Heat bloomed anew on her face as his tone seemed to take on a sensual edge. ‘I don’t see you as my opponent, Cruz.’
‘Then you’re a fool,’ he returned, almost too mildly.
Aspen felt her hopes shrivel to nothing. What had she been thinking, approaching a business situation like that? Where was her professionalism? Her polish?
But maybe she’d known he’d never agree to it. Not with the way he obviously felt about her.
‘What would I get out of it, anyway?’
The unexpected question surprised her and once again her eyes darted to his. Had she been wrong in thinking he wouldn’t be interested? ‘A lot, actually. I’ve drawn up a business plan.’
‘Really?’
She didn’t like his sceptical tone but decided to ignore it. ‘Yes. It outlines the horses due to foal, and how much we expect to make from each one, and our plans to purchase a top-of-the-line stallion to keep improving the breed. We also have a couple of wonderful horses we’re about to start training—and I don’t know if you’ve heard of our riding school, but I teach adults and children, and—well... There’s more, but if you’re truly interested we can run through the logistics of it all later.’ Out of breath, she stopped, and then added, ‘It has merit. I promise.’
‘If it has so much merit why haven’t any of the financial institutions bankrolled you?’
‘Because I’m young—that is usually the first excuse. But really I think it’s because unbeknownst to any of us Grandfather hadn’t been running his business properly the last few years and—’ Realising that yet again she was about to divulge every one of her issues, she stopped. ‘The banks just don’t believe I have enough experience to pull it off.’
‘Perhaps you should have thought about furthering your education instead of marrying to secure your future.’
Aspen nearly gasped at his snide tone of voice. ‘I didn’t marry to secure anything,’ she said sharply. Except perhaps her grandfather’s love and affection. Something that had always been in short supply.
Upset with herself for even being in this position, and with him for his nasty comment, Aspen thought about telling him that she was one semester out from completing a degree in veterinary science—and that she’d achieved that while working full-time running Ocean Haven. But she knew that in her current state she would no doubt come across as defensive or whiney, and that only made her angry.
‘If you have such a low opinion of me why pretend any interest in my plans for The Farm?’ she demanded hotly, slapping her hands either side of her waist. ‘Are you planning to steal our ideas?’
That got an abrupt bark of laughter from him that did nothing to improve her temper. ‘I don’t need to steal your ideas, gatita. I have plenty of my own.’
‘Then why get my hopes up like that?’
‘Is that what I did?’
Aspen stared him down. ‘You know that’s exactly what you did.’
He stepped closer to her. ‘But maybe I am interested.’
His tone sent a splinter of unease down her spine but she was too annoyed to pay attention to it. ‘Don’t patronise me, Cruz. I have five days before The Farm will be sold to some big-shot investment consortium. I don’t have time to bandy around with this.’
‘Ocean Haven really means that much to you?’
‘Yes, it does.’
‘I suppose it is the easiest option for a woman in your position,’ he conceded, with such arrogance that Aspen nearly choked.
Easy? Easy! He clearly had no idea how hard she worked on the property—tending horses, mending fences, keeping the books—nor how important Ocean Haven was to her. How it was the one link she had left with her mother. How it was the one place that had made her feel happy and secure after she’d been orphaned. After her marriage had fallen apart.
She was incredibly proud of her work and her future plans to open up a school camp for kids who’d had a tough start in life. Horses had a way of grounding troubled adolescents and she wanted to provide a place they could come to and feel safe. Just as she had. And she hated that Cruz was judging her—mocking her—like every other obnoxious male she had ever come across. That she hadn’t expected it from him only made her feel worse.
Hopping mad, she had a mind to order him off her property, but she couldn’t quite kill off this avenue of hope just yet. He was supposed to be a savvy businessman after all, and she had a good plan. Well, she hoped she did. ‘Ocean Haven has been in my family for centuries,’ she began, striving for calm.