Damn infuriating man. She’d never met him and she already despised the air he breathed.
Whatever. She just wanted this to be over with. The sooner she could get Colt to agree to her terms, the better. Hopefully he’d see that this new arrangement would be beneficial to both of them. No matter what he threw at her, Annabelle wasn’t leaving until she had something to cling to, some hope that she wasn’t doomed to a life of failure when she was only twenty-four years old.
She was a mother to two beautiful twin girls now. Her father was doting all over them at the moment and would have to be her babysitter when she found a job. He was responsible with children, just not money. Besides, she couldn’t afford to pay a sitter for one kid, let alone two.
First, she had to get this debt straightened out, and then she’d focus on getting that job. Surely, there was something in town she could do. At this point, she wasn’t going to be picky.
Smoothing her hands down her green sundress, she pulled in a deep breath. Her nerves weren’t about to abate, so she rang the bell and stepped back...waiting to enter the enemy’s lair.
This place was so huge, it was almost intimidating. A wooden bridge arched slightly over a creek that ran in front of the house between the drive and the entrance.
The man literally sat in his castle, complete with moat, waiting on the town peons to enter his kingdom. Oh, how she wished someone would knock him down a peg or two. She had an unhealthy dose of anger stored up with Colt Elliott’s name written all over it.
She wasn’t even getting into the anger she had toward her father for putting her in this position to begin with. All he’d told her is that Colt had fronted the money and the loan was paid off. Now they owed Colt, not the bank. She made sure her father got that in writing from Colt and Neil had said he did sign a paper and it had been notarized. So, at least her father had been smart enough not to just do things the old-fashioned way with a handshake and a promise. Because Annabelle didn’t trust Colt Elliott. Not one iota.
The double doors swung open and an elderly man stood before her. Annabelle thought the Elliott boys’ father had passed some years ago, so she wasn’t sure who this man was.
“Come in, Ms. Carter. Mr. Elliott is expecting you.”
She stepped over the threshold and nearly gasped. If she’d thought the outside was spectacular, the inside was breathtaking.
The entryway allowed her to see all the way up to the third story. An open walkway on both floors connected each side of the house, allowing anyone upstairs to see the entire foyer.
Annabelle was getting a vibe that Colt liked to look down on people, to belittle them. Well, he may have pushed her father around, but he was about to deal with a whole new game player. She wanted to know precisely why he’d extended his hand of generosity to her family. Nobody did something like this just to play nice.
“I’m Charlie.” The older gentleman closed the door and tipped his head down in greeting. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to Mr. Elliott.”
Annabelle continued taking in all the beauty of this home, and tried not to let jealousy take over. The Elliotts existed on a whole other level than her family ever had, especially now that they had nothing. But Annabelle wasn’t about to let life run her over. She’d had enough and Colt Elliott was about to get the brunt of her frustrations.
The calming trickle of water drew her attention as she passed by a sunken living area. Who the hell had a waterfall wall in their home? Oh, right. The people who counted their billions as a hobby.
Annabelle forced her frustrations aside and continued on behind Charlie. There was a bigger issue at hand. She wasn’t going to spend her time assessing how this family lived so lavishly when everything had been robbed from hers. Everyone created their own destiny; unfortunately, she was the victim of her father’s.
No more. Annabelle had a vision for her future and it certainly didn’t involve giving up her childhood home. Once she got to the bottom of this ordeal, she could start on rebuilding her life. Because she wasn’t just worried about herself anymore, there were two sweet babies to consider.
Charlie led her through a maze and she wondered if she’d ever find her way out once this meeting was over. Finally, he stopped in front of an oversize arched doorway. He tapped his knuckles on the door before easing it open.
“Sir, Ms. Carter is here.”
Nerves gathered heavily in her belly as she smoothed her sundress down one last time. She didn’t care what her emotions were, and there were plenty, but she had to keep them hidden. Someone like Colt Elliott would home in on any weakness and use it to his advantage. Clearly, or she wouldn’t be here trying to get her house back from the man who’d snatched it from her father during one of his worst moments.
Charlie eased the door open and stepped back with a nod before disappearing back down the labyrinth of hallways.
Shoulders back, ready to battle the enemy, Annabelle stepped into the spacious office complete with a wall of windows overlooking back acreage. The second she shifted her focus to the other end of the room, she stilled. Her heart clenched, breath caught in her throat.
“You,” she gritted through her teeth. If it wasn’t Shirtless Stable Boy himself.
* * *
Colt had been right. She was just as stunning as he remembered. He wondered if he’d still feel the same way once he’d had time to process the events of earlier. But now that Annabelle Carter was in his home, he took another moment to appreciate the entire package.
That vibrant red hair, wide green eyes, simple makeup and a green dress that she probably thought practical...he found it tempting. How long would it take to undo each of those tiny buttons down the front?
“You lied,” she accused him, not moving any farther into the room.
Colt rose from behind the antique desk that had belonged to his father, and his father before him. He circled it and came to lean against the front. Crossing his ankles, he rested his hands on either side of his hips and shrugged. He always appreciated a good sparring opponent.
“I didn’t lie,” he amended. “I told you Mr. Elliott was busy when you asked. And I was. I had just finished exercising my stallion and needed to get him brushed and fed. I wasn’t getting a manicure or stealing puppies. I save those fun events for Saturdays.”
Her expressive green eyes narrowed as she slowly made her way across the room. Oh, she was going to be so fun. He didn’t miss the way she took her time in assessing him, as well. Let her look. If all went as planned, she’d have plenty of opportunities to do more than caress him with her eyes.
“What is it you wanted to see me about?” he asked, ready to hear what she thought she could do to rectify this situation. He had a plan of his own to throw at her.
“I hardly recognize you with your shirt on.”
So, Ms. Annabelle had claws. He liked that in a woman, preferably when she clawed at his back, but verbally would do...for now.
Colt couldn’t hide his smile. She was definitely going to be more of a joy to deal with than Neil Carter.
“If you’re requesting I take it off, I’m happy to oblige.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, doing nothing to deter him from appreciating her lush shape. “The only thing you can oblige me with is discussing the terms of this contract you have with my father.”
“Not my first choice during a meeting with a beautiful woman.” Colt stood straight up, ready to get down to business. Obviously, they would have to get this out of the way first. “The arrangement is simple, as I’m sure he told you. He has six payments left on the property. I paid off his loan and now he owes me. I’m not charging interest like the bank, so the payments are actually cheaper than he was used to. He came to me for help, and—”
“How