Full Bloom

played."
    "Apparently I was not so smart," Emily retorted rashly, forgetting all her assertiveness training as her own anger surged to the fore. "I actually believed you were interested in me because you liked me, not because you wanted to get your hands on my RI shares. I didn't even realize you knew who I was. It was very depressing finding out you planned to use me, Damon. I'm sure you can understand why I lost interest in developing our relationship."
    Damon began to pace back and forth in front of the windows. "Your family did some investigating, I suppose, after they discovered you were dating me?"
    "Yes."
    "And you believed everything they told you?"
    Emily drew a deep breath and clasped her hands behind her back. "My family is frequently overbearing, ruthless and domineering, but they have never, ever lied to me. In fact, they tend to be brutally honest most of the time. Yes, I believed the evidence I was given. I didn't want to believe it, but I had no real choice. Just out of curiosity, would you mind telling me why you're so eager to hurt RI?"
    "Your brutally honest family didn't tell you?" Damon asked dryly.
    Emily shook her head. "No. They said it had to do with business. Something about a bidding war between your firm and RI."
    Damon's mouth curved cruelly. "Didn't that make you curious?"
    "My family doesn't confide business secrets to me unless it's absolutely necessary," Emily said grimly. "They think I'm a little too naive and innocent to handle the sordid details of the big-time business world."
    "They're right," Damon said with surprising alacrity. "You're a lamb among wolves, my sweet. The rest of the Ravenscrofts must think they were given a changeling when you were born. An innocent little elf slipped into the crib in exchange for a true-blooded, fire-breathing Ravenscroft. You certainly don't belong in that family."
    "But you found me very useful, nevertheless, didn't you, Damon?"
    He stopped pacing and looked at her. "I also found you very sweet and very desirable."
    Emily flinched. "If you think you can soothe my wounded pride by telling me you actually wanted me, not just my shares, forget it. I'm not that dumb or that naive."
    He took a step toward her. "It's true, Emily. I'll admit I got involved with you originally because I saw you as a means of gaining access to power within RI. But the more I got to know you, the more I wanted you. I was trying to court you, Emily. I was taking it slow and easy because I didn't want to scare you off. I thought we had time. I should have known your family would be keeping close tabs on you and anyone you started dating seriously."
    Emily ignored that. "Are you going to tell me why you wanted a chunk of RI so badly that you were willing to try to seduce and marry me to get it?"
    "You make it sound very cold-blooded."
    "Wasn't it?"
    Damon smiled faintly. "It might have started out that way, but it wasn't going to end that way. I was going to enjoy making love to you, Emily."
    "No," Emily said calmly, "you wouldn't have enjoyed it because it was never going to happen."
    Damon arched his eyebrows, obviously mildly amused. "You don't think I could have gotten you into bed eventually?"
    "I don't love you, Damon. I had fun with you. I liked your companionship and I considered you a friend. But I was not falling in love with you."
    "You just needed a little more time," he said with great certainty. "If your family hadn't interfered, things would have worked out exactly the way I wanted them to work out."
    "No." Emily was absolutely certain of that. She had never been in any danger of falling in love with Damon Morrell, although Damon and her family and Jacob all apparently thought she was. It made her realize how little these iron-willed, autocratic, predator types really knew her. They were so accustomed to thinking of her as weak and vulnerable and helpless, so accustomed to thinking of her as
prey
, that they had never realized she had her own strengths and abilities and a measure of common sense.
    "Emily, listen to me," Damon said persuasively. "You don't owe your family anything. All they care about is controlling your shares in RI."
    "You should know. That's all you care about, too."
    "You're wrong," Damon told her. "I also care about you. I won't deny I'd like to see RI on the rocks, but I—"
    Emily held up a palm to stop him. "Please, Damon. Just leave."
    "Not yet." He began walking toward her, his eyes suddenly intent. "I want to make sure you