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She scowled. “I won’t touch you. Or kiss you.”
“That is rather part of being engaged,” he drawled to hide the jumble of feelings her statement caused.
“Not for us.”
He thought for a second. He just needed to soften that absolute decree. “No one will believe we’re engaged if we never touch. We touched earlier while we danced.”
Irritation flicked on her mouth. He was right and she knew it. “You can’t kiss me then. Or,” she circled her hands, “any of the other things.”
Ah, better. “I am interested in theseother things. Care to specify?”
“No.” She flushed a very becoming shade of pink. “You know what I mean.”
He chuckled and nodded. “Very well. I cannot kiss you, orother things. Butyoucan kissme.”
She snorted. “That is not going to happen.”
“I can touch you—”
“In normal, appropriate to a fiancée only ways.”
“In appropriate to a fiancée ways,” he agreed. “And you do anyother thingsyou like…”
Interest flared in her eyes, then went flinty. “I wouldn’t encourage bodily contact, if I were you. I might kick you somewhere vulnerable. It’s not like I’ll be tempted to kiss you.”
Oh, she had no idea how tempting he could be. They were going to enjoy this.
“I consider myself forewarned. Do we have a deal?”
“No, you have a blackmail,” she snipped back.
“Would that all blackmail were so advantageous to the aggrieved party. An engagement to the wealthy son of an Earl. Most women of your acquaintance would happily submit to such blackmail, given they could sue for breach of promise and trap me like a fish, if they so wished.”
“It’s still blackmail.”
He gave her a severe look. “One more condition of our bargain. I’ve seen that you are an actress worthy of the West End. You have to tell me the truth, and I’ll always be honest with you too. No lyingto me. This deal is us selling the world our deception and will make both our lives easier over the next half-year. But it won’t work if you lie to me.”
He wanted her to reveal the truth to him. Honesty was a special bond, and he wanted to know about her. He wanted her to think of him as someone she could trust, and he’d do everything in his power to be worthy of that trust.
“You want truth in your sham engagement.”
She put her hands on her hips and really, she shouldn’t do that if she wanted his attention on her conversation and not her beautiful body.
“Of course. I’m a businessman. I deal with reality as it is, not some socially sugar-coated nonsense.”
“I boycott sugar.”
“See, that wasn’t so hard. I don’t eat sugar either. Now tell me the truth again: do you genuinely think this engagement would be a bad bargain, without any advantages to you?”
She pursed her lips and as though the words would pain her, she shook her head.
“So you agree this partnership is a good solution to our problems. We’ll take your little deception, and make it bigger and better.” He couldn’t help but smile.
She stared daggers at him. “I am not marrying you.”
That was yet to be decided. But he knew on his side, his mind was made up. He’d win Gina Bains by fair means or foul. He held out his elbow. “Shall we?”
She looked at him, scandalized. “I can’t walk back into the ballroom with you!”
