Page 31 of Playboy For Hire

“I’m glad you asked.” His voice was more alert than I’d heard it yet. “Where did you get that mark on your face?”

I was prepared for the question, but my heart still fluttered. I reminded myself sternly not to freak out. I’d practically asked the question for him. But I still didn’t enjoy feeling like I had to explain my tragic shortcomings to someone who so clearly didn’t see anything else about me as a person.

I shrugged. “Born with it. Just a birthmark.”

“Really?” Ewan asked. “I’ve never seen a birthmark that big. Is it weird, having it?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged again and tried to laugh, like this conversation wasn’t rapidly increasing my desire to take off running. “I mean, I’ve never lived without it, so I don’t have anything to compare it to.”

“Do you think—I mean, could I—” Ewan broke off, then lurched forward, his arm outstretched.

I jumped back when I realized he was trying totouchit. My knees hit the underside of the table, which set my wine glass wobbling. My chair tipped back, and I windmilled my arms to keep from falling. The glass rocked right, left—and then a hand swooped in, steadying it.

“Hey, Quinn,” said a voice over my shoulder. “Fancy meeting you here.”

My heart was still thumping wildly from my near fall, and I looked up to find Ryder standing next to our table. Where hadhecome from?

“What’s up, man?” Ryder said, nodding at me and Ewan. “What are you guys doing here?”

He had a pint glass in his hand, and he took a sip of his beer like this was a completely normal occurrence. When neither Ewan nor I spoke, he stuck his hand out to Ewan.

“Hey, I’m Ryder. Nice to meet you.”

Ewan just stared at him, and I realized I was going to have to make the introduction. I still couldn’t work out why Ryder was here. Hadn’t he told me, when we’d first met up, that he’d never been to this bar before?

“Ryder, this is Ewan. Ewan, this is Ryder.” I didn’t try to explain how I knew Ryder to Ewan. What would I even say?I hired thisguy to be my fake-boyfriend. Doesn’t that make me seem cool and desirable?

“Oh, cool,” Ryder said, giving Ewan an easy grin. He pulled a chair out from the table next to us and sat down on it, backwards, as though I’d asked him to join us, which I definitely had not. “Always nice to meet another of Quinn’s friends. So how do you two know each other?”

I stared at him in incomprehension. I’dtoldRyder I had a date today. Couldn’t he put two and two together?

“We’re on a date,” Ewan said, and again, his voice sounded more animated than it had all night. “How do you guys know each other?”

He sounded positively territorial. I hadn’t even been sure he was fully awake when we were talking earlier. But I guess he had tried to touch my face a minute ago. Maybe he really did like me?

Ryder didn’t answer Ewan’s question. Didn’t even seem to hear it. He just looked at me and said, “Oh, that’s cool. So how’s it going, Quinn? You having fun? Is he good enough?”

I stared at Ryder, wide-eyed. “What?”

Dimly, I heard Ewan echo me, but I was so shocked, I barely noticed.

“Just kidding, just kidding,” Ryder said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. Then he turned to Ewan. “I’m Quinn’s ex, by the way. We split up, but it was amicable. I was about to ship out to Antarctica, and he didn’t want to do long distance, which I totally understand. But you get it—I just want what’s best for Quinn here.”

“...Oh?” Ewan said softly.

“Ryder, what are you doing here?” I asked.

Ryder acted like he hadn’t heard me. He rested one elbow on the tabletop and looked at Ewan. “To be honest, it was probably for the best. Quinn is, shall we say,well endowed. And I honestly don’t know if I could have handled all of him for much longer, if you know what I mean. The whole enchilada. The whole dick’n’caboodle. The whole nine yards—or should I say inches?

He wiggled his eyebrows at Ewan, whose mouth dropped open.

“But hey, maybe you’ve got more capacity in that regard than I do,” Ryder continued. “What do you think? Think you can takeallof him?”

He slapped Ewan on the arm with a hearty laugh. All I could do was stare. What the hell was Ryder doing?

“I don’t think…” Ewan trailed off, his mouth hanging open in confusion.

“Well, hey, keep your mouth nice and open like that, and you’re off to a good start,” Ryder said. “That’s what our boy here deserves.”

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