wouldn’t. AJ Riley flew solo. Full stop. She might be the caring type. He wasn’t. Not any more.
Damn it, he had to get away.
“Okay. What’s the bottom line here? Give me a figure, how much do you need?”
She frowned in confusion and he couldn’t blame her. One minute he acted warm and interested, and the next, cold and dismissive.
“Fifty thousand dollars—to start. That’s a rough estimate, though. The proposal includes a detailed costs analysis.”
He gave the document a cursory glance, then put it on the seat beside him. Later, he’d go over it with a fine-toothed comb, the way he went over any business document. In the meantime, he had more pressing matters to deal with.
“You’re good, Lexi, you know that?” He deliberately kept his voice colder than the deadened area in his heart.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Your little show was good. I almost bought the ‘I’m innocent’ act.”
“What?” she spluttered, “you still think I slept with you to get your money?”
“Didn’t you?”
Her face turned scarlet.
“It worked,” he told her. “Must have been the added extra in the lift earlier. I’m honestly considering giving you the funds.” He leered at her breasts, hating himself as he did it. “If you’d consider trying to convince me again.”
Lexi flew out of her seat. Grabbing her almost empty cup, she threw the dregs in his face. The cold coffee hit him square in the eyes and dripped down his nose and cheeks.
“Mr. Riley,” she bit out, “why don’t you take your money and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine?” She grabbed her briefcase and marched off. Before she’d taken three strides, she whirled back and glared at him. “If you should mistakenly believe that the sun does shine down there, trust me, you’re wrong. And I should know, I’ve seen it.”
Chapter Six
Lexi slammed her purse on her desk and sat. She switched on her computer and tried to take a deep, calming breath. She’d wrongly assumed a good night’s sleep would put a little distance between her and her rage. Fifteen hours later, she was every bit as pissed off as she had been yesterday afternoon.
Riley wasn’t just a cold, callous bastard. He was a complete prick. She despised him. His drop-dead-gorgeous looks and sexy-as-sin body only made her despise him more.
How dare he make such insinuations? Did the asshole really believe she’d have slept with him if she knew who he was? Professionalism would have stopped her long before it ever got to that point. Besides, she would have been way too busy running the intricate details of her project by him to even consider sex.
Okay—she would have considered it. No way in hell she could look at the man and not think about sex. He was sex personified. Sex oozed from every pore. Even if the meeting in his office had been their first, Lexi would have fantasized her way through the entire appointment. Hardcore fantasies, no doubt. Dammit, she would never have carried through on the thoughts. She was a social worker at the hospital, for God’s sake, a professional seeking out his financial assistance. What kind of a woman did he think she was?
Stupid question. She knew exactly what kind of woman he thought she was.
Now where the hell would she find the money? Even if Riley offered it to her, accepting it would make her look like the proverbial whore. How else could she raise the necessary funds? Riley had been her last and best bet.
While she’d waited the six weeks for her appointment to see him, she’d spoken to dozens of other potential backers and pitched her best line to them. All had liked it. Some had been very impressed. A few had even offered to help out with small amounts. None had been able or willing to foot the entire bill. Riley had honestly been her last hope.
Shit.
Her enthusiasm slipped slowly away. If she couldn’t get the money from
Damn it, he had to get away.
“Okay. What’s the bottom line here? Give me a figure, how much do you need?”
She frowned in confusion and he couldn’t blame her. One minute he acted warm and interested, and the next, cold and dismissive.
“Fifty thousand dollars—to start. That’s a rough estimate, though. The proposal includes a detailed costs analysis.”
He gave the document a cursory glance, then put it on the seat beside him. Later, he’d go over it with a fine-toothed comb, the way he went over any business document. In the meantime, he had more pressing matters to deal with.
“You’re good, Lexi, you know that?” He deliberately kept his voice colder than the deadened area in his heart.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Your little show was good. I almost bought the ‘I’m innocent’ act.”
“What?” she spluttered, “you still think I slept with you to get your money?”
“Didn’t you?”
Her face turned scarlet.
“It worked,” he told her. “Must have been the added extra in the lift earlier. I’m honestly considering giving you the funds.” He leered at her breasts, hating himself as he did it. “If you’d consider trying to convince me again.”
Lexi flew out of her seat. Grabbing her almost empty cup, she threw the dregs in his face. The cold coffee hit him square in the eyes and dripped down his nose and cheeks.
“Mr. Riley,” she bit out, “why don’t you take your money and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine?” She grabbed her briefcase and marched off. Before she’d taken three strides, she whirled back and glared at him. “If you should mistakenly believe that the sun does shine down there, trust me, you’re wrong. And I should know, I’ve seen it.”
Chapter Six
Lexi slammed her purse on her desk and sat. She switched on her computer and tried to take a deep, calming breath. She’d wrongly assumed a good night’s sleep would put a little distance between her and her rage. Fifteen hours later, she was every bit as pissed off as she had been yesterday afternoon.
Riley wasn’t just a cold, callous bastard. He was a complete prick. She despised him. His drop-dead-gorgeous looks and sexy-as-sin body only made her despise him more.
How dare he make such insinuations? Did the asshole really believe she’d have slept with him if she knew who he was? Professionalism would have stopped her long before it ever got to that point. Besides, she would have been way too busy running the intricate details of her project by him to even consider sex.
Okay—she would have considered it. No way in hell she could look at the man and not think about sex. He was sex personified. Sex oozed from every pore. Even if the meeting in his office had been their first, Lexi would have fantasized her way through the entire appointment. Hardcore fantasies, no doubt. Dammit, she would never have carried through on the thoughts. She was a social worker at the hospital, for God’s sake, a professional seeking out his financial assistance. What kind of a woman did he think she was?
Stupid question. She knew exactly what kind of woman he thought she was.
Now where the hell would she find the money? Even if Riley offered it to her, accepting it would make her look like the proverbial whore. How else could she raise the necessary funds? Riley had been her last and best bet.
While she’d waited the six weeks for her appointment to see him, she’d spoken to dozens of other potential backers and pitched her best line to them. All had liked it. Some had been very impressed. A few had even offered to help out with small amounts. None had been able or willing to foot the entire bill. Riley had honestly been her last hope.
Shit.
Her enthusiasm slipped slowly away. If she couldn’t get the money from
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