Billionaire's Bargain
“In exchange,” he added a moment later, “I’ll give you the best photography studio in California.”
He’d laid her dreams out for her on a silver platter. They were right there, within reach and Sienna felt a little light-headed at the prospect. She wanted it. Fine, she could admit it, to herself at least, that she really wanted a beautiful, state-of-the-art studio. She could build the career she’d dreamed of with the right tools. And if she didn’t take Adam’s deal it could take her years to earn that reality on her own.
This was a bad idea, though. There was history between them, not to mention the ghost of his dead brother. She didn’t want to be attracted to him but she most definitely was. And as that thought skittered through her mind, she deliberately kept her features blank. She really didn’t need him reading her expression at the moment.
He was watching her and Sienna fought to keep what she was feeling off her face. Now that she knew he was reading her expressions, it put her at a real disadvantage. But how could her mind not wander to his broad chest, his deep brown eyes, his strong hands? Oh God. One corner of his mouth lifted briefly as if he knew what she was trying to do.
So she took a breath and got it over with. “Okay, I’ll do it. But—”
“Great.” He pushed his sleeve back, glanced at the heavy platinum watch on his wrist, then looked at her. “What time are you finished here today?”
“Just hold on a second. We need to talk about a few things and—”
“We will,” he said quickly. “Later. So, when can you leave?”
“Uh—” If he kept cutting her off in an attempt to hurry this arrangement along, she’d never be able to say what she needed to. She had a few ground rules of her own to lay down and she knew he wouldn’t be happy to hear them. But the man was like the tide, pushing inexorably toward shore. No point in arguing with him here. “Fine. I can leave in about an hour.”
“Good. That’ll work. I’ll meet you at your house, help you move your stuff to my place.”
She blinked at him. “You’ll what? I’m sorry. What?” She shook her head as if to clear her hearing.
“If you’re going to take care of the baby, you’ll have to be where he is, right?” He looked at her steadily and his gaze was strong enough that she felt the power of the man slide into her.
That hadn’t occurred to her at all and now she had to wonder why. Of course she’d have to be with the baby to take care of him. But she just hadn’t put that together with living in Adam’s house. And now that she was, Sienna was pretty sure this was a bad idea.
“I didn’t think I’d be living with you.”
“Not with me. At the same address.”
“Oh.” She nodded and shrugged. “Sure. That’s a whole different thing.”
He blew out a breath at her sarcasm and that told her he was a lot closer to the edge of exasperation than she’d thought. “It’s a big house, Sienna. You’ll have your own suite.”
Her eyebrows arched. A suite? Not the point, Sienna. “I don’t know...”
“Remember our deal. You find any building you want, Sienna. You can design the remodel yourself.”
The snake in the garden had probably sounded a lot like Adam Quinn.
“Put in shelves and workrooms and prop rooms and any kind of lighting you need.”
She ignored the inner tug she felt toward that tasty carrot he was holding out in front of her. He knew all too well that he was getting to her. And she imagined her expression told him everything he wanted to know. “You’re still selling me on an idea I already agreed to. Feeling a little desperate, Adam?”
For a second she thought he’d deny it, then he clearly thought better of it.
“Not quite,” he admitted. “But it’s close. Look, Sienna, we can help each other here. That’s it. So are you in or not?”
She met his gaze for a long second or two. She could say no, but why should she? There was a baby who needed to be cared for and a man completely out of his depth asking for her help.
And okay, the photography studio.
But there was another reason to do it. One she didn’t really want to think about. It was Adam, himself. It was his eyes. The deep timbre of his voice. And the way he looked at her. Foolish? Probably. Irresistible? Absolutely.
“Okay,” she said before she could talk herself out of it. “I’m in.”
Relief flashed across his features briefly. “Good. That’s good. So I’ll meet you at your place in two hours. Help you move what you need to my house.”
“Okay.” Decision made, her stomach was still spinning. She’d have to get her neighbors to watch the house and bring in the mail and—“I’ll write down my address.”
