Page 139 of Nobody's Girl

Heat filled her as she stood up. “Me? You’re not nearly finished with your confession!”

Ethan grabbed her wrists, as he feared she might try to hit him. “Look, I told you about the fake family and why I did it. There’s no more. I’d like for you to admit that you planned on tricking me into marrying you.”

“I admit it,” Kel spat at him. “Before I ask for your forgiveness for such a thing though, I want more of that honesty you spoke about. I want to know it all, Ethan Southern. Every last bit of it!”

“Well, Griffin is going to make Jess think she’ll have to jack off bulls to be his wife. Phoenix is making Cait think that she’ll have to live in the middle of a stinking oilfield if she wants him to marry her. We all came up with ideas that make us seem less attractive as husbands.” He sat her back down. “There you have it.”

“I’m going to let you have it if you don’t come clean, Ethan. You have mere seconds. I’m about to count to three, and if I get to the last number and the whole truth hasn’t begun to pour from those lips then you will feel my wrath. You and your friends!” The look on her face made him think she knew about the bet.

But how could she? Unless one of his friends had told one of her sisters. That would be the only way, in his opinion. “Who told who what, love?”

“One!” Kel shouted at him.

“Damn it! Kel, you have to tell me what you know,” he shouted back at her.

“Two!” she said through clenched teeth. Her eyes were growing shimmery with what he was sure were angry tears. And when a woman cried those kinds of tears, anything could happen. Thr—”

“Stop!” he shouted as he held up his hands in surrender. “Stop counting. We had a bet.”

Kel couldn’t stop the tears as they crept out of her eyes. He’d finally been honest. “About?”

“About getting laid. Who’d get laid first.” Ethan got on his knees in front of her and took her hands in his, pulling them up to his cheeks where he rubbed them to his face. “We picked the women for each other. You were chosen for me. Kel, I swear it to ya, I’ve never met a woman more perfect for me.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “Ethan, finally. We’ve known since the first night. That’s why we led you all on then left you. The bartender is our cousin; he overheard you and told us. Damn, that feels awesome to get off my chest. The marriage thing we were talking about was to get even with you all.”

Ethan nodded. “That sounds more reasonable than thinking you three strong women wanted what you were talking about.”

“I’m going to call my sisters and tell them to come clean. I can’t imagine the torture their men are putting them through. And you call your friends and let them know the bet’s off.” Kel pulled her hands away from Ethan, but he came along with them and kissed her with a passion he’d never felt before.

The woman was his equal in all ways. And the bet was behind them. The truth had been exposed, and he was about to make sure she knew how he really felt about her.

Chapter 33

Jess cringed as the tall man with the gun walked over to them as they laid on their stomachs on the floor, hands behind their head. He was still pointing it at Griffin, who said, “I’m Griffin Houser. And who the hell are you?”

“Oh, shit!” the man whispered. “Sorry, sir. Here, let me help you up!”

“Don’t bother,” Griffin growled as he got up and helped Jess up too. “And you are?”

“The new head of security. Donald Noland.” He extended his hand for a shake, and Griffin just looked at it.

“I don’ think so,” Griff said as he glared at the man. “My fucking pictures are all over the house. Don’t try to tell me you had no idea who I was.”

“No, sir, really,” Donald said. “This is my first night to work. I was hired on to secure the outside, the animals. The inside is still your security guy you’ve had for years. Mr. Stout is the one who hired me to take care of the outside. I haven’t even met your family yet.”

Griffin’s cell phone rang, and he took it out of his pocket. “It’s Ethan.”

When Jess’ cell rang too, she pulled it out of her pocket and saw it was Kel. “I hope nothing’s happened!”

Griff gave Donald a nod. “Go on about your business. We’re going inside, anyway.” He led Jess out of the barn and back toward the house as he answered his phone. “Griffin here, Ethan.”

“The jig is up. Time to tell Jess about the bet,” Ethan told him.

Jess was listening to Kel as she told her, “I got it out of Ethan about the bet. It’s off. Tell Griff about the fake marriage scam.”

“Wow,” Jess said as she followed Griff into the house. “You’re remarkable.”