Page 83 of The Plus One Contract

The tension in Sienna’s shoulders eases, and her gaze flicks to me with a question:Am I?But the answer is obvious. She is. She’s brilliant and maddening and everything in between, and for a few heartbeats, I forget the chaos of yesterday, my mother’s meltdown, my own brother’s sneer. All I see is this woman in an emerald dress, pulling off a miraculous save for the biggest deal of my career.

Thirty

Sienna

Ihave no idea what’s happening.

None.

One second, I’m talking out of my ass in front of Richard Crane and his wife, the next, Nathan’s large, warm hand is resting on my thigh. Calm, solid, unshakable.

Crane is actually listening to me. Listening, like I’m someone who belongs here, in this gilded ballroom full of high-stakes investments and fancy champagne.

My heart is still racing, my head still spinning. This isn’t my world. I don’t typically spend my nights wearing a dress that costs more than my rent, schmoozing influential people. I should be out of my depth.

Yet somehow, I’m steady. Maybe it’s the way Nathan’s hand is anchoring me. Maybe it’s the fact that he just offered me a wink that sent my pulse skittering.

Regardless, here I sit, mind whirling, but my posture straight and my voice steady. Crane studies me like I’m a puzzle he wasn’t expecting to be intrigued by.

“Tell me, Miss Blake,” he says, leaning back. “If you were in charge of branding, what would you do?”

Nathan’s grip on my thigh tightens, enough that I feel a reassuring squeeze. My stomach flips. The challenge is laid out in front of me, and I should probably pass it to Nathan or Julian, let them handle it, but I don’t because of the way Nathan’s holding me there, and grounding me like he wants me to speak.

“First,” I say, folding my hands in my lap like I belong in this conversation, “I’d change the story you’re telling.”

Richard tilts his head.

“Right now, you’re focusing on numbers. Revenue, returns, how well your investments perform. That matters to the people atthistable, sure. But the real audience? They need to know thewhybehind it all.”

I look at Eleanor directly, summoning the confidence from somewhere. “When you see a city expand, when you see development move in, what’s your first concern?”

Eleanor presses her lips together before answering, “Displacement.”

“Exactly.” My voice steadies further. “Corporations haven’t historically earned people’s trust, so it’s no surprise that everyone’s suspicious. If you want them to believe in your expansion, show them it’s about more than money. Show them it’s about people.”

I sense Nathan’s eyes on me but can’t bring myself to meet his gaze just yet. If I do, I might lose my nerve.

Silence stretches over the table. Richard’s mouth draws into a pensive line. Eleanor’s expression is more open, like I unlocked something she’d been circling. Finally, I risk a glance at Nathan because, after all, this is his business deal, his future. I half-expect him to look annoyed or outraged that I stepped in.

He isn’t.

He just looks at me. Silent. Intense. The kind of look that saysYou just shocked the hell out of me, and I like it.Then, before I can process the heat tightening in my chest, he presses a single, quick kiss to my forehead.

My stomach drops in the best way. My heart stutters, and just like that, I melt all the way to my fucking feet.

Goddamn it, heart. Not now, not ever.

This was supposed to be a transaction, an arrangement. Simple, easy, fake. No sex, no messy entanglements, because the second I start feeling things, I get attached. We both agreed that we don’t need that.

What I wasn’t prepared for was him looking at me like I’m someone worth paying attention to, like I’m important. Sex or not, I feel those little strings I promised wouldn’t attach begin to form anyway.

“Impressive,” Eleanor says, bringing my focus back to the table. She’s smiling.

Richard taps a finger against his glass, the tension in his features slowly easing. “You have a point, Miss Blake. People do need more than just numbers.” His gaze shifts to Nathan. “I see your partner has quite a perspective on this.”

Nathan’s hand on my thigh twitches as if he’s about to pull me closer but stops himself. “I told you she’s brilliant,” he says simply, a note of finality in his voice.

I swallow. My face warms as I force myself to hold Richard’s gaze instead of looking back at Nathan.

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