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‘I knew you’d say that,’ she said, her voice already taking on that argumentative tone, as though she was prepared to go to war over this issue. ‘But I want to. I’m sure someone as driven as you can understand.’

He defused her statement immediately. ‘I have no issues with you working. I’m not a caveman. I just meant, if the baby comes and you feel differently, there’s no pressure from me, either way. It’s your life. Suffice it to say, money won’t be an issue.’

It felt important to get that out. He might have ‘blackmailed’ her into marriage, as she viewed it, but he wasn’t going to micromanage her existence. As far as he was concerned, keeping Sarah happy was an important piece of the puzzle. Unlike Hunt, he intended to at least respect the woman he married.

‘What does that mean?’

When he didn’t answer, she supplied: ‘That money won’t be an issue.’

‘You’ll have access to a credit card. We’ll obviously sign a pre-nup, entitling you to assets if anything happens during our marriage.’

She hesitated a beat, her eyes troubled. ‘I don’t want that.’

‘You don’t want financial security?’

‘I have financial security,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I mean, nothing in the ballpark of this—’ she gestured around the property ‘—but I have enough that I don’t need to use a credit card you give me. So, if you’re hoping you can throw money at me to feel less guilty about forcing me to marry you, think again.’

A moment ago, he’d felt as though they were getting along, sharing a genuine conversation, and now she was right back in the thick of her anger with him—every bit as sudden as a flash flood.

‘Didn’t we just agree you get to choose what you want in a week’s time?’

‘And we both know you’ll fight me for our baby if I decide to walk away. That’s not much of a choice.’

It felt as if a blade were pressing to his side. All his life, he’d tried not to be like his father, yet here he was, doing something decidedly Hunt Carrigan-esque. But even Rex had agreed he’d have likely made the same choice.

‘Are we going to spend the next week arguing about this?’ he asked, with quiet insistence.

She blinked up at him, a frown ghosting her lips. ‘I don’t know,’ she said, after a beat. ‘I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.’ He watched her walk away, because he couldn’t not. The swagger of her hips, the roundedness of her ass and the determination in her spine. Admiration tore through his body, and then he was fast-walking to catch her, falling into step at her side, determined to win her over, even if it killed him.

CHAPTER SIX

‘HOW DO YOU feel about a quick trip to Sydney?’

Sarah almost dropped her spoon, so startled was she by Tate’s entrance to the kitchen the next morning. She’d been lost in thought. Deliciously, distractedly replaying the way they’d spent yesterday afternoon. They’d fought, and then, like one of the darkest storm clouds, it had burst. She’d barely taken a breath to reflect on how incredible it had been to sleep with him again. It showed that their connection was not a fluke. There was something here, even if it was just physical. And it was just physical. Despite the intensity of their connection, she didn’t know Tate well enough to have feelings for him, and there was no way that was going to change in the week he’d given this ‘marriage’ scheme.

Still, she felt as if she’d been caught doing something illicit, and she knew it must show in her face when she glanced across at him.

‘Sydney,’ he said, but with a slow-spreading smirk that made it clear he knew, and he liked it. She straightened defensively, trying to focus.

‘Why?’

‘A few reasons,’ he said. ‘You’re going to need a wedding dress.’

‘That’s a little cocky, isn’t it?’

He grinned at her unintended double entendre, so she rolled her eyes to cover the heat that was surging through her. It was no good. Her eyes dropped of their own accord to admire his body. His whole body, including what his jeans perfectly, lovingly cupped. Yes, definitely just physical.

‘And we need a doctor to confirm the pregnancy.’

That had her smile slipping, something wrapping around her heart with icy cold. ‘Are you saying you don’t believe me?’

His features gave nothing away. ‘It will help expedite the marriage licence.’

That made sense, and yet a part of her didn’t believe it. Wasn’t it more likely that he was getting his own proof before changing his life so fundamentally? And could she blame him? As she’d been so desperate to point out, they barely knew each other. He had no reason to believe she wasn’t some fortune hunter.

She nodded slowly. ‘When would we go?’

‘No time like the present,’ he said. ‘How quickly can you be ready?’