Anything You Ask - “Are you asking me to sleep with you in exchange for bailing me out?”

Anything You Ask

by: Lynn Kellan

Widow Danielle Cooper doesn't know how she'll support her two young sons and a 400-acre farm. Her prodigal brother-in-law offers an unusual solution. He'll pay off her debt in exchange for the deed. She agrees to a temporary marriage to transfer the farm, but can she trust a man with too many secrets?

Thrown off the farm by his father, Hale vows to reclaim the land where he was raised. Helping Danielle provides a perfect way to redeem himself, but his feelings complicate matters. He wants to make their marriage a real one. Problem is, Danielle won't tolerate any more secrets, and he can't tell her why his family disowned him.

Now more is on the line than just the farm. Staying together will require a special kind of courage. Are they strong enough to let go of their painful past and embrace the future?

Rating: Spicy
Page Count: 131
Word Count: 32857
978-1-61217-841-7 Digital

Excerpt:

She let out a strangled laugh. “Are you asking me to sleep with you in exchange for bailing me out?”

The corner of his mouth tightened as he drew a hand through his dark blond hair. “I’m asking you to make a commitment to me so I can do the same for you. That’s what marriage used to be about, right? Forming alliances, transferring property, and securing wealth. It’s the only way I can think of to take the farm off your hands and get you out of debt.”

The clock on the fireplace mantel ticked as Danielle tried to think of a better solution, but her brain kept flicking back to the growing pile of bills on her desk.

Hale hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans. “Besides, this place has belonged to the Cooper family for over a hundred years. Give your boys a chance to live here a little while longer.”

Resentment balled up in her stomach. “I don’t want to stay in this weed-infested prison.”

“Then leave. I’ll give you fair market price for the farm.” He spread his arms wide, palms up. “What will you do about the loans? Let them chew up every dollar you earn? Or file for bankruptcy so Mark’s mistakes will stain your financial record for the rest of your life?”

“You make this arrangement sounds so simple.” Despair’s tight grip made shaking her head difficult. “It’s not.”

He opened his hands. “This is the best I can offer.”

Her legs went weak at the notion of getting married again to another Cooper, no less. She clamped a hand on the upholstered chair and stared at the fabrics taupe weave in dazed silence. When she contemplated seeking Hale’s aid, she never expected this.