Nina Monroe did not want to admit it but she was desperate. Her mother was ill and an offer of help had come from an unexpected source. A self made man, Lucas Kane had always intimidated Nina back in their high school years. Now that he was swimming in money and gorgeous to boot...? Forget it. It was too good to be true.
Or was it?
***
"So, how was Mrs. Aaron?"
I smiled despite myself, only just remembered that was how Lucas had always called my mother.
"She is... better one day, worse the next," I said, trying to sound calm and level headed. "It was the bewilderment that she found hardest to deal with."
Lucas nodded. "Mrs. Aaron loves being independent. I can imagine how she hates having to ask for help."
I felt another blush coming, it was with unpleasant heat this time. "I don't love it that much either but..."
He held up a hand, "My bad, my bad. I didn't mean it like that.
"And after all, I was the one offering you help."
I took a deep breath. "It was a generous offer. I'm not sure how I could pay it back."
Lucas ran a hand along the edge of the desk and I suddenly had a vivid image of that hand moving down my back - and I shook myself. He was talking business, for God's sake, Nina. Listen.
"The terms are not all that different from any loan you'd get from any bank."
I looked up. "But..."
"It's true however that no bank is giving you any, due to your unfortunate credit score."
I stuck up my chin. "I can't help it, there was no emergency fund for what happened to Mom."
"Maybe not," he said. "But the bottom line is still the same. You can't get a loan, or if you can you'll get one with exorbitant interests, you might as well find a loan shark."
"Maybe I have."
Contrary to what I had expected, Lucas smiled at that. "Financially, my offer is nothing like that of a loan shark's but the other terms... might cause you to change your mind."
My heart skipped a beat. "What other terms?"
He didn't reply for a while and when he finally met my eyes, I felt my throat go dry.
Those brilliant green held my gaze for a while before traveling slowly down my body, I could feel the caress of his eyes and found the atmosphere too thick to breathe.
"No..." I blushed at how breathless and feminine I sounded. "You're... you can't be serious."
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to show you?"
