If it was, then why?
Deep down she knew the reason and it stemmed from him wanting her land and Hercules. He had been up-front about it from the beginning. She had respected him for it and for accepting the decision was hers to make. So, in other words, he wasn’t really protecting her per se but merely protecting his interest, or what he hoped to be his interest. She figured such a thing made sense but…
Would accepting the proposal Jason placed on the table be in her best interest? Did she have a choice if she wanted the hold lifted on her trust fund? Was being legally bound to Jason as his wife for a minimum of a year something she wanted? What about sleeping under the same roof with him and sharing his bed—she’d accepted they would be synonymous—would they be in her best interest? Was it what she wanted to do, knowing in a year’s time he could walk away without looking back? Knowing after that time he would be free to marry someone else? Free to make love to someone else the same way he’d make love to her?
And then there was the question of who was responsible for throwing the rock inside her house. Why was someone trying to scare her off? Although she doubted it, could it be her parents’ doing to get her to run back home?
She yawned when she felt sleep coming down on her. Although she regretted Jason was sleeping in his truck, she knew she could sleep a lot more peacefully knowing he was the one protecting her.
BELLA WOKE TO THE SOUND of someone knocking on her door and discovered it was morning. She quickly eased out of bed and slid into her bathrobe and bedroom shoes to head downstairs.
“I’m coming!” she called out, rushing to the door. She glanced out the peephole and saw it was Jason. Her heart began beating fast and furiously in her chest at the sight of him, handsome and unshaven with his Stetson low on his brow. Mercy!
Taking a deep breath she opened the door. “Good morning, Jason.”
“Good morning, Bella. I wanted to let you know I’m leaving to go home and freshen up, but Riley is here.”
“Your brother Riley?” she asked, looking over his shoulder to see the truck parked next to his and the man sitting inside. Riley threw up his hand in a wave, which she returned. She recalled meeting him that night at dinner. Jason was older than Riley by two and a half years.
“Yes, my brother Riley.”
She was confused. “Why is he here?”
“Because I’m going home to freshen up.” He tilted his head and smiled at her. “Are you awake yet?”
“Yes, I’m awake and I know you said you’re going home to change but why does Riley have to be here? It’s not like I need a bodyguard or something. A rock got thrown through my window, Jason. Not a scud missile.”
He merely kept smiling at her while leaning in her doorway. And then he said, “Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you look in the morning?”
She stood there and stared at him. Not ready for him to change the subject and definitely not prepared for him to say something so nice about how she looked. She could definitely return the favor and ask, had anyone ever told him how handsome he looked in the morning? However, she was certain a number of women already had.
So she answered him honestly. “No one has ever told me that.”
“Then let me go on record as being your first.”
She drew in a deep breath. He didn’t say “the” first but had said “your” first. He had made it personal and exclusive. She wondered what he would think to know she had drifted off to sleep last night with images of him flittering through her mind. Memories of his mouth on her probably elicited pleasurable sighs from her even while she slept.
“Doesn’t Riley have to go to work today?” she asked, remembering when he’d mentioned that Riley worked for Blue Ridge Management. She’d even seen his name on one of the doors when they’d exited from the elevator on the fortieth floor.