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“I’m not in the charity business.”
“Excuse me?” I enunciate each syllable.
“It’s nothing personal. I need land, and this place has it. One of these properties could fit ten of my houses easily.”
I throw my hands in the air. “See! That reason alone is exactly whyIshould be the buyer.”
“Because you don’t want to capitalize on an opportunity? That’s stupidity, not validity.”
My fists ball at my sides. “It’s not stupid to value a home’s history.”
“I value the financial kind more.”
“And you think I don’t? A historic home can make as much money as a new build if you fix it up the right way.”
“I’m not saying it can’t, but the math will always be in my favor, no matter how hard you try.”
I groan. “How much do you sell one of your homes for?”
“Three mill, give or take.”
My eyes widen. “Three. Million. Dollars?” Houses around the lake used to be worth less than a quarter million back when I was a kid.
He breaks eye contact first. “Yeah.”
“And how many houses have you demolished?”
“Enough.”
“Fifty?” He remains quiet. “A hundred?” I ask, earning nothing more than a blink. “Two hundred?”
He stays silent.
I shake my head. “Wow. At this rate, you’ll be out of houses within the next few years.”
“Exactly why I need a property like this to solve our supply-demand issue.”
Time to switch strategies.
“Do you want me to beg?” My voice drops.
I bite down on my cheek to stop myself from grinning when he blinks twice. While Julian and I have engaged in many psychological warfare tactics over the years, seduction has never been one of them. But hell, if it means securing my dream house, I’m willing to flirt my way into a deal with thedevil.
“No.” His jaw tightens.
“I’m not above getting down on my knees.”
His eyes drop to my lips before he glances away. “Shut. Up.”
I clasp his chin and force him to look at me. “What do you want?”
He jerks his head free from my grasp and takes a step back. “Whatever the fuck is the opposite of this.”
“I’ll leave you alone if you walk away from this house.” I brush my finger down the center of his chest.
He jolts. “I knew working with you was a mistake.”
“What?”
