Damn, she was a firecracker. He sealed his lips.
"Rachel, what is going on here?"
"How could you? How could you offer him money to stay away from me? I love him and if I want to be with him, I will."
Ben’s mouth dropped open. She loved him? He couldn’t help it…the goofy grin returned.
"Wipe that goofy grin off your face."
He tried, he really did, but the harder he fought it, the bigger it got.
"You think this is funny?" Her tone rose with each word. "I’m worth a mere five hundred grand but you refused a million for your precious Amanda and you think this is funny?"
"Rachel."
She ignored her father. "After everything we have been through and then you go and—"
"Rachel."
She held a hand in front of her father in a stop gesture, her eyes never leaving Ben’s. "—throw it away for money? Is it that important to you?"
"Rachel."
Her father’s tone brooked no argument and she knew it. She obviously didn’t care. "Please do not interrupt—"
"He turned down the money."
"—me when I’m…," her head snapped to her father. "What?"
"He wouldn’t take the money."
Rachel’s gaze drifted back to him and he gave her a little finger wave to go along with the goofy grin. Her eyes narrowed to slits.
"But I heard him say he would take five hundred thousand."
"Did you hear what he said after that?"
Her hair shimmied across her shoulders and she looked at Ben. He flashed his pearly whites. Her mouth flattened into a straight line.
"He said to make it five hundred thousand and he still wouldn’t take it."
Her eyes widened but clearly unconvinced, her fists moved to her slender hips. "Offer him a million and see what he does."
When her father made no move to do her bidding, she tried to encourage him with a sweeping motion of her arm. "Go ahead, offer."
"I did."
She spun to face her father. Her conviction slipping, she said, "Try two million."
"Rachel honey, he said he wouldn’t do it for all the money in my bank account. In fact, he told me to shove the checkbook up my," he eyed Ben, "snooty ass. Is that what you called it?"
Ben nodded sheepishly.
"A-all the money…but I heard…you said…" Her voice trailed off as tears filled her eyes. "Oh, Ben…"
She threw herself at him, squeezed tight and covered him in kisses. The goofy grin disappeared, followed by an acute grimace of pain. He grunted in agony.
She jumped up as if burned. "I forgot about the stitches. I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you? Are you bleeding? Oh, Ben, I’m sorry."
Agony or not, that damn grin refused to be squelched. "I love you, Rachel."
Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I love you, too."
She leaned down and kissed him, gently this time. Neither noticed the satisfied smile stretching across her father’s face or him quietly backing out the door.
She lifted her mouth from his. "Did you really tell my dad to shove the checkbook up his ass?"
"Don’t forget snooty, and yeah, I did."
Careful of the IV in his arm, he clasped her head between his hands. "I know we haven’t known each other long, but I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Is that a proposal?"
"Well, not a particularly good one, but yeah, it is."
Her smile was so brilliant and beautiful, he heard the hallelujah choir in his head.
"Yes, I’ll marry you, Ben Colton."
He kissed her. "Maybe the Bureau will take me back. If not, I’m sure I can find another job," he offered.
She looked confused. "But you were so excited to be working with your brother."
"I’m more excited to be with you."
"Oh, Ben, I can paint anywhere. I want to move with you. Besides," she added, "April and Peter will be there, too."
"What about Eddie." If he sneered the name, he couldn’t help it.
"Eddie, who?" she asked with wide-eyed innocence just before she kissed him.
# # #
About the Author
Velvet Vaughn is the author of The List and The Fan, the first two books in the COBRA Securities series, as well as the Christmas Novella, A Christmas Miracle. The fourth book in the COBRA Series, Violets Are Blue, will be published soon.
You can visit her website at: www.velvetvaughn.com and her Facebook Fanpage HERE.
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