Carson didn’t know what to say. He was thinking of a way to dodge her statement when Avery suddenly laughed. “Why are you so scared? I was just kidding!”

But she wasn’t. She meant every word she said but when she saw his scared and confused expression, she didn’t want to hear him reject her. Not anymore.

“But, what about the deal?”

She turned back to her computer as she continued working. “I’ll tell you when I want my reward. But ...