Brenda Jackson - Sparks of Temptation - The Proposal

He frowned when he entered the kitchen and saw Bella stooping to pick up the tray she’d dropped along with two broken cups.

He quickly moved forward. “Are you okay, Bella?” he asked.

She didn’t look at him as she continued to pick up broken pieces of the teacups. “I’m fine. I accidentally dropped it.”

He bent down toward her. “That’s fine. At least you didn’t have tea in the cups. You could have burned yourself. I can help you get that up.”

She turned to look up at him. “I can do this, Jason. I don’t need your help.”

He met her gaze and would have taken her stinging words to heart if he hadn’t seen the redness of her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Instead of answering she shook her head and averted her gaze, refusing to look at him any longer. Quickly recovering his composure at seeing her so upset, he was pushed into action and wrapped his arms around her waist and assisted her up off the floor.

He stood facing her and drew in a deep, calming breath before saying, “I want to know what’s wrong, Bella.”

She drew in her own deep breath. “That was my father. He called to gloat.”

Jason frowned. “About what?”

He watched her when she swallowed deeply. “He and his attorney were able to get an injunction against my trust fund and wanted me to know my monthly funds are on hold.”

He heard the tremor in her voice. “But I thought you had three months before your twenty-sixth birthday.”

“I do, but some judge—probably a close friend of Dad’s—felt my parents had grounds to place a hold on my money. They don’t believe I’ll marry before the trust fund’s deadline date.”

She frowned. “I need my money, Jason. I was counting on the income to pay my men as well as to pay for all the work I’ve ordered to be done around here. There were a number of things my grandfather hadn’t taken care of around here that need to be done, like repairing the roof on the barn. My parents are deliberately placing me in a bind and they know it.”

Jason nodded. He had started noticing a number of things Herman had begun overlooking that had needed to be done. He then shook his head. He’d heard of controlling parents but felt hers were ridiculous.

“Certainly there is something your attorney can do.”

She drew in a deep breath. “He sent me a text moments ago and said there’s nothing he can do now that a judge has gotten involved. And even if there were, it would take time and my parents know it. It is time they figure I don’t have, which will work in their favor. True, I got this ranch free and clear but it takes money to keep it operational.”

He shook his head. “And all because you won’t get married?”

“Yes. They believe I was raised and groomed to be the wife of someone like Hugh who already has standing in Savannah’s upper-class society.”

Jason didn’t say anything for a few moments. “Does your trust fund specifically state who you’re to marry?”

“No, it just says I have to be a married woman. I guess my grandparents figured in their way of thinking that I would automatically marry someone they would consider my equal and not just anyone.”

An idea suddenly slammed into Jason’s head. It was a crazy one...but it would serve a purpose in the long run. In the end, she would get what she wanted and he would get what he wanted.

He reached out and took her hand in his, entwined their fingers and tried ignoring the sensations touching her caused. “Let’s sit down for a moment. I might have an idea.”

Bella allowed him to lead her over to the kitchen table and she sat down with her hands on top of the table and glanced up at him expectantly.

“Promise you’ll keep an open mind when you hear my proposal.”

“All right, I promise.”

He paused a moment and then said, “I think you should do what your parents want and get married.”

“What!”

“Think about it, Bella. You can marry anyone to keep your trust fund intact.”

He could tell she was even more confused. “I don’t understand, Jason. I’m not seriously involved with anyone, so who am I supposed to marry?”

“Me.”

Chapter 4

Bella’s jaw dropped open. “You?”

“Yes.”

She stared at Jason for a long moment and then she adamantly shook her head.

“Why would you agree to marry me?” she asked, confused.

“Think about it, Bella. It will be a win-win situation for the both of us. Marriage to me will guarantee you’ll keep your trust fund rolling in without your parents’ interfering. And it will give me what I want, as well, which is your land and Hercules.”

Her eyes widened. “A marriage of convenience between us?”

“Yes.” He could see the light shining bright in her wide-eyed innocent gaze. But then caution eased into the hazel depths.

“And you want me to give you my land as well as Hercules?”

“Co-ownership of the land and total ownership of Hercules.”

Bella nibbled on her bottom lip, giving his proposal consideration while trying not to feel the disappointment trying to crowd her in. She had come here to Denver to be independent and not dependent. But what he was proposing was not how she had planned things to go. She was just learning to live on her own without her parents looking over her shoulder. She wanted her own life and now Jason was proposing that he share it. Even if it was on a temporary basis, she was going to feel her independence snatched away. “And how long do we have to remain married?”

“For as long as we want but at least a year. Anytime after that either of us are free to file for a divorce to end things. But think about it, once we send your father’s attorney proof we’re officially married he’ll have no choice but to release the hold on your trust fund.”

Bella knew that her parents would always be her parents and although she loved them, she could not put up with their controlling ways any longer. She thought Jason’s proposal might work but she still had a few reservations and concerns.

“Will we live in separate households?” she decided to ask.

“No, we will either live here or at my place. I have no problem moving in here but we can’t live apart. We don’t want to give your parents or anyone a reason to think our marriage isn’t the real thing.”

She nodded, thinking what he said made sense but she needed to ask another question. This one was of a delicate nature but was one she definitely needed to know the answer to. She cleared her throat. “If we lived in the same house would you expect for us to sleep in the same bed?”

He held her gaze intently. “I think by now it’s apparent we’re attracted to each other, which is the reason I wasn’t Mr. Congeniality tonight as you’ve indicated. That kiss we shared only made me want more and I think you know where wanting more would have led.”

Yes, she knew. And because he was being honest with her she might as well be honest with him. “And the reason I acted ‘cold,’ as you put it, was that I felt sensations kissing you that I’d never felt before and with everything going on in my life, the last thing I needed to take on was a lover. And now you want me to take on a husband, Jason?”

“Yes, and only because you won’t have all those issues you had before. And I would want us to share a bed, but I’ll leave the decision of what we do up to you. I won’t rush you into doing anything you’re not comfortable with doing. But I think you can rightly say with us living under the same roof such a thing is bound to happen eventually.”

She swallowed. Yes, she could rightly say that. Marrying him would definitely be a solution to her problem and like he’d said, he would be getting what he wanted out of the deal as well—co-ownership of her land and Hercules. It would be a win-win situation.