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"That's not good enough. I want to know where you got the money. Librarians don't earn that much. Are you sure you're not a billionaire superhero? Or a bank robber?"
She rolls her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. I quit my job so I could focus on this expedition exclusively, and I sold my house to pay for it."
"You're homeless?"
"No. I've been living with my dad. He doesn't know that I quit my job. I told him I was laid off."
"Lying to your own father?" I shake my head slowly and cluck my tongue. "That's not a nice thing to do."
"He wouldn't understand if I told him the truth. He thinks I've been working as a freelance editor for a UK publisher."
"More lies? You are a naughty lass, aren't you?"
She hugs her portfolio to her chest. "Haven't you ever lied to your family for their own good? Dad will thank me once we prove he was right all along about the Grand Canyon treasure."
"You do understand this expedition will be illegal. Unless you've magically acquired a permit. I donnae think the US government likes to let people who have no official qualifications root about on their land."
She stares down at her portfolio, still hugging it to her chest. "I know it will be illegal. We might even get arrested. We'll have to pretend that we're just going on vacation in the Grand Canyon and that we accidentally stumbled onto a major find."
"You really are keen on lying, aren't you? Fortunately, I think that's the sexiest plan I've ever agreed to participate in."
Her brows squish together over her sweet little nose. "You think breaking the law and lying to everyone is sexy? You are completely insane."
"I think you're finally catching on." I move onto the coffee table right beside her and catch the lass's chin with my fingers. "There's a reason my cousins call me the fire starter, and it's not only because I have land mines and C-4. I'm also famous for my scorched-earth method of getting things done. So the question you need to ask yourself is this. Are you prepared to go to any lengths, even commit crimes, to vindicate your father?"
"Yes, I am." She leans toward me until our mouths hover millimeters apart. Our gazes lock. She lowers her voice to a huskier register as she says, "I can handle anything you can, Mr. Murdoch. Anything. And I won't back out, not now, not ever. You're stuck me with."
"We'll be living in close quarters for as long as this mission takes. No house to go home to every night. The best we might get is a tent."
"Separate tents."
"Hmm." I rub my thumb over her lips. "You want to crawl into my tent and seduce me, aye? That's even sexier than your proclivity for lying."
"No 'shagging,' Errol."
"The more you say that, the more I know we'll be fucking again very soon."
She stands up, and some of her papers fall out of the portfolio.
I grab them and hand the lot to her. "Relax, Ashley. Having sex doesn't mean we're getting married. Now, if you shag me twelve times, that would qualify for automatic marriage according to Scots law."
"Oh please. Do you think I'm that naive?"
"No. I think you're that uptight." I slap her erse. "But you loosened up last night, and you'll do it again."
"Can we please focus on the expedition?"
I rise and stretch. "Aye, we can do that. Have you at least made a list of the equipment we'll need?"
She makes a slightly sheepish face. "Afraid not."
"Then we have work to do. Keep in mind that we can only take with us what we can carry into the Grand Canyon. No vehicles, just our muscles."
Ashley lifts her chin. "I can handle whatever you can."
I flex my biceps. "Have ye been lifting weights often lately? Donnae look all that buff to me. But I like a woman with plenty of soft curves."
She marches toward the door. "We should go to a restaurant for breakfast and start compiling a list of what we'll need."
