Page 18 of Nothing to Win

With, maybe—definitely—a little more urgency than required.And, yeah, she wasn’t imagining it, she was touching him.Inappropriately.Without permission.

That lack of consent hadn’t evaded his attention either.He didn’t look at her face, no, he was fixed on her hand clutching his.

“Uh…” Letting go, she cleared her throat.“Don’t go out there.Please.”

“I am not afraid of your family.”

“A dramatic confrontation in the driveway serves no one.”

“In front of Sear staff.Is that your concern?Saving face?”

“It’s beneath all of you to fight and, think about it, you and I aren’t established enough to stand up together in an argument.”

“Gia—”

“Please, Mr.Spurn.Please.”

The last thing she wanted was a fight, especially one that would expose them as frauds.If Spurn got embarrassed out there or their stories didn’t match, he could pull his funding for Shanna’s search.

Rather than object, he adjusted his view with a slight hint of intrigue.

“Quid pro quo,” he said, tracing her jaw with the vaguest of touches.“Our relationship requires give before there’s take.”

“Another deal,” she said, sensing him draw nearer as she herself leaned in.“Stay here.”

“Quid always comes first,” he said, easing her closer and tilting his head to touch his mouth to hers.

A kiss.Not a long one, not a passionate one, a mere joining of loose lips.But it was still a kiss.More intimate than a familial kiss, less intimate than one lovers would share.Their first kiss.An achievement.They’d conquered a looming peak.The band-aid was off.Good thing too.Lying wasn’t her forte.At least now she could say they had some kind of relationship, even if it was a transactional one.

When he broke the kiss, his hand remained curled by her jaw.

“Are these windows tinted?”she asked.

“They know what we’re doing.”

“Glad someone does,” she murmured, far too eager to taste his mouth again.

This wasn’t meant to be a sexual arrangement yet kissing him provoked thoughts of more.It felt natural, it felt good… maybe too good.

When he eased back, she mirrored his move, following his lead.All cool, nothing to see… or fantasize about.

“Out you get, Irish.”

By taking his phone from his pocket, he dismissed her.Work.He conducted business in the car.Right.

Family.Father.Brother.Fun times.

The side door opened and she gasped, fearing her father was about to launch himself at them.Thank God Spurn’s driver was the one holding the door.

Steeling herself, Gia climbed out, holding momentary eye contact with Elton.There was no putting this off.Facing her father was inevitable.

Drama in the driveway would be mortifying.Thankfully, her father and brother allowed her to pass between them and remained on her heels as they went inside.Far as she could tell the security guys stayed outside.Nice.What did her father think?That Spurn would pee in the fountain or graffiti the garage?

“You’re not going to explain yourself?”her father demanded, at her side on the staircase as they ascended.“Was he too afraid to face us?”

“He said he would meet with you later in the week,” she said.By then, they might have more of a clue how to sell this to their family and friends.“I asked him to stay in the car tonight.I didn’t want you to make a spectacle of yourself.”

“I beg your pardon?You expect us to accept this betrayal?”