Page 10 of How to Avoid a Billionaire

“Ryder, what are you doing here?”

He hesitated, considering whether Antwon had said screw him for a chance at keeping this beautiful woman, but then he recalled the voicemail he’d received earlier saying Antwon had arrived in Aurora and was to meet with his manager shortly.

Ryder smiled and held out a hand, waiting for Melanie to place hers over his. When she did, the movement caused a whiff of her perfume to engulf him, something subtle yet intoxicating like her. “I had hoped to find your plans changed.”

He tugged her to him until she bumped against his chest, and he looked down into the confused expression. Her mouth called for his kiss, but he held off.

“I was…I mean I wasn’t…” Her lips pursed as she sought an explanation he knew wouldn’t come without putting space between them.

“Am I wrong for being eager to see you,” he asked, “that I risked another man kicking my ass?”

“Please, who could?” She blushed at her admission and pulled out of his hold. “My plans did get changed, but since I had this great dress I hadn’t worn yet, I thought I’d go out and have fun by myself. You can tag along if you like?”

Definitely a great dress.

He looked down his nose at her, but the expression meant nothing when she’d already turned away and chattered seemingly about anything that popped into her head. He followed her movements with his gaze as she grabbed a sweater and slung it over her arm and then took up her purse. Moving past him, she brushed a curvy hip against his thigh and didn’t appear to notice. Meanwhile, his cock hardened, and he followed along behind her like a damned puppy. Hours ago, he’d had the upper hand, so how did this woman change that in a matter of seconds?

They sat in his car, and he hitched his shoulders and rolled his neck before turning over the engine. “I was thinking we could go to Masako’s for dinner.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Anywhere but there. Masako’s is bougie. They charge an arm and a leg and give you a tiny portion of food.”

Her displeasure took him aback. “Uh, okay. Name the place. I’ll give you what you wish.”

She offered a pleased smile, and he felt the stirrings of something deep inside. After she suggested a restaurant that was not as exclusive as Masako’s but not on the level of the first place they’d gone to, he agreed and drove off. Dinner zipped by with easy conversation and him turning on the charm. Melanie seemed to melt under his attention, and he judged her very close to falling for him. A little more, and he’d have achieved his goal. After they ate, the pint-sized minx nixed another of his recommendations and dragged him off to what she called an independent artists’ museum, which he had never heard of.

An hour later, she walked beside him, her nose buried in the brochure she’d picked up with descriptions of each of the sculptures. She stopped short and pointed to a silver monstrosity on their left. Ryder could not figure out why anyone would create what looked like two arms tied in a knot and caught in the act of running on its hands. Nor would he have imagined paying to look at it.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Melanie chirped. “This museum doesn’t open until six in the evening and closes at midnight. I love it, and I’ve been here so many times. It says here there’s going to be a new exhibit next Thursday. I have to come back, and you should come with me.”

He eyed her, and she laughed. “Oh don’t be stuffy, Ryder.” She ran a hand down his arm. “If you smile for me, I’ll buy you an ice cream cone. They have them in the gift shop, but you have to eat it in the front area or outside.”

His lips twitched, but he managed to keep from grinning. She was a very unusual woman. “I think it’s you who wants an ice cream.”

“They are good.”

Ryder gave in and guided her back the way they came to the gift shop. He bought her the rainbow sherbet and gave in to her prodding to buy a simple vanilla cone. When they found a vacant bench, they sat down.

Melanie eyed his cone. “Let me have a taste?”

He held his cone out of reach. “Didn’t you want that?”

“I want yours too.”

This time he did grin at her behavior. The truth was he’d thought the exhibit would bore him. While a museum was considered a cultural experience, he had never had the patience or the interest for them. Melanie creating elaborate—false—histories behind the various pieces while still admiring the skill it took to fashion them had made the experience if not fun, at least entertaining. She perplexed him, and he found himself drawn to her for a reason he had yet to sort out in his own head.

He held out his cone, and she stuck out a small tongue. His pants tented, and he thanked his lucky stars he was already sitting down.

“Mmm,” she moaned. “It’s good.”

Ryder glared at her. “Stop that.”

She widened her eyes. “What?”

“You’re asking for it, angel.”

“Fine, tell me about yourself. All through dinner you avoided personal questions, and since I let you hang with me tonight, I think you should give it up.”

Again she played on words. She knew what she did, and he had no doubt she wanted to torment him. What he didn’t like was all evening he had wrestled for control of their date and found himself in a fight. Every woman he’d set to conquer fell to his desires almost from day one. The tougher ones, he easily saw through for the games they played. He noticed the coy glances, the accidental brushes against him. Melanie cast him no shy looks. In fact, it appeared that she made fun of him, something he didn’t appreciate.

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