his firm thighs. Eli’s thumb moved gently, slowly, in a rhythmic pattern over them. “Why ridiculous?” he repeated.
“You expect me to believe that you would….” Will’s voice wavered as he tried to finish his sentence. The word “marry” was sticking in his throat. “That you would….”
“Marry you?” Eli finished for him.
“Yes, exactly.”
“Say ‘yes’, and I’d marry you in a heartbeat.” His words even amazed him, and he realized that indeed the thought of Will as his husband was not unpleasant.
Will started to laugh but stopped when he saw the seriousness of Eli’s expression. He wasn’t amused, and he wasn’t joking.
“Why is it so hard to believe?” Eli moved closer as he spoke, and his hand moved to Will’s waist as his arm brought him a little closer.
This is ridiculous , he thought. He no more wants to marry me than he wants Martin to marry Katrina. He has something in mind, and it most certainly will not be nice. He and Martin were made to look like fools. He needs retribution, and he doesn’t care who pays, as long as it is in the family. All of these considerations raced through his thoughts as Eli waited for him answer.
Eli restated his question. “Why do you find it so hard to believe?”
“Because it is unbelievable,” Will answered. “An offer like that, given to someone like me, from someone like you, under these circumstances, is more than a little suspect. Wouldn’t you agree?” he challenged, meeting his gaze squarely.
“What is it that you suspect?” he asked almost absently.
“I suspect that you are playing me for a fool. You think that like Katrina, I will forfeit everything, including my self-respect, for a rich husband.” His anger and frustration rose. “You make that ridiculous proposal after knowing me for only a few days. I could be an axe murderer for all you know. Maybe I killed my last three husbands, you don’t know. All you really wanted was for me to jump at the opportunity so you could show that I, too, am nothing but a gold digger and then… who knows? I assume you had something particularly ugly in store for me.”
“You’re right on the mark. Although, I’ve always been quite certain that you are not an axe murderer, and I would never do anything ugly to you.” He paused for a moment, as if he were considering his next words carefully. “I was testing you to see if you were telling me the truth, or if you were, as Katrina stated, the brains of the operation.”
“So, was the bank card a test too? Were you expecting me to rob you blind?” He stood up and crossed over to the desk. He needed distance and was not enjoying being close to Eli right now.
Eli looked up at Will from where he was still seated on the bed. “Yes.” Cold and clear, it was all he said.
His honesty was a relief, but the truth was also chilling in its calculated simplicity. “So where do I stand?” His tone was less angry and more resigned.
Elijah stood and walked toward him. Will stiffened but fought off the desire to back away as he approached. Eli’s eyes locked with Will’s. “I believe you are who you have presented yourself to be. You are a man who, begrudgingly, is forced to take care of his sister. You don’t approve of her and have little to do with her outside of the trouble spots in her life. You live a sheltered, bitter, angry existence in a small town. You keep yourself cut off from others as much as possible. I believe you have suffered much disappointment at the hands of relatives, and perhaps friends, and have since decided that your best course is to depend on no one but yourself.”
Eli’s words sunk in slowly. He wasn’t making fun; he was serious. This was much more of a declaration than he’d expected. Will wasn’t prepared for the insight he gave. How dare he lay me bare like this as if he knows me. Will turned on him with contempt. “Oh right, it’s all my fault, of course! Isn’t it always. What
“You expect me to believe that you would….” Will’s voice wavered as he tried to finish his sentence. The word “marry” was sticking in his throat. “That you would….”
“Marry you?” Eli finished for him.
“Yes, exactly.”
“Say ‘yes’, and I’d marry you in a heartbeat.” His words even amazed him, and he realized that indeed the thought of Will as his husband was not unpleasant.
Will started to laugh but stopped when he saw the seriousness of Eli’s expression. He wasn’t amused, and he wasn’t joking.
“Why is it so hard to believe?” Eli moved closer as he spoke, and his hand moved to Will’s waist as his arm brought him a little closer.
This is ridiculous , he thought. He no more wants to marry me than he wants Martin to marry Katrina. He has something in mind, and it most certainly will not be nice. He and Martin were made to look like fools. He needs retribution, and he doesn’t care who pays, as long as it is in the family. All of these considerations raced through his thoughts as Eli waited for him answer.
Eli restated his question. “Why do you find it so hard to believe?”
“Because it is unbelievable,” Will answered. “An offer like that, given to someone like me, from someone like you, under these circumstances, is more than a little suspect. Wouldn’t you agree?” he challenged, meeting his gaze squarely.
“What is it that you suspect?” he asked almost absently.
“I suspect that you are playing me for a fool. You think that like Katrina, I will forfeit everything, including my self-respect, for a rich husband.” His anger and frustration rose. “You make that ridiculous proposal after knowing me for only a few days. I could be an axe murderer for all you know. Maybe I killed my last three husbands, you don’t know. All you really wanted was for me to jump at the opportunity so you could show that I, too, am nothing but a gold digger and then… who knows? I assume you had something particularly ugly in store for me.”
“You’re right on the mark. Although, I’ve always been quite certain that you are not an axe murderer, and I would never do anything ugly to you.” He paused for a moment, as if he were considering his next words carefully. “I was testing you to see if you were telling me the truth, or if you were, as Katrina stated, the brains of the operation.”
“So, was the bank card a test too? Were you expecting me to rob you blind?” He stood up and crossed over to the desk. He needed distance and was not enjoying being close to Eli right now.
Eli looked up at Will from where he was still seated on the bed. “Yes.” Cold and clear, it was all he said.
His honesty was a relief, but the truth was also chilling in its calculated simplicity. “So where do I stand?” His tone was less angry and more resigned.
Elijah stood and walked toward him. Will stiffened but fought off the desire to back away as he approached. Eli’s eyes locked with Will’s. “I believe you are who you have presented yourself to be. You are a man who, begrudgingly, is forced to take care of his sister. You don’t approve of her and have little to do with her outside of the trouble spots in her life. You live a sheltered, bitter, angry existence in a small town. You keep yourself cut off from others as much as possible. I believe you have suffered much disappointment at the hands of relatives, and perhaps friends, and have since decided that your best course is to depend on no one but yourself.”
Eli’s words sunk in slowly. He wasn’t making fun; he was serious. This was much more of a declaration than he’d expected. Will wasn’t prepared for the insight he gave. How dare he lay me bare like this as if he knows me. Will turned on him with contempt. “Oh right, it’s all my fault, of course! Isn’t it always. What
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