Keeping her hand in his, he walked in front of her, down the steep incline, his footing secure as he traveled over the rocky surface.
“You don’t look like a novice hiker,” Hope mused aloud.
“I’m not, actually,” Jason responded. “I started doing some climbing when I was in college. I still go on different climbs with a few of my college buddies.”
“You’re a climber?” Hope watched her footing as she followed closely behind him. “What sites have you done?”
Jason rattled off several places, some of them pretty advanced courses.
“And you called me crazy for chasing storms?” she chastised. The visions of Jason hanging from a cliff gave her palpitations.
Finally at the bottom of the steep, rocky incline, he reached out and grasped her by the waist and swung her to the grass beside him. “It’s fairly safe,” he protested. “I take safety precautions.”
Hope propped her hand on her hip. “I told you the same thing about chasing extreme weather.”
“That’s different,” he replied, his tone irritated.
“Why?”
“Because it’s you taking those risks. Anything could happen to you.”
“But it’s okay for you to have a dangerous hobby? Taking extreme weather photos is my job.”
“It’s your choice,” Jason answered gruffly. “It’s not like you need the money.”
“Maybe not. But I’m not incredibly wealthy anymore. I gave most of my money away,” she shot back at him. He’d be annoyed, but she didn’t care what he thought right at the moment.
His eyes registered his astonishment, and then narrowed as he stared at her incredulously. “Why? You told me you had it in money markets.”
She hadn’t meant to tell him about the money. Her decision had been personal, and was really none of his business. But they’d grown so close since they’d been here, and she wasn’t angry with him anymore. In fact, she knew she was in love with him, and it made her want to share everything with him.
I love him. I love him so much it hurts.
“What I told you is true. I have enough money to keep me comfortable for the rest of my life, even if I can’t work. But I’ve given away the majority of my inheritance to the victims of the natural disasters I’ve witnessed. It did the victims far more good than it was doing me by sitting around in a bank account.” Knowing how financially brilliant Jason was, she knew he’d be disappointed in her lack of ambition to make more money. She pulled her eyes away from his face, and headed down the trail, not wanting to see his reaction.
“Hope.” Jason caught up with her, grasped her by her upper arms, and swung her around to face him. “You’re the most incredible, sweet, generous woman I’ve ever known,” he admitted in a hoarse voice full of emotion.
She looked at him quizzically, squinting up at him against the sun. “I don’t have the same ambitions as you do. I don’t care about the money. I’m not stupid, and I’ve kept plenty to keep me safe. But money doesn’t make me happy.”
“Then give it all away. It doesn’t matter. I’ll always keep you safe,” he answered urgently. “I have more money than either of us can ever spend. Hell, we couldn’t make a dent in our net worth if we tried.”
She gaped at him, his expression earnest and sincere. “We aren’t staying married, Jason,” she reminded him. Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it thunder in her ears.
“I want to. I want us to stay married forever, Hope. I want you with me wherever I go, and I want to be with you wherever you need to travel. I don’t want to separate—not in a week, not in this lifetime.” He looked at her covetously, pensively.
“You can’t be serious?” She wanted Jason more than she wanted anything in the world, but he couldn’t really want to stay with her forever.
“I’ve never been more serious. I don’t want anyone else, Peaches. Just you. Somehow, I’ll deal with your job. I’ll go with you so that I can keep you safe. You can give away my money once yours is all donated if it makes you happy.” His low voice vibrated with intensity.
He’s serious. He really wants me if he’s willing to let me give his money away.
Jason didn’t joke about money. Investments and finance were his life. “Really?” she answered tremulously. Her eyes started to tear. “You want to stay married?”
Oh God, please don’t let him be teasing me about this.
She knew her heart would shatter into a million tiny little pieces if he wasn’t sincere.
He pulled her into his arms, wrapped them around her securely. “I need you, Hope. Please stay with me. I need your sweetness to balance out the ass**le in me. I need your huge, generous heart to remind me that not everyone cares about money. I need to be wanted for something other than my bank account. I need you to fight with me when I’m giving you too much shit. And I won’t complain about your career.” He hesitated before he added, “Well, I’ll try not to complain about it too much.”
Hope’s heart swelled with every word he uttered. She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his shoulder. Her tears fell steadily. “I won’t donate your money. I promise.” She sobbed; relief coursed through her trembling body. “I think you already donate plenty.”
“What’s the matter, baby?” He stroked his hand over her hair, his voice confused and concerned.
Pulling back, she looked into his glorious blue eyes and saw…him. Jason left himself wide open and vulnerable, with no attempt to hide his fear. He wanted her that much. “I was so afraid. I didn’t know how I was going to live through saying goodbye,” she told him bluntly.
“You’ll stay with me?” he asked, his voice cautious.
“Yes, you crazy, beautiful man. I want to be with you more than I want anything or anyone,” Hope replied breathlessly. “I’m addicted to you.”
Jason grinned. “It worked. I got you hooked on sex.”
“I’m not addicted to sex,” she protested. “I’m addicted to you.”
Leaving a firm arm around her waist, Jason grasped her left hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss the ring on her finger. “Then marry me, Hope. For real.”
A startled laugh escaped her. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think we’re already married.”