“I know where you live.”
She looked up at him. “You do?”
His gaze locked on hers. “I’ve always known, Sienna.”
Three
Two hours later, as promised, Adam pulled up in front of a small bungalow in Seal Beach and parked beneath the shade of an ancient tree. A hell of a day. He had a headache that pounded hard enough to shatter his skull and it didn’t look as if it would be going away anytime soon.
Staring at the house, Adam frowned a little. Bright splashes of color lined the front of the house, flowers spilling out of the beds onto a lawn that hadn’t been mowed in a while. The paint was faded and the roof looked as old as the tree.
“Why the hell would she refuse a settlement when she divorced Devon?” he wondered aloud. There was a place for pride—no one understood that better than he did. But damn it, pride shouldn’t get in the way of common sense. Clearly, she could have used the money.
The street the house sat on was old and settled. Most of the houses were small, but well kept. A crowd of kids across the street were playing basketball against a garage and the throaty roar of a lawn mower sounded in the distance. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and glanced at Sienna’s faded green sedan parked in her driveway. The rusted bumper irritated him more than he could say.
“Hardheaded woman,” he muttered. “She should have taken Devon for millions.”
Climbing out of his car, he walked up to the house, noting the cracks in the sidewalk, the chipping stucco alongside the garage door. Grinding his teeth together, he made a dozen mental notes on the short walk to the porch. They had a deal, but he was adding to it whether she liked it or not. His company would give her the best damn photography studio in the state, but they would also redo this house. And if she argued with him about it—which she would—he’d steamroll right over any objections she came up with.
Sienna had married his brother and Devon had proven quickly just what a bad decision that had been. Adam couldn’t ignore his family’s mistakes. He’d fix them if he could, and this he could definitely take care of. By the time he was finished with this tiny house, Sienna would think she was living in a damn palace.
She answered the door before he’d had a chance to knock, which told Adam she’d been watching for his arrival. Her eyes were wide and her expression wary. Had she changed her mind? Was she going to try to back out of their deal? If so, she would fail.
“You don’t look happy to see me,” he mused.
“Stop reading my mind.”
He laughed shortly. “Well, that was honest anyway.”
“That’s not what I meant. I mean, of course, I’m happy to see you. Well, not happy, but I was expecting you and—” She stopped, scowled and took a deep breath. Once she’d released it again, she started over.
“Hi, Adam.”
“Hi.” He liked knowing that he made her nervous. Liked that she got a gleam in her eyes when she looked at him. He knew that same gleam was in his own eyes every time he saw her. How could it not be? Tall and curvy, with those big blue eyes, Sienna was enough to bring most men to their knees.
She pushed the screen door wider for him, then turned back into the house as he stepped inside.
His gaze swept the interior quickly, with a professional eye that missed almost nothing. Inside at least, the house appeared to be in better shape than the exterior. The walls were jewel toned, a deep scarlet in the living room, fading to a soft rose in the hall. He could only imagine what the rest of the house looked like, but realized he was curious about her home. About her.
The old, scuffed wooden floors had been polished and she had what looked like fifties-style braided rugs in a variety of colors spread throughout the hall and the front room. Her furniture wasn’t new or contemporary but it suited her. There were framed prints of photos on the walls. Her work, he imagined. Seascapes, meadows, people and, for some reason, babies dressed up like flowers and fruit.
She followed his gaze and grinned. “They’re so cute when they’re tiny—it’s fun to dress them up.”
“Sure.” He shook his head, studying one baby in particular. “What is that? A peach?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.” He shrugged and looked at her. “I like the beach scenes.”
“Thanks.”
“We’ve actually got a new building going up down in Dana Point,” he said thoughtfully. “Sits above the beach and it’s a different kind of design.”
“Really?”
