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The room was meant for him to entertain clients in, to show how successful he was, how the Nash family could help their endeavors.
He’d looked at the big four-poster bed and seen Tasha tied to it, naked and waiting for him.
Just thinking about her, about how readily she’d responded to him, how she’d made him feel like he had something to give her…it made his dick hard and his stupid-ass heart ache. No. He should stay away. From her. For himself. “She’ll be working. I doubt she’ll bring her cousin up here. I think Lou mentioned they might visit the Blue Mountains. They’ll probably spend some time up there while Kara is working the conference.”
It might be why she walked away. She’d had a choice between spending time with him or with her sister and her sister won. He could understand that.
“Or she’s hanging out in her cousin’s flat and has nothing to do.” Brian was starting to sound like the devil on his shoulder. “We don’t have to go back right away. You could take her with us to the Blue Mountains.”
“That’s supposed to be work,” he pointed out. “It’s precisely why I’m reading this book. Like I told you, my father wants me to pitch to Huisman, and he’ll be there at the house party.”
“I don’t understand the fascination.” Brian had gone strangely still. “I know the guy supposedly has an MD, but I don’t know that I buy he’s some wunderkind. He likes the press too much.”
“The Huisman Foundation is worth over ten billion dollars. That’s all my father sees, and since they announced they were funding Dr. Walsh-Shaw’s research, the businesses the family owns have seen their stock go through the roof. She’s on the cusp of some real breakthroughs when it comes to degenerative neurological diseases. His reputation means nothing to my father. He smells money, and I’m supposed to go after it. I also think my father loathes Auggie Oakley, but then he hates everyone. If Oakley is trying to get in bed with the Huisman Foundation, my dad will try to get there first. So our job is to charm the guy. Get a feel for him.”
“But the invite is for two, and we’ll have separate rooms.” Brian’s fingers tapped against the tabletop. “That’s an interesting twist of fate. Oakley’s a big partier, and he loves a gorgeous woman. Wouldn’t it be a bigger power move to show up with an actual date?”
He knew exactly where Brian was going. “I doubt Tasha would say yes.”
“You doubt she would say yes to spending a weekend at a billionaire’s house party?” Brian looked at him like he should know the answer.
“She’s not like that,” Dare replied. But that was naïve. “Okay, everyone is curious.”
“She’s on vacation. She’s obviously an adventurous girl.” Every word out of Brian’s mouth contained a hint of temptation. “And you’ve established this is a casual, fun relationship, so you don’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt. I think you should go for it. Live a little, man.”
It would be weird to show up with Brian. Too businessy when he was trying to form a real connection with Huisman. Going in hard might not work with a man as seemingly sensitive as Huisman. Having a date would make him look more like a real guy a man could relate to than the relentless businessman he’d become over the years.
He could ensure Tasha got something out of it, too. Maybe he was looking at this all wrong. He was viewing this through a romantic lens when he should be all business. So he could look like he wasn’t all business.
“You’re overthinking this thing, man,” Brian advised with a shake of his head.
He rather believed he was finally thinking properly. There were still problems. “I have to run into her first. I don’t think Kara is going to give up her cousin’s location easily.”
“I’ll work on her.” Brian smiled like a man who’d gotten exactly what he wanted. Which was probably more time to annoy the hell out of Kara. “I can be persuasive. She just needs to get to know me better.”
Dare wasn’t sure about that, but he was willing to leave this to fate. If Tasha came back into his life, he would offer her a deal.
A devil’s bargain of sorts.
A Dom’s bargain.
He took another drink because suddenly life didn’t seem so boring.
Chapter Five
“Okay, I am trying to fully grasp what happened here.” Cooper sat back. “Someone piece this together for me because I do not understand.”
Kala’s lips curled up. “Tasha and the new target.” She used her thumb and forefinger to make a circle which she pushed the forefinger of her other hand through back and forth while making squeaking sounds.
Such a bitch. “I didn’t know he was the target.”
“Hey, he wasn’t the target then,” Tristan pointed out.
