“I don’t understand.”
Her gaze met his. She may have appeared nervous a moment ago, but now she spoke calmly, her tone devoid of all emotion. “My lawyer called last night because he finally obtained the full copy of the provisions of my father’s Will and my trust. I need to get married or it all reverts back to Robert. It’s not logical, but when it came to love and money, my father was the most illogical person there ever was. In his mind, the only way a woman can successfully manage finances or her life is to turn them over to a husband.”
Colton ran a hand through his hair, then massaged the back of his neck as he tried to make sense of it all. “Why would Robert even bother trying to kill you then?”
“His lawyers would’ve told him I started asking about the Will. He knew he couldn’t let me find out about the marriage clause.”
Colton considered all she’d told him and didn’t like the conclusion he came to. “So, it’s all about the money.” Please say no.
“Yes, but not—”
A realization struck him and the stab of pain in his chest left him breathless. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. “That’s what last night was about, wasn’t it?”
Her eyes rounded. “No. It wasn’t like that.”
“You practically begged me to sleep with you when I tried to be considerate of your feelings, and this morning you offer me a million dollars to marry you—and there’s still the possibility of a baby. What the hell does it look like to you?”
She stood rigid, her jaw clenched. “I know what it looks like, but—”
“You sure covered all your bets, didn’t you? Hell, you even played the ace with my dad on it.”
She took a step toward him. “Colton…please—”
He held up a hand. If she came too close he’d want to pull her into his arms and lay her back on the bed. Only a fool would want to do that after being manipulated and used. Only a fool would still want to say yes.
And, damn. He was that fool.
Facing the window, he asked in a clipped, savage tone, “When?”
“Today.”
His gaze sliced to her.
“I have to be married by my twenty-fifth birthday otherwise—”
“Where?” Just give me the necessary damn details and get out.
“The courthouse in Boulder—Michael made an appointment for one o’clock.”
Colton clenched his fist at the mention of her lawyer. Another reminder of the money and what she was willing to do to get it. “You were that sure I’d say yes.”
Her chin raised a notch. “Is that a yes?”
Her haughty tone pissed him off even more. “It’s as close to one as you’re going to get.” He brushed past her to the door. Holding it open, he said, “Take it or leave it.”
He guessed by her silence that she’d take it, but she paused on the threshold. Before she could speak, he snapped, “Don’t worry. You’ve given me a million reasons to show up.”
She’d never know he only needed one.
****
Kendra placed a hand against her abdomen to quell the butterflies before she opened the door to the registry office. The absence of Colton’s tall figure should not have eased her nervousness, but she found she could breathe easier without his presence. And since she was early, worrying about him not showing wouldn’t officially start until closer to the one o’clock hour. Yeah, right.
Inside the office, her brief moment of calm flew out the window when the secretary started typing up the marriage license and asked for their full names.
“Kendra Kay Zelner.” She spelled her middle name because most people assumed it was an initial.
“And his?”