Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 108656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
“I don’t want this money, Drake. Your father came to me and I found it so odd for him to be so determined to get me away from you. You can’t deny this could be your shot. Your way of finally getting away from them.” She looked around the house. “Do you still have the money to repair this?”
“I can’t believe you didn’t take the money,” Drake said.
She sighed. “Do you want to fight about it some more? Not everything is about money. I don’t want it.”
****
Drake held the envelope in his hand and was still a little taken aback that she hadn’t given in to temptation. His father had offered her an easy life, and even though she still held the envelope, he knew for a fact it didn’t mean she’d taken it. Just the opposite.
“My parents took the money, but I didn’t. I don’t want any part of his blackmail money. Do you think that’s what he does with all the girls you want to date?” she asked.
“Probably. I don’t know of anyone who has turned him down, or to be honest, anyone he’s actually bought off, not of my girlfriends. I know he does it all the time with the women he fucks.”
“Your parents have hurt you a lot, haven’t they?”
“More than I care to think about. They’re not going to keep getting the chance though.”
The house they stood in was a wreck. It needed to have a lot of work done. So much, in fact, he’d have to get many professionals in. His uncle had told him that even though it looked like a crumbling wreck, there was still so much more to it, and he believed it. He thought back to the eyesore in town. When he saw the true potential in even a wreck. He wasn’t the kind of guy to give up and he wasn’t going to start now.
At the time, he hadn’t seen the truth, though. He’d only seen the house as a burden.
One he’d pushed to one side while he got on with his life, which didn’t include working on crumbling buildings.
“Is it safe to go and look upstairs?” she asked.
“No, it’s not.”
“That sucks. I think this place could look amazing.” She walked toward the back of the house and he still held the envelope within his grasp.
This was crazy.
Could it be as simple as getting the will read again? He didn’t want to think it was so easy.
Pru came back to him. “Are you okay? You seem to be in a bit of shock.”
“I just … are you sure?”
“Am I sure of what?”
“The will? It couldn’t be that easy.”
“Why not?”
“Because nothing comes to me like that. My parents have held a great deal over my head and I haven’t been able to get out of any of it. I don’t believe for a second it will be that easy.”
She grabbed his shoulders and smiled. “I haven’t said it’s going to be easy. First, you need to find someone who can get a copy of the will. I don’t know if your family’s lawyers will read anything to you without alerting your mom and your brother. That is still a little weird to me.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Use that money. Find someone we can trust. I don’t know of anyone. Did your uncle know anyone?”
“I don’t have a clue.”
She cupped his face. “If you don’t want to look, then you don’t have to. I’m not taking the money, Drake. I’m not leaving. I’m going to fight for this and I’ll wait until you’re ready.” She pressed a kiss to his lips and when she pulled away as if to leave, he let go of the envelope and grabbed her arm, not wanting to let her go.
“Drake?”
He gripped the back of her neck, tilting her head and slamming his lips down on hers, silencing any protest with a kiss. He’d missed her so much, missed this.
She let out a little moan and he swallowed it down. “Drake, Drake, we can’t do this.”
“And why the hell not?” he asked.
Her lips were already swollen and he didn’t want to deny himself for another moment. He’d already had to wait for her, and this was just too much torture.
“I came to help you.”
“Tell me you don’t want this. You don’t want me and I’ll stop right now.”
“Drake, we’re in a house that could fall down on us.”
“It’s structurally stable. Believe me, nothing is going to hurt you.” He had to have her. He cupped her face, staring into her eyes. “Please, Pru, I need you.”
He wasn’t lying to her. He was fucking desperate for her, ached for her.
She nibbled her lip and nodded. “I want you too.” She put her hands on his shirt, sliding them up to wrap around the back of his neck.
He pulled her close, running his hands down her back and cupping her ass before going back up again, kissing her hard. He didn’t want to let her go.