“If you like.” My smile fell away. “I can’t ask you to pay me.”
“You didn’t ask. I offered. What’s more, I’ll pay your bills directly, and order you to accept it.” He rose and cleared his dishes and mine. I stared at the woodgrain on the table, wondering if things could really get better, wondering if I dared to hope.
“If your mom moves there, you could sell the trailer. Move in permanently. Maybe even go back to college, finish up your degree. They have a commuter program. I checked.”
I closed my eyes. “Cole, I can’t.”
“Course you can. I’d pay for it.”
My eyes flew open. The handsome man across from me offered a smile that looked almost shy. And I realized that for the past few days, I’d been living in a dream.
Time to wake up.
“Why?” I asked. I made my voice hard.
“Why?” He frowned. I noticed his cheeks were flushed.
“You heard me, Cole.” I leaned forward. “Why would you do this? Why wouldn’t you just arrest me that night? Anyone else would’ve gotten in trouble.”
“Haven’t we been over this?”
“No. You never really answered. You say things likeI’m claiming youandyou’re mineand I just go with it. But I don’t know what any of it means.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Now his neck was just as flushed as his face.
“No.” I suddenly was fighting tears. If it wasn’t important enough for him to say how he felt about me, then all of this was blackmail. And I was no better than a whore.
“Because I like you, Regina.”
Fury surged through me. “Like?” I waved my hand at the kitchen. “I am wearing a ridiculous costume. I even wore these torture things for you-” Reaching down, I pulled off the shoes and threw them at his head.
Cole raised his arms and pushed back in his chair. He started to rise and I beat him to it, standing so fast my own chair almost fell over.
“And all’s you can say is that you like me?” I screeched so loud the neighbors could hear.
“Regina, look.” His cheeks burned red as if I’d slapped him. I didn’t know if he was angry or embarrassed. “I’m not good with words like you?—”
“Try, Cole.”
He took a deep breath and?—
Nothing.
I shoved my chair back and stomped to the living room.
“I’ve got to go.”
Cole followed. “What are you doing?”
“What I should have done in the first place, instead of embezzling. Find some rich guy and suck his dick until he pays all my bills. Someone who isn’t you. All this time I should’ve used my body and I’ve been trying to use my brain. Silly me. Thanks for enlightening me.”
I picked up his landline—he kept one as sheriff. He took the phone out of my hand and threw it against the wall, where it shattered.
“What do you think this is?” He advanced. “You think this is some sort of game? That I would tell you I’m claiming you and then sit back and watch you walk out to another guy?”
I backed away. “Cole, I?—”
“Answer me,” he shouted.
