Free Bad Boy Billionaire: F#cking Jerk 3 by Tawny Taylor Page B

pasture.
    “Are we ever going to get over this?” he grumbled, sounding annoyed as he climbed out of the truck.
    He was annoyed? He was annoyed?
    I didn’t kidnap him.
    I didn’t steal his property and sell it behind his back.
    I didn’t pretend to love him so I could pad my fucking bank account.
    He opened the door for me as I was scrambling toward the driver’s side.
    As I slid out of the passenger seat, I jerked up my chin. “No. We aren’t going to get over this. So how about you take me back to Harper? I’ll call her. She’ll meet us.”
    “No.”
    “No?” I arched a brow. My fingers clenched into fists. “Yes.”
    “No.”
    “Why the hell not?”
    “Because I told you before. I’m not letting you go. You’re mine. So until you’re ready to come with me, and give up the crazy idea of leaving, we are going to sit here and talk.”
    I slumped against the bumper of his stupid truck and crossed my arms over my chest. “Just what is there to talk about? Are you giving me back my fucking ranch?”
    He shoved his hands into his pockets. “No. Not exactly.”
    That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “What does that mean, ‘not exactly’?” I made air quotes.
    “It’s a little complicated.”
    “Not a problem. You have all the time in the world to explain. Because evidently you have nothing better to do than to hold me hostage. Freaking stalker. That’s what you are.”
    The corners of his mouth twitched.
    Bastard thought this was funny? It wasn’t funny.
    “Start talking or I’m going to start walking,” I threatened, hooking my thumb over my shoulder.
    He gave me the surrender sign, both hands lifted. “I’m getting to the point.” He inhaled deeply. “After the fire, Hardin contacted me about Silver Sage. He told me that he had to activate the surrender clause, moving the property from you to me. I told him it didn’t have to be done, that you could still operate the ranch without the house, but he said he was obligated to follow your aunt’s will and loss of any portion of the property under suspicious circumstances, in addition to the mounting debt the ranch had already incurred, were causes for immediate termination of your contract.”
    “How convenient for you,” I informed him with a shake of the head. “Since it was your fucking sister who burned it down. You know what? I don’t care anymore. It was probably only a matter of time anyway. I didn’t know what I was doing. The ranch was in trouble. There was no way I was going to turn it around.” Feigning indifference, I tossed a hand. “All the more reason to let me go to California with Harper. I can start over. Doing what I’ve always wanted to do-- educate and help young women. My dream was never to run a ranch.” I slumped onto the truck’s banged up bumper and crossed my arms. “I was mad at you. But now that I think about it, you’ve done me a favor. I’m free now. Free of an obligation I never wanted.” I stood and turned my back to him, intent on getting back in the truck and catching up to Harper and Mike. “Best of luck to you.”
    “No.” He caught my shoulders and swiveled me around to face him. “You aren’t going to do this to me.”
    “Do what to you?”
    “You aren’t going to pretend none of it matters… that we don’t matter.”
    Shit. My gaze took in Clay’s tense features before finding his eyes. Eyes full of raw, genuine emotion.
    I couldn’t stay angry with this man. It was impossible. Not seeing the vulnerability glimmering in those eyes of his. “Clay, I don’t know what matters anymore.” I scrubbed my face with my palms. “I’m tired. So tired. Ever since I drove into Dawson my life has been one disaster after another. Maybe things will get better when I leave…”
    His grip on my upper arms tightened. “Disaster? Is that what we are?”
    I couldn’t answer his question. Were we? Weren’t we? As hard as I’d tried, I couldn’t trust him. I was hurting him. I knew that. But