It was easy enough to see how intrigued she was, so Adam kept talking. The idea had only just occurred to him, but now that it had, he went with it. “The architect really outdid herself. The building is a curve of glass that faces the ocean, but there are open areas all over the face of it, too.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sort of mini balconies, I guess you’d call them,” he said, staring again at one of her framed seascapes. “There will be some kind of ivy trailing on the railings so that the whole thing will give the impression of the building itself growing out of the land.” He could see it now, in his head, as he could every project he’d ever done. Adam liked doing projects that challenged him. That worked his imagination as much as his skills. “With the sky and the ocean reflecting off the glass panels, it will make the trails of ivy even more alive, I think.”
“Wow.”
One word, spoken in a kind of hush. Adam looked at her. “What?”
Smiling, she shook her head and said, “I’ve just never heard you talk like that. I mean, you’re obviously good at what you do, but—”
“But most buildings these days are fairly boring?” he asked, one corner of his mouth tipping up. “Sort of generic.”
“Well, yes.” She led the way into the living room and he looked around as he followed her.
More framed prints here. His gaze swept them, empty beaches, lonely people, cheerful babies. Each one was perfectly lit, with shadows sliding in giving them all a depth they might not have had otherwise. But he had to wonder if she was aware of just how much of herself was displayed on her walls.
“I don’t mean they’re not beautiful, but this project you’re talking about sounds amazing.”
He nodded. “It will be, once it’s finished. But now I realize I’d like some pictures taken during the process of building.”
“So you want a before, during and after series?”
“I guess so. Interested?”
Her eyes lit up and he was glad he’d asked her, just to see that brightness fill her eyes. “Absolutely. Yes.”
“Okay, in a day or two, we’ll take a ride down Pacific Coast Highway so I can show you around.”
“Good.” She nodded. “That’s good.”
She was close, Adam realized. Standing so close to him, he inhaled her scent with every breath. Her eyes caught his and held and Adam felt a throbbing tension erupt between them. He read her expression easily and knew she was feeling the same thing. For a long second, he stared down at her and fought the urge to pull her in close and—
Yeah. Don’t go there. “You ready?”
“Yes. At least, I think I’ve got everything,” she said, grabbing up a lightweight jacket off a nearby chair.
His eyebrows lifted as he looked at the duffel bag and a small, wheeled suitcase sitting beside the front door. “That’s it?”
She looked too, then turned to meet his gaze. “Yes, why?”
Chuckling, he said, “Most of the women I know take more luggage than that for an overnight trip. I don’t even want to think about what they’d be hauling for two weeks.”
She grinned and a ball of fire flashed instantly to life in his gut. It was all too familiar to him. From the moment they’d first met, Adam had felt that jolt of something hot and dangerous. Naturally, he’d kept it on a tight leash, since she was his brother’s wife. Then when Devon and Sienna divorced, Adam had kept his distance because he’d figured she’d had enough of the Quinn family to last a lifetime.
Now here he was, taking her to his home. If he couldn’t find a way past the hard tug of desire, it was going to be a long couple of weeks. He would handle it, though. That’s what Adam did. When faced with a situation, he found a way through it, or around it. And if there was one thing Adam was good at, it was focusing. That’s all he had to do. Focus. Not on what he wanted, but on what he needed. And damn it, he needed Sienna’s help.
“Adam?” she asked, dropping one hand onto his forearm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.” A light, friendly touch, and yet, it felt like lightning striking between them. She felt it too because she let her hand fall away. Brusquely, he stepped back from her. Distance would be key, he told himself. Best to stop now. “You’re sure this is it.”
“If I need something else, I can always come back here to get it. Not like I’m going to the other side of the country.” She smiled again. “Besides, I’m not like most women. I travel light.”
And a part of him was impressed by that. The women who came and went from his life were interchangeable in their attitudes toward clothes, jewelry and being in the right place at the right time. After a while, they all seemed to be practically clones of each other. None of them were interested in anything beyond the next society function or charity fund-raiser. They didn’t even care what the charity was for. It was mainly a chance to see and be seen and it bored Adam beyond the telling of it.
He couldn’t imagine Sienna bothering to put on makeup before she so much as left her bedroom in the morning. Hell, all she was wearing now as far as he could tell, was a little mascara and some lip gloss. And damned if she wasn’t the most beautiful thing he’d seen in a long time.
