win middle Britain’s hearts and minds,” she said cheerfully.
After a pause in which he grappled with his pure astonishment, James choked out, “When?”
“Three days.”
“How?”
She smirked as if she’d been waiting for him to ask. “Persuasion. It’s all righteous, faux-woke bullshit, but that’s okay. They exploit me and my story, I get public support and short-term hyper-visibility, AKA relative safety, in return. Who needs police when you’ve got paps?”
“So the… the crying was part of the persuasion?”
“The almost-crying,” she corrected. “But not quite, because I’m so very brave and composed.” At his baffled expression, she sighed and broke things down. “I know what these people value in a woman. Fragility is currency, but I’m not pale enough to be permitted too much delicacy.”
He grimaced. “How the hell do you know this stuff?”
“Life. Also, you think I twiddled my thumbs throughout my journalism degree or something?” God, she looked so smug. He loved it.
“Lots of people have journalism degrees, Cupcake. I don’t see them popping up on morning television whenever they like.”
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe because those people don’t also have years of social media expertise, a solid platform, and a story that’ll make the average Joe feel better about himself for doing the bare minimum in the fight for equality. And Jasmine, of course. Most people don’t have Jasmine. She knows a horrific amount of people and they all love her terribly.”
James nodded, feeling slightly dazed. Why did he enjoy it so much when Nina went into professional, capable mode? Well, he knew why—because capable women turned him on, and Nina was the queen of capable. But understanding his weaknesses didn’t make them any less inappropriate. He was supposed to be supporting her here, like a friend, not drooling over her.
Maybe she wouldn’t mind both.
Maybe not. But this probably wasn’t the time to find out. Even if something in his chest tugged at its chains and demanded to know when would be the time.
Later.
“You think it’ll help?” James asked.
“I know it will. Visibility can be dangerous, but the right kind of visibility is like a shield.”
“Alright then,” he murmured, nodding slowly as he absorbed everything. “In that case… I guess we should celebrate tonight.”
Her tongue snaked out to wet her lower lip, a smooth glide over lush skin. For a moment, he wondered if she was reading something into his suggestion—something more interesting than a takeaway.
She smiled and said, “Dinner’s on you.”
Chapter Nine
Funny how quickly things could turn on their head. For the first time in a long time, Nina felt exactly like herself—powerful, invincible, ready for anything. Or maybe a new and improved version of herself, since she now realised it was okay to reclaim those feelings with a little help.
James was adding to her current high by acting as if she was the smartest, most successful person in the world. He beamed at her all day until they locked up the garage and went home. He ordered Thai food because gang jay was her favourite, even though she knew he’d prefer curry goat. He even got two lots of chips so she didn’t have to share—and then, to top it all off, he pulled up Buffy on Netflix.
“Seriously?” she asked, her grin unstoppable. “Even though you think Angel’s a creep?”
“Even though I think Angel’s a creep,” he agreed. “And even though someone needs to call Social Services on Buffy’s mother. This is your night, Cupcake.”
And she was so thoroughly content, she couldn’t even scowl at him for calling her that.
Although, as the evening rolled on and night fell outside their window, Nina did notice a little chip in her newfound contentment—the same one that had been there before.
Everything was perfect, except for the fact that James wasn’t hers.
Yet, whispered that little streak of invincibility inside her.
The growing darkness was thrusting her back in time, back into her memories of seeing James, touching James, right here on this sofa. She shifted on the cushions, giddy nerves and remembered arousal making her restless. Crossed her legs, uncrossed them, flicked a look at him, then stared rigidly back at the screen. She knew what she was going to do. Couldn’t stop herself, not even a little bit. Now was the time. Double or nothing.
The only problem was, she couldn’t quite figure out a smooth way to do it. Romantic relationships were not Nina’s area of expertise. How exactly did one start the Hey, I’ve been thinking, and you might be it for me conversation? She couldn’t think, not while her nerves