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Sterling shookthe hand Kat Hopa offered, wondering if she, too, felt the sizzle of attraction as their palms connected. A Maori tattoo snaked from the top of her wrist to her elbow, the swirls of dark ink surprisingly pretty. He took a moment to study it, wondering at the hidden meaning, but then she withdrew her hand and tucked it into the pocket of her high-waisted cream shorts. He couldn’t help but be disappointed by the loss of contact.
“I know who you are,” he said. “Katarina Hopa, thirty-two years old, business owner, former professional rally driver, no children, no university education.” He softened his tone. “A widow, with a good head on her shoulders.” Someone he could bargain with.
“What, did you read my C.V. or something?” she asked, her expression not giving anything away. “Do you have a whole file about me in that briefcase?”
“No, just the basics. It always pays to know your potential business partners.”
“I’m not one of your business partners, Sterling.” She watched him steadily. “Sanctuary is not for sale. Not now, probably not ever.” She shrugged. “Sorry you came all this way for nothing.”
Sterling fought off dismay. He wouldn’t be deterred so easily. He eyed the contents of the shopping bags she’d laid on the floor, which included a couple of rolls of wallpaper, a bucket of paint and a box of nails.
“Fixing this place will require a lot of funds,” he told her. “More than you have.”
Last time he was here, he’d taken the opportunity to look around. While the east wing and communal rooms had been renovated, the west wing was in dire need of repairs. Broken windows were covered by cardboard, the wallpaper was peeling, and the floors were slumped. None of it was usable as accommodation.
“I’m willing to make you a very generous offer.”
“I’m not selling,” she repeated, shaking her head in disbelief. “Of all the crazy ideas I’ve heard today, that one takes the cake. And besides, you must know it wouldn’t be a good investment. I cover my costs here and earn enough to pay the bills, but nothing more.”
Just as he’d guessed. He didn’t smile. Didn’t let her see how much this news pleased him. A struggling business was easier to purchase than a booming one.
“At least consider our offer, Kat.” He liked the way her name tasted on his tongue. He planned to say it many more times during the course of this negotiation. “We’re prepared to pay you…” He mulled over the figure he’d come up with earlier, then decreased it by a small margin, and spoke it aloud.
Her eyes widened and her lips parted, but she didn’t reply immediately. Those lips were full and deeply colored, although he didn’t think she was wearing lipstick. Finally, she said, “That’s very generous, but Sanctuary isn’t for sale at any price. Sorry to disappoint you, that’s just how it is.”
Sterling stiffened. While he’d expected to have to work to get her agreement, he hadn’t thought she’d reject his offer outright. Dismay settled in his gut, but then a thought occurred to him. She couldn’t possibly mean it. Any intelligent person would at least try to barter with him. For God’s sake, half the building was uninhabitable, old ladies were running rampant, and from here, he could see a dog the size of a small horse on the back lawn. The place was crazy. Out of control. Kat must know that, but she was trying to drive the price up by playing hard to get.
He voiced the original offer.
Annoyance flashed in her eyes. “Excuse me?”
He repeated it, and watched her jaw work.
“I’m prepared to bargain with you,” he said. “How can I sweeten the deal?”
“You can’t,” she snapped. “This isn’t about money. Sanctuary is my home, and you’re not getting it.”
He tried a new tactic. “With the profit from the sale, you can buy a new home. One in much better condition.”
She gaped. “I love this place exactly the way it is. I’m not fishing for more money. You can offer me as much as you like, but it won’t make a difference.”
“Everyone has a price,” he replied, and in his experience, that was true. Anything could be attained if someone had enough hundred-dollar bills in the bank. Even life could be bought. Something squeezed in his chest and his throat constricted.
Not now. He forced himself to think more pleasant thoughts. To imagine the luxurious five-star resort that could replace this chaotic mishmash of a building. Tourists would flock here because of the view out over the beach, the forest behind the property, and the dozens of winding trails that ran through the trees. They’d come for the picture-perfect scenery and balmy summers. Then, when they came, his boss would be raking in the cash, and he’d wonder what on earth he’d do without Sterling.
Kat Hopa watched him, her eyes softening with sympathy. “I’m sorry you believe that.”
He scoffed. He didn’t want or need her pity. “Explain to me why you won’t consider selling. You’ve done a reasonable job of renovating parts of this place, but from what I can discover, it’s taken a long time and you have a lot left to do. Allowing my employer to start from scratch would be a sensible business decision.”
Her cheeks paled. “By ‘start from scratch’, I assume you mean flatten Sanctuary and build a soulless tourist trap in its place?”
He ignored her provocative language. “If you sell, you can start fresh somewhere else.”
“Forget it. I’m. Not. Selling.” She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head, her curtain of black hair swaying across her body. “I like the history of Sanctuary. I like putting it back together with my own hands. You seem to think you know everything about me, Sterling. Did you know I was in a wheelchair when I moved here? That every piece of Sanctuary I fix feels like putting a piece of myself back together?”
“No, I didn’t.” For once, he wished he had a better grasp of what made people tick. Unfortunately, human psychology had never been a strength of his, which was why he preferred to oversee projects from the safety of his office. He couldn’t fathom her attachment to this place, and discussing it made him uncomfortably aware of his own emotional shortcomings. But he had to persist. Eli had given him this job as a test run, and Sterling needed to prove his boss’s faith wasn’t misplaced. To do that, he had to convince Kat to sell.
