Page 108 of Nothing to Win

“Let’s keep it that way.”

When his lips touched hers, she dug her nails in deep.If she let them wander all on their own…

“I don’t mind admitting that I’m confused,” Julius said.“Are you getting back together?Were you ever together?Is this more of the same?What about Gault and Tripp?”

As far as she could tell, it was one of Julius’s questions that led to their break-up.Brogan drew back and she could only read admiration in his worshipping eyes.

“I can answer one of your questions,” Brogan said.

“Which one?”Julius asked.

“The thing I’m most looking forward to today is this beautiful creature right here.”

Her smile grew and his nose brushed across hers.“That was a question from several hours ago,” Julius said.“Want to field any of the new ones?”

A knock on the door didn’t distract her or Brogan.

Julius groaned and went toward it.“How many women were you trying to squeeze into my absence?”

“Do you have a date tonight?”Gia asked.“Is that who’s knocking?”

“No.It’ll be Jenna,” he said.“And there’s nothing going on here she hasn’t seen before.”

“I’m not sure if we have a plan,” Julius said, his voice returning to the room.

“No worries,” Tripp replied.“I can go with the flow.”

Ah, Tripp, not Jenna.

“Hi,” she said.

“Guess now I know why you didn’t answer your door, Gia,” Tripp said.“Everything okay?”

“I have to go to Mexico,” she said, rising to full height.

His eyes traveled down her.“In your robe?Not judging, I’m a fan.Press shouldn’t be around.Let’s do it.”

“I got unexpected news,” she said.“I wasn’t thinking about clothes when I left my room, I had to get to my father and—”

“You were doing the rounds, saying goodbye.Have you spoken to Gault?”

“No,” she said, chewing her lip.The news could cause a kink or two.“You remember what we talked about, right?”

Tripp nodded once.

“What?”Brogan asked.“What did you talk about?”

With no idea how to answer, she could only look to Tripp.Luckily, he did the talking for her.

“Gia and I are on the inside of the negotiation and decision process,” Tripp said.“We can’t discuss anything with those on the outside.”

“On the outside?”Julius said.“Gault met Gia for the first time yesterday.”

“Yeah,” Tripp said, turning to him.“And he was pumping her for business advice… bad choice of words, he was… appealing to her for business advice.”

“He thought I’d be able to advise him given my family and most recent boyfriend,” she said.“I couldn’t really offer much without the collaboration of someone I’d trust to make smart choices.”

She opened a hand toward Tripp who smiled.“Gia’s a smart woman, she’s kept me close.”Tripp looked at Julius and Brogan in turn.“One of your best friends who’ll help Gault make this decision, just five days after you broke her heart.The words you’re looking for are, ‘thank you, Gianna.You’re smart and beautiful and we’re forever beholden to you’ need me to say it again?”