The Marriage Bargain

Halona Corbett was a mystery wrapped in an intriguing package. What had started that afternoon as a daring chance to reclaim the homestead had evolved into much more by nightfall. There was no denying that his instant attraction to her had made her offer of a bargain more compelling, and that his vigilance that day had made him even more aware of her as a woman.

In the end, he had to remember that she’d been raised on morals and values that changed to suit selfish whims. She was a woman who’d been taught from the cradle that dishonesty was permitted if it was carried out with cunning and style.

Which was why he’d insisted on the prenuptial agreement that secured the Lansing homestead and prevented her future claim to Red Thorn. If Hallie turned out to be no different than any other Corbett, he’d have something to take into court.

He stepped into the bedroom to get her attention. God help her if she went back on her word.

Hallie caught sight of Wes in the mirror and was ashamed to be caught looking at herself. Admiring the way she looked. A hot flush spread up her face to her hairline.

Wes was so ruggedly handsome in his severe black three-piece suit that her breath grew unsteady. He looked powerful and unabashedly male, and she felt a peculiar excitement. Something feminine in her had came to vibrant life and she suddenly craved an acknowledgment from him, some sign of male approval from a man so blatantly masculine that his nearness made her heart race.

Her gaze went to Wes’s as if drawn by a magnet. She saw the dark flicker of interest in his eyes, but then it vanished and left her with the sinking feeling that she’d imagined it. To conceal her disappointment, she glanced away from him, self-conscious. She turned from the glass and walked to the dresser where she’d left her handbag. She felt his gaze follow her every move.

Wes’s voice was carefully neutral. “Did you call the hospital?”

“Yes,” she answered quietly. “There’s no change.”

“Still want to go through with this?”

The question made her look over at him. She could tell nothing from his solemn expression. “Do you?”

Wes’s dark gaze narrowed on her face and she felt herself go tense. He was searching again, seeking. How on earth could she go through with a marriage to this man? She felt no more comfortable in his presence now than when she’d walked into his house that afternoon. Though they would never live under the same roof as man and wife, she wasn’t certain she could tolerate the pressure of his occasional presence or the confusion of emotion and sensation he made her feel.

“Some folks will believe you’re betraying blood to marry me.”

His grim words made her heart fall. The guilt that had nagged her all day suddenly blossomed. She thought of the ranch and what it meant to her, then she thought of her family and the cruel words that had driven her to this.

You’ve been a shame on this family since your mama brought you home to me, Hank had said. Bastard’s one thing, but I won’t let a misfit inherit Four C’s.

Her throat thickened with pain. There were only a handful of times in her life that her grandfather had ever spoken kindly to her. And those times he’d been manipulating her.

“Wouldn’t they believe the same of you?” she asked softly.

“They might. But the difference is, Hank raised you and he’s still alive. You owe him for taking you in.”

The familiar frustration began to rise. “He took in Candice, too. I don’t think you’d ask her about family loyalty.”

“I wouldn’t have to. Candice is so loyal to Hank that marrying me would be seen as a scheme to get Red Thorn.” His gaze suddenly sharpened on her face and his voice went dangerously soft.

“If you have anything else in mind but our bargain, any twisted notion that you’re putting me in a situation that Hank can exploit, you need to know that you’re the one who’ll suffer most. You mean nothing to me. Being my legal wife will matter even less.”

Hallie felt something in her heart quiver and shrink in on itself. He meant every word and she had no doubt that he’d be utterly ruthless with her. His judgment would be swift and sweeping. His retaliation would be brutal and calculated to devastate.

She could see that he was already so suspicious of her that one wrong word, one mistaken action could provoke him to act first and check the facts later. She would never think to conspire against him, but how easy would it be for Hank, if he lived long enough to find out, or Candice, to make it look as though she had?

Emotion roared up and sent a stinging fullness into her eyes. She’d been so desperate to get the ranch that she’d blinded herself to the very personal peril Wes Lansing represented. To have him state it so starkly made her feel foolish and hopelessly naive.

She was standing between two ruthless men who placed no value on her above making her a handy target for their displeasure. And perhaps she deserved it for putting herself in range when she was too powerless to fight either of them and win.

