Read The Barons of Texas: Jill for Free Online Page A

once it’s developed. But I have another, very strong reason for keeping the property. You flat out stole your propertyaway from me. And that , Colin, is my last reason for not selling to you. It’s a matter of principle.”
    “Interesting. I never knew you held grudges.” He leaned back in the chair and rested one ankle on the knee of his other leg. He was going to enjoy this. “Besides, stole is a pretty strong word. I did nothing illegal or, I might add, immoral.”
    “That last is debatable.” She got up and paced to the window, which offered a panoramic view of downtown Dallas, but she didn’t even give herself time to register the view before she turned back to him. “I don’t know how you did it, but somehow you got wind of the fact that I was going after both of those properties. I think they got your check ten minutes before I arrived with mine.”
    His shrug and expression clearly indicated, So what? True, he did his best to keep up with what was going on in her life, but it had been sheer luck that he’d learned of her interest in the two adjoining properties mere hours after she had made her bid. Since there were no other bids higher than hers, she had assumed hers would be accepted. Moving quickly, he had called in several favors and promised more. In the end, he had topped her bid and bought one of the properties out from under her, with the hope that she would still go ahead and buy the other.
    Both parcels of land were gold mines, considering their location near the proposed new sports arena. With the right development, both of their properties would help revitalize the entire area north of the arena. If she decided not to sell to him, which he was counting on, or if she didn’t buy into what his real purpose was in being there today, he wouldn’t have lost anything. As she had said, just one of the propertieswas enough to bring in, to say the least, a very nice-sized income.
    What he couldn’t have foreseen was the serendipitous timing of this appointment. It had given him a chance to see her just hours after she had awoken to find him in her bed, which meant that no matter what she said or did to prove the contrary, she was still off balance with him.
    “Tell me something.” She strolled to her taupe leather chair and rested her hands on its high back. “Why didn’t you simply buy both properties? You could have so easily. Unless…unless you couldn’t come up with the money for both of them at that time. Was that it?”
    He knew that not having enough money was the only reason she would be able to understand, but just to needle her a little, he chose not to completely satisfy her curiosity. “That was partly it. I bought the property outright, without offering it to other investors. As to my other reasons…” He shrugged again.
    Her brow creased in puzzlement, but before she could ask another question, he spoke. “Did you even consider my offer?”
    “I consider all offers that cross my desk.”
    “It was a good, solid offer, Jill.”
    “I know.”
    “What if I increase it?”
    She shook her head. “Save yourself the time.”
    It was the response he’d counted on, but if he hadn’t tried to buy her out, she would have wondered why. If she’d taken him up on his offer, he would have lost the chance to work closely with her, which had been the whole idea behind his purchase in the first place.
    After knowing and studying her and her family for about a year, he had figured out two ways he could go about making her his. What he hadn’t known was when he could put his plans into action. Buying the property had been part of his first plan. Then last night, heaven had parted its clouds and a gift had fallen into his lap. As a result, he was almost certain his second plan was about to start. Content, he waited for what he knew would come next.
    She leveled a steady gaze on him. “Have you reviewed my offer for your land?”
    “I’ve reviewed it, yes.”
    She fidgeted with her slim