Page 59 of Playboy Billionaire's Fake Marriage

He continues touching me until the servers clear the table of dinner and replace them with dessert. Ryan pulls away and digs into his blueberry ice cream. But, as if he can’t help it, in less than a minute, his arm is back around me.

Across the table, Diana and Gina are exchanging loaded glances. Richard just carries on as if oblivious.

“Actually, Ryan is right about Seattle.” Diana says, now looking at me anew with a mix of fascination and respect. “New York is light-years ahead of us in the high fashion and beauty industry, for sure. Did you also get your college degree in New York?”

Without thinking to check Ryan’s reaction, I blurt, “Um, I don’t actually have a college degree. Not yet, anyway. I’m halfway through my online design tech program.”

Ryan freezes next to me, and Richard and Diana exchange a look.

Great, I’ve really stepped in it now.

Their surprise at my admission is palpable, but then they smile, sensing there’s more to the story.

Diana leans in, her curiosity sparking. “Do your parents live in New York too?”

“Well, I actually never met them. We grew up mostly in a children’s home,” I share, feeling a bit like I’ve just exposed a piece of my soul.

If Ryan goes any more rigid, he’d be splintering apart.

“We?” Gina picks up on the plural, a note of surprise in her voice.

Ah, shit. Another bomb unwittingly dropped there. I can’t bring myself to meet Ryan’s eyes any longer. Since the gate is now thrown wide open, I simply plod on.

“My sister and I.”

“Oh, you have a sister!” Gina gushes. “Older or younger?”

“She was younger by a year. But she died six years ago.”

“That’s terrible!”... “I’m so sorry!”... the sincerity in Gina and Diana’s voices wraps around me like a warm blanket.

“It’s okay,” I shrug, trying to keep the mood light. “I had the chance to say goodbye, and now, I’m living for both of us by keeping her dreams alive.”

“What. The. Hell?” Ryan’s growl is so low I almost don’t hear it.

“That’s really touching,” Diana stands and comes round to my side. “May I?” She asks, holding her arms out.

Standing, I lean into her and accept her hug. For a brief moment, I think I might cry. It occurs to me this is the first time in… forever, that I’ve been held by a mother.

Everything goes on autopilot from there on. Ryan remains as stiff as ever, his smiles no longer reaching his eyes with the more I reveal.

Diana, Gina and I, on the other hand, are having the night of our lives. Richard too seems captivated. He occasionally adds his own comments and questions, adding to the lively banter.

Somehow, I end up telling them all sorts of stories. Funny experiences with clients in Brooklyn, encounters with annoying celebrities, and even the bittersweet memories of Viv. Thankfully they don’t press too much about Viv, sticking to topics I’m comfortable with.

Ryan remains a silent, attentive presence, only that I can feel him vibrating next to me. I can’t work out what he finds most unsettling about the situation but I suspect it’s how well his family and I are getting on considering we’ll be divorced in a matter of months.

As the night wears on, despite chatting away, I start to get even more aware of Ryan. His nearness, the way he keeps holding my hand, touching my thigh, his fingers stroking my shoulder, and playing with the hair at my nape.

By the end of dinner, I’m more than ready to leave. I need to find out what his deal is. And tear him out of his clothes.

“What the hell was that, Ryan?” As soon as we’re off the driveway, I snatch my hand away from under his and push his palm off my thigh.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the way you grew up? About your sister, dammit.” His tone is hard, laced with accusation and a tinge of hurt.

The topic is a minefield I’ve long avoided. “It never came up.” I hedge.

He gives me a look that tells me what he thinks of that excuse.

---