Hmm. Nice volley. He decided to play backup until she needed him to jump in and take the reins. “She’s right. You’ve already expressed reservations about the cookie-cutter products available. Our suppliers will give you houses with a custom feel, and that sells properties fast.”

Adam glanced back and forth, considering. He broke off a piece of bread, buttered it, and took a bite. Sydney took his lead and began to eat, not pressing him for a quick response. Damn, when had she learned the fine art of patience when negotiating? Many grown men weren’t able to stop talking to save a deal for their lives.

“Local suppliers are sometimes difficult to work with,” Adam finally commented. “I’m unsure if it will be worth it. How about this? I’ll give you the first three houses. The rest I’ll move to the warehouse and tweak the plans accordingly. It’s a win-win.”

Tristan admired his savvy, but he knew compromising on a half deal wasn’t the way to go. Splitting the jobs would bring chaos and resentment from the locals. It was a breeding ground for disaster. Pierce might need to walk away from the entire deal. He’d learned that not compromising sometimes led to better profits that he could make up in the future. Pierce wasn’t desperate. And beginning this relationship with Adam on an unbalanced foundation was unacceptable.

A flash of regret settled over him. He’d still try to save the deal, but he hoped Sydney wouldn’t be too disappointed.

Platters of chicken parmigiana and spaghetti were placed on the table. Water and wine were topped off. Sydney filled her plate, rotating her fork with deft expertise, seeming to relish the meal with no nerves. She dabbed at her lips with her white napkin.

“Sorry, Adam. Pierce won’t be able to compromise on that issue. I’m afraid this is an all-or-nothing deal.”

The businessman blinked, suddenly looking curious. “You’d give up three solid houses just for the other five? It doesn’t make good business sense. You’ll still be ahead with profit margins, and if this works out, I’ll consider a future deal.”

“This is the deal we need to close,” she said firmly. “I’m not screwing my suppliers, who already agreed to take a discount in order to meet your needs on this project. And please don’t forget the zoning in Harrington is extremely strict. Problematic, actually. Fortunately, Pierce Brothers is well-known and can smooth over a lot of bumps.”

Tristan tried not to gape like an idiot. Why didn’t she seem off balance? She’d threatened Cushman. Oh, it was subtle, but the consequences were clearly stated beneath the fluff. He was used to her glancing at him for support and following his lead. When he used to occasionally force her to meet clients, she’d duck her head, a lovely blush staining her cheeks. He’d nod in encouragement and help her through the discussion, then sit back and revel in her wide-open admiration of his skill.

Now he’d been neatly pushed to the sidelines.

She simply didn’t need him like that anymore.

Adam considered her words, swirling the wine around in his glass. “Interesting. I hadn’t expected any . . . problems in that area.”

She kept her smile flawless, as if she had no idea what he meant. Tristan bit back a chuckle. “Oh, you wouldn’t have any of those problems with Pierce. What did you think of the actual design plans for the remaining homes?”

“I like them,” he said almost grudgingly. “I like a lot you’ve done, and that’s why I want to work with you.” Respect edged his gaze. “So, I’ll give you my final proposition. I want an additional five percent cut if we use all your suppliers. Get me that, and I’ll sign the rest of the contracts. Then we’re in business.”

She shook her head. “They’ve already taken a substantial cut.”

“An additional five percent for this job is what I’m asking. Let’s get it done.”

She took her time. Forked up more pasta. Tristan waited for her to check in with him, even via a veiled glance, but she seemed to be running this whole deal on her own. He kept quiet, not wanting to ruin her mojo at the moment.

“I’ll discuss it with them. Give me three days.”

“You have two. I need to get moving on this.” His shark smile was hidden under buckets of charm. “You understand how much I want you to take this deal, don’t you?”

This time, she glanced over. He jumped right in.

“We do, too, Adam, but you’re still looking for a lot. We’ll get back to you in two days, but then I want copies of the contract expressed to us in a twenty-four-hour time frame. We need to know about your commitment, too.”

“Agreed.” Adam grinned. “Let’s have a toast.” They raised their glasses. “To a fruitful prospective partnership.”

Crystal clinked. They spent the rest of lunch going over details, and Tristan and Adam shared stories of their time in Manhattan when they had tried to take the real estate world by storm. But the whole time he was aware of the woman sitting beside him. She’d come into her full power.

It was sexy as hell.

And he didn’t know what he wanted to do about it anymore.

chapter six

Maybe she’d made a mistake.

Sydney tried not to chew her lower lip and lengthened her stride to keep up with Tristan. After lunch, he’d been eerily quiet. His stare had shredded her neat barriers, and then he’d turned on his polished heel and begun walking, forcing her to follow. The swish of his pressed pants and the tap of his shoes on pavement rose to her ears. She concentrated on the hypnotic pace and keeping up.

Swish, swish, swish.

Tap, tap, tap.

The March wind tugged at her neat bun, but she was already overheated from the wine and the stress of what she’d done. He was probably pissed. She’d basically risked the entire deal on a game of chicken, and now she had to convince those suppliers to take an additional 5 percent discount. She hadn’t once asked Tristan for permission to push Cushman. Tristan was a control freak when it came to running a deal, whether or not he’d agreed to let her take the lead.

But she had to go with her gut and do it on her own.

Adam wouldn’t have respected her if she’d looked to Tristan. She had to set the rules up front and make sure he knew she wouldn’t deal with his bullshit.

They passed the parking garage and headed toward Bryant Park. The familiar sounds of the city wrapped around them, softening the silence between them. With its raw power, naked ugliness, and glorious elegance, New York was home to the very best. From Adam’s stories, which she’d greedily gobbled up, Tristan had been quite the star in the real estate market, building an important list of contacts and securing a stellar reputation.