“Yes, but, Kira,” he said almost distractedly before looking back to my eyes. He leaned forward, his gaze steady and alert now. “I don’t know you. For all I know, we get married, then you get the check and take off for Brazil. Trusting you in any respect would be an act of faith on my part.”
I bristled. “I would never do that.”
“So you say. I’ve found that people say what suits them in the moment. That doesn’t always mean it can be counted on.”
Yes, I knew what he meant. I took a deep breath and nodded. “I…realize that. But I intend on keeping my word.”
He regarded me for one heartbeat…two, before he looked away. “I’ll agree to you living at Hawthorn Vineyard for two months. That should be enough time to notify your father of our marriage and for you to find a place of your own with your share of the money. If there’s an issue with your father, we can renegotiate the timeframe. There’s an old gardener’s cottage on my property that you can live in. It’s small and doesn’t offer many luxuries, but it has a bed and running water.” He eyed me in some way I couldn’t read.
“Sounds quaint.”
“Quaint would be a generous description.” Was that challenge I read in those black dragon eyes, perhaps a small quirk of his lip?
“Fine.” I lifted my chin. I’d never backed down from my father, and I wouldn’t back down from this man.
“You are desperate.”
“So are you.”
“True enough.” He paused. “If you don’t mind me asking, why’d you pick me? I mean, other than my desperation?” His lip did quirk up slightly then, but there was no amusement in his eyes. “You could have picked some homeless guy off the street and shared half your inheritance with him. There are lots of desperate people in this world, Kira, if you’re looking to give money away.”
“My father would never believe I had fallen in love and married a homeless man, Grayson. It would be too easy for him to contest the payout of the trust. My father is well connected, as you can probably imagine, and I have to be careful. I had to pick the right person. A convincing person.”
He tilted his head. “Your father contesting the payout of the trust…is that something I need to worry about?”
I shook my head. He would more likely expend effort toward covering it up or putting a spin on it that worked in his favor, should a marriage to Grayson Hawthorn actually occur. Still… “I don’t think so, no, but I’ve learned that where my father’s concerned, it’s wise to be diligent.” Despite my optimistic words, a chill went down my spine.
“I see. So you intend to convince your father you saw me on the street, fell madly in love, and we married in a week?”
I sighed. “He won’t find it such a stretch. He sees me as…impulsive…flighty…irrational.”
His dark eyes regarded me speculatively. “And are you? Are you those things?”
I bit my lip. “Impulsive, yes, I admit I can be. Flighty, no, I don’t think so. Irrational…aren’t we all sometimes?”
He seemed to consider my answer for a second. “So that will be our story? We bumped into each other here in Napa, fell in love, and impulsively married because we were irrational—but not flighty—with new love?”
I gave him a small smile. “Basically. I guess we can discuss the details so we’re in sync.” My heart had started racing again. “So you agree? We have a deal?”
“If all pans out once I meet with the executor, yes, we have a deal.”
I nodded and let out a breath. “You won’t regret this, Grayson.”
“Oh, I’m sure I will in some way or another, Kira. But…desperate times—”
“Call for desperate measures. And this is about as desperate as measures get.”
He smiled, flashing me a set of straight, white teeth, but the same disdain he’d shown me earlier was back in his expression. He didn’t see me as someone giving him a gift but as someone driving him to do something he didn’t want to do. As if I hadn’t given him a choice. Well, that was fine. I didn’t need his gratitude. I needed his name. I couldn’t deny the disappointment I felt though. When I’d seen him on the street the day before, he’d seemed…lost, broken, but still compassionate. However, the man sitting in front of me now was completely different—stiff and cold. Had I really misjudged him that much?
As if he had read my thoughts, the smile disappeared from his face as quickly as it had appeared. “There are just a few more things I think we should discuss briefly.”
“Okay.” I crossed my legs and his eyes followed my movement.
He clenched his jaw and looked away before speaking. “Since you’re going to be living on my property, I think we should be up front about the nature of our relationship.”
“Relationship? I thought that was clear. We’re marrying for money. We have no relationship.” The awkward, stilted nature of this meeting highlighted that fact perfectly.
“We’ll be business associates. Nothing more.”
“Agreed. As long as you’re discreet, conduct your personal life as you see fit.”
“I intend to.”
“Fine.”
“Good. I don’t want you to get any…fanciful ideas about this arrangement.”
I raised a brow. “Fanciful?”
“Romantic. Inaccurate.”
I gritted my teeth. “Yes, you’ve made it clear I’m not your type. And I’ll try my very best not to fall for your irresistible charms and make things”—I narrowed my eyes—“unbearably awkward.”
“Good.”
I wanted to kick him. Regardless of what else he was, he was obviously a man used to being pursued by the opposite sex. And apparently he either assumed I was some sort of nun, or he had zero concern with how I conducted my own personal life. Most likely the latter. “What else?” I asked coldly.
Grayson—henceforth referred to as the Dragon—studied me. I didn’t try to figure out what he was thinking. Probably trying to ascertain whether or not I was actually going to be able to keep myself from falling in love with him. He was getting uglier by the second. Arrogant reptile. “You mentioned my record. I’m assuming you know about my crime?”
That immediately cooled the anger I’d been feeling. I felt heat creep up my neck. “I hope you don’t find it too intrusive, but I thought it best that I research you before making my offer.”
He shrugged. “A good business decision. Do you have any questions about what you read before we move forward? I’ll answer your questions now, but I don’t intend to discuss it later.”
I couldn’t hide the surprise that came over me. “I…well, from what I understand, you got in a fight with a man outside a bar in San Francisco, and you hit him…ah, repeatedly. He fell and hit his head and died. It was an accident. You didn’t intend to kill him. Is that the truth?” I felt embarrassed to sum up what was certainly an extremely upsetting situation, even now. He’d gone to prison for five years for his crime.