Excerpt:
“Jake!” she blurted. “Take me with you!”
He stopped,
his gut clenching. He hadn't seen that coming!
He waited for her next move,
staring at her face, flushed beet red, amber eyes begging.
“Please,"
she whispered.
The walls
closed in, smothering him. He didn't
want to hear what he knew she was going to say.
He didn't need that kind of complication.
"I
have nowhere to go. I don’t know anyone,
and if you leave, I’ll lose the only person who has treated me with kindness
since I’ve been here.”
She reached
up and took off her diamond earrings. “My
parents paid three thousand for these as a graduation present. I’ll give you one now and the other when we
arrive in Seattle .”
He rubbed a
hand over his face, giving himself time to think. She was
so beautiful, standing there, looking lost and sad. Damn it!
He checked
the hallway and then pushed her back, stepping into the room. “Even
if I wanted to, which I don’t know that I do, I can’t.”
“Why?” Her lips trembled. Tears filled her pleading eyes.
His stomach
plummeted. He hated tears! He didn't know
how to deal with them.
“Because
this group of emigrants are pretty religious. They wouldn’t take kindly to an
unchaperoned female traveling with me.”
“Even if
I’m paying you – like a business deal?” She
took his hand and placed one of the studs on his palm. His fist closed instinctively around the
gemstone. Holding the gem to eye level,
he scrutinized it. Why was he even considering it?
But damn it! He was tempted!
“Pretty
rock.” He handed it back and looked
away, feeling guilty. He wasn't good at
these kinds of things. Taking care of
another person didn't fit in his plans. She didn't fit in his plans. He liked being alone.
“They’re
perfect – my parents made sure of that.” She repeated her offer. “One stone now and the other when we reach Oregon .”
“And I
repeat – these people won't allow you to go with me.”
“What would
it take to get you to take me?” Tears spilled
down her silken cheeks. "I'll do
anything."
Instinct
caused his hand to reach up and cup her face.
The texture of her skin felt like satin, soft and smooth. His heart beat sped. She got to him in ways he didn't understand. His thumb stroked the soft contours. “If it was up to me, I’d let you go,” he
conceded. “But they pay for my
services. Maybe if you found a man to
marry you, we could figure out something.”
“Get
married! To just anyone?” Shocked, her eyes glimmered in the lamplight.
His hand
dropped. “Best I can come up with. If you’re married, they might let you go.” The
thought of her with another man tore at his gut! He wanted to kill the
bastard! He gritted his teeth. She
belonged to him! No other man had
the right to touch her!
She drew in
a deep breath, blurting out. “Jake,
listen to me. I know this is sudden but
I don't have any other option. I don’t
know any other men. Will you marry me –
in name only? Once we’re in Oregon , I’ll give you a
divorce, and it’ll be like it never happened.
You can go on with your life, and you’ll have my diamonds to help buy
that property you mentioned.”
Jake shook his head, heat boiling
his guts. “You want me to marry you just so you can get to Oregon ?”
He didn’t know why, but her suggestion sickened him. He'd let her get to him with her tears and
her sadness. She'd almost convinced him
she was special, but she wasn't. She was
just a whore, an expensive one, but a whore.
“I don’t
have any other choice. I have to get to
there and this is my best chance.”
“So – you are willing to sell yourself - for the
right price,” he growled, irritated that it bothered him so much.
Her eyes
shot amber sparks. “Not selling myself –
I’m buying you. There’s a difference.”
Aimee's Locket, now available in audio book form as well.
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Aimees-Locket-P-L-Parker-ebook/dp/B002TG4NJC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
No comments:
Post a Comment