Tags:
Fiction,
General,
Romance,
Contemporary,
Fiction - Romance,
Non-Classifiable,
Custody of children,
Romance - Contemporary,
Romance - General,
Romance: Modern,
Millionaires
give them a loving home.”
He was right, and Amy wasn’t sure she liked him for it. “But I don’t really need you to keep the deal I made with myself.”
Justin just met her glare with an uplifted brow.
“I shouldn’t need you,” she said, standing and looking up at him. At the moment, she didn’t like his height, and she didn’t like the strength in his face. She especially didn’t like the fact that he seemed far less rattled by this than she did. “I don’t know anything about you. I don’t know if you have a criminal record.”
“I don’t.”
“I don’t know what your education level is,” she continued.
“I graduated from St. Albans with a B.S. in Finance.”
“I don’t know if you have a drinking problem.”
“I don’t.”
His gaze was so open and level she couldn’t not believe him. Desperation trickled through her. “Children are very expensive. You may not make good money. I can’t afford to feed and house another person.”
His eyes flickered with a touch of humor. “I make okay money.”
“Children are expensive,” she insisted.
“I make very good money,” he said, his left eye twitching.
Amy felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. She would bite her tongue in two before she asked the obvious question.
“I’m a millionaire,” he finally, reluctantly said.
Stunned, Amy blinked at him. “Pardon?”
“Million, six zeroes,” he said.
She sucked in a quick breath. “But you don’t look like a millionaire.”
His lips twitched. “How does a millionaire look?”
“I don’t know,” she said, thinking Justin was entirely too attractive. “Bill Gates?”
“He’s a billionaire,” he said.
“Oh,” she said. “Well, when you get up to six zeroes, who’s counting?”
“A billion has nine zeroes.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, waving her hand and looking at him sideways. “Are you sure you’re not a kook?”
He met her with the most level, sane gaze she’d ever seen. “I’m not a kook. I’m proposing marriage because—”
“—it’s your mission.”
“Because I believe it’s one of the reasons I’m here on earth,” he said. “As crazy as it sounds, I bet you can respect that.”
She could respect it. “Kinda,” she agreed and rubbed her eyes. She felt as if she were in some other-worldly zone.
“Saturday okay?”
Amy sighed. “For what?”
“For getting married,” he said in a calm voice.
Her eyes flew open. “That’s four days away.”
“Did you want to do it sooner?” he asked, again in a voice so calm she questioned his sanity.
Her heart shot into her throat. “No!” She shook her head. “I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if it’s a good idea. I’m going to have to think about it.”
“That’s okay,” he said. “I had a tough time with it at first, too.”
She eyed him curiously. “What did you do?”
“Shook my head, said no a lot, broke out in a cold sweat.”
“You don’t look at all upset now,” she said, and barely kept the accusation from her voice.
“It’s right,” he said. “I never thought I would say that, but it is.” He leaned forward and squeezed her arm. “Sleep on it, but remember Ms. Hatcher.”
“I’ll never sleep if I think about Ms. Hatcher.”
“I can make her go away,” he said in a voice liquid with sensual promise.
Amy felt something inside her shift and quiver. That last statement was the most seductive offer she’d had in ages. Talk about a dream come true. Make Ms. Hatcher go away. “I’ll think about it,” she told him.
“Name the date,” he said as if they could have been meeting for bagels and coffee. “And I’ll get it done.”
His casual tone belied the formidable look in his eyes, letting Amy know he would accomplish anything he set out to do.
“G’night,” he said, and brushed his fingers over her cheek before he walked out the door.
Her cheek burning from his touch, she lifted her hand to cradle it as she watched him