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talk more later was a sixty-percent yes. He’d take that over a one-hundred-percent no! Even tired, adrenaline gave him the energy to get through breakfast and help Kelsey return to the car.
    What a weird thought that she might be his wife soon.
    Exactly where she belonged.

Chapter 6
     
    The food smelled divine, but fell apart like sawdust in Kelsey’s mouth.
    Ronan wanted to marry her. Maybe? She couldn’t quite figure out what was going on. Her normally quick wit continued to fail her and she couldn’t focus on more than one thing at a time. “Okay, I understand you need to marry me, or someone, to keep your land because of conditions or something. That’s fine. I get that. But what’s in it for me? I mean, why is it worth my while?”
    A slow smile spread across his lips, lighting up the chocolate of his eyes while reaching down into her lap and starting a slow fire.
    Damn him and her reaction to him. Kelsey adjusted her legs, crossing her ankles and tucking her feet further back under her seat.
    Ronan finished swallowing his food and drank slowly from the mug as he watched her like he wanted to drink her. Shivers covered her in goose bumps.
    “Tell you what, since you obviously can’t remember what my place is like, why don’t you just come down and stay a while. You don’t have a place right now. No job. I have both and we need to discuss the terms, if you’re even interested.” He straightened in his chair and studied her brevity in his gaze. “Kelsey, I’m not so cold that I’d leave you alone. No expectations, come stay as a guest and when we’re both rested, we can discuss this again. Sound good?”
    Unable to look away from his hypnotic lips, Kelsey nodded. What could she say? She didn’t have a bed for the night and her funds had reached an all-time low with no paycheck in sight.
    “Good. Now eat up. You’re much too thin.” He pointed at her plate with his fork and then returned to his own meal.
    With the subject on hold, Kelsey’s appetite returned and the omelet melted in her mouth.
    Hopefully, Ronan didn’t change his mind about her staying with him for a couple days. Because she didn’t need long to think about a dream she’d had coming true. Maybe married to a James, she’d finally have the respect she needed to feel human. Maybe people would look past her heritage and actually see her when she was dressed with money.
     
    ~~~
     
    Rolling over, Kelsey buried her face in the crisp white pillow case. She stretched her legs in the queen-sized bed and arched her back. Oh, a big bed. Not a twin. Nope. She cuddled deeper and fanned her arms out, taking up as much room as possible.
    Opening her eyes, she blinked at the sudden brightness. Squinting at the open curtains, Kelsey waited for a memory of where she was or what she was doing to surface from the alcohol fog she found herself in so often. She’d never gone home with a guy, at least not since Sonny, but the circumstances around her life with him were also filled with self-loathing and shame. The bastard just happened to know how to pick up the women with the worst cases of low self-esteem and take advantage.
    Kelsey glowered at the ceiling. What a way to ruin her surroundings. She needed a Bloody Mary, like now.
    Her suitcases stood sentry beside the dark-trimmed door. A flash of her father yelling at her on his lawn crossed her mind and she groaned. Pushing herself up from the bed, she rummaged through her largest bag for some clothes.
    She froze and glanced down the length of her body. Her practical white bikini bottom panties and matching sports bra along with her numerous pale scars adorned her body. And that was all.
    A quick search of the room revealed her work uniform was nowhere to be found. She bent over again and dug harder through her stuff for some clothes. Anything at that point would do.
    Finally, she yanked a pair of yoga pants and a University of Montana t-shirt from the inner organs of her suitcase. When she’d