“What’s the harm?” I laughed.
He turned back to me, and in that instant I caught the glimmer in his eyes.
Determination.
Whatever Clint had said and done had only persuaded Chase to want to help me.
“This is about the worst proposal I’ve ever head of,” I said jokingly.
“That’s because it’s an indecent proposal,” Chase said. “You pay me to help you and in return you let me date you, with all its implications.” He paused, letting me get the hint. Which I did, loud and clear. “We get married, you get the letters. And if you’re not into dating, no harm done. I make some money, and that sounds fair to me.”
I eyed him carefully, but his expression remained nonchalant. Unreadable. “You realize we might have to stay married for a while, right?”
“Let’s give it a year.”
“That’s a long time.” I stared at him, waiting for a sign that it was nothing but a joke.
“Doesn’t have to be.” He grinned with mischief, but his eyes remained solemn, the glint in them intense. “What matters is that you get what’s yours.”
“You don’t understand, Chase,” I whispered. “My mom was crazy. There’s a chance that the letters might not be worth anything.”
He shrugged. “That’s a risk we’ll take.”
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” I mumbled.
“Laurie.” He touched my shoulder. “You owe it to your mom to try to get those letters. She wanted you to have them. If marrying is what it takes, then so be it.”
“It’s a good plan and it would work, but”—I paused, unsure how to put it—“I don’t have the money to pay you for your services. I’m not rich. I’m not the heiress to anything. I wasn’t included in her will. I haven’t even figured out how to keep myself afloat with the mounting bills trudging in on a daily basis. Even if I wanted to do this, I couldn’t possibly pay you, Chase,” I whispered. “I don’t have the money, and I doubt I’ll have it in a year. I can barely afford to pay my rent.”
Chase nodded. “I know, Laurie. And I’m not doing it for the money, which his why I offered you Option A,” he said, his hand touching mine gently. “I don’t need it, meaning you can repay me whenever you feel like it in any form you want. All that matters is that you get some answers.”
Now, that sparked my curiosity.
When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is…. The saying rang in the back of my mind.
“If it’s not about money, why would you make such an offer, then?” I asked. “You don’t know me. We’ve just met. There are plenty of other girls you can date.”
“I just want to help because—” He shrugged again.
“Because?”
He hesitated for a second as he gathered his thoughts.
“I like you, Laurie. I already said that. And I have a feeling that you need those letters, not just because you deserve them.” He looked at me with kindness. “I don’t think it’s right that your stepfather has control over your life. The letters could help you turn your life around, maybe even help you understand what was going on with your mom.”
He was right. Too right.
I took a sharp breath and kept it trapped in my lungs until they began to burn from the strain. Only as the pain became unpleasant did I exhale. Just as he knew there was more to me than I had let on, I knew there was more to Chase than met the eye. We didn’t know each other, but, for inexplicable reason, I wanted to trust him. For once in my life, I didn’t want to be disappointed. However, the nagging feeling that I would owe him the rest of my life was too big. As if sensing my distress, Chase pulled me to him.
“Laurie,” he whispered. “I want to be here for you.”
“After everything I told you, you still want in?” I looked up, my heart jumping so hard I was sure he’d hear it. His hands trailed down my waist and settled on my butt. Without a warning, he pulled me close against him until I could feel his breath on my lips. Beneath his clothes, I felt the hardness of his muscles and the strength emanating from him.
“Sure. No questions asked.” His eyes were like deep, dark pools as he leaned forward just a little bit more and his gaze settled on my mouth. For a second, we just stood there, caught in the moment, frozen in time. My heart skipped a beat as realization dawned. He was going to kiss me. And I wanted him to—more than ever.
His mouth came crashing down on mine—probing, savoring, sending a shivery rush between my legs. With a soft moan, I parted my lips and let his tongue invade the cave of my mouth. I could taste cookies, chocolate, coffee, and him—the perfect recipe to send me into a drunken state from which I didn’t want to emerge. A flame flickered to life within my core, and twinges of electricity pulsed through my private parts, urging me to take whatever he had to offer. If one kiss could do this to me, I wondered what would happen if I asked for more.