“I didn’t think you cared. You wanted me to go with somebody else.”
“I don’t care.” Letting go of his hand, she turned to look at some geese waddling around the edge of a small pond. “Like you said, it was my idea.”
“You don’t want to know about Elizabeth?” he asked.
She said nothing.
Stubborn woman. Ethan pressed his lips together with frustration. He’d wanted her to be jealous, even if it had been her idea. He wanted to know what she was thinking, what she was trying to get out of their relationship. Did she still want a temporary arrangement? Was she trying to decide on the precise date she’d walk out?
No. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Not until they found someone else they’d rather be with. Ethan would make sure that no one else could compare to him.
“She’s a childhood friend,” he found himself saying. His hands tightened. He’d never felt compelled to explain himself to anybody. Certainly not to a woman who was determined to keep him at arm’s length.
“You must be close,” she remarked, though her shoulders seemed slightly less tense now.
“Like brother and sister.”
Kerri nodded. “Is she going to be your date for other functions too?”
“I prefer that you come with me.” He put his hands on her arms and turned her around. “Why don’t you want to be seen with me?”
She didn’t meet his gaze. “Don’t be silly. I’m being seen with you right now.” She gestured at a group of high school kids nearby. “See? Right over there. The general public.”
“You know what I mean,” he ground out.
She hesitated, still refusing to look at him. Ethan felt out of his depth, the power dynamic working against him. She didn’t want to tell him anything, while he was sitting there explaining himself to her so she’d understand he wasn’t treating this whole situation like some kind of an extended fling. “I don’t have any clothes suitable for the kind of events you go to,” she finally said.
He narrowed his eyes. “That’s a piss-poor excuse. We’ll go shopping if you don’t like the dress I bought you.”
“Kind of out of my budget.”
“Well it’s not out of mine. Since I’m the one who would be dragging you to those events, I’ll pay.”
“I can’t let you do that. It’s above and beyond what we agreed to.”
He crossed his arms. “Where in the contract does it say that we won’t give each other gifts?”
“But it’s not a gift. There’s no occasion for it.”
“You don’t need a special occasion to give someone a gift.”
“Sure you do. Otherwise, it’s like you’re treating me like a mistress.”
“I’m treating you like a mistress?” Ethan stared at her. “I’m treating you—? You’re the one treating me like some kind of gigolo. Nice enough to fuck in private, sure, but god forbid we be seen together in decent society.”
“It’s not like that.” Her throat worked. She ran her fingers through her loose hair. “Look we can be seen, but I don’t want to be…photographed, okay? That’s why I can’t go to those kinds of events with you. There are photographers.”
Well, that was out of left field. Ethan stopped and stared at her, his mind working. “Why the hell would you not want—” Then it hit him. “You’re hiding.”
“What?”
“You’re hiding from someone. Or something. What happened?”
She shook her head and looked away. “That’s not it.”
“That is it. Did something happen in Hong Kong? A stalker, maybe?”
Her eyes widened as she stared at him. “No! Look, Ethan. Not everyone wants to have their photos plastered everywhere. Not everyone wants fame and attention at the expense of privacy. I value mine, okay? Why can’t you respect that?”