“Where does this leave us?” she asked hesitantly.
“I want to court you, Gigi.”
Now that he saw a way to have what he wanted, he wasn’t about to beat around the bush.
“You mean as a prelude to marriage?” Her eyes nearly popped from her head.
“What else?” Annoyed by her response, he said, “You needn’t look so shocked. Do you think I am not good enough for you?”
“No.” Twin lines appeared between her brows. “That’s not it at all.”
“Then why is the prospect of marriage to me so inconceivable?”
“To begin with, we hardly know one another?—”
“I’ve just shared more of my past with you than I have with anyone. Lover or otherwise.”
Her expression grew wistful. “I do appreciate your trust. That you see me as brave and resourceful?—”
“And beautiful,” he muttered. “Don’t forget beautiful.”
“There is no denying the physical attraction between us, but…” She bit her lip, her gaze searching his. “We’re enemies, Conrad. When it comes to the spa.”
Relieved at the nature of her perceived obstacle, he said firmly, “We are not enemies. We merely have differing agendas.”
“What is the difference?” She shook her head. “You want to take over the spa, and I will fight until my last breath to help Miss Letty preserve her legacy.”
“I like that about you.”
Her forehead pleated. “Like what?”
“Your loyalty to those you care about. I want that from you,” he said frankly. “That loyalty and steadfast care. Which is why I am willing to give up my plans for Miss Letty’s property.”
“You are?” Disbelief and hope warred on her exquisite features. “But you have a reputation for getting what you want.”
“I want you. More than anything.”
“But the spa.” Her gaze was astute. “It is worth a lot, isn’t it?”
He knew she meant financially. She wouldn’t know that his interest in the place had been solely related to vengeance. Now that he’d set an alternative scheme in motion to ruin Abel Pearce, he no longer needed the spa.
“You are worth more,” he said. “For you, I would gladly give it up.”
“Oh, Conrad. You would do that…for me?”
The warmth in her gaze was worth exposing his past and changing his plans. While there were different ways to achieve his revenge, there was only one Gigi.
“Yes,” he said tenderly. “I would.”
“Then yes,” she breathed. “I would very much like for you to court me.”
Triumph rolled through him. Before she could change her mind, he snatched her onto his lap. She giggled, winding her arms around his neck.
“Then our courtship begins now,” he told her.
Chapter Fifteen
Sitting on Conrad’s lap in a swaying carriage, his mouth moving tenderly over hers, Gigi felt an inexplicable sense of rightness.
