Sweet Texas Fire

by Nicole Flockton

  “I don’t think we have much more to talk about, do we? You’re getting what you want.”

  “I know, but I feel I need to be honest with you about the real reasons I want the land.”

  Huh? What did he mean, the “real reasons”?

  “Gage, you’ve made it more than clear. Jack promised he would leave it to you when he died. For reasons unknown to anyone, Jack changed his will and left it to me. What more is there to know?”

  “You remember when you were looking at the house and I told you I wanted to walk the perimeter again?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, the reason I wanted to do it, is because Dad had the land surveyed years ago and found a pocket of oil.”

  As irrational as it seemed, considering her expertise in the business, emotion overtook her sensibilities and all Charlotte could see in her mind was the quaint little house being demolished to make way for rod pumps and storage tanks. The woodland surrounding the property would no doubt be cleared, as well. How many animals would be left without a home? How many plants destroyed?

  “You do realize you’ve taken a big risk in telling me this, don’t you? I don’t have to sell the land to you. Or I could sell the land to you and keep the mineral rights. Because those are what you’re really after, aren’t they? You don’t care about the house or the land, just what’s buried deep below.”

  “Yes, I knew coming here to let you know my real reasons for wanting the land would probably not work in my favor. But I need to be honest with you.”

  “I don’t understand this, Gage. You’ve basically killed any hope of you getting the land by telling me your plans. You know what I do for a living. You know I’ve been fighting with your company to at least try to protect the environment around your rigs. To work on plans to rehabilitate the land after you’ve finished drilling.”

  “Yes, I understand all of that, and while it doesn’t make sense, maybe it will if I tell you the other reason why I’m here.”

  This meeting had turned into something surreal. The man in front of her wasn’t acting like the astute businessman she knew him to be. Why would he all but shoot himself in the foot with his declaration?

  “Lay it on me. I’m sure it can’t be any stranger than what you’ve already told me.”

  Gage leaned over the table and picked up the cat, the little animal mewling in disgust at being woken from its comfortable perch on her desk. “I think we should get married.”

  Now Charlotte knew for sure she’d misheard Gage, even though her heart rate increased at the idea. “I’m sorry, you did not just say that we should get married. That’s the most absurd idea I’ve ever heard. We hardly know each other. We haven’t even been on a proper date. And I don’t count our lunch over the weekend as a date.”

  “I know it seems a bit out of left field, but think about it. Marrying would solve all of our problems.”

  Charlotte couldn’t sit still; she pushed back from her desk and paced the small distance from her chair to the wall and back again. She glanced over at Gage; his eyes were a clear blue. No hint of anything to suggest his brain function might be impaired. Oil Slick looked up from her cozy position in Gage’s arms, telling Charlotte she, too, could spend time in his warm embrace.

  As if she’d want to do that. Perhaps her brain function was impaired if she imagined a cat encouraging her to take Gage up on his absurd suggestion.

  “How on earth would marrying solve our problems?”

  “You know how you talked about that show where couples have ninety days to decide if they want to get married?”

  She looked at him cautiously. “Yes.”

  “Well, the idea hit me Saturday afternoon when we were together that this could be an option for you to stay in the States. I tried to ignore it, but I kept thinking about it. I went and looked on the federal immigration website. It looks like a really easy process to get a green card through marriage. So I decided to run with it.”

  “You decided to run with an idea that could—no wait, will—change our lives. Marriage isn’t a game, you know. When I marry it will be for love and once only.”

  “Just hear me out, okay? If you say no that’s fine, but you have to admit the idea is intriguing.” He flashed a sexy smile and Charlotte’s gaze was drawn back to where the cat still sat.

  “Intriguing? No. A stupid idea? Yes. But fine, I’ll hear you out.” She sat back down behind her desk. “It doesn’t mean I’m going to agree.”

  “Fair enough. As I was saying, it doesn’t appear to be a difficult process, according to what I read on the website. We get married and then fill out the various forms necessary to apply for the green card.”

  “Are you sure? That seems too easy.”

  “Yep, it is. We may have to wait to get the initial approval, but that’s fine. It’s not like we can do anything about transferring the land for twelve months anyway. The bonus is, by having the green card you’ll be able to keep your job. I’m sure your employers will be happy about that. If they’re not, you can easily find another job with your experience. Also, you can work with me through the whole process of getting the land surveyed and all that we have to do to commence the drilling process. I’m not going to start drilling tomorrow. I’m going to wait until oil is at a better price. We can split up a year after we get married. You’ll have your green card then, so you can go anywhere. Get a job in another state. As part of the divorce settlement, I’ll make sure you get a portion of the profits when I start drilling the oil. Those funds alone could mean you probably won’t have to work ever again. You’ll be able to travel to your heart’s content. What do you think?”

  The more he talked, the more excited he got. She knew it wasn’t excitement about marrying her, but more about owning the land and what was beneath the topsoil. And the prospect of fattening of his already fat bank account.

  “I think you’re insane. This whole conversation is unbelievable. Didn’t you hear me when I said I only wanted to get married once—and only for love?”

