Page 53 of Nothing to Win

“No one has sex in their car.”Not in real life.“There are people outside.”

“We’re moving and I don’t care about people.”

“Oh, before I forget,” she said, opening the clasp of her purse to retrieve her brother’s birthday card.“Please sign this.”

“Another contract?What’s on the table?Sex in the car?I’ll make the changes, you initial it.”

He was in an odd mood tonight.Turned on and funny.Every minute with Brogan was better than the last.

She slid a hand into his jacket to steal the pen he always carried in his inside pocket.

“It’s Bram’s birthday card.”

“Card?”he asked, taking it to sign his name at the bottom like it truly was a contract.

“It’s tradition.That’s what they make birthday cards for.”

First and last name.Okay, that was one approach.She slipped the card into the envelope and it went back to her purse.She held out his pen, but he didn’t take it.

“Put it back where you found it.”

That meant getting closer.She was on to him and wasn’t complaining.Her lips twisted as she slid down the bench toward him to put it back.When she was within reach, he cupped her face, stroked her, toyed with her hair.If his intense stare didn’t cut her some slack, she’d be rethinking the no sex assertion.

She cleared her throat, forcing her eyes to close and move.

“This isn’t the dress my mom picked,” she said, leaning back to run her hands over the fabric.“She sent another one to your apartment today.”

“Doesn’t look like her style.”

“I got it with Roxie.On one of our shopping trips.I was going to return it… Is it too low-cut?The plunge is…”

His finger hooked under her chin to lift it up.“Are you comfortable in it?”

“I’m comfortable with the way you look at me in it.”

“I look at you the same way whether you’re naked in my bed or wrapped in my robe.”

“You do,” she murmured, so grateful.“I’m proud to stand beside you, but I’ll be embarrassed if…”

“What?”

“I don’t want you to hear them talk to me like they do.”

“I dare anyone to disparage you in front of me.”And the oddest thing, he smiled.“Anyone who doesn’t show you respect will deal with me.”

“In your world, I have a place.”An equal place.“It’s not the same with them.”

“It’s exactly the same,” he said, fierce.“No one will talk down to you.”

“To keep the peace, I have to—”

“You don’t have to do anything, Irish.I will feel the same about you when we leave as I do right now.”Please let that be true.“To demonstrate my faith.”

He leaned forward to slip something from a slot in the door.A square, black box wrapped in matte silk.Real silk.

“What is this?”she asked as he presented it to her, pausing for a suspenseful moment before popping the clasp to open it.

She stopped breathing.This wasn’t the first shiny gift he’d given her.They came at least every Tuesday.But this one…