Page 29 of Unmasked

“You’ve got a lot of nerve.” She sucked in a shaky breath, humiliation and anger and frustration roiling in her chest.

“No, you’ve got a lot of nerve. I don’t want to do this any more than you do, but here we are.” He glowered. “And don’t get your knickers in a knot because I said I wouldn’t have slept with you if I’d known who you were. It’s nothing to do with attraction.”

“Then what is it?”

“You’re like family.” He shook his head as if she were an idiot. “Why would I risk making a mess of that?”

“You don’t think it was worth it?” The words popped out before she could think about their consequences.

He looked at her for a long, hard moment, and Lainey seriously wondered if he’d be able to melt her with his stare. “I’m not answering that,” he said eventually. “I need you to give me one dinner. Nothing more.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “And what do we tell Cori?”

“We don’t breathe a word of it to anyone.” He pushed up from the table and pinned her with a stare. “Promise me.”

“I promise,” she whispered.

“Good. I’ll send you the details.”

Lainey sat, rooted to the chair, as Damian left the apartment. The bang of the door shutting behind him echoed through the quiet space. Then the only thing she could hear was the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.

One more night with Damian, pretending to be his fiancée. She couldn’t stop herself from grinning.

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