Free A Corisi Christmas (Legacy Collection #7) by Ruth Cardello Page A

said more apologetically than she meant to. Damn it, I’m not sorry. I’m angry, and I have every right to be. She walked over to the chairs just in front of his desk.
    He looked at her for a long moment. “Have a seat.”
    Be strong. She swallowed hard and met his eyes again. “I’d rather stand.”
    A spark of something lit his eyes briefly before his expression became guarded again. “What are you doing here, Ms. Harris?”
    Emily clasped her hands in front of her and said firmly, “I came to give you a warning.”
    His eyebrows rose ever so slightly in surprise, and a faint smile pulled at his lips. He lowered his hands to the desk on either side of him and leaned forward. “Really?” He glanced down at his watch. “This should be interesting.”
    What a self-centered bastard. Emily’s back straightened with pride. Laugh now, but you won’t be amused when you realize how serious I am. “You may think you won in Welchton, but you haven’t. You don’t have my land yet, and you won’t get it. If you take me to court, I will win, no matter what your army of lawyers tell you.”
    Asher leaned back and pressed a button on the phone on his desk. “Ryan, are we buying property in Welchton?”
    The assistant’s voice came across on speakerphone. “Yes, sir. You wanted a northern New England research facility. We chose New Hampshire. You signed the paperwork to move forward with it.”
    “I did. How far along is the project?”
    “We have all the permits. We’re waiting to resolve one minor issue.”
    “Is that issue a reluctant seller?” Asher’s eyes held Emily’s as he spoke.
    “Yes, but we don’t foresee it being a problem for long.”
    “Nor do I,” Asher said firmly. “Ryan, interesting fact about Ms. Harris. She’s from Welchton.” He hit the button on the phone again, ending the call. He rubbed his chin and studied Emily. “Let me guess: You feel your property is worth more than we offered.”
    There it was, the opening for her to explain the reason she refused to sell. She had to believe he was a reasonable man. Once he heard the history of the property and her plans for it, he’d surely change his mind about buying it. “There is no amount that would convince me to sell. My family—”
    He straightened to his full height and looked her over again. “No amount? How about double what they offered you?”
    Emily clenched her hands at her sides. It wasn’t what he said, but how he said it, that was insulting. “Do you know what their proposal was?”
    “No.”
    Anger burned and grew within Emily. She took a deep breath, though, and told herself to remain calm. There was a chance he didn’t know what he was about to destroy. “If you’d give me a minute to explain, I think you’d feel—”
    Asher stepped closer to her, watching her expression closely. “How I feel is irrelevant when it comes to business.” He stopped less than a foot in front of her, forcing Emily to crane her neck to look up at him. “Why don’t we end this little game now? Tell me what you’re holding out for, and I’ll tell you if you have a chance in hell of getting it.”
    “This isn’t a game. The Harris Tactile Museum is six months from completion. Maybe if you came up to see it, you’d understand how important it is.”
    He didn’t look the least bit interested. “I’m sure our offer took your relocation cost into account. If not, counter with an amount that would, and my people will crunch the numbers.”
    “I’m not selling, Mr. Barrington. Period. I won’t let you steal my land, and that’s what you’d be doing, even if you did it in a court of law. Having enough money to buy the outcome you want doesn’t make it right.”
    His smile was indulgent and Emily, who considered herself a non-violent woman, was tempted to smack it off his face. “I like your spirit, Ms. Harris, but that doesn’t change that you’re standing between me and something I want. If I were you, I’d put together