with. And you’re still wrong aboutStargate, by the way.”
She pinched him. “I’ll never agree.” She paused, then spoke in a quiet but steady
voice. “I’m willing to see where this takes us, Gage. As far as you want it to go.”
“Sorry, honey, it doesn’t work that way. I know how farIwant us to go. How about
you?”
She stared up at him and tenderly grasped a lock of hair that had fallen across his
forehead, tucking it behind his ear. “I want the whole package, Gage. Forever.”
He let out the breath he’d been holding. “Me too. I love you, Hailey. And I want to
marry you, have kids with you. But when you’re ready. I’m willing to wait as long as it
takes.”
She smiled with happiness, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Hell, baby. Don’t cry now.”
“I won’t.” She sniffed. “But I can’t marry you unless you agree to give up your side
job.”
“Side job?” He suddenly paled. “Oh. Speaking of jobs. I don’t believe I mentioned
what I really do for a living.”
www.samhainpublishing.com 79
Marie Harte
“You’re a construction worker.”
“I work construction, yes. But I actually own part of the company.”
“I know. Sydney told me a few days ago. And Dylan mentioned it when he invited
me last night.”
“Great,” he growled. “You might have mentioned it earlier. I was worried about how
you might take it.”
“What? That you deliberately led me to believe you had little money, that you were a
blue-collar stiff?”
“That, yeah. But it wasn’t that I didn’t trust you. Okay, in the beginning it was. But
Hailey, I just wanted you to like me for me, not for my money or, God forbid, Derrick.”
She laughed and hugged him. “I get it, believe me, I get it. And don’t worry. Derrick
and Dylan are handsome, but not nearly as hot as you are.” She clenched him tight and
