How to Avoid a Billionaire(27)

At last, tears swelled in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. She didn’t bother brushing them away but let them flow. A sob or two escaped, and she hiccupped as her frame shook. Time passed, and when the tears stopped but the pain continued, she rose from the chair and went to get dressed. She repacked the necklace and grabbed her purse then left the apartment. Uptown, she found parking and walked the short way to Ryder’s building. Would she still have access or had it been revoked now that he’d dumped her? She imagined he had done countless women the way he had used her, and some of them didn’t take rejection well. All she wanted was to throw his necklace in his face and tell him what she thought of him. Then she would never see him again.

To her surprise, the guard remembered her. He offered to call Jodie, Ryder’s assistant to let her know she was on the way, but Melanie said it was a surprise. She couldn’t believe the phony smile and the airy tone she’d used. On the elevator, she gripped the package in shaking fingers. Each ding of the bell made her wince. Her stomach convulsed, and she shut her eyes.

When the doors opened, she didn’t immediately move. A deep voice, so like Ryder’s, made her jump. “Coming out?”

Her eyes snapped open, and she stared at him. He looked like Ryder, but wasn’t as sexy, and his hair didn’t shine like Ryder’s. In fact, nothing of this man came close to her former lover except his easy smile, the same oily smile that was her undoing.

“Are you Christian?” she asked.

He brightened. “Yes. How do you know me, beautiful lady? Wait, don’t tell me. You’re Melanie. I should have realized.” He reached for her hand before she could respond, and he drew her off the elevator while he held the door open. His gaze slid to her hair, and she reached up to try to tame it. Ryder had claimed to love the texture and the disorderly nature of her mane.

Somehow she managed to chat with Christian as if nothing bothered her. He flirted and teased her, wholly insincere. She saw that now. Blood rushed through her ears, and butterflies held sway in her belly, making it tough to focus on Christian’s words, but she managed to glean that Ryder was out to lunch.

Melanie held out the bag she’d packaged the necklace in. “Please give this to Ryder.”

Christian seemed to get at last that something bothered her. “Do you want to wait for him?”

“No, just give this to him. Thanks.” She jabbed the bag in his hand and turned to leave. A second elevator was just arriving, and she hurried onto it before Christian could say more. Back on the street, she started in the direction of her car and then stopped. Handing over the gift to his cousin didn’t give her satisfaction. She wanted to shout at Ryder, smack his face, and humiliate him in front of whatever client he was seeing.

She marched down the street and soon came to the restaurant where Christian had said Ryder dined. After her eyes adjusted to the dimmer interior, she gazed around, leaning to see around patrons and restaurant staff.

“May I help you find your party, ma’am?”

She was about to answer the host when she spotted Ryder. All thought left her mind, every word she’d intended to say. He held the woman’s wrist and whispered something to her. Even as she bent her head forward, the curtain of silky chestnut hair covering part of her face, Melanie would have recognized Shana anywhere. Of course. That’s the type he’d said he liked at the beginning, didn’t he? The tall, long legged, model-thin type. She was the biggest bai chi of them all.

Ryder decided to return to the office. He wanted to clear his schedule for the rest of the day. When he strode into his office a few minutes later, Christian followed him in. “Well, she’s as beautiful in person as you said. Those eyes are different on a black girl. I see why you’re hooked. Curvy.”

Ryder spun around. “Melanie was here?”

“Yeah. She gave me this.” Christian tossed him a bag. “She seemed a little upset. Did you leave her bed too soon, man?”

Ryder opened the bag and peered inside. He recognized the jewelry box, and dread struck him hard in the chest.

“Hey, Ryder, you okay? You look pale.”

“Christian, get out.” His tone must have been dark enough for his cousin to get it the first time. The door clicked shut behind him. Ryder dialed Melanie, but she didn’t answer. When her voicemail came on, he spoke as calmly as his storming emotions allowed. “Melanie, there’s been a mistake. Call me.”

He started to call Jodie but instead walked out to her office. She sat at her desk busily typing away. Since he normally called her to come to him, she seemed shocked to see him there. “Something up, Ryder?”