The Lawman’s Blackmailed Bride (Billionaire Brothers 3): BBW Romance by Jenn Roseton Page B
Authors: Jenn Roseton
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can afford to invest in businesses or buy a luxury SUV whenever I feel like it.” He smiled ruefully. “My grandfather had a lot of money and left it to me and my brothers. On the one condition that we didn’t get involved in a serious relationship.”
“ What?” She tried to withdraw her hands, but his grip tightened gently.
“ It’s okay,” he soothed. “My brothers and I were never going to let his money interfere with our lives that way. My brother Alex is a businessman and a whiz on the stock market. We’ve taken his advice on most things, used some of our inheritance as seed money, and now can live comfortably doing what we want to do, not what we have to do to make a living.”
“ Why would your grandfather do something like that?” She stared at him, trying to process everything he said.
He shrugged. “He was a very bitter person. My grandmother eventually left him for another man because she just couldn’t live with him any longer, and nobody blamed her.”
“And your parents?”
He cleared his throat. “I was going to ask if you’d like to meet them. They run a B&B in Vermont. We could fly there this weekend.”
Her heart melted. He wanted her to meet his parents!
“ The reason I’m telling you this is because I’m in love with you, Phoebe.”
“ What?” She stared at him.
“ I’m in love with you.” His thumb caressed her hand.
She froze. Scott had told her he loved her, just before he betrayed her. Although Cole had proven she could trust him with the coin, how could she trust his words of love? And this time, not just her pride would be hurt when Cole tired of her.
His declaration of love changed everything.
Why would such a handsome, rich man be in love with her? She was nobody special. Cole could have any woman he wanted. Why would he want a plump girl like her? She was just a glorified store clerk.
She tugged her hands free. He would grow bored with her - and her figure. Soon, he would probably wonder why he’d ever been attracted to her in the first place.
There was only one thing she could do …
“I think you better go.” Her lips were so stiff she could barely get the words out.
“ What?” He looked at her, shocked. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“ Everything,” she choked, moisture stinging the corners of her eyes. “We don’t belong together, Cole.”
He reached over the table and grabbed her hands. “I’ve just told you I loved you, dammit.”
“That’s the point,” she whispered, looking everywhere except at him. She just couldn’t meet his gaze. Her heart felt like it was cracking in two. But wouldn’t the pain be much worse in a few weeks or months when he realized he didn’t really love her after all?
“ Phoebe, you’re not making sense.” He frowned.
“ I’m making perfect sense.” Her head started to throb. “Please Cole, please go.”
“ No.” He relinquished her hands and walked around to her side of the table. “I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Feeling cornered, she finally glanced at him. Worry and consternation etched his face. “You can’t be in love with me.”
“Of course I can.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, as if his touch would soothe her. Instead, it just made her feel worse. This would be the last contact she’d ever have with him.
“ No.” She didn’t dare trust his words.
“ Do you love me, Phoebe?”
“ I …” she didn’t think she could lie to Cole, but she couldn’t tell him what her feelings were toward him. And right now, she didn’t have a clue what she was feeling. Except she needed to protect herself from heartache.
There was a long pause. “I see,” he said heavily. “I’ll go. But I’m not giving up on you - on us.”
***
Cole drove home in a fog, only one thing on his mind. Phoebe. Everything had been going so well until … he told her he loved her. And about his grandfather’s will. These days, no one in the family cared two hoots
“ What?” She tried to withdraw her hands, but his grip tightened gently.
“ It’s okay,” he soothed. “My brothers and I were never going to let his money interfere with our lives that way. My brother Alex is a businessman and a whiz on the stock market. We’ve taken his advice on most things, used some of our inheritance as seed money, and now can live comfortably doing what we want to do, not what we have to do to make a living.”
“ Why would your grandfather do something like that?” She stared at him, trying to process everything he said.
He shrugged. “He was a very bitter person. My grandmother eventually left him for another man because she just couldn’t live with him any longer, and nobody blamed her.”
“And your parents?”
He cleared his throat. “I was going to ask if you’d like to meet them. They run a B&B in Vermont. We could fly there this weekend.”
Her heart melted. He wanted her to meet his parents!
“ The reason I’m telling you this is because I’m in love with you, Phoebe.”
“ What?” She stared at him.
“ I’m in love with you.” His thumb caressed her hand.
She froze. Scott had told her he loved her, just before he betrayed her. Although Cole had proven she could trust him with the coin, how could she trust his words of love? And this time, not just her pride would be hurt when Cole tired of her.
His declaration of love changed everything.
Why would such a handsome, rich man be in love with her? She was nobody special. Cole could have any woman he wanted. Why would he want a plump girl like her? She was just a glorified store clerk.
She tugged her hands free. He would grow bored with her - and her figure. Soon, he would probably wonder why he’d ever been attracted to her in the first place.
There was only one thing she could do …
“I think you better go.” Her lips were so stiff she could barely get the words out.
“ What?” He looked at her, shocked. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“ Everything,” she choked, moisture stinging the corners of her eyes. “We don’t belong together, Cole.”
He reached over the table and grabbed her hands. “I’ve just told you I loved you, dammit.”
“That’s the point,” she whispered, looking everywhere except at him. She just couldn’t meet his gaze. Her heart felt like it was cracking in two. But wouldn’t the pain be much worse in a few weeks or months when he realized he didn’t really love her after all?
“ Phoebe, you’re not making sense.” He frowned.
“ I’m making perfect sense.” Her head started to throb. “Please Cole, please go.”
“ No.” He relinquished her hands and walked around to her side of the table. “I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Feeling cornered, she finally glanced at him. Worry and consternation etched his face. “You can’t be in love with me.”
“Of course I can.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, as if his touch would soothe her. Instead, it just made her feel worse. This would be the last contact she’d ever have with him.
“ No.” She didn’t dare trust his words.
“ Do you love me, Phoebe?”
“ I …” she didn’t think she could lie to Cole, but she couldn’t tell him what her feelings were toward him. And right now, she didn’t have a clue what she was feeling. Except she needed to protect herself from heartache.
There was a long pause. “I see,” he said heavily. “I’ll go. But I’m not giving up on you - on us.”
***
Cole drove home in a fog, only one thing on his mind. Phoebe. Everything had been going so well until … he told her he loved her. And about his grandfather’s will. These days, no one in the family cared two hoots
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