Page 15 of The Charmer

She was too angry with him: angry he’d lied, angry he’d ruined a project so vital to the viability of the gallery, but most of all, angry with herself for the slight, inane leap of joy she’d experienced when he’d come back.

He ignored her petulant outburst. “This will only take five minutes of your time. Believe me, it’s important.”

She wouldn’t believe him if he was the last man on earth, but something about his steady gaze and open expression had her shrugging her shoulders and leading him out the back.

“Five minutes,” she said, propping on her ergonomic stool, not caring if he stood or sat. He wouldn’t be around that long if she had any say in the matter.

Chapter Eleven

“What’s that on your head?”

Not exactly what Cooper had in mind as a stunning opening to his pitch but he couldn’t talk sense to a woman wearing a Christmas wreath on her head, even if she wore it with the aplomb of a queen sporting a priceless tiara.

Ariel frowned and patted her head, the frown disappearing when she touched the weird crown. “This is my lucky garland. I often paint in it.”

“It looks like a Christmas tree gone wrong.”

Rather than taking it off in embarrassment as he expected, she adjusted the angle until it sat like a cheeky halo perched at odds with her crazy curls.

“I made it years ago during my first Christmas with Aunt Barb.”

The smirk that had been playing around her mouth vanished and Cooper wished he hadn’t seen the vulnerability behind her eyes.

He was here on business, to present a clear plan to benefit them both. He didn’t want to hear about this woman Barb who Ariel held in such high esteem or feel the slightest twinge of guilt that in following his dreams he’d probably have to tear hers down.

She was young. She’d get over it. She could take the money, and start a new gallery somewhere else.

“Your five minutes started about thirty-seconds ago so whatever you have to say, make it snappy.” Ariel’s expression hardened, her green eyes flinty, her mouth compressed in a thin line.

Squaring his shoulders, confident a softer approach would work rather than railroading her like he usually did with the rest of his clients, Cooper met her cool gaze head on.

“Firstly, I’d like to apologise for not telling you the truth earlier. You were right, I had plenty of opportunity and could’ve let you in on my identity sooner.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Honestly? You intrigued me. I had my spiel all worked out when I first walked in here but before I knew what was happening, you’d bustled me out the back and told me to take off my clothes. I guess the Neanderthal in me took over and I kind of liked it.” He shrugged, feeling like an idiot for admitting the truth but hoping she valued his honesty. “Stupid, I know, but the whole situation was extraordinary and once we started talking, I couldn’t leave.”

By her dubious expression, his honesty hadn’t worked.

Her eyes narrowed as she pinned him with an assessing stare. “I think you didn’t want to leave because you thought you could weasel inside info out of me before honing in for the kill.”

“That too.” He winced at her brutal but accurate assessment. “Pretty despicable, but I was going to tell you the truth even if that girl hadn’t outed me. You probably won’t believe this but the whole thing was a bit of an ego trip—”

“That I believe.” She rolled her eyes before tapping her watch. “Three minutes left.”

He held up his hands like he had nothing to hide. “Okay, my idea is this. I have a business proposal to present to you. It will probably take a few hours all up to do it justice and I was hoping you’d give me the time.”

“No.”

Short and sharp, without the slightest hint of thawing, and he pushed on, hoping she understood how things worked in the business world and wouldn’t be offended by his next offer.

“I’ll pay you for your time.”

“What?”

If her eyebrows shot any higher, they’d tangle in that crazy wreath perched on her wayward curls.

“In the world I come from, everyone charges by the hour, from lawyers to architects. I see your time as being no different and I’m willing to compensate you for the few hours it takes to deliver my pitch.”

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