Cowboy Jackpot: Valentine's Day by Randi Alexander

alternative—"
    "Hang on." Dallas put up his hand toward the manger,
but looked directly at Kira. "You're saying you want to give me all the
money."
    "That's what I'm saying." She picked up the pen
and signed on the line. "There. It's all yours."
    The manager sat, and so did her attorney.
    "Now, Mr. Burns." The manager set another stack of
papers closer to Dallas. "If you would, please."
    Dallas's gaze didn't veer from hers. "Why? Why don't
you want the money?" His face told her he still didn't trust her. He was
expecting a trick.
    Barret cleared his throat. "Kira is from one of the
twenty richest families in New York."
    She watched Dallas's face turn from red to white.
    "So, one day, you'll inherit? You'll be rich?"
    She opened her mouth, searching for the right words.
    "Kira has already inherited millions of—" Barret
blurted.
    "Please." She turned to her attorney.
"Barret, thank you." She glanced at the manager's nametag. "Mr.
Truman?"
    "Please, call me Ray."
    "Ray. Is there somewhere that Mr. Burns and I can
talk?"
    The manager stood. "You're welcome to my office for as
long as you like." He stepped toward the door. "Mr. Weis, would you
care for a cup of coffee?"
    Barret looked at Kira. She nodded. He handed her a large
brown envelope. "Here's that other matter you'd asked me to look
into." He frowned at Dallas then glanced back at her. "We had
success."
    Relief flowed through her. At least one thing had gone
right.
    The moment the door closed, Dallas crossed his arms, a look
of complete irritation on his face. "Another background check on me, I
assume."
    "No." Asshole. She bit back the anger. She'd
probably be just as angry if she were in his shoes. Boots. "Oh hell."
She flopped down in a chair. "Let me explain."
    Instead of sitting next to her, he leaned back against the
desk. Always on guard. Always cautious.
    "Dallas, why don't you trust me?" She didn't mean
to jump right in, but now that she was hip deep… "I mean, I know why. Your
history. Your very recent history, especially." She glanced up into his
suspicious eyes. "But why me in particular. What did I do to make you
distrust me?"
    "At the roulette table, you were going on about having
the money direct deposited. You warned me that I had to play by your rules or I
wouldn't get a penny." He braced his hands on the desk on each side of his
thighs and leaned over her. "Then after our meeting here yesterday, you
ran back in for God knows what." He sat back. "Some lie about your
gold pen." He flung a hand toward her purse. "Which is probably real
gold, too."
    The accusation in his voice nearly made her heart crumble.
    "I told you I would give you half. You couldn't believe
me?"
    "I did." His voice rolled low and fierce.
"Until you went back into the manager's office."
    She sat back and crossed her arms, letting her temper rise a
bit. "You want the truth?"
    "Please." The word cracked like a whip.
    "At first, I wanted to push you. To see if you'd snap,
become…violent."
    "Fuck." He said it through clenched teeth.
    "Then I realized that the court found you not guilty
because you were innocent." She let the feeling of that pivotal moment
wash through her like a calming stream. "Then…" This was going to be
the difficult part. Opening her heart to him. "I didn't tell you about
giving you the entire jackpot because I wanted to keep you close." A wave
of emotion threatened tears. "I wanted to see if you were as amazing as I
remembered you from December."
    "Huh." He didn't look or sound quite as angry.
    She wouldn't reveal everything, though. She'd keep the
secret that she did find him as amazing—more amazing—than she'd thought him
back then. "I wanted to see where this connection between us led. I wanted
you in bed, Dallas. And I wanted to see the surprise on your face when I told
you I was giving you the whole jackpot." She looked at his wary expression
and her eyes misted. That whole plan sure went to hell.
    "Kira."
    His cold tone told her everything. She stood and