Page 19 of An Inevitable Marriage

I glanced down. “What? You have something against jeans? Is it the brand, because—”

“It’s not the jeans, it’s…” she hissed, pointing her finger at my chest.

“I’m not allowed to be without a shirt in my own home?”

Her nose crinkled in the most adorable way. “Not in my presence.”

Smoothing my hands over my pecs and abs, I rested them on my hips. She tried to hide it, but those mossy eyes followed the trail of my fingers. I liked it. Way more than I should have.

“My bare chest makes you uncomfortable?”

“No.”

Liar.

I closed the distance and dipped my head to meet her gaze. “Sure about that, Snow?”

I wasn’t touching her, but for the first time in my life, I wanted to. Wanted to feel her skin against mine, so desperately, my fingers itched, and my skin prickled like it was some living, breathing thing.

What. The. Fuck?

“One-hundred-percent, yes.” Snow’s voice filtered through the sudden fog surrounding my brain.

I blinked, and she came into focus just in time for me to see one dark brow lift toward her hairline.

“Unless you want me strutting around inmyunderwear, I suggest you keep your damn clothes on.”

She meant it as a threat, I could tell from the bristle in her tone, but damn if the thought of her walking around in nothing but silk and lace didn’t have my blood boiling like it had never boiled before.

I didn’t understand it, and I definitely didn’t like it.

Taking a step back, I gritted out, “Fine.”

“Good.”

“Great.”

My gaze flicked to Rafe. He’d been quiet this entire time, but he’d been watching me in a way that told me he was silently begging me not to screw this up…again. The concern I would was written all over his face.

He’d gone out on a limb for me, and I refused to throw it back in his face. It didn’t matter this woman he wanted me to marry had managed to cross my wires within minutes of meeting her.

That the thought of spending hours—never mind years—with her, freaked me the hell out. Because no one had ever caused such a visceral reaction inside me.

None of that mattered. Not when I was so close to keeping my company.

That was why, despite the blaring warning bells inside my head, I turned my attention back to Snow.

“I guess we’re getting married then.”

Chapter five

Everlee

Whatinthenameof all things holy did I do?

I should have gotten the hell out of there. Should have found some other way to help my parents. But for reasons I couldn’t even begin to understand, I not only stayed, noooo, I followed the men into the kitchen and asked Liam freaking Maxwell to marry me.

Well, technically, I asked him for his money. Quite hilarious, considering he is part of the reason I lost my job.