Page 34 of Love Bomb

“Yup. And my money-grubbing parents are desperate to get their hands on it.” She rested a hand on his arm. “I can’t let that happen, Bain. You know I can’t. All they care about is money. Nothing else. For the first time in my life, I have a chance to force them to change. If I can take away the money, they might at least try to behave like decent human beings. You understand, don’t you?”

“Oh yeah, I understand.” He stroked Tom, who seemed very happy with the attention.

Rona sipped the cocoa, but even with the warm room and the hot drink, the cold started to seep in and she shivered.

Of course, Bain noticed. “We need to get you into bed,” he said.

Rona felt her cheeks heat, but knew Bain had missed the double meaning. He’d never think of her that way. He’d made that quite plain, on more than one occasion when she was young.

She lifted her nearly full mug. “I’ll finish this first. It’s helping.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he let it drop. “Would it be so bad to just give your parents the folly and the money?” he asked. “Twenty-seven million won’t last them forever, and what you want will eventually come about anyway.”

“I can’t,” Rona said simply. “You don’t give an addict more of the stuff that’ll destroy them. That’s what I would be doing with my parents.” She switched position to kneeling. “Do you know how many of my phone calls they’ve returned in the past five years?”

He shook his head.

“None. Not one. They don’t call, there are no Christmas cards, no birthday presents, nothing. Now ask me how many calls I’ve received since I inherited the folly?”

Bain’s lips pursed in disgust. “You have to live for more than revenge, Rona,” he said softly.

“This isn’t revenge. It’s desperation.” She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. “I know how stupid this sounds, but…”

She couldn’t get the words out. It was impossible. They stuck in her throat like jagged little rocks. The kind a toddler would throw in a fit of rage. And that’s what this whole thing made her feel like—a needy little girl who wanted to be loved, and who was going to kick up a fuss if it didn’t happen. It was sad and pathetic and…desperate.

She blinked back stupid tears.

To her surprise, Bain sat forward and tucked her hair over her shoulder. “You hope that without money in the way, you might have a chance at a relationship with your parents, don’t you?”

She nodded as she fought the tears. Lowering her head against the shame of being so needy. Of wanting her family to love her.

“Auch, Rona, there’s nothing wrong with wanting something like that.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Okay, you win. I’ll blow up the folly for you, Demon Girl.”

She wasn’t sure what shocked her more—him changing his mind, or him using the nickname he’d given her when she was ten.

“You will?” Please, please, don’t let this be a dream.

“Aye. Against my better judgment, I will. Anyway, I can’t have you trying to do the job yourself. If your explosives efforts are anything like your thieving ones, you’ll blow us all to kingdom come.”

A massive wave of relief, gratitude, and just pure joy swept over Rona.

Before she knew it, she had launched herself at him, sending Tom flying.

“Thank you, Bain!” she said.

Right before she plastered her mouth against his.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

There were lips on his.

Rona lips.

For a second, Bain wasn’t sure what he thought about that.

Back when she’d lived in Invertary and had made it plain she had a crush on him, it had never occurred to him that she was a girl. She was just a kid. And an irritant. He’d spent years trying to figure out why he’d felt responsible for her, and why he’d let her hang out with him all the time. It remained a mystery.

But now, she was back.