  “Sure, I heard that, but this would be a purely business arrangement, not a love match. A sale contract, you could say. You get a green card. I get the land. No hearts involved at all.”

  Charlotte laughed at that suggestion.

  “What if I don’t want you to do anything to the land until after I’m gone? Will that be a problem?”

  “As I said, with the price of oil so low at the moment I’m more than happy to wait until it improves before we begin the process of setting everything up and then bringing in the equipment to dig the wells, etc.”

  “No, what I’m saying here is, what if I don’t want you to do a survey? No touching it until I no longer have any real vested interest in the land.”

  While some might have thought she was being difficult, for her it was more about hoping that maybe, just maybe, Gage would see there was more to the land than oil.

  Yeah, like that would ever happen, and judging by the frown on his face, he wasn’t happy with her suggestion to hold off.

  “I don’t see why we have to wait.”

  “It’s my land, Gage. Not yours. That’s the only reason you need to understand.”

  “Fine.” He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “So the marriage would be a business arrangement only. No sleeping together. Nothing like that.”

  “I would think there would be times when we would have to hold hands and maybe kiss. But yes, it would be solely a business arrangement.”

  Charlotte nodded. That would work. It wouldn’t be a hardship to hold hands and occasionally kiss Gage. He was a good-looking guy, and she was slightly attracted to him. No, the issue would be living with him. Being around him and his ego twenty-four/seven.

  God, was she really considering his idea? It would mean she could stay in the States indefinitely. And did it really matter if she blotted her life’s copybook with a divorce? It’s not as if it was frowned upon these days.

  As proposals went, it was t
he most unromantic she could imagine, but yes, she really was considering this idea.

  “Well, as I said earlier, I think you’re insane, and I’m obviously crazy, too, because I’m saying yes. Yes, Gage Cooper, I will marry you.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Gage checked his watch again. He should’ve insisted on picking Charlotte up. For goodness’ sake, they lived less than four blocks apart from each other, but she insisted on making her own way to the airport. Or he should’ve suggested they take his personal jet instead of a flight on a domestic carrier. He’d been reluctant to mention to her that he had his own jet. He didn’t want to seem too arrogant. Now he kind of wished he had.

  As the time ticked away, he began to wonder whether she had developed cold feet and decided not to marry him after all. His phone beeped and he pulled it out of his pocket. Maybe it was a text message from Charlotte, canceling. Nope. Just a text from the surveyor saying he’d received the measurements he’d sent and would arrange the survey when Gage told him to.

  “I’m so sorry I’m late. The security line was a nightmare.”

  Gage jumped and shoved the phone in his pocket. In a whirlwind of motion, so unlike the organized Charlotte he knew, she sat down in the seat next to him. Her sweet, flowery perfume enveloped him, and he took a deep breath.

  “It’s okay. I wasn’t worried.”

  “Liar.” She rolled her eyes. “I saw you glancing at your watch and fiddling with your phone. Your leg was bouncing up and down. You thought I had second thoughts, didn’t you?”

  If she could tell when her brothers were lying, Gage knew there would be no point in trying to evade the truth.

  “Fine, yes. The thought crossed my mind that you were having second thoughts. Can you blame me? You’re cutting it a bit close.”

  “Hey, I’m not the one who changed our plans twice. At the last minute, too, I might add. I should be asking you if you’re having second thoughts.”

  Shit, how did he handle this? He wasn’t having second thoughts. Why would he? In twelve months’ time he was going to get everything he wanted. He needed to make plans, and the people he wanted to speak to had been away. He could’ve waited until after the wedding, of course, but he wanted his plans sorted out before he and Charlotte tied the knot. And one of those had just been confirmed with the text message.

  “No second thoughts here. I had some issues at work I needed to sort out.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  He was saved from answering when the boarding call for their flight to Vegas sounded over the loudspeaker.

  He heard the sharp intake of breath and looked over at her. Charlotte was clutching her bag, her fingers white around the straps. “Are you sure you want to go to Vegas to do this? We could just stay here and go to the registry office. I’m sure Gavin and Macy would be more than happy to act as our witnesses,” he asked.

  She shook her head and put her hand on his arm. Immediately his body flared to life, like solar flares shooting out from the sun. “I’ve never admitted this to anyone. But I kind of dig the idea of getting married in Vegas. It just seems so much fun.”

  “Well, then,” he said, standing and holding out his hand. “Let’s go.”

  • • •

  The car pulled to a stop at the front of the Hotel Bellagio. The fountains danced merrily in an exuberant greeting.

  “Whoa, this is amazing,” Charlotte said as she got out of the car. She had to pinch herself to believe she actually stood in the driveway of a Vegas hotel.

  “It really is a sight to behold at night. I’ll make sure you get to see the full show, but first we’ve got a chapel to get to.”

  Butterflies scurried to life in her belly. She had no idea why she felt so nervous. She could understand if this was a wedding she’d spent months planning. But it had been just a couple of weeks since Gage proposed the idea of marriage. Now here they were, about to embark on a new journey together.

  God, could she sound any cheesier? They weren’t embarking on anything but a business deal.

  “Okay, I’ll hold you to that. Let’s go.”

