Page 153 of The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée

“That’s something I’ve always liked about you,” she says. “And I’m gonna be honest with you here—I don’t like the numbers I’m getting.”

Rex nods. He says nothing.

“I don’t like being played. I won’t work with people who think they can play me,” she says. “But I do like a man who tries to make things right.”

Rex is silent, listening. My heart is pounding. I’ve been planting seeds with Gail about Rex. I bite my lip.

“You came to me instead of letting things implode on their own,” Gail says. “You could’ve let me twist and then picked up the pieces, but you didn’t do that. And now I see what’s on Tabitha’s finger.”

“What is on my finger? Oh, look!” I hold up the diamond ring Rex gave to me. He proposed to me at our fake favorite sushi restaurant, Sushi of Gari, which is now one of our real favorite restaurants. The ring is crazy sparkly, and I never get sick of looking at it.

Gail smiles her crafty smile. “Looks like you’re fiancés after all. So what do you say?” she asks him. “You want to take over my funds?”

“Gail,” he says, “I’d be honored.”

“Well, thank goodness.” She clasps his hand. “Let’s get that ball rolling.” He looks over her shoulder and catches my eye. Later, he’ll playfully accuse me of planting seeds with her. And I’ll tell him that of course I planted seeds with her. And we’ll wrestle on the bed, and I’ll threaten him with a jasmine-scented face cloth. And things will turn dirty from there.

But for now, I’m biting my lip, and he’s watching me bite my lip, and then he comes to me and pulls me close.

Gail is looking out over the horizon. “Look, look!” She points. “Do you see?”

We squint out at shimmery water. Suddenly, without warning, a large black whale tail breaks the bright surface, surging up with the cool strength of something that’s been there all along, ancient and forever.

I put my head on Rex’s shoulder and sigh.

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