Page 30 of Cowboy's Sinful Bargain

Miko's head tilt was the cutest thing I'd ever seen.

"Puppy pads?"

"They are disposable pads the puppy can pee on so he doesn't go on the floor."

"Ah." Miko's brow furrowed. "Is expensive?"

"It can be, but it's worth it in the long run. If you take good care of your animals, they live long happy lives."

When Miko started chewing on his bottom lip, I couldn't help but stare, my body stirring. It was all kinds of wrong, and I was fully aware of that, but I wanted to chew on that bottom lip more than I wanted to breathe.

"How expensive?" Miko suddenly asked. He held his necklace up again. "Is this enough?"

My brows snapped together as I frowned. Just what was going on here? It felt as if every time I turned around, Miko was trying to give me his necklace. I just didn't understand why.

I also didn't understand why his English seemed to go from good to bad and then back to good again. I wasn't even going to ask about the Japanese.

"You don't need to pay with your necklace, Miko. I will pay for whatever the dog needs." I thought that would please him, but from the way his eyes dropped, I guess not. "Miko?"

"Don't want to be an imposition," Miko said quickly. "I can work. I am strong. I can pay for dog."

I doubted he could lift a bale of hay.

However, that wasn't the main concern here.

"Let's take this little guy to rest and then you and I can sit and talk about this. Okay?"

I was thinking there was a lot we needed to go over. Miko seemed to be under some sort of impression that he had to pay his way and for anything he wanted.

That was so not the case.

Miko nodded before quickly grabbing the towel and cleaning up any water that had been left behind. I stood there like an idiot and watched as he wiped the down the bathroom and put everything away just as it had been before. If I hadn't been in here with him, I never would have known he'd been here.

That bothered me.

As soon as Miko was done, I led the way out of the bathroom and up the stairs to his bedroom. I kicked open the door and then stepped inside. Since we didn't have a dog bed set up already, I laid the pup down on the bottom of the bed.

When I turned, Miko was standing in the doorway, his hands gripping the sides of his shirt until his knuckles turned white. His eyes were still downcast, but I could see him peeking up at me every few seconds through the fall of his hair.

Was he afraid of me?

I walked over to sit in one of the chairs by the large stone fireplace. Sitting made me a little less imposing.

I think.

I gestured to the other chair. "Come sit."

Miko grabbed a throw from the bottom of the bed and draped it over the dog before joining me, sitting down in a perfectly stiff posture that made my back ache just looking at him.

Did he think I was going to jump him or something?

"Relax, Miko. We're just here to talk."

He gave me a weak smile, but still wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Do you know you're rich?"

That snapped them up.

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