Brendan frowned. “No.”

Emily leaned against the back of her chair. “Ah, well. This has nothing to do with me, though, does it? But here’s the thing. I always get what I want in a deal. I don’t do second best.”

“That’s not a problem,” answered Brendan. “I’ll give you anything I can.”

Emily’s voice dropped indicatively. “What if what I want… is you?”

Brendan’s eyes turned cold. He deadpanned. A beat later, he finally answered flatly, “You jest.”

The severity in his eyes made her heart stop fo