Not that I went out of my way to get noticed. I was quiet and shy by nature unless I was with friends or family. Most of the time, I preferred the company of animals instead of humans.
Yeah, I had the hope that there was a soulmate out there somewhere for me, somebody who would see me underneath my timid, tomboy exterior. But I wasn’t holding my breath until I met him.
“Can we get back to the subject of the property?” I asked, trying not to let his appreciative looks intimidate me. “If that was a firm no answer, then I won’t waste any more of your time.”
He moved forward and linked his fingers together on the desk, his intent gray eyes never straying from my face. “I make you nervous,” he observed.
“Maybe I’m not used to meeting billionaires,” I said.
He shook his dark head. “It’s not that. I don’t think you’re impressed by my money. I found it intriguing that you inherited your own fortune but the only thing you’ve purchased was a home. In Citrus Beach. A sound investment, since the area is growing fast.”
Okay. I had to admit that it was a little creepy that he knew so much about me.
“It wasn’t an investment,” I argued. “It was a home. My home. And I hope Citrus Beach never gets too big. I like it the way it is.”
I found it unnerving that he seemed to know every move that I’d made since coming into money, and that he’d had the audacity to have me investigated. Who does that just to meet with somebody about a property proposal?
My outrage was starting to take over my desire to get up and run out of Eli Stone’s office.
He shrugged. “Time marches forward, Ms. Sinclair. It’s what makes us richer. Citrus Beach will eventually grow. It’s close enough to San Diego to make it a desirable place to live.”
“I don’t need to get richer. I’m already so rich it makes me a little nauseous. I just want that piece of land.”
“The money makes you uncomfortable?” he asked.
“No,” I lied. The last thing I needed him to focus on was how uncomfortable I was with my wealth.
“You recently finished a fellowship,” he said, completely ignoring my statement. “Your education is pretty impressive. But what do you do with a degree in wildlife?”
Scratch the idea that he’d only checked out what I’d done since I’d inherited. He knew my whole damn life!
“I have a doctorate in wildlife conservation,” I corrected. “My focus is genetics. I think we can someday use genetic material to save species that can’t recover their numbers with the usual methods.”
He nodded. “Admirable. And the survivalist training?”
Was there anything that he didn’t know?
“It’s a hobby. I teach classes now because it’s something I love.” I had no idea why I felt I needed to confirm my life story with an unsettling billionaire, but the words just kept popping out of my mouth.
“I respect that.”
“I’m not looking for anybody’s esteem,” I informed him icily. “I just came to buy a piece of land. But since you’ve already refused to sell, we are done.” I stood, unable to sit still with him watching me.
He got up and moved around his desk as he said, “You’re defensive. Did I make you uncomfortable, Dr. Sinclair?”
Rarely did anyone use my doctorate title, so I hesitated, trying to decide if he was mocking me, or if he was doing it out of respect for my education.
I finally told myself it didn’t matter, and I moved toward the exit. I really needed to get the hell away from Eli Stone.
His large, powerful body stopped in front of me, blocking my path to the door, which ignited my temper. And I almost never got pissed off. But I was tired of playing whatever game he seemed to be enjoying.
I had no idea how to win this match, and I didn’t plan on being around long enough to complete it.
“As a matter of fact, yes—you did make me uncomfortable,” I replied. “I don’t appreciate anyone investigating my private life over a proposal. It was completely inappropriate and more than a little creepy.”
“You’re right,” he conceded. “But I was curious.”
“Not a good reason to invade my privacy,” I informed him coolly.
“Maybe it wasn’t,” he agreed, not sounding the least bit contrite.
Everything about this man made me squirm, and I wasn’t generally a nervous female. But Eli Stone was the most intense guy I’d ever met.
“Are you upset because I was open about the fact that I wouldn’t mind having you in my bed?”
His bluntness made my heartbeat kick faster.
Dear Lord, I’m out of my league.
I tried to keep my expression blank. I didn’t want him to have the satisfaction of knowing he could rattle me.
“Did it ever occur to you that I might not want you in mine?” I asked him indignantly. “Does every woman you know fall at your feet after you tell them that they’re attractive? Because it’s really not all that unique.”
“Did you know that your eyes get a deeper shade of blue when you’re angry?” he asked with a grin.
Dammit!
Eli Stone was playing with me, but for what purpose I didn’t know.
“Have a good day, Mr. Stone. Personally, I wish I hadn’t wasted so much of mine waiting for you when you were already certain you weren’t going to sell,” I said as I pushed around him and made my way to the door.
He caught my arm as I reached for the door handle. “I was curious as to why you wanted that property,” he explained. “Wealthy people generally don’t seek property that has very little chance of making them money someday.”
“It’s not useless. Not to me,” I argued. “In fact, it’s pretty damn important for the purpose of preserving wildlife.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know anybody who cares about that.”
“Then maybe you need to get some new friends,” I retorted.
I shook off his hold, and then turned back to him, angry that he valued nobody’s time but his own. “You could have called me and asked why I wanted it. I didn’t need to come to the city and then wait for an hour just to hear you tell me no. It’s rude. It’s inconsiderate. And it’s incredibly arrogant.”
“I guess you still need to learn that people wait for billionaires,” he stated flatly.
I put a finger to my chest. “Not this billionaire. I guess I’m just not as self-serving or conceited as you are. But I don’t like people waiting for me. It makes me feel guilty.”
I didn’t mention that I was pretty motivated by guilt all the time.
I was pretty sure that Eli Stone never suffered much from remorse, so he probably had no idea what I was talking about anyway.
“Have dinner with me, Jade,” he said, his statement a command and not a request.
“I have plans,” I threw back in his face. “And I’m hungry. I’m not willing to wait like a pathetic puppy until you decide to feed me.”
He crossed his arms in front of him with a smile, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Now that I know what a nasty temper you have, I wouldn’t dare make you wait,” he said drily. “I promise that I’ll feed you immediately.”