Page 23 of How to Avoid a Billionaire

He turned and extended his hand. She took it and settled against his chest. “I have a confession, angel.”

She stiffened in his arms and looked up at him. “This isn’t your house?”

He laughed. “It’s mine. No, not that. The movies.”

“What about them?”

“I stayed up several nights watching and taking notes on what I could discuss with you.”

“You’re not serious.”

“I am.”

She pulled out of his hold and just stared at him. “You lost sleep to study up on a few B movies as if you had to give a presentation? Is that how you approach everything? You learn what people like and make sure you know enough to impress them, like you did with my dad.”

“In all fairness, I didn’t know you were taking me to your parents’ house.”

“But you knew I was half Chinese.”

“I can prove to you I’ve done business that required me to learn about Chinese culture.”

She folded her arms under her chest. “That’s not the point.”

“What point are you making?”

“Don’t talk to me like none of this affects you, Ryder, as if I’m just one more person to manipulate, or rather, placate when the situation calls for it. I don’t appreciate the trick! Why did you even tell me? You could have left me ignorant. I mean you had me going. I was impressed.”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

He took a step toward her, but she backed up and spun away. “I’m going home. Please give me a ride. Better yet I’ll call a taxi.”

He caught up with her beside the bed and enfolded her in his embrace. She fought to get him off without effect. “I did it because it’s what I’m used to doing. More than that, I… I’m sorry. Forgive me.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I want you to stay. Think about it.” He spun her to face him and raised her chin. She drew back expecting him to kiss her, a move that would undermine her defenses again. He only refused to let her escape. “Rather than woo you using the lie, I told you the truth. I had no reason to…”

She opened her mouth, but he touched her lips.

“Other than to earn your trust.”

She smacked his hand so she could speak. “In a backward kind of way.”

“I’m a bai chi.”

“Totally.” She stopped struggling, and her anger melted away. Whether he spoke the truth now or not, she didn’t know, but he was right. He could have kept up the deception. She realized this was who he was, a man used to finding out what others wanted and creating a connection to win them over. The knowledge scared her because she couldn’t tell how he really felt, whether he liked her. His patience with her dad’s arrogance could have come from practice not because they had found camaraderie in each other. “I don’t know you, Ryder. I feel like I’m out of my league.”

“There is no league, only people.”

“That’s not true.”

He gave her a small shake, and she looked into his eyes. Her heart fluttered, and she couldn’t look away. Did he know how much he affected her? Of course he did. He’d trained for this, studied at the feet of his father and others.

“There’s only perception, Melanie.”

He called her by her name so infrequently, it sounded funny, and she kind of wanted to hear him call her angel again. She shook her head. He frowned, probably thinking she’d shaken her head because she disagreed with him.

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