed odd and made me wary. “Have a seat, Jeremy.”
I knew he’d just had a hip replaced, and while it wasn’t an overly worrisome procedure, it still took a toll on his body. However, I was impressed with how robust he seemed to be, despite sitting in a wheelchair and wearing a chain around his neck that had a fall alert button.
“I’m a little surprised you didn’t show up with both of your brothers. It would have been much more intimidating.” Again, the glint in his brown eyes made me want to squirm in my seat.
“I have a feeling that not much intimidates you, Corbin,” I drawled as I relaxed back into my chair, keeping my expression neutral. My brothers and I had years of practice hiding our emotions and exuding confidence. It was how we survived in our neighborhood. We were also damn good at making a point with our fists, but that technique hadn’t been necessary since high school.
Corbin chuckled and tapped the fingers of one hand on his desk, his eyes assessing me. “I could say the same of you.”
“That’s fair,” I conceded, the corners of my lips tipping up.
“I suppose neither of us has the upper hand here. Then again, you have two legs to stand on…” His eyes twinkled merrily, and I couldn’t help laughing.
For the next fifteen minutes, we made what might have seemed like small talk to an observer. But I got the impression that his questions were premeditated and deliberate. He was looking for something specific from me, and my intuition told me that if he didn’t find it, he wouldn’t be willing to listen to my offer.
So I indulged him, but to my surprise, I enjoyed his company since he was easy to talk to. Besides, he played fair, answering all of my inquiries as well.
Eventually, he fell silent, and I waited patiently—on the outside—for him to finish studying me thoughtfully.
After a couple of minutes, he leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the desktop. “I’ve done my research on your company,” he told me. “Very impressive.” His tone was a little cryptic, and I wondered how much research he’d done on us, not just the business.
“Thank you.” I smiled and boldly met his gaze. “I hope that means you’re open to my offer.”
He tapped his fingers a few more times, watching me closely. I wasn’t sure what he was looking for, or if he’d found it, when he answered. “I would be if we were discussing any of the other properties that I own. But since we’re talking about this house, hearing any offer you have would be a waste of both our time.”
His casual dismissal pricked my temper, but I didn’t give away any sign of emotion, remaining businesslike. “If you aren’t willing to entertain my offer, why did you agree to meet with me?”
Corbin smiled and taped his fingers again before relaxing back into his seat. “Because I wanted to meet you before I let you contact my granddaughter.”
“Your granddaughter?” I asked in confusion.
Corbin nodded. “I assume you’ve done your own digging and know about McKenna.”
My research had been directed at Corbin, but that meant I’d gained some knowledge about his family situation. I was aware that he had a granddaughter who was more like a daughter to him than her mother ever was. He had practically raised McKenna since her parents had been too spoiled and selfish to be responsible for another human being. But that was all I knew about her. I’d never even seen a picture of the girl.