  Gage steered her toward the lobby, which was as opulent as she expected a Vegas hotel foyer to be. She wasn’t a gambler, but the noise from the casino drifted out—bells ringing, signaling a jackpot win, people yelling in excitement as their number came up on the craps table—tempting her to experience the essence of Las Vegas.

  “Can we go to the casino later on?” she asked.

  “Sure, although I wouldn’t have pegged you as someone who likes to dabble on the tables.”

  “I don’t normally, but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?”

  “Yep. Why don’t you wait here while I go check us in?”

  As he walked away, a sliver of panic fought for supremacy over the nervous butterflies currently occupying her stomach. She hadn’t thought to ask Gage if they would have separate rooms. He had better have booked separate rooms; otherwise they’d have a very short marriage. No way would he assume that just because he put a ring on it, she’d change her mind about sleeping with him. Would he?

  Moments later, Gage returned to her side.

  “You look like you are having a fight with yourself and neither side is winning.”

  “Nope. No fighting. And besides, I always win.”

  He looked at her quizzically, and she expected him to question her further. Instead he shrugged his shoulders in an I’ll-never-understand-women motion.

  “Right, well, how about we go to our rooms? It’s almost one and we have to be at the chapel by four thirty. Will that give you enough time to get ready?”

  “That should be plenty of time.”

  Gage cupped her elbow, then effortlessly weaved them through the crowd to the bank of elevators.

  Minutes later they were walking down the hallway toward their rooms.

  They stopped outside of a door and Gage paused before inserting the key. “I asked for a suite, so that, you know, you could have a separate room to change into, and well—” Charlotte bit her lip to stop herself from laughing as pink stained his cheeks. It actually endeared him to her a little as he worked out what he was about to say next. “I remembered what you said about sleeping arrangements when you agreed to my proposal idea.”

  “Good.” She inclined her head to the door. “How about you open the door and we can get ready for this business deal?”

  “Works for me.”

  He inserted the key into the reader and opened the door, allowing her to precede him into the room.

  It was like they’d entered a small apartment. There was a decent-sized foyer before it opened into a large living room. The back of the room was made up completely of windows, and with the blinds open the Strip was presented before her in all its glory. She couldn’t wait to see what it looked like at night.

  “Pretty spectacular, isn’t it?”

  She was so caught up in the view, she’d momentarily forgotten Gage was in the room with her. “Oh, it is. How many times have you been to Vegas?”

  “I’ve been here a couple of times. A long time ago.” A shadow passed over his face. What had happened?

  “Don’t tell me your trip was like the one in The Hangover. You look like you still have all your teeth,” she joked.

  It brought a wry smile to his face. “Not quite, although when I got home … well, let’s just say that Vegas and I haven’t had the best of relationships.”

  Emotions played across Gage’s face. The man seemed to have so many secrets. If they were in a real relationship, she’d ask him to expand further. But they weren’t, and learning about Gage’s past wasn’t part of the deal.

  “Let’s hope this trip will improve that relationship a little. I can assure you I don’t know anybody here with a pet tiger.”

  “Good to know. Why don’t you pick a room?”

  Charlotte went to walk away, stopping when Gage touched her arm.

  “I know this probably isn’t the wedding day you dreamed o
f, getting married without your family here,” he said quietly. “If you want, we can plan a big party later, either in Sweet Ridge or in Houston.”

  Perhaps Jack had taught his sons some manners along the way. Only an ice queen would miss the sincerity of Gage’s offer. “Thank you. I have to admit, I wasn’t a girl who pored over wedding magazines or dreamed about my big day. We can do a party in Sweet Ridge if you’d like. And it’s okay that my family’s not here. It’s not like this is a real wedding, is it?”

  “Geez, here I am trying to help you and make you feel comfortable with our arrangement, and you go and make a bitchy comment like that.”

  Normally being called “bitchy” would’ve sent her temper steaming to the boiling point. On this occasion, however, she deserved it. Gage was trying to be a gentleman toward her, an action she hadn’t expected. Business marriage or not, she didn’t want it to start off on the wrong foot.

  “I’m sorry, Gage. You’re right, my comment was uncalled for.”

  “Actually, it’s probably a good reminder of where we stand in this whole arrangement. If you still want to go ahead with it, I’ll leave you to get ready.”

  Charlotte sighed, all humor gone from their conversation. “Yes, I still want to get married.”

  He nodded before heading toward one of the bedrooms that led off the main living room. “Fine. I arranged for a car to arrive downstairs at four so it can take you to the chapel.”

  Take her to the chapel? What about him? “You’re not coming with me?”

  “No.” He shrugged his shoulders. “As unconventional as the whole basis of our getting married is, I wanted to give you as much of a real wedding experience as possible. So, in line with wedding traditions, I don’t want to see my bride until she’s walking down the aisle toward me.”

  Charlotte’s mouth dropped open. Never in a million years would she have guessed that the brash, arrogant, accusatory Gage Cooper gave a damn about wedding traditions. She couldn’t deny that if he continued these sorts of thoughtful actions, she could fall for him—and that would be extremely dangerous. The plan was to split after a year. She couldn’t let these wonderful gestures cloud her end goal.