“Mm.” A fleck of chocolate caught on her lip, and she licked it off. “Sometimes. I’m vegetarian, so there aren’t many savory options for me at the bakery. This was the best they had.” She paused for a moment, then added guiltily, “Well, it wasn’t the best option, but it was the yummiest. I have a huge sweet tooth.”

Despite himself, Eli was intrigued. What sort of adult ate dessert for breakfast? He felt control of the situation slipping from his grasp and sought desperately for a way to get it back. Business. They could discuss business. He had a cool head and was widely respected as an up-and-coming entrepreneurial powerhouse. He could handle this. After all, he was an expert at shutting down dangerous situations before they exploded.

“What questions do you have?” he asked.

If Aria was surprised by the change of topic, she did nothing to show it. “I’ve got a few about your mall. Your company. Your personal life. I thought I’d write a profile outlining who you are, what you do, and your aims for this development.”

“Is ‘no comment’ an acceptable answer?” Some things, personal things, he didn’t want to share. He’d had his private life splashed across a tabloid magazine before and had no desire for a repeat.

Her teeth latched onto her full bottom lip. “If you’re not comfortable with a question, you can refuse to answer.”

“You won’t misrepresent my opinion or take it out of context?”

“Mr. Lockwood.” She sounded indignant.

“Eli,” the devil drove him to say.

“What?” A furrow formed between her brows.

“If I can call you Aria, then you should call me Eli. It’s only fair.”

“Okay,” she drawled. “Eli it is. Now, Eli, whatever your opinion of journalism is as a whole, I have a set of professional ethics. I don’t twist facts. If I have only one set of facts, then my article may seem unbalanced. That’s the way it is. But I never write or imply anything that’s untrue.” She hesitated. “I may be guilty of blowing things out of proportion from time to time. It’s a hazard of the job.”

Her tone was sincere, her eyes clear and her expression encouraging. Oddly enough, he believed her. Her final comment caused him some concern, though. “What’s your first question?”

Before he had time to reconsider, she’d dug her notebook out of her handbag. “An easy one to begin with,” she said. “Why Itirangi?”

He frowned while he considered the question. “I’ve already built complexes in every city in the country, but I’m not ready to stop. I want to take my company further. Itirangi is fast becoming a popular tourist destination, but no one else seems willing to take a chance on it yet. I’ve studied every possible scenario, and it’s a good investment. I’m ahead of the ball game.”