Page 7 of Filthy Rich

“Look at you.” I narrow my brows, a little pissed at myself for bringing attention to his obviously fantastic body. He looks good, and he knows he looks good. He doesn’t needmetelling him how great he looks. “You’re… you, and I’m… me.”

A moment of silence sits on the porch like an awkward elephant about to sneeze. Finally, Christopher steps forward.Lord, he’s massive.I have no idea how tall he is, but he’s overwhelming.Tall and wide.“You’re being ridiculous. You’re gorgeous and I’d be lucky to stand next to you anywhere.”

“Right.” I laugh and shake my head, stepping out of the cloud of cedar that surrounds him.Of course he has to smell good, too. “Why are you here, Christopher? No bullshit.”

“Oh.” He leans forward and grabs a black duffle bag off the bench by the door. “I could’ve written a check or wired the money, but I figured this looked more impressive.” He unzips the bag and stacks of green bills sit patiently waiting for me to take. “It’s five hundred grand.”

I’ve never seen that much money in my life. For one, I grew up poor. Second, teaching isn’t the most profitable job. I save all year to afford gifts for the kids. What’s left I use to buy the things I need, but every year new problems that can’t be fixed keep piling up. This money could do so much to help us all.

What am I thinking? The money isn’t an option.

“What the hell? You shouldn’t walk around with that much cash. There are all kinds of people up in these mountains.”

“Trust me, I’ll be fine. I’ve carried more in scarier places. Look,” he closes the bag and hands it toward me, “I want time alone with you. We’ll spend tonight together. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the party, and after that, we’re alone again. By Sunday, you’ll have the rest of the money, and you can decide if I was worth it.”

“Decide ifyou’reworth it?”

“Yeah.” He glances down at the wood boards before looking toward me again. The bag is now on the porch by his feet. “What we had at the ranch was as close to love as I’ve felt… ever. I wasn’t going to give that away.”

Did he just say love?

“Never?”

“Never.”

He steps forward, crowding my space, leaning me against the outside wall of the cabin. “Let me make this clear. I want you. I knew I wanted you the second you started talking out at the ranch. And last night, when you aimed that shotgun at me, I knew you were the one.”

A smile creeps onto my face as he leans his hand up over my head.Why did he have to do that?Myclit throbs and my thighs ache to be touched. I can’t explain it because it doesn’t make sense. Sure, we talked for a couple of days, we had some deep conversations, and he’s hot, but why I suddenly have a feeling of uncontrollable desperation is beyond me.

I’m a grown woman. This shouldn’t be happening. I should be able to control myself by now.

His breath is warm against the lobe of my ear as he flips his hat back and leans in slowly. “Say yes and I’ll take the ache away.”

Oh shit!

My eyes meet his. “What makes you think there’s an ache?”

“Go on and pretend there isn’t.”

My mouth drops open. I’m sure I’m drooling. I’m sure I’m shaking. I’m sure he can smell the excitement dripping onto my panties.

I draw my gaze up to his slowly. My intention is to push him away, leave, and walk inside with my head screwed on right before I make a huge mistake.

Instead, I wet my lips, run my fingers through his beard, squeeze my thighs together, and like the desperate woman I am, I say, “Where should we go?”

Chapter Four

Christopher

I’ve never been happier, or more afraid. I have two days to prove to Trish that I’m the man she’s been waiting for. I’m not sure that’s long enough.

“We’re gonna die.” Trish grips the handle of the door and the center console. “You see the edge, right? It’s,” she blows out a breath, “like right there.”

The afternoons turn to stark darkness quickly this time of year. By six p.m. it’s pitch black, and the moon is shining high above us. That’s good for stargazing, not so good for back country roads through the mountains I’ve never driven before.

“I see it. We’re good.” I lean forward to better gauge the edges of the road through the shine of the headlights.

Damn this road is narrow.

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