Page 27 of Rinkmates

“All right. Looks like it. Need any help?”

“Nope. Thanks,” I say and stuff my phone into my pants’ pocket. I need a lot but definitely don’t need a man’s help with unpacking.

“Well, Ethan and Nina are here to discuss the contract.”

“The contract?”

“I thought you wanted one?”

Oh. “Right.”

He glances around the room once more before nodding toward the living room. “Come on then.”

I give a small nod, and just when I want to get out, I catch sight of my black bathroom and around twenty packs of tampons.

“Riley…” I say, stopping in between the doorway.

“What?” He looks at me with big eyes.

“Do you think I’m dying each month?”

The way he looks at me makes me think he can’t keep up with my train of thought, but before I can say more, he follows my gaze to the tampons and scratches the back of his head.

“Um, well…you’re a woman, so I figured you’d need them.”

I burst out laughing. “Well, thank you, I’ll have tampons until the menopause hits me. Did you buy these all by yourself?”

“Yep. Used to do it for my sister all the time. And I got you some other stuff too. What’s wrong?”

I must have given him a weird look, so I quickly say, “Sorry, it’s just…unexpected. In a good way, I mean.”

He shrugs nonchalantly. “Just wanted to make sure you were covered.”

Twice in one day he’s made me blush.

Trying not to look at him too much, I quickly close the door behind me and follow him into the massive hallway.

His penthouse is crazy vast, and having it all to myself for the next few days feels like a dream. I’m relieved that I have my own bathroom too—sharing one with him would be…well, too much. Just thinking about accidentally walking in on him half naked in there makes my cheeks flush.

I follow him, unable to tear my gaze away from the way his defined muscles shift beneath his tight T-shirt as he walks. The way his tattooed arm makes me feel things. I shake my head in disbelief at how something as simple as walking can be so attractive. So much for getting my shit together.

“Liora! I’m so happy you decided to move in!” I hear Nina’s voice and try to glance behind Riley to find her. When I do, I’m greeted with a rosy smile that stretches from ear to ear.

Nina sits on the white, plush couch beside a man in a perfectly tailored gray suit. His dark blond hair slicks back, and he focuses intently on a stack of papers spread across the coffee table, with a contract and pen waiting to be signed.

“We need you both to sign on the dotted lines,” the man says by way of greeting.

I come to a sudden stop and glance up at Riley.

“Sorry about him,” Riley says, shooting a scowl at him. “This is Ethan, my agent and publicist. He’s a bit on edge right now and it’s my fault.” Riley’s gaze shifts back to Ethan, his tone turning firm. “How about you start with saying hello, or did you forget your manners?”

Ethan spins around, his expression curt as he gives me a quick once-over. All I get in return is a nod, which prompts me to cross my arms and nod back. Typical New York, full of jerks.

He slides the weighty paperwork toward me, and it stops right before falling off the edge of the table. “This contract outlines your roles and responsibilities as a couple, includingno PDA in private, no dating anyone else, and maintaining the charade in public at all times.” He says it like there’s no possibility to ask or add things. Then he takes the pen and hands it toward me. “On the dotted lines, please.”

I raise an eyebrow, unimpressed. “It might be shocking to you, but I’d like to actually read this before I sign my life away.”

“Do you need me to read it out loud for you?”

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