Page 106 of Nothing to Win

“Go to your room and get dressed,” he said and had the audacity to smile.“You’ll come to the party, spend some time with Gault and forget all about your friend’s problem.”

Stunned, she didn’t move when he stepped forward to kiss her forehead.“I—”

“On you go, sweetheart, we’ll see you downstairs in a few minutes.”

Her father went back into his room and closed the door like that was that.He’d made a deal, a deal to finance Shanna’s search.Hadn’t he?How could she misconstrue the situation so—how did someone…?No.That deal was the only reason for her presence.

Preparing to knock again, she lifted a fist… It hung in midair.Reality hit hard.She’d been fighting with her father, with her family, for decades, and their position never changed.They didn’t respect her.They didn’t care about what she cared about.She’d never get through to them.

That was that?No, Daddy, because she could rely on this for that.

Spinning around, another door became her goal.Though her heart thumped hard, she edged across the hallway, fist still raised.

Quick, before she could change her mind, she squeezed her eyes closed and knocked with way less force than she’d used on her father’s door.In the seconds she waited to see if the door would open, adrenaline surged again, raising her blood pressure.Good.Confidence was what she needed.Real or biologically enhanced.

The door opened and her lips parted, except no words came out.Why was she there?Every time she looked into his eyes, she forgot who she was for a few seconds.

“Irish?”Brogan asked when she didn’t speak.“What’s wrong?”

Licking her lips, she gathered her gumption.“Are you attracted to me?”

A flash of surprise crossed his face.“What?”

“Do you think I’m attractive?”

“Do I…?Of course I damn well do.Babe, what—”

“Good,” she said, grabbing his face and pulling his mouth down to hers.

While he was still catching up, she pushed him inside and kicked the door closed.His room had to be the same layout as hers.Guiding him to where she thought the bed would be, she pushed off his jacket and opened his shirt.

The kissing only stopped when they got to the end of the bed.Right where she wanted them.

“Gia—”

“Shh,” she said, thrusting her hands to his chest to shove him down onto the bed.

Dropping her robe, she climbed on top.“Gia—”

“Stop saying my name like that and kiss me,” she said, bowing over him to plant her mouth on his again.

Given their break-up, they shouldn’t be doing this, but this was how their relationship worked: quid pro quo.

It wasn’t prostituting herself.Sex for money?Some may say different.How could that be when she wanted it so bad?In truth, this was pathetic, her friend’s need was an excuse to taste him again.

His hands loosened to skim down her back and cup her ass, pulling her pelvis hard against his, encouraging her to grind against him.It was there she found the evidence that he was happy to be used.

“Fuck, baby,” he groaned when she rocked faster.

Being in his arms, being touched by him, kissed by him, the reason for knocking on the door drifted away.Nothing mattered but them right there.

Priorities realigned when he took control and rolled her onto her back, his mouth gliding down the side of her neck.

“I was gone three damn minutes!”

Julius’s voice stole Brogan’s mouth from her.

On top and in control, he only twisted to glare at his friend.“Seriously?”he asked.“You couldn’t have just backed out quietly?”