Knight in Shining Suit (31 page)

“
And what? Have your
mother think that I can only give you a fraction of my time?” he
asked. “I told you I’m never too busy to see my girl.”

“
And I told you this is a
fake engagement!” I muttered under my breath.

“
I think you also told me
you miss me,” he countered.

I pulled away from him. I
knew I was blushing from head to toe. I was so embarrassed. I knew
I did say that. And I did mean it. But when I said that to him, I
thought I wouldn’t have to face him for at least another
week!

He brushed his fingers
against my burning cheek. “God, I missed that blush!” he said,
adding to my embarrassment. He stared at me deeply. “And I missed
you too,” he said. “And I will never pass up the chance to play
your fiancé again. So… just… humor me for a while.”

“
Ryder… I know you’re
busy. This is too many favors already,” I said.

I felt him shake his head.
“I’m really glad you came,” he said. “I could use some time to
unwind.”

“
And you need me to do
that?” I asked.

He hugged me again and
then he took a deep breath. He didn’t say anything. Somehow, I knew
that he’d been stressed out and he was glad to see an ally… a
friendly face, someone on his side who wouldn’t put any pressures
on him, would instead attempt to take that pressure away. I wanted
to help him, too… in what little ways I could. So I wound my arms
around his waist and hugged him back.

“
Thank you, Ryder,” I said
quietly. “I don’t think my family will be doubting that this…
relationship isn’t real. You’re not some random guy I picked to
pretend to be in love with me so I could escape the embarrassment
of a broken engagement.” I sighed. “You’re doing more than you
should. You didn’t have to pay for their hotel rooms. I have to pay
you back.”

“
Shhh,” he said. “My city,
my treat. Besides, it’s the first time you visited me here. It’s my
treat to you.”

“
It's an expensive treat!
Ryder, you have to stop spoiling me!” I groaned.

He laughed. Then he pulled
away from me and to my surprise he bent down and swept me off my
feet and carried me towards the bed.

“
Hey!” I complained. But I
don’t really know what I was complaining about. I stared at Ryder
and he looked tired, as if he hadn’t slept in days. “Are you okay?”
I asked him.

He stared at me and then
he smiled. “I didn’t sleep last night.”

“
Why?”

“
I’ve just opened Rig
Style Manhattan,” he replied. “Two bartenders didn’t show up. I had
to fill in. And then by the time I closed at six in the morning, I
had to fill in for my dad in meeting his accountant who just flew
in from L.A. The meeting just finished when you gave me a
call.”

He settled me on the bed.
I kicked off my sandals. Ryder took off his jacket and his shoes.
He eased down on the bed beside me. He looked really
tired.

“
I really shouldn’t have
imposed on you,” I said guiltily.

He smiled. “I just need
one hour to recharge,” he said.

I stared at him. He looked
like he hadn’t slept for days. He was stressed. But he still had a
smile on his face. His eyes still had that glitter. He looked like
a happy man, albeit, really tired. And saying he just needed one
hour and he’d be able to entertain my family again was too
endearing for me.

I reached and touched his
cheek with my hand.

He smiled at me and then
he reached forward and pulled me to him. My heart pounded in my
chest.
Is he going to kiss me?

But he didn’t kiss me.
Instead he pulled me to lie down next to him, making me rest my
head on his shoulder, enclosing me in a hug.

“
Lie with me for a while?”
he whispered.

How could I say no to
that? It was too sweet! And because I thought I would scream the
minute I open my mouth, I just nodded.

I felt him kiss the top of
my head. Then he drifted off to sleep with me locked in his
arms.

I didn’t know how I was
going to feel. I knew I was attracted to Ryder. I meant, physically
attracted. But this… this was not the same. This isn’t sexiness or
physical attraction. This was… warmth and comfort.

As much as I would like to
deny it, because I knew I was not ready for a relationship just
yet, this… felt wonderful. I felt comfortable, and warm. As if
there was no place I would rather be. As if he really did belong to
me.

I fell asleep myself and
my dreams were filled with warmth and laughter. I woke up after an
hour and a half. I was still locked in Ryder’s arms, my head
comfortably rested on his shoulder. He smelled of faint
aftershave--fresh and masculine.

He tightened his hug on me
and then I felt him kiss the top of my head again.

“
Astrid,” he
whispered.

I thought he was calling
me, waking me up. However, when I looked up at him, I realized he
was still sleeping. Instantly, I felt warm. He whispered my name in
his sleep! I smiled to myself, unable to believe that it could be
real. I buried my head deeper into his shoulder and I closed my
eyes.

I woke up after another
thirty minutes. I stared up at Ryder. He opened his eyes lazily and
he stared back at me. He smiled.

“
Ready to go?” he
asked.

“
Up to you. Are you sure
you don’t need any more sleep?”

He smiled. “I said one
hour. I think I had two. I should be fine.”

“
Alright,” I said. I
slowly pulled away from him and sat up from the bed. I looked
around his apartment.

“
Ultimate bachelor’s pad,”
I whispered.

“
I’ve lived here since I
was twenty-five,” he said. “The house in Malibu is more like…
entering into adulthood.”

I giggled. “Yeah. And you
stay here a lot don’t you?”

He shrugged. “I travel at
least six times a month. I stay in Malibu about two nights a week.
I can’t really say I stay here a lot.”

“
Must be tough being you,
Ryder,” I whispered. “You have the world in your hands. It’s… hard
to keep up with you. No wonder you couldn’t find a steady girl to
introduce to your friends.”

“
I introduced you,” he
said.

I laughed. “Not the sham
relationship, you know. A real one.”

