Page 58 of Billionaire Games
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After a long dayof visiting with Ethan’s fake family, although Kel was unaware of that fact, she was tired and ready for bed. Ethan walked her down a long hallway where many pictures lined the walls. “And who’s this?” she asked about a lovely young woman in a black and white photo, framed in gold.
“Um,” he mumbled as he had no idea who any of the people were in any of the photos. The fact was, he was growing tired of the charade. Kel had been the epitome of class as she handled the shenanigans the acting troupe put her through. “Not sure about that one, love.”
Kel stopped and turned to face him. “How’s that, Ethan? I have to tell you that I feel like something’s not quite right here.”
He gulped and felt a weight on his back the likes he’d never known before. Taking her hand, he led her into one of the bedrooms. “I think I can finally be honest with you, Kel. Seeing as I have you too far away for you to grow furious enough with me that you’d run out and hide away from me.”
She sat on the bed, watching him as he began to pace with a slightly nervous expression on his handsome face. “Be honest. I never run from honesty, Ethan.”
He laughed with an oddly loud and abrupt sound. “Oh, I think you’ll be pretty mad at me, my love.”
“I’ll hold my temper.” Kel got up and put her arms around him. “You can be honest with me.”
He stroked her soft cheek and looked into her eyes. “I think I can, but I’m still afraid you’ll end this.”
“And why would I end something this nice?” she asked him then leaned her head to rest on his broad chest. “Just tell me. You really can tell me anything.”
Taking her hands, he held her away from him. “Take a seat.”
She did as he’d said to and sat on the edge of the bed. “Okay, spill it, Ethan.”
“My friends and I overheard you and your sisters talking about something that has us all doing some kind of crazy things to you girls.” He began to pace again, putting his hands behind his back as he weighed what he wanted to say.
Kel held her temper, but the fact was she was getting irate that this was the thing he wanted to be honest about and not the bet he and his friends had. “You and your friends are doing crazy things to me and my sisters, Ethan. Please go on. And what did you hear us talking about?”
Ethan stopped and leveled his eyes on Kel. She looked so small and innocent as she sat on the bed, waiting for his explanation. “Marriage, Kel. Marriage and how you three plan to get us all to marry you and pay your damn bills.” His face was turning red as he grew angry.
Kel’s face began to turn red too. “Anything else, you’d like to be honest about, Ethan?”
“These people aren’t my family. I hired them to play the role. I wanted you to think I came from looneys and stop trying to get me to marry you. I actually come from good stock. No Americans are in the mix at all. And no mental illness, either. I’m not proud of what I did. And I wanted you to know that. I want us to be honest with one another. Would you like to confess now?”
Heat filled her as she stood up. “Me? You’re not nearly finished with your confession!”
Ethan grabbed her wrists as he feared she might try to hit him. “Look, I told you about the fake family and why I did it. There’s no more. I’d like for you to admit that you planned on tricking me into marrying you.”
“I admit it,” Kel spat at him. “Before I ask for your forgiveness for such a thing, I want more of that honesty you spoke about. I want to know it all, Ethan Southern. Every last bit of it!”
“Well, Griffin is going to make Jess think she’ll have to jack off bulls to be his wife. Phoenix is making Cait think that she’ll have to live in the middle of a stinking oilfield if she wants him to marry her. We all came up with ideas that make us seem less attractive as husbands.” He sat her back down. “There, you have it.”
“I’m going to let you have it if you don’t come clean, Ethan. You have mere seconds. I’m about to count to three and if I get to the last number and the whole truth hasn’t begun to pour from those lips then you will feel my wrath. You and your friends!” The look on her face made him think she knew about the bet.
But how could she? Unless one of his friends had told one of her sisters. That would be the only way, in his opinion. “Who told who what, love?”
“One!” Kel shouted at him.
“Damn it! Kel, you have to tell me what you know,” he shouted back at her.
“Two!” she said through clenched teeth. Her eyes were growing shimmery with what he was sure were angry tears. And when a woman cried those kinds of tears, anything could happen. Thr…”
“Stop!” he shouted as he held up his hands in surrender. “Stop counting. We had a bet.”
Kel couldn’t stop the tears as they crept out of her eyes. He’d finally been honest. “About?”
“About getting laid. Who’d get laid first.” Ethan got on his knees in front of her and took her hands in his, pulling them up to his cheeks where he rubbed them to his face. “We picked the women for each other. You were chosen for me. Kel, I swear it to ya, I’ve never met a woman more perfect for me.”
She let out a sigh of relief. “Ethan, finally. We’ve known since the first night. That’s why we led you all on then left you. The bartender is our cousin, he overheard you and told us. Damn, that feels awesome to get off my chest. The marriage thing we were talking about was to get even with you all.”
Ethan nodded. “That sounds more reasonable than thinking you three, strong women wanted what you were talking about.”
“I’m going to call my sisters and tell them to come clean. I can’t imagine the torture their men are putting them through. And you call your friends and let them know the bet’s off.” Kel pulled her hands away from Ethan, but he came along with them and kissed her with a passion he’d never felt before.
The woman was his equal in all ways. And the bet was behind them. The truth had been exposed, and he was about to make sure she knew how he really felt about her.
