Free Worth The Price (Hart's Fall, Montana) by Delilah Hunt

tongue over her lips.
    A muffled oath sprang from his lips. She barely had time to blink before Brandon’s mouth descended on her lips in a searing kiss. He wound his fist around the hair loosened at her nape then pressed his forehead to hers. His breath came out in short rasps beside her ear, as she whispered, “Take me home, Brandon.”

Worth the Price

     
 
    Hours later after the workers trickled out of the house, Brandon wasn’t sure if he was relieved or terrified. He was a married man without a single clue of what he was doing. Marrying Danika or any other woman for truth sakes, had never been in his plans, but the alternative of allowing Danika to walk away from him, possibly into the arms of another man who could provide her with the money she needed, was unthinkable.
    And now…now he was staring at his wife of only a few hours, as she stood by the doorway of the kitchen, fear and restlessness mirrored in her alluring dark brown eyes. Did she think he was going to attack her on their first night together?
    Brandon clenched his hands at his sides. God, he hoped he wouldn’t. That dress she was wearing didn’t help in the slightest to calm the raging erection inside his pants. Since the moment she had stepped out of the limousine, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her. Being alone with her made keeping his distance a feat unto itself.
    Danika might not welcome his touch right now, but at least he could look. And look his fill he would. Brandon lowered his gaze to the steady rise and fall of her chest. Her breasts were pushed high against the barely there neckline. They looked as if they would spill blessedly out, with much luck right into his awaiting hands, if she made the slightest ill movement. Sadly, the moment never came.
    Brandon swallowed a lump in his throat and crooked his finger to her. He prayed she would come to him. He needed to feel the softness of her skin beneath his touch to remind himself this wasn’t another dream that left him burning with arousal so hot, not even the bitter reality of their differences could extinguish it.
    “Your friends were all really nice.” She stopped before him, her lips tilted in a smile.
    His own lips curved in response. He knew her smile was a mixture of nerves and bravado.
    “They’re workers. I write their paychecks. They have to be nice.”
    Her smile wilted in the span of a heartbeat. Sensing her plan to withdraw from him, Brandon maneuvered his arm around her waist. He held her close with one hand rested above the small of her slender back, right at the provocative dip where the silken fabric hugged the bare skin above her sweetly rounded ass.
    She stiffened at his touch and averted her eyes with a defiant turn of the chin. Her refusal to look at him spurred Brandon into anger. “How interesting. You’ve yet to ask about the money. Were you thinking about it while you repeated the vows, Danika? Perhaps that explains why the words fell so easily and sweetly off your lips? Or were you waiting until after we had sex to demand your payment?”
    Her huge brown eyes grew wide, reflecting his own shock that he’d lashed out and demeaned her. The acid taste of shame and regret on the surface of his tongue robbed him of speech. The hand on her bottom fell limply at his side.
    “How…” She took a sharp breath. “How long were you waiting to say that to me?”
    Shite . “Danika, I didn’t—”
    “You meant it. You’re thinking of me just like everyone else would if they found out I agreed to marry you for money.” She shook her head. “You have no idea how much I’m starting to despise that word. When I recited those vows, money was nowhere on my mind. You can’t imagine how many nights I’ve lain in bed this past week eaten up with regret that our longest conversation in the two years I’ve known you was centered on money. I wish it could have been different.” She threw a hand in the air. “What am I even saying? My reasons for