Hallie gripped her handbag, then looked away from him before the telling blur in her eyes could spill over and shame her. She set the handbag on the dresser, then reached up to find the hat pin that secured her hat to the mound of locks arranged so artfully atop her head. She must look as ridiculous and pretentious to him as she felt.

She removed the pin and pulled off the hat. Her fingers were trembling as she pushed the pin into the crown to safely anchor it. She managed to keep her voice clear and steady.

“I’ll reimburse you for the plane tickets, the room—everything. If you’ll put a dollar value on your time, I’ll pay you for that, too. I’d appreciate if you kept this confidential.” She paused. “I realize I can’t stop you if you choose to make it public.”

“So this was a setup.” His voice had a deadly edge to it.

Hallie made herself look over at him. His rugged face was the picture of suppressed fury.

“It wasn’t. But you’ve just made me realize how easily I could be set up if my family finds out. I’ve survived my life so far, Mr. Lansing,” she said, then leveled what she considered the ultimate insult. “I won’t put myself at the mercy of a man no better than my grandfather.”

Bad temper blazed in his dark eyes, but Hallie turned away to gently set the stylish hat on the dresser. She held herself with the same stiff dignity that she relied on to maintain her composure, but she wasn’t certain it would save her this time. Her insides were boiling with humiliation and her face felt on fire. It didn’t help that her legs felt heavy and her knees were weak. She’d lost her chance.

But now that she had, she forced herself to focus on the thought that this was the beginning of her new life. There would be no Hank Corbetts in it and no Wes Lansings. She’d never have Four C’s, but she wouldn’t have to take the terrible risk of marrying a stranger—a family enemy—to get it.

The moment Wes stepped out of the room, she could close the door and shut him out. She could recover in the privacy and solitude that were so dismally familiar to her. He would leave the suite, but she could stay here. Maybe she’d stay the night. She’d be paying for it. She always paid.

Wes’s voice was low and rough. “We’re strangers to each other, Miz Corbett.”

Hallie glanced warily at him and tried to read his stern expression. His face was far less harsh now, and the dark fire in his eyes had faded.

“If I’ve misjudged you, I apologize.”

She looked at him gravely. “I’m not smart enough or brave enough to be part of any scheme against you that I’m aware of. If my grandfather is manipulating either of us beyond what is obvious in that Will, I’m not a party to it. Nor would I be.”

He stared at her for long moments and again, it seemed as if all the intensity he was capable of was focused on her. Those moments were almost unbearable, but she tolerated them. He was weighing her by her words, measuring what he could see in her to make up his mind. It felt as if he were examining every atom and circuit in her brain.

It was rare to meet someone who mistrusted her almost as deeply as she mistrusted others. Strangely, it made her feel less guarded, less threatened to know that someone as powerful as Wes Lansing thought she might have the potential to injure him somehow. At last, he spoke.

“If we marry, your loyalty belongs to me.”

His demand didn’t really surprise her, but she felt a prickle of anger. “What about your loyalty, Lansing? Will it belong to me?”

The firm line of his mouth went stern. He must not have expected that. And he didn’t appear happy about it, either. He wasn’t accustomed to giving an inch to anyone, and it probably rankled to contemplate the notion.

“Because if we marry,” she went on, “I think that entitles both of us to equal expectations. If you expect loyalty from me, I expect just as much from you. The fact that the marriage is secret makes no difference.”

He gave her a narrow look that hinted he was reassessing her in some way. He confirmed the impression with his next words.

“You’re a surprise.” His dark gaze released hers to move slowly down the length of her. The bold stroke sent a warm shiver through her. His gaze returned to hers and she struggled to appear unaffected. “I’m not sure yet if I like it.”

Hallie had no reply to that so she kept silent, enduring the tension between them while she fought to withstand it.

“I do like the hat,” he said finally. “If you’ll marry me, I’d like to see you wear it.”

His low words sent a poignant ache through her. However small a remark it was, whether he’d meant it to be or not, it was somehow a validation of the pains she’d taken to look like a bride.

“If you’re sure.” Her voice had choked to a whisper and she cringed inwardly. She hated that she’d revealed that much.