Page 73 of Nothing to Win

Brogan carried on with his conversation, flattening a hand on her back to urge her toward Shanna, effectively dismissing her.Really?Did she really…?

Do as told.Do as told.Those were the words conveyed in his gaze.

Yeah.Yeah.

He turned his back.On a sigh, she went over to her friend at the dining table again.

“I should go,” Shanna whispered, gathering her purse.

“No,” Gia said, still doing her best to listen to the phone conversation going on behind her.Brogan didn’t help at all; damn his discretion.“Stay for dinner.”

“You want to be alone,” Shanna said, her eyes darting back and forth between Gia and the distracted Brogan.

“No!Julius is joining us.He’d appreciate having someone else at the table.”

“Do you ladies need anything?”

Brogan’s voice spun her on the spot.

“You’re done?What did Daddy want?”

“To set up a meeting,” he said.

“What kind of meeting?”

“Business, baby,” he said, “don’t panic.”

Suspicion made her wary.“Why didn’t he call Jenna?”

He took another sip of Scotch.“I’m sleeping with his daughter, he gets to speak to me directly.”Okay, so that was a fair point she couldn’t argue.“She wouldn’t have been able to do anything for him.My schedule is packed this week.He suggested Tuesday night—”

“You can be free Tuesday night,” she said, going a step in the direction of the kitchen.

Brogan wasn’t moved by her optimism.“Tuesday, I have dinner with my girlfriend,” he said.“Have I ever given up that privilege?”

Being said girlfriend she could vouch he hadn’t.

“No,” she admitted, a little deflated.For some reason, it was important to her, now more than ever, that her family and Brogan got along.“We can make an exception.”It wasn’t like they didn’t have dinner together most every night of the week anyway.“This is going to be an odd week after all.You’re not usually out of the office almost half the week.”

“Don’t worry, Irish, I didn’t piss him off.We’ll meet on the jet.”

Gia didn’t follow.“On the jet?”

He nodded.“We’re all going to the same place.We’ll give them a ride and talk on the flight.”

“Jet?”she said.“You have a jet?”His answer was a smirk.Smug as always.So damn sexy.Took a minute, but she got over her surprise.“Why haven’t you taken me anywhere in it?”

“Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know, but it would’ve been nice to have been asked.”

“Speaking of extravagant treats,” he said and put down his drink to slip a hand into his pocket.“I have something for you.”

Excited, a bolt of delight fired through her.“For me?”she asked, swerving around the island to go to him.“What is it?”

Losing her smile, the rectangular box he produced from his pocket tensed her.When he put it on the counter and opened it to reveal a diamond pendant, she got a chill.

“More jewels?”she asked, speared by a cold dart.