Page 100 of Off the Wall

“I’m still not.”

“Exactly.” My fingers clench. Unclench. “They think this is the perfect opportunity to prove their singles aresohigh quality, they get picked over people like Cash Briggs. And if I end up with you, no one will think Swipe Rite’s the best place to meet their match.”

He shakes his head, bewildered. “I gave you the thumbs-up, and you said things were all good.”

“I nodded.”

“Same difference.”

“Well, some of her news wasgood.” My voice catches on the word. “Once I go on my tenth date, Swipe Rite will still pay me the next installment, and they offered me a bonus five thousand dollars if I agree to publicly date my final choice for one extra month after the campaign ends.”

His jaw shifts. “What? Why?”

“Because.” My lips succumb to a tremble. “They want to promote my new relationship growing into a real happily-ever-after thanks to Swipe Rite.”

“But you don’t even want to go on another date, let alone pretend to care about one of these strangers for a whole month.” His eyes flash. “What if you refuse?”

“To go on the tenth date with someone else?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll be in breach of contract.” This comes out almost as a whisper. “And they won’t pay me anything.”

Cash stays quiet for a long moment. Then he says, “I can give you the money. Please, Nori.”

I shake my head, even as pain rips through me. “It’s not even about the money anymore.”

“Then whatisit about?”

I avert my eyes. “Jemma said they could sue me, not only for sabotaging their campaign, but for sinking Swipe Rite’s reputation.”

“How did you do that, exactly?”

“I spotlighted my attraction to someone else. In that video.”

A vein at his temple throbs. “Youdidn’t spotlight us. Some wedding guest with an iPhone did.”

“The result’s the same, though. And I don’t want to get locked in a legal battle. So I might as well go through with it.”

His shoulders sink. “But I’m only here for another month.”

“I know that.” My insides feel like they’re splitting open, one seam at a time, but I have to think with my brain now. Not my heart.

“Just … wait. Hold on a minute.” Cash gulps so loud, I can practically hear the swallow. “What if you finish out this contract, and nobody gets sued, and afterward, we try to make something work with us?” He takes my hands and gently presses my palms to both of his cheeks. His overnight scruff is sandpaper, and my gaze roams the planes of his face. I want to memorize every inch of him. The barely there scar just above his brow. His full lips. The ridge of his nose. The jut of his chin.

He is perfect. Sculpted and strong, all angles and sharpness, except for his eyes. Ocean gray. Intensely focused, yes. But there’s a softness in their depths.

Only for me.

“Nori.” He says my name like it’s a gift. “Please.” When he ducks his head, bringing his mouth down to kiss me, I draw back. My heart’s pounding so hard, the rhythm is a drumbeat in my ears.

“Don’t make me beg,” he says. A low groan sounds in the back of his throat, and the black circles of his pupils dilate.

“Beg for what?” I ask with what’s left of the air in my lungs.

“For you,” he breathes. “Always.”

And my insides turn to jelly.

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