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“But I can't. I'm engaged.”
“You've said that a few times now,” he says.
“I'm sorry. I'm not a tease.”
“Don't be silly. Teasing is half the fun.”
“I have to go,” I say. If I don't get out of here, now, I'll be under him in five minutes flat.
I run out of the pool, throw my clothes into my purse, and rush across the concrete. I run so fast and everything is so blurry. I hear Luke call after me, wait, or Alyssa, or something like that, but I don't stop running until I am back in the condo, the door locked behind me.
Chapter 9
Ryan's hand tightens around my waist as we take our seats. He introduces me to Edward, no last name. No, they are already on a first name basis. Edward is exactly as I imagined. A dirty old man squeezed into a designer suit that hasn't fit him in years. He doesn't even bother to bring his gaze from my chest to my face when he shakes my hand.
Oh please, if it was Luke gaping at that plunging neckline you'd be gaga. Isn't that the reason why you decided not to wear a bra?
“Ryan, you undersold your fiancée’s beauty. She's even lovelier in person,” Edward says.
I struggle not to roll my eyes. It's obnoxious to play the ingénue, but this is the only role Ryan approves of.
“Smart, handsome, and good taste. That's everything I look for in a man.” I smile. I bat my eyelashes. I play my part.
The waiter stops at our table. “Are you ready for drinks?”
“Tequila. On the rocks,” I request.
“Anything for you, sir?” The waiter asks Ryan.
“Oh, no,” I step in. “Ryan's taken a vow to never have any fun.”
“You have enough fun for the both of us.”
Ryan slaps me playfully. It's part of our routine. We tease each other with our words. We tease the client with my exposed skin. No wonder Luke doesn't approve of these meetings. They're as cheap as they are tacky.
“I hope I haven't incited a lover's quarrel,” Edward says with such delight it's clear he means the opposite.
“Ryan and I have plenty of fun in our apartment. Isn't that right?”
I go to kiss Ryan's cheek, another part of our routine, but he presses his hands into my bare back and pulls me closer. Our lips collide, way too much of a PDA for a classy place like this. And it's not a sweet move. It's not a kiss that says I love you or even I want you. It doesn't even say you are mine. No, just like the flashy engagement ring, it says she is mine, you better stay away from her.
Was Ryan always this possessive?
He pulls away, and his gaze fixes on one spot: Luke, in black suit and navy tie, walking towards our table. Jesus. He looks amazing in that suit, his eyes as bright and wide as I've ever seen them. Did he see Ryan's obnoxious power play? Or did Ryan do it because he knew Luke was looking?
Luke shakes Edward's hand and kisses me on the cheek. I try to maintain my poker face, but it's a losing battle. What is he doing here?
You really think he's here to see you?
“I didn't think you were coming,” Ryan says.
“Someone has to keep your fiancée entertained,” Luke replies. He looks to Edward. “You must recognize her. She was the cheerleader on Together.”
“Yes, my soon to be ex-wife watched Together,” Edward says. “You were very—”
“Naked,” I say. “Thank God it wasn't Showtime or you'd all be familiar with my breasts.”
Edward raises his eyebrows. Ugh. I hope I didn't look so idiotic and lecherous when I was picturing Luke naked.