“You really didn’t have to come pick me up,” she was saying, and Adam paid attention. “I’ve got my own car and I remember where your house is.”
“I don’t know,” he mused. “Car is a pretty generous description of what’s parked out in your driveway. I doubt you’d have made it all the way to Newport.”
His home in Newport Beach was fourteen miles from Seal Beach, but as far as neighborhoods went, it might as well be light-years from here. Adam frowned at that random thought and wondered when the hell he’d become a snob.
“Hey.” Insulted, she insisted, “Gypsy is a great car.”
“Gypsy?” he snorted. “You named your car?”
“Don’t you?” She shook her head as she swung a giant brown leather purse onto her shoulder, then wheeled the suitcase closer.
“No.”
Now she shrugged. “Cars are people, too. We yell at them, bargain with them—‘please don’t run out of gas here’—why shouldn’t they have names?”
“That is possibly,” Adam said thoughtfully, “the weirdest argument I’ve ever heard.”
“Think about it the next time your car doesn’t start and you’re cursing it.”
“My cars always start.”
“Of course they do.” She laughed. “No adventure in that, is there?”
“Adventure?” This was the strangest conversation he’d ever had with a woman. And Adam realized that he was enjoying himself more than he had in a long time.
“Well sure,” she said. “If everything goes right all the time, where’s the fun in that?”
“I don’t consider a car breaking down to be fun.”
“It can be.” She dug in the oversize bag and came out with a set of keys. “The last time my fan belt snapped, I found the greatest bakery/coffee shop. I waited for AAA there and had an amazing slice of German chocolate cake.”
“Fascinating.” And she was. Not only did her looks appeal to him, but the way her mind worked intrigued him.
“You just never know. One time I got a flat tire and took the most amazing sunset pictures.” She sighed a little as if remembering. “I was on my way to an appointment and never would have seen it if I hadn’t been forced to stop.”
So, in Sienna’s world, a flat tire or a snapped fan belt was a good thing. “You’re an interesting woman.”
Her smile brightened. “Isn’t that a nice thing to say?”
A laugh shot from his throat, surprising them both. “Only you would find a compliment in there.”
“I’d much rather be interesting than boring,” she quipped. “So maybe you’re hanging out with the wrong women.”
“Maybe I am,” he admitted. Hell, he hadn’t laughed with a woman in far longer than he liked to think about.
She tipped her head to one side and her blond hair swept out in a golden fall. A smile teasing her mouth, she looked up at him. “There may be hope for you, Adam.”
His gaze locked with hers. “Hope for what?”
“Well,” she countered, “that’s the question, isn’t it?”
His body stirred and his mind filled with all kinds of things he might hope for. Then he got control again and reminded himself that no matter how much he wanted her, Sienna West was off-limits. “Is every conversation with you going to be this confusing?”
“If we’re lucky.” Still smiling, she lifted her suitcase.
“I’ll get that.”
“Nope. You can carry the bag with my clothes. Nobody carries my cameras but me.”
“Cameras? Plural?” he asked, looking at the rolling suitcase. “How many do you need?”
“Well I don’t know, do I?” she said patiently. “That’s why I bring a selection.”
The tone in her voice was patient, as if she were talking to a three-year-old. Irritating. Amazing how quickly she could turn what he was feeling from attraction to annoyance. And it would be best all the way around if he just stayed annoyed. “Right.”
“And remember, I’ll be going to work when I have to, Adam.” She looked up at him. “You already agreed to that. I’ve got four appointments this week.”
He nodded. Safe ground. Hell, he was willing to compromise. After all, the baby wasn’t really her responsibility. No, little Jack Quinn was now Adam’s charge. Just for a second or two, Adam’s legendary self-confidence wavered. He knew next to nothing about raising children. Hadn’t exactly had prime role models in his own parents. He’d be feeling his way through this blind, but he was determined to succeed.
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