She pressed her fingertips to his mouth, shivering a little at his warm breath. “If you’re sure, I’ll marry you. I love you so much, and besides, it’s not as if my grand plan is working. I haven’t caught a rich man. We both have jobs and apartments. Maybe we won’t be rich, but we can be happy.”
Justin regarded her quizzically. “Is love and happiness enough for you? Are you sure money won’t become an issue?”
Pearl snorted. “I have more fun with you than any other man. I love spending time with you and you make my body sing.” A blush suffused her face when he chuckled. “With you I feel important. Treasured.”
“I do treasure you.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “My Pearl. Are you mine?”
“Yeah, I’m your Pearl,” she said. She’d wondered if she’d feel panic but there wasn’t a trace of fear or anxiety. “I love you.” Liberty and happiness came with the declaration.
“That’s good, babe, because I want to marry you, but I need to tell you something first.”
The panic returned with vengeance. “I’m not dreaming, am I? This is real?”
He smiled and it lit up his beautiful eyes. “Very real. I need to tell you about my job.”
“Did you lose your job?” Oh god. It was happening already. She’d fallen in love with a charming wastrel, just like her mother. The beginning of the end.
“No, nothing like that, but I haven’t been entirely truthful with you. I don’t work for Bellcamp Industries. I own the company.”
“But Bellcamp Industries has garages all over Auckland.”
“Yes.” His gaze remained watchful but he didn’t add anything.
“So…so…” Pearl trailed off, frightened to say what she thought this might mean.
“So I have more money than Andrew,” Justin said with distinct satisfaction.
Confusion hit her square in the chest. “But you live in an apartment. You wear jeans and T-shirts.”
“I like wearing jeans and T-shirts. Babe, you can’t judge by appearances. It’s the inside stuff that counts.” He pulled her against his chest, cuddling her tight before letting her ease away.
Pearl’s forehead furrowed. “I don’t judge by appearances.”
“Don’t you? You only go out with men who dress well, have good jobs and the latest car.”
“I—” The need to defend her actions trembled on the tip of her tongue. The terrible thing—he was right. Guilty as charged. “I just wanted to protect myself,” she whispered.
“I know.”
“I do love you.”
His face softened and he stroked her cheek. “I know you do.”
“That’s why I can’t marry you. I don’t want you to think I’m marrying you for your money.” Pearl stood and walked away, her back stiff. Oh boy. She bit down on the cushion of her bottom lip to stop the fall of tears. Now she’d done it. Pride wouldn’t keep her warm at night, but at least she had her dignity.
Chapter Four
“Well, hell,” Justin muttered, staring after Pearl as she walked away. He hadn’t seen that coming. Leaning back on the blanket, he watched the feminine sway of her hips, the tense, straight shoulders before she climbed into a cab. Damn, she wasn’t getting away that easily.
Justin sprang to his feet, grabbed the blanket and sprinted to his SUV. Fifteen minutes later he thumped on Pearl’s apartment door. It opened half an inch, wide enough to glimpse her sexy eyes and mouth.
“Are you going to let me in?”
“There’s no point.”
“You used me for sex,” he said in a loud voice.
“Not so loud.” The door flew open and Pearl grasped his forearm, dragging him into her apartment. “I did not use you for sex.”
He shrugged, fighting the impulse to grin with all he had. “It sure feels like it. You walked away after I asked you to marry me.”
Her nose lifted into the air and she sniffed. “It wasn’t a very good proposal.”
“But it was a proposal. I want to marry you. I will marry you.” With each word he stalked closer and she edged away until the wall
Justin regarded her quizzically. “Is love and happiness enough for you? Are you sure money won’t become an issue?”
Pearl snorted. “I have more fun with you than any other man. I love spending time with you and you make my body sing.” A blush suffused her face when he chuckled. “With you I feel important. Treasured.”
“I do treasure you.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “My Pearl. Are you mine?”
“Yeah, I’m your Pearl,” she said. She’d wondered if she’d feel panic but there wasn’t a trace of fear or anxiety. “I love you.” Liberty and happiness came with the declaration.
“That’s good, babe, because I want to marry you, but I need to tell you something first.”
The panic returned with vengeance. “I’m not dreaming, am I? This is real?”
He smiled and it lit up his beautiful eyes. “Very real. I need to tell you about my job.”
“Did you lose your job?” Oh god. It was happening already. She’d fallen in love with a charming wastrel, just like her mother. The beginning of the end.
“No, nothing like that, but I haven’t been entirely truthful with you. I don’t work for Bellcamp Industries. I own the company.”
“But Bellcamp Industries has garages all over Auckland.”
“Yes.” His gaze remained watchful but he didn’t add anything.
“So…so…” Pearl trailed off, frightened to say what she thought this might mean.
“So I have more money than Andrew,” Justin said with distinct satisfaction.
Confusion hit her square in the chest. “But you live in an apartment. You wear jeans and T-shirts.”
“I like wearing jeans and T-shirts. Babe, you can’t judge by appearances. It’s the inside stuff that counts.” He pulled her against his chest, cuddling her tight before letting her ease away.
Pearl’s forehead furrowed. “I don’t judge by appearances.”
“Don’t you? You only go out with men who dress well, have good jobs and the latest car.”
“I—” The need to defend her actions trembled on the tip of her tongue. The terrible thing—he was right. Guilty as charged. “I just wanted to protect myself,” she whispered.
“I know.”
“I do love you.”
His face softened and he stroked her cheek. “I know you do.”
“That’s why I can’t marry you. I don’t want you to think I’m marrying you for your money.” Pearl stood and walked away, her back stiff. Oh boy. She bit down on the cushion of her bottom lip to stop the fall of tears. Now she’d done it. Pride wouldn’t keep her warm at night, but at least she had her dignity.
Chapter Four
“Well, hell,” Justin muttered, staring after Pearl as she walked away. He hadn’t seen that coming. Leaning back on the blanket, he watched the feminine sway of her hips, the tense, straight shoulders before she climbed into a cab. Damn, she wasn’t getting away that easily.
Justin sprang to his feet, grabbed the blanket and sprinted to his SUV. Fifteen minutes later he thumped on Pearl’s apartment door. It opened half an inch, wide enough to glimpse her sexy eyes and mouth.
“Are you going to let me in?”
“There’s no point.”
“You used me for sex,” he said in a loud voice.
“Not so loud.” The door flew open and Pearl grasped his forearm, dragging him into her apartment. “I did not use you for sex.”
He shrugged, fighting the impulse to grin with all he had. “It sure feels like it. You walked away after I asked you to marry me.”
Her nose lifted into the air and she sniffed. “It wasn’t a very good proposal.”
“But it was a proposal. I want to marry you. I will marry you.” With each word he stalked closer and she edged away until the wall
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