Page 104 of The Deal with the Playboy

“I read all their letters, front to back, and she never disclosed why they kept it a secret from me.”

Even though we’re outside in the cool air, it doesn’t ease the tension he feels. I wish I could make him feel better.

“Let’s not dwell on it, we’re here to have fun, remember?” I point to the Ferris wheel. “Let’s ride the Ferris wheel.”

I yank him toward the long line, and we wait for about twelve minutes. When it’s our turn to get on the ride, I can hear my heart pounding in my chest. We sit in the seat and the person who works the machine pulls a chain across our laps. Once everyone is loaded in their seat, the wheel begins to move slowly into the air.

Every time I am with Jasper, I feel at ease with him, and I take in a deep breath once we’re at the top. From this view I can see all of the amusement park, the orange sky reflecting on the ocean.

It’s a wonderful view.

Jasper places his hand on my thigh, and I can’t get enough of his touch.

He’s like an addiction I don’t want to kick.

“Have you ever thought about just running away from here and getting away from the pressure of being in the spotlight?” he asks out of the blue.

I nod. “Yes. Especially after my breakup with Link. I was humiliated by him, and no matter where I went, everyone felt angry with me. As the girl who had broken his heart, even though it was the other way around. I learned a lot about myself while I was with him.”

“Such as, Angel?” He strokes my hair and yanks me into his arms, even with the chain restricting our movements, and I feel his erection as it wedges between my ass cheeks.

The back of my neck burns hotter than the sun.

“We’re not supposed to do that.”

“So? You know I’m not the type to follow rules,” he shoots back.

I smile. “He taught me I’m stronger than what I believe, and if I can go through a bad breakup then I can get through anything. People will believe anything they hear.”

He’s quiet and we get off the ride, walking hand in hand.

“I used to think I would marry Gemma, but we were never meant to be together.”

I inhale deeply. It stings my heart that he would mention her, but I don’t let it show. It’s his past, after all. His past alone, and I have no reason to be jealous of someone no longer in the picture. I’m the one that got the ring.

He would have never married you unless it was benefiting him,I say to myself, but I don’t want to think about it.

He stops in front of a shooting range. I wanted to ask him more questions about her, but he isn’t going to open up to me unless he’s ready. Sometimes, he’s closed off like a tight lid.

Jasper picks up a BB gun, and says to the attendant, “I want to win my wife a stuffed animal.”

He shoots every balloon and several moments later, he wins a small teddy bear.

I hug it to my chest, because I love stuffed animals.

“Thank you.”

He nods and we keep strolling. The crowd dies down, the sky darkens, and the half-moon reflects in the ocean.

“She broke my heart,” he blurts out.

I don’t respond for a moment, the question I want to ask him playing in my mind like a broken tune. “Do you still love her?”

He shakes his head. “No. Not anymore. I stopped loving her when I couldn’t help her get clean for Harper.” He exhales. “After Harper’s passing, I found out she wasn’t my daughter.”

“What do you mean?”

“Gemma lied to me. She told me she was mine and she wasn’t. She wasn’t sure at first because she had a one-night stand with someone else the same week we first slept together.” Disappointment burns in his pupils. “She showed me a fake DNA test, so I believed her.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “I found out through the autopsy that Harper wasn’t mine. I wanted to make sure the reason she died was because of the smoke.”

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