Read Double Dealing for Free Online Page B

best
deal in his career, and she knew it.
    True, they stood to make a great deal of money, but he had
undoubtedly made more backing other ventures. Still, he must be somewhat
intrigued by the idea of evening the score between himself and Drew Buchanan. He
had enough of an ego to want to accomplish that much, surely? It was only a
business feud for him, of course, and an old one, at that. As such it couldn’t contain
the element of calculated revenge it contained for her, but it should be enough
to keep Sinclair interested.
    Besides, how could she hope for genuine, passionate revenge
from a man who poured tea the way Gabriel did? She watched him lift the teapot
one last time, a little fascinated in spite of herself with the studied restraint
of every move. Did this man even know the meaning of the word passion in
business or even in bed? She sincerely doubted it. On the heels of that thought
came another: Perhaps he was lucky.
    “Well?” she finally couldn’t resist prompting after a few
more minutes of sustained thought on Gabriel’s part.
    He blinked and looked across the table at her as if she had
interrupted a complex chain of logic he’d been building in his mind. “Well,
what?”
    She could have slugged him. Instead she sat very still in
her chair and forced a tentative smile. “Are you interested?” Why was he
dragging everything out like this? Wasn’t the beautiful simplicity of the whole
thing obvious to him?
    “You’re expecting an answer right now?” he asked in open
astonishment.
    Samantha’s mouth firmed as she realized he wasn’t anywhere
near to giving her an answer. “I don’t have a lot of time at my disposal.” She
tried pushing carefully.
    “Nor do I,” he retorted, rising slowly to his feet with a
decisive air. “Which is why I try not to waste time on business propositions
which lack important support data.”
    Oh, Lord, she was losing him! Samantha leaped up,
frantically searching for a way to keep him from simply walking out of the room
and leaving her high and dry. “This deal has been quite carefully researched,”
she asserted. “And I have the information with me. Perhaps we can review it
over dinner? The facts are impressive and speak for themselves.” Was she
looking too hopeful? Too anxious? Keep it cool, Samantha. Calm and cool. You’re
the one in command.
    Gabriel arched one heavy mahogany brow. “Dinner. That sounds
like an excellent idea.”
    “Good,” she said quickly. “Then I’ll make reservations at
the restaurant here and we can… Oh, no!”
    “What’s wrong?”
    “I’ve just remembered what a totally horrid restaurant the
spa has. You can’t even get a glass of wine to go with the sprouts! Do you know
of any other place close by?”
    “Certainly. My home,” he suggested immediately, startling
her yet again. The hazel eyes gleamed with remote curiosity as he waited to see
if she would accept.
    But Samantha wasn’t about to hesitate. She literally jumped
at the opportunity. “Fine.” She beamed engagingly. “If you’ll let me have your
address, I’ll be over at seven.”
    “I was going to offer to come pick you up,” he began cautiously,
regarding her eager expression as if she were an overexcited puppy which might
leap up on him at any moment.
    Seeing the wariness in him, Samantha desperately reined in
her enthusiasm. “That’s quite all right,” she returned sedately. “I’ll be happy
to drive myself to your home.”
    Anything to get on with this deal, she added mentally.
    “I’ll give you directions,” Gabriel said politely, drawing a
small notepad from his pocket.
    Why was he the one suddenly looking rather satisfied with
himself? Samantha wondered uneasily.

Chapter Two
    An hour after he’d left Samantha, Gabriel Sinclair methodically
rolled out piecrust into a near-perfect circle. With each movement, the rolling
pin traveled the same distance from the center to the outer rim, and after every
three rolls, the piecrust was carefully