Page 100 of Nothing to Win

Grief twined with danger.Over.Why couldn’t she let go?

Picking up speed, eager to get to her bed, speaking to Brogan had increased her building confusion.

Was it over?Before tonight, she’d been sure.Now…?Did he want her?This whole damn thing was a mess.

THIRTY-ONE

BROGAN HAD EATEN BREAKFAST but didn’t remember tasting anything.He and Julius sat at a circular table in the dining room.Various other people occupied the tables around them.His competition.In theory.Consensus was everyone had a good time last night, the mood seemed high.Elsewhere.Something of a gray cloud hung above their table.

“Guess I shouldn’t ask what you’re looking forward to today,” Julius said.“I’m not even sure you tasted the coffee and usually you’ve got plenty to say about that.”

Pushing up to look over his shoulder, Brogan stole another glance Conway and Bram seated in the opposite corner, deep in conversation as they had been for a while.

“If you keep looking over there, people are going to think you’re considering moving in on another Sear,” Julius said.“Seems Bram never looked so good to you.”

Sucking in breath, he abhorred the distraction.“What?”he snapped.Julius’s brows rose.“Sorry.I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“Doesn’t matter how many times you look over there, she won’t magically appear,” Julius said.“Do you want to talk about the pitch?We won’t have time later and don’t know when Gault will call us in tomorrow.He hasn’t exactly been forthcoming on the itinerary.”

Julius was talking, there were words, but he couldn’t concentrate on anything except his own thoughts.

“If she’s not here, where is she?”he asked, scanning again.

“Or we could keep talking about Gia.”

“I haven’t seen Gault this morning either, have you?I was in the gym at five a.m.and in the corporate suite for the rest of the morning.I haven’t seen him anywhere.”

“And you think he’s not anywhere because he’s busy entertaining Gia in bed?”

Of everything Julius said, why couldn’t he have missed that one?

“Shit, did you have to put that visual in my head?”

“I’d have thought that visual would be familiar to you,” Julius said, taking him aback.“Gia in bed.Didn’t you see her behind your eyelids during your extra long shower this morning?”

Though he fought to stop his lips contorting, Julius did a half-assed job.His friend’s laugh was enough to vent some of his steam.

“Gia alone in bed,mybed, without clothes and a smile on her face, that’s a familiar visual.A welcome one.”

“Which could be where the problem started,” Julius said, leaning forward to top off both their coffee cups.“We didn’t discuss your intention to have sex with her.”

“Why the hell do you care if I had sex with her?”Brogan asked.“Since when do you keep track of my cock?”

“Maybe since I was hoping her looking a little green around the gills last night could’ve had something to do with… you know?”

He had no idea what Julius was talking about.“You know, what?”

A male voice intruded.“That she could be… in a family way.Doesn’t look that way to me.”

Who the fuck was—Tripp fucking Breckenridge, standing there by their table.What did he want?The guy stared out the large window framing the pool area outside the brunch room.What was he—shit.There was only one person out there, walking across the deck toward the pool.A woman in a white hat, oversized sunglasses, and a dark purple bikini.His woman… He had to stop that, thinking of her like that.No, that was too much to ask.

“With a figure like that, I’d say that’s one unfertilized woman,” Tripp said, sinking into the chair next to Brogan’s.“You were damn careless to lose that woman, Bro.”

Tripp Breckenridge was everyone’s friend.He’d call him the same, if he had friends.Julius was family and didn’t count.

Brogan couldn’t deny he’d seen Gia naked, many times.No matter how many damn times he was blessed by the sight of her body, clothed or not, the impact didn’t diminish.Even in her bikini he was mesmerized.She’d worked out in his gym, he’d seen that body move, he’d seen her sweat.And the outer package wasn’t half as sweet as what was inside.

“Good news travels fast,” Julius said.“I didn’t see you last night, Tripp.When did you get in?”