“Eight will be fine,” he said finally.
If he’d refused, she’d have been surprised. She knew instinctively that Morreston was not the type of person to back down after the first stone was cast.
She put the truck in Drive and smiled at Alec. His amber eyes narrowed in a silent declaration of war. While she suspected her triumph would be short lived, it would certainly feel good while it lasted.
* * *
“I can’t let you do this,” Ben Rucker stated for the third time. “Suppose the man doesn’t refuse to marry you? What then?”
“Then we’ll get married,” she said firmly. “At eight this evening. Don’t worry, Ben, you’re invited.”
“This is not a joke!” Ben pulled the glasses off his face and stood up from the desk. “For God’s sake, don’t do this, Shea. Take the money he’s offered and buy land elsewhere. I’ll help you. You can—”
“No, Ben. This is my home, my family home, for six generations. I can’t just pack up two hundred years of memories and close that door behind me saying, ‘Oh well.’ If Morreston wants this land, my land, he’ll have to fight for it.”
Ben’s eyes, full of concern, silently beseeched her to reconsider. “Is there no way I can talk you out of this?”
“Not unless Alec Morreston will renew my lease.”
“Which he is not willing to do.” The deep voice responded from the open doorway just behind her. Both Shea and Ben looked around in time to see the subject of their conversation walk casually into the room.
He had shed the sports jacket and tie, leaving his shirt open at the neck but still tucked into the navy slacks. They hugged his slim waist, hinting at muscular thighs beneath the fabric. Somehow, his shoulders seemed broader than they had only an hour ago. The strong line of his jaw was set in determination.
“Don’t do this, Morreston,” Ben pleaded.
“It’s not completely my doing,” he answered. His eyes focused on Shea. “Ms. Hardin had a choice, and apparently she decided on this option.”
“You gave her no choice at all and you know it,” Ben argued. “What kind of man are you to take advantage of her like this?”
Alec pointedly ignored the question. “I’d like to speak with Ms. Hardin in private.” His eyes never left her face.
“You can discuss anything that needs saying in front of—”
“No, Ben. It’s all right,” Shea interrupted. This was her battle now. If she had any hope of making Morreston back down, she couldn’t do it hiding behind her attorney. “Shall we step into the next room, Mr. Morreston?”
Alec followed her into the small, adjacent conference room and closed the door behind them with a resounding click. For a few moments they faced each other in silence.
“Are you really serious about this?”
“Yes,” Shea replied without hesitation. “I am.”
“You would marry a complete stranger in order to keep the land?”
“Yes.”
“There is other land.”
“Then perhaps you should go and find it.”
Alec stared at her. “How much more do you want?” he asked quietly.
Had this man never loved anything in his life that didn’t have a price tag attached to it? Could he not understand the legacy she was fighting to save?
“Two million,” she said flippantly, and immediately saw a knowing look cross his face. The slight nod of his head indicated his initial acceptance of her outlandish but bogus demand. She was tempted to see how far he would go to buy her off but common sense came rushing forward.
“I don’t want your money, Mr. Morreston. This is not about money. It’s about my home. My life. Family values and tradition. Things you, apparently, don’t know anything about.”
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks and walked past her to stand gazing out the large window on the opposite wall. For long moments, he stood there, saying nothing. From the corner of her eye, she watched as he rubbed the back of his neck. His shirt did little to hide the muscular tone of his arms and back. The silky texture of his dark hair caught the subtle light coming through the window, accentuating deep auburn highlights. As he turned toward her, she quickly looked away.
“It won’t work, you know.” His voice had a slight raspy quality, which, under different circumstances, she might have found extremely sensual. “Even if I agree to this, no marriage can survive for a year under these circumstances. Eventually you’ll concede defeat and the land will revert to me. It’s inevitable. Why put yourself through it?”
“That’s a very chauvinistic attitude, Mr. Morreston. What makes you so sure I’ll be the one to call it quits?”
He didn’t immediately answer as a look of indulgent amusement crossed his features. Then all traces of humor disappeared. Slowly, he closed in until barely a foot separated them. Without any warning, he reached out and stroked the side of her face.
She inhaled sharply and adjusted her stance at the unexpected contact but determinedly held her ground. His hand slid from her face to cup the back of her neck and, applying the slightest pressure, drew her even closer to him. She watched his gaze roam over each detail of her face before coming to rest on her mouth. She noted the faint shadow that darkened his face as he bent his head toward her. His lips, wide and defined, parted slightly as if intending to kiss her, but stopped a mere breath away, and only his thumb touched her mouth, tracing the curving fullness in an incredibly intimate gesture.
Time stood still. The close physical contact brought her challenge into clear focus. The pulse hammered in her throat. She swallowed back the overwhelming sensation of panic that rose within her and tried to look away.
Alec gently tilted her chin upward, forcing her to look into the golden depths of his eyes. The bittersweet fragrance of his cologne teased her senses. She could sense the disciplined power and virility of his body as he stood mere inches away from her. There was no doubt he was all male. Her stomach muscles involuntarily contracted as a shaft of sexual awareness shot through her. An intense heat seemed to envelop her as her breath became shallow, almost nonexistent. A little voice inside screamed to run while she could.
“All right, Ms. Hardin.” His throaty voice penetrated the silence of the room. “We’ll play this one your way and see what happens. I’ll honor the conditions as set forth by our ancestors and we will be married. And there will be no development on any of the land as long as the marriage continues or if this...union...should exceed one year.”
He paused, tilting his head slightly as though studying her reaction. “But know this—” the tone of his voice reflected the seriousness of his words “—you will be my wife as stipulated in the original lease. Legally and spiritually, body and soul. You’ll share my life, as well as my bed, for the duration. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
It was time to bail out. She knew it but couldn’t seem to move. He was telling her exactly what she would have to agree to, up front. He was giving her every opportunity to walk away. She took a deep breath and hoped her strength was as unfailing as her stubbornness.
“I understand.” Her voice was firm although barely above a whisper.
“Do you?” A sparkle glistened in Alec Morreston’s amber eyes. “I guess we’ll find out tonight, won’t we?”
He released her