Page 31 of My Possessive Billionaire: Our Fake Marriage

We had a story prepared for this as well, but I didn’t see a need to use it. I improvised, deciding that the less said the better.

“Well, perhaps it wasn’t that we dropped off the face of the Earth,” I said, teasing Evan’s soft hair, “as it was that we just didn’t see any reason to leave our honeymoon suite for most of the vacation.”

“Oooh, spicy, I love it.” He picked up his camera and looked at us hopefully. “Could I get a quick shot of the two of you kissing?”

Evan looked as if he were about to protest, so I kissed him before he could say anything. And I mean I kissed him, throwing my arms around his neck and pressing myself against him with passion I wasn’t sure I was entirely feigning.

He kissed me back and for a moment, a brief, blessed moment, we were back on that plane ride with the translucent walls and floors.

The flashbulb snap was the impetus that ended the moment. When we parted, our eyes met, and I knew Evan was thinking the same thing I was. Why couldn’t it be as easy to be a real husband and wife as pretend ones?

We met a ton of people that night. I lost track of how many times I shook hands. I don’t think we even made it into the actual movie theater, we were so busy speaking to people and appearing to the press.

Eventually, we wound up in a small but posh green room, safe from the prying eyes of the press or anyone else for that matter. Evan didn’t stop playing the part of the loving, doting husband. He may even have been overplaying it a little. He slid his armaround my waist while I was getting a crab cake and kissed me on top of the head, then dropped his lips to my neck.

It made no sense. Nobody was around to see it. I reacted in spite of myself, leaning my head back and pressing my body against his. When another guest entered the room, we broke apart sheepishly, like a couple of high school kids.

I was starting to lose track of what was real, and what was just roleplaying. On our way out of the green room, we ran into a tall, handsome and mustachioed man named Christian. He was apparently my husband’s college roommate and a billionaire in his own right.

“I’m starting to feel lonely here, Ev,” Christian said. He had an annoying habit of calling Evan Ev, though my ‘husband’ didn’t seem to mind. “I mean, it’s getting mighty sparse in the BBC.”

“British Broadcasting Company?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “Billionaire Bachelor’s Club. First Marshall, and now you.”

“You’re likely next.”

“Never going to happen.” Christian arched his brows. “So, I heard that Marshy knocked up his old lady. How about you two? Are you going to have kids?”

“Well, let’s just say that we’ve been giving mother nature ample opportunity since our wedding,” I said, putting my hand on Evan’s belly and snuggling up to him. I knew it was pretend, logically. But it also felt good. It felt good to act all cutesy and warm with my fake husband. The fake wedding was starting to stir some real feelings, much as I tried to avoid thinking about them.

We all laughed, and Christian became distracted when a leggy blonde walked past. He excused himself, and we returned to the mingle.

Everything was going great from a business perspective. Wewere selling our fake relationship like mad.

Then, some camera-toting reporter with his ball cap on backwards called out something that made me cringe.

“Hey, Amanda! If you all are in so much love, where’s your wedding ring?”

Chapter 12

Amanda

Istared in horror at the empty spot on my left ring finger. Shit, what had I done with it? Had I lost it?

The cocky reporter chewed his gum with a loud, snapping sound. He chewed with his mouth open, showing off the rotten remnants of his teeth. A tight white t-shirt framed a body that might have been attractive if not for the smarmy head attached to it.

Come on, think. Think! Before this awkward silence grows more suspicious than it already has.

My mind raced through dozens of possibilities, rejecting them all one after the other. Then it hit me, flashing through my brain like summer lightning. I knew where the ring was. I knew exactly where the ring was at.

The truth did not comfort me very much at all. In fact, the truth was a bit worse than I would have imagined. I almost wished that I had lost it, because that would make Evan less angry than the truth.

I remembered exactly where the wedding ring was. Sitting in its velvet case on top of the vanity back at the manor. It meant nothing to me and I just forgot to put it on. Simple as that.

I couldn’t think of anything to say, my tongue just tied itself in knots. I thought I was done for, but Evan came to the rescue.

“I’m afraid that’s my fault.” He put his arms around me from behind and pulled me in close to him. Oh, it felt so damn good for him to hold me. I hated the effect it had on me. Hated it and loved it. “She always takes it off in the bathtub, and then puts it back on after. Only this time, I joined her in the bath, and I guess her mind was on other things than the wedding ring.”

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