He stood up from the bed.
“Well, as far as your family and my friends are concerned, I have a
real, happy relationship. And we need to go so I can make an
impression on my future mother-in-law.”

I laughed. “I think
they’re already in love with you, Ryder.”

“
I seem to be winning
every one of your relative’s approval, except yours.”

“
That’s because I was the
only one who knew you were acting.” I giggled.

He stared at me for a
while and then he turned away and opened the drawer on his bedside
table. He took a box out and then opened it. It was my ring… I
mean, the ring he gave me. He took the ring from the box and held
his hand out to me.

“
What? I said I will not
wear that ring again… unless you find a good reason why I should,”
I said.

“
Your mother expects to
see it on your finger tonight. How about that?” he asked, his eyes
filled with challenge.

I raised a brow at him,
but I knew he was right. My mother and my aunt would be looking for
this ring.

I held my hand out to take
the ring from him. He raised a brow at me and then he took my hand
and placed the ring on my finger instead.

“
You know I will be
returning the ring before I go.”

“
I’ll find a reason soon
enough. And after that, who knows? You won’t be taking that ring
off your finger ever,” he said and I think I forgot to breathe for
a whole minute.

I sighed and stared at the
gorgeous ring on my finger. And somehow, I had to remind myself
that it all was a sham.

“
It will break their
hearts if they find out we aren’t for real,” I said.

“
They don’t have to find
out, you know,” he said.

I sighed. “Yeah. But we’ll
have to invent the breakup story of the century.” I smiled at him.
“Don’t worry. It will be my fault. Let’s blame it all on
me.”

“
You don’t have to break
their hearts,” he said. “At least not yet.”

I nodded. “Works either
way, Ryder. Let me know anytime you can’t pretend to be my perfect
fiancé anymore.”

And somehow that thought
pinched my heart.

16.

BELLS:

One of the most common
symbols of marriage and weddings.

T
he minute I entered my mother’s hotel room, they noticed my
ring.

“
Oh my God, this is just
too gorgeous!” my mother said, pulling my hand.

“
This is expensive!” my
aunt breathed. “It’s a Harry Winston!”

“
You’re embarrassing me!”
I hissed at them.

Ryder just
chuckled.

“
You spoil her too much,
young man,” my mother said, but I could tell that she was very
happy for me.

“
She deserves it, Mrs.
Jacobson,” he said. “Astrid deserves to wear a ring as beautiful as
she is.”

Ryder was the epitome of
grace and gallantry. He was everything a girl could ask for in a
boyfriend! It’s like he was ripped right out of the pages of a
romance novel. Sweet, funny, he treated my mother and my aunt like
they were queens. He kept up with Uncle Reynolds’ endless chatter
about the stocks, business and Forex. Ryder could handle it all.
Looking at him, I wouldn’t even know he was the same man who slept
beside me an hour ago. It’s like he had tons of energy saved up
somewhere.

He took us around the
city. We went to Bloomingdale’s. I tried on a couple of dresses.
Ryder patiently sat on the couch, playing judge. He told me whether
or not the dress I put on looked good on me. He was an even better
shopping companion than Nicole was. He paid attention to
me.

I settled for three
dresses. I took them to the counter to pay for them, but Ryder was
quick to hand over his platinum card.

“
No!” I said sharply. I
raised a brow at him.

He just laughed and then
to my surprise, he leaned forward to give me a quick kiss on the
lips.

I glared at him. “What was
that for? They’re not even around!” I hissed at him.

“
Oh, I’m sorry, Ma’am. I
guess I got carried away,” he whispered teasingly.

The cashier handed him his
credit card bill and he signed for it. I smiled at the cashier, but
when we turned away, I gave Ryder a pinch on the arm.

He laughed. Then he put an
arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. “You’re too
cute.”

When we went out of the
store, we heard a woman’s voice call behind us.

“
Ryder!”

We turned around and I saw
a stunning blonde with long legs approach us. She was tall, but her
mini skirt was very short. She could pull it off though. She looked
more like she was walking on the runway than
Bloomingdales.

“
Alizia.” Ryder nodded at
her.

She lunged forward and
gave Ryder a hug.

“
How have you been? It’s
been ages!” she said.

Ryder gently pulled away
from her. “I’ve been good,” he said. “Busy.”

“
When were you not busy?”
The girl giggled and rolled her eyes. “You might as well marry your
restaurant chains!” She giggled again.

Obviously, she was
flirting with him. And I didn’t know why, but somehow, that really
annoyed me.

I stared at the girl. She
was gorgeous. Like she was Hollywood celebrity! I could tell that
she was wearing expensive clothes. Her bangles were adorned with
diamonds, as well as the sunglasses perched up her head. Right
away, I knew this was the type that vied for Ryder’s attention.
This was his world—where he could have the pick of girls as rich
and as beautiful as this. And I felt as annoyed as I was insecure.
I looked away from them.

Suddenly I felt Ryder pull
me towards him.

“
Alizia, I’d like you to
meet Astrid,” he said. He looked at me. “Alizia and I shared a few
classes in Harvard.”

And she’s smart
too!
I thought glumly.

“
Alizia, this is Astrid,
my… fiancée,” he said.

The statement raised
brows! Including
mine
!

It took me a moment to
recover. I extended my hand to Alizia, who still looked
dumbfounded.

When I extended my hand,
her eyes drifted off directly to my fingers to see if I was
sporting an engagement ring, the sort Ryder Van Woodsen can
afford.

And voila! I was! I smiled
at her cheerily.

“
Wow! I am honored to meet
the girl that finally tied Ryder Van Woodsen down!” she said to me,
smiling.