Page 13 of Fast-Track Fiancé

His friends’ laughter quickly blended into the background noise as Tristan made his way across the gallery towards where Nina and the other man had retreated. As he got within earshot he heard the Scot ask, ‘So you’re not even sleeping together yet?’

Tristan’s blood boiled as he crossed the rest of the distance between them with two long strides. Feeling a hint of satisfaction as Roberts’s smirking expression faltered when he caught sight of Tristan standing over Nina’s shoulder.

‘That seems like a very personal question, Mr Roberts.’ Tristan smiled wolfishly, leaning down to press a lingering kiss upon Nina’s bare shoulder before sliding a hand around her waist and meeting the other man’s eyes. Instead of looking shaken or uncomfortable, Roberts seemed only to smile wider.

‘It’s just locker-room banter,’ he said, his trademark broad grin pasted upon his handsome face. The driver’s playboy reputation rivalled even Tristan’s own if the tabloids were true. But Tristan had always liked Roberts’s upbeat charisma, until this very moment in fact. Because right now he wanted to wipe that smile right off his face.

‘You like to be treated like one of the guys, isn’t that right, Roux?’ Roberts said.

Nina let out a small huff of laughter, at the same time attempting to subtly slide her waist out of Tristan’s grip. He held on even tighter, splaying his hand across her abdomen and noting that his finger-span almost covered her from hip to hip. Below the belt, his body reacted primitively to that knowledge, but above the belt he remained stony-faced and focused on staring down the man who seemed intent on challenging his patience.

Nina sucked in a swift breath and looked up at him for a split second before turning back to answer Roberts. ‘I think we both know I am far superior to all of you, but yes, the banter is fine.’

‘Well, she’s not one of the guys. She’s my fiancée.’ Tristan offered a charming smile of his own, through rather clenched teeth. ‘And I take offence to you probing for the intimate details of our relationship.’

‘He wasn’t probing about our intimate details,’ Nina said drily. ‘He was just probing about yours. He’s quite curious about your bedroom prowess, it seems. That’s actually been the most common question I’ve been asked this week. Is it true that Tristan Falco is a magician in the bedroom?’

Tristan choked. ‘A magician now, is it? Last I heard I’d been compared to a deity. I’ve been downgraded, it seems.’

Roberts laughed aloud and then had the good sense to slowly retreat from their conversation. Leaving them alone in the corner of the gallery.

‘I don’t think the caveman performance is quite necessary for this ruse to work, do you?’ Nina turned from him and surveyed the crowd in the gallery below.

‘I believe I was pretty clear that I would be the one to decide what is necessary.’

‘Ah yes, how silly of me to forget. I have simply to endure your brooding looks and act as a walking jewellery stand.’ She sighed, her eyes lingering for a moment longer than necessary upon the area below his belt buckle. ‘I should have assured Roberts that there is no chance of me ever experiencing the truth behind those rumours of your...prowess.’

Tristan froze, not quite believing his ears. Surely he had misheard her, or misconstrued her intention. Surely she couldn’t mean...?

‘Deity...’ she mused thoughtfully. ‘It’s like everyone is asking me about the supercar parked in my garage, and I’m expected to brag...even though I’m not allowed to drive it.’

Tristan startled. ‘Nina...what are you—’

‘Oh, relax, I’m not actually propositioning you, Tristan. No doubt my brother has already warned you off too.’

‘Your brother has no say in who I do or do not take to bed.’

‘Well, he thinks he does.’ She wandered to the next painting, her gaze roaming over the paint strokes absently as her voice tightened with a hint of emotion. ‘He hasn’t spoken to me in fourteen months, did you know that? Then today I saw he’d left me a voicemail, no apology or explanation, just warning me not to sleep with you.’

Tristan ignored the pang of guilt in his gut at the knowledge that he alone knew the truth of why her brother had left her alone for that long. But he couldn’t tell her yet...and how very unfair that was—for both of them. All Tristan could hope was that when Nina did finally discover the truth about what he’d done, she’d see that Tristan had acted in the Roux company’s best interests and understand the reason for his silence. Instead he simply said, ‘He’s just being protective of you.’

‘He used to be,’ she said, turning to face him once more. ‘I only wish he was half as protective of our family’s legacy and my inheritance as he is over my virtue.’

Tristan laughed at the outdated term. ‘Your virtue? You make it sound as though I’m some kind of devilish rake and you’re an innocent debutante.’

A strange look came over her face, and she took a few steps away, looking up at a nearby painting. ‘My reputation is my virtue, I suppose. Just look how easily people assume that I must be some kind of calculating seductress, because I’ve managed to pin down the world’s most untameable bachelor.’

‘I suppose that makes me the devil in this scenario?’ He paused, realising he didn’t like that contrast between them one bit. ‘Are you wondering if I plan to seduce you, Nina?’

‘Are you?’ Her eyes pinned his without missing a beat, holding him captive with their unfathomable depths that seemed to always see far too much.

He made a weak attempt at charm. ‘What would you do if I said yes?’

She shrugged. ‘I walked away easily enough after your first attempt.’

Whatever he’d expected her answer to be, it wasn’t that. Ignoring the now persistent ache below his belt at the turn this conversation had taken, Tristan leaned back against the balcony rail and surveyed his pint-sized fake fiancée. There was no trace of mirth in her delicate features, nor any indication that she might be testing him or making fun of him. She was absolutely serious. He was struck suddenly by how young she was. And how old and jaded he felt in comparison. He’d flirted and toyed with plenty of women in his life, but with her...it wasn’t the same. There was no guile in her words, no double entendre or expectation.

Having her look at him this way... It made him feel as though he’d had his clothing peeled off piece by piece, leaving him with nowhere to hide. It irritated him that she could influence him with so little effort. It wouldn’t do.

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