“Well, excuse me for hardly believing the kindness I’m being overwhelmed with. I’m not used to it, okay? And I don’t even know you. We have barely spent half a day together and you’re ready to shove a ring around my finger and–”
“I said no marriage. You’re my old lady,” he easily corrects me.
I must be out of my mind to ask this, but I guess curiosity almost killed me the last time so why stop now? “Why don’t you want to marry me?”
The man actually winces as if the thought is horrendous.
“Okay, I might not be a girl who has always dreamed about the perfect wedding and made scrapbooks filled with pictures from magazines with flowers, dresses, freaking churches, and whatever. But I did think somewhere in the back of my head that I wanted to end up with a man who values me the way I value him. And to take me off the freaking market. But it's written all over your face how the mere thought of us linked in the name of the law repels you. Have a nice life, Ledger. Clearly, we do not match after all, no matter how much our bodies light up when we touch.”
“All because I don’t give a shit about a piece of paper binding two people together? My mother hopped from husband to husband until she was too old to switch. I think she would have liked to be buried in a wedding dress, but I guess the husband that killed her gave shit about that choice because he had her cremated before they arrested his ass for murder. My real father? I have no fucking clue who he is. So, no. I don’t value marriage at all. I’ve seen enough wedding dresses due to my mother and enough weddings she made me sit through. Vows are lies and empty words. Those who commit do it for themselves, not to show the world who they belong to. My president and my VP both have an old lady. Every action, every thought is always made with their woman in the back of their mind. There’s a world of difference and you might not understand values the way I do.” His chest is heaving and he inhales deep before slowly letting his breath slide out. “My VP asked his lady to marry him. She didn’t want to marry. Because the first man who asked her to marry him only did it to steal the one thing she held dear: her horse. In the end they killed the fucking horse and she was not only deceived, betrayed, hurt, and robbed, but marriage held no value to her either. Actions and words ring louder than a piece of paper with a signature.”
Now it’s my turn to wince. “Sorry.”
“You didn’t know. Now you do. And for the record? Roper and Cassidy are married. I helped give her a little nudge. The woman was in labor but refused to give birth until he put the ring on her finger. They’re fucking happy. It’s not because of a slip of paper or some metal around a finger. For them it was a bonus, a crown on top of what they already had.”
“Noted.” I give him a small smile. “Any other things you repel, hold dear, or will run for the hills over?”
He leans closer and I feel his hot breath as he whispers, “So much to say. So many things to know, but we’re better off to get to know each other going head to head like we did just now.”
“Fine. But if you think the whole speech about ‘I’m never going to marry’ switching to a happy ending for Roper and Cassidy leaves me holding my breath wishing there’s a chance you’ll change your mind…You’re wrong. You just screwed up my whole marriage dream,” I huff and act as if I need to wipe away my nonexistent tears.
His eyebrows scrunch up and there are emotions sliding through his gorgeous eyes while his thoughts clearly mull over my words.
“I’m kidding!” I squeak. “Ugh. Pay attention. I just mentioned I never had the whole marriage dream. I just don’t like people who shove a big fat no down my throat without giving me the option to swallow. In other words…communication is the key. We should talk more, assume less. And eat. I’m hungry. And thank you for the horse. I don’t think anyone has ever given me something so thoughtful and endearing. Honestly, from the bottom of my never-to-be-married heart, I thank you.”
His raspy chuckle makes my belly flop. “You’re something, Mayven. But me giving you the horse is utter selfishness. It’s another reason to keep you tied to this place.”
The self-assured smile he gives me, the longing look in his eyes, and those full lips which feel so damn good, give me a solid reason to stay right here. For now, I have no intention of leaving. With what I witnessed in the blink of an eye I know tomorrow can be gone with a twist of a finger.
“Many reasons to leave, many reasons to stay,” I tell him and shamelessly admit on a whisper, “But there’s no place I’d rather be than exploring this moment with you.”
His mouth crashes against mine, giving me another reason never to let go.
CHAPTER FOUR
– LEDGER –
“And where is she now?” Weston asks as he crosses his arms in front of his chest.
I glance in the direction of the hallway where my room is located. “Taking a shower while I get you up-to-date. Colt will give you a full briefing but you also need to know I claimed her as mine.”
Weston raises his eyebrow and the way his eyes narrow while his lip twitches, I just fucking know he’s going to aggravate me. “Just like that? She walks in and you figure she’s ripe
