Broken River - Ruby Shae Page 0,1

sweetheart, but no one I know would willingly send you here, so let’s start over. Who are you, and what do you want?”

She really wanted to speak to him face-to-face, but it was clear he wasn’t leaving his hiding place any time soon, and she knew she was running out of time.

“My name is Elle Masters, and Gavin Masters is—was—my brother. He—”

“Was?”

There was movement on the side of the house, and a man stepped out of a carport looking structure that she guessed was the regular parking space for the golf cart. The barrel of the gun was resting on his shoulder, but she knew that didn’t mean she was safe. At least not yet. If he decided she really was trespassing, then he could still fire the weapon in a few quick maneuvers.

He stepped further into the sunlight, and her mouth went dry. If this guy was Liam, which she guessed he was, she would have no problems staring at him for the next two years. The man was rough around the edges, there was no denying that, but damn…he was gorgeous.

And tall.

And muscular.

God, he was nearly ten feet away, but she could clearly see the outline of his biceps as if she was standing right next to him, and his legs…shit. He was strong, and powerful, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have him on top of her—inside her—filling up her needy core.

Her pussy twitched, as if on board with the idea of having sex with this stranger, and her cheeks heated at the same time she realized she was staring. She hadn’t even looked at his abs, or anywhere else, but she felt his eyes boring into her, so she forced herself to meet his gaze.

Dark, hard eyes studied her with a hint of annoyance, and there was no doubt he’d caught her checking him out. He probably knew exactly what she’d been thinking, and from the look on his face, he wasn’t impressed with the idea at all.

Not that she was surprised.

Men, in general, weren’t impressed by her, and she was glad there wasn’t anything about mandatory sex or consummation in the documents she held. They had to sleep under the same roof, but they never had to touch each other, and hopefully he wouldn’t hold her attraction toward him against her.

She knew he was probably used to being ogled by all types of women, but she wasn’t beautiful, and passing someone on the street was way different than being stuck at home with an admirer who you found physically disgusting.

God, hopefully she hadn’t already messed this up.

He was still studying her, and so incredibly quiet it was unnerving. The lines on his face were hard, like they had been carved out of granite, and she briefly noted his chestnut brown hair was pulled back into a man bun. As far as she was concerned, his long hair was his one flaw, and she planned to use that to her advantage. If she concentrated on that, and not the rest of his gorgeous body, she might survive their arrangement with some of her dignity intact.

If he agreed to help her.

“Yes, was,” Elle took a deep breath before she explained further. Talking about her brother’s accident still hurt. “He was hit by a truck and killed instantly about a month ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, taking a few steps closer. “Gavin was a good man, and a good friend to me. I will miss him a lot. But that still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here.”

“Are you Liam Rivers?” she asked.

“I am.”

“My brother left me a substantial amount of money, but I can’t have it until I meet the stipulations outlined in his will. Well, just one stipulation, actually. You and I have to get married—and stay married—for two years.”

“Married?” He laughed the same fake sounding laugh from before. “Sorry, sweetheart, I’m sure it would be…interesting, but I’m not marrying you. You’ve wasted your time coming out here.”

Without another word, he turned away, and started walking back toward the carport. He was dismissing her, just like everyone else, and she desperately wanted to get back into her SUV and go home.

Except she no longer had a home. Or an apartment. Or…actually any place to stay for the night. Her plan had been to rent a cabin if Liam refused to marry her, but even though he was walking away, she wasn’t done talking.

And she really wanted her brother’s money.

“Wait!