Page 5 of Nothing to Win

Naive hadn’t been far off the mark.Of course he wasn’t doing this out of the goodness of his heart.

Turning slowly, she was almost afraid to ask.“What do you want?”

Satisfaction seasoned his sinister smile.“Your compliance.”

Gia closed her eyes slow and tight.That was the last thing she’d expected him to say.It couldn’t mean anything good.

“I… What?”she asked when her eyes opened to this unfortunate reality.“My compliance?”

“As arm candy.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“You get your money and do what you’re told.It’s that simple.

“Do as I’m told?”

“I have no interest in romantic entanglements right now.”

Information that should be completely irrelevant to her, unless he had dishonorable intentions.

“Meaning you have no interest in being loving or attentive.”

“No need.Our relationship would not be real.You’d be a façade.A woman on my arm for social functions.”

“There are women you can hire to be your romantic partner.They’re called prostitutes.”

The slant of his mouth unnerved her.“You come from one of the most respectable families in the country.At least they were at one time.I don’t need a floozy, I need a lady, someone with credibility.Mysterious though you are, you’re also one of the most desirable women in society circles.”

“This is insane, I could never consider—”

“You’re not seeing anyone.You’ve had no romantic involvement since you ended your relationship with Garrett eight months ago.”

Shock upon shock.“How on earth do you know that?You didn’t know I—”

“No one makes it onto my schedule without full vetting.”

“You lied.You knew I was coming?”

Instinct tempted her to walk out.In other circumstances, she might throw a drink in his face first.Mentally throw a drink.Her father would drop dead if she did something so flamboyant in real life.

“Though not that you’d present this offensive request,” he said.“Jarrod deserves his mess.It’s an insult to assume I would help you out of nothing more than goodwill.”

“You want me to refuse?”Checking out his profiles online she’d learned of his vast empire.The billions of dollars, real estate, private jet… The women that came and went from his life were plentiful.He didn’t need a façade.“You had no intention of helping us.Why let us come here, hat in hand, if—”

“A test of your nerve,” he said.

“This was a game?”

“Everything’s a game, Miss Sear.You don’t get a ‘this’ without a ‘that’ in my house.My offer stands as stated.Only you can choose whether to accept or decline.”

Like it or not, Brogan Spurn was their last hope.“What do I have to do?”

“Simple,” he said.“Do as you’re told and tell no one of our arrangement.”

“No one?”

“I will decide if and when others need to be included.”