Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
She couldn’t believe she’d told Rick so much of her history. And he’d listened, his attention unwavering. Like he honestly cared. She hadn’t even told her ex in St. Louis the entire story, and they’d been together for three years.
“Thanks for sitting through all of that.”
His brows drew down over his hazel eyes. “I should be thanking you for telling me. I know it’s not easy to open up.”
“Somehow, it is with you.”
Wow. She actually kinda liked this guy. It had nothing to do with the fact that he had money. His job as a hedge fund manager didn’t even fit with the rest of him. Rick was down to earth, sincere. Assertive enough to keep things interesting. And the rocking body didn’t hurt.
She hadn’t felt this interested in a guy in a long time. Before her dry spell, she’d been with Justin, having boring sex for three years because she’d thought she loved him. All the while, she’d downplayed Justin’s efforts to belittle and control her, which had left her isolated.
She practically needed her cherry popped all over again. Perhaps Rick Harrison was just the man to do it.
He was turned toward her on the stool. His knee bumped gently against hers, then drew away. Her eyes strayed to his lips, and his mouth opened slightly.
Then her phone rang. It was Lana. Reluctantly, Aurora answered.
“I got your message,” Lana said. “You were at the station when Crane arrived? What happened?”
Aurora told her friend about the man she’d seen outside police headquarters. “I can’t even say why he bothered me. I’d never seen him before.” She felt Rick tensing beside her. His knee brushed hers again. “It just seemed like he was watching me. Following me.”
“Okay.” It sounded like Lana was writing something down. “I’ll make sure someone reviews the security camera footage around the station. I’ll also have the sketch artist call you so you can work up an image.”
“That sounds good.” Aurora was relieved she’d called and that Lana was taking this seriously. Just like Rick had.
“You’re not alone, are you?”
“Rick is with me. From next door. Turns out, he’s not as douchey as I thought.” She smiled at him.
“Good. I’d feel better if you stay with someone until we can check out this man you saw. And Rory—no more running off, okay?”
“Got it.”
“Stay in. Have some fun. Bye.” Lana’s voice was teasing. Have some fun with Rick, she meant. Aurora was inclined to agree.
“Anything I can do to help?” Rick asked after she’d ended the call.
“Keep me company?” She pressed her knee to his again, and this time, he kept the contact. “I could use a distraction.”
“When my mom’s got too much on her mind, she likes to bake.”
“You want to bake with me? Seriously?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
“Okay. Sure.” This guy was too good to be true.
She pulled up a sugar cookie recipe on her phone.
His bossy side came out as they mixed the ingredients, but she found that she didn’t mind it so much. He wanted to crack the eggs a certain way, measure out the flour just so.
“The recipe is right there,” he protested. “They give directions for a reason.”
“I guess I’m just not a rule follower.”
“I gathered that much.”
He was surprisingly comfortable in the kitchen, at least compared to what she would’ve expected from a guy who managed a hedge fund for a living. He must’ve had enough money to buy whatever cookies he wanted.
But he had grown up in a house where his mom baked for him. She found herself wondering more about his family, his childhood. He had told her so little about himself, and yet she had spilled almost her entire life story.
But every time she tried asking him a question, he brought the subject back to the moment.
So he didn’t want to talk about himself. It wasn’t a deal breaker. She’d give him time to open up.
Soon, the cookies were in the oven, and Aurora got out a new bag of powdered sugar to make the frosting. She started jabbing at the top with a knife, but then Rick pulled the bag out of her hands.
“You can’t do it that way. You’re going to cut yourself. Or spill it everywhere.”
“It’s fine.” She tried to pull the sugar back.
“Hold on, you need to—”
“If you would just—“
The bag popped open. A puff of white exploded into the air. They both froze.
“My face is covered in sugar right now.” His expression was solemn, his tone dead serious. “Isn’t it.”
She snickered. His face, his hair, his shirt—everything was dusted with white. “You’re like a giant cookie.”
Aurora leaned forward, her breasts bumping into his torso. Her finger swiped across his chin. Slowly, she stuck the finger between her lips and sucked.
“I knew you’d be sweet,” she whispered.
His eyes focused on her, his gaze pure molten heat. His hands went to her waist. She tilted upward, right at the same moment that he moved down. His mouth stopped an inch away from hers.
His hands tightened on her waist, the rest of his body going still.
“Kiss me already,” she said.
Then, finally, his lips brushed hers.
He pulled back slightly, then kissed her again.
So gently. Each time their lips touched, they parted more, the hunger between them building.
Like a car on a roller coaster, ratcheting upwards toward the inevitable release.
With each kiss, she felt him giving in more and more to the moment. Relaxing into her.
He tasted like powdered sugar and mint. Rick’s tongue licked into her mouth, and she groaned in response.
Desire raced through her, dampening her panties, and beading her nipples.
It was like they’d tipped right over the edge, and now the roller coaster was in free fall.
Their hands were all over each other. He squeezed her ass.
She rocked against his crotch and felt his length getting hard just for her.
She made a sound of appreciation. He was going to feel so good inside of her.
“I want to ride you,” she said, “right here on this floor.”
Abruptly, he took a step back. “Okay, hold on. We can’t.”
“Pretty sure we can. We were doing just fine.” She leaned forward again. His hands moved to her shoulders, holding her at arm’s length.
“I mean, I can’t.”
All the heat and desire she’d been feeling vanished like sugar dissolving into water. “You said you were single. I mean, you implied—”
“It’s nothing like that. There’s no one else. But this—” He gestured between them. “It can’t happen.”
“I don’t understand.” He’d seemed to like her. He’d been hard for her, so she couldn’t imagine a physical obstacle on his part. And she hadn’t hallucinated the chemistry in that kiss.
“Was I moving too fast?” she asked. “We don’t have to sleep together yet. We can just go back to kissing. That was really nice on its own.”
She took a step forward, and he shuffled back. “My life is…very complicated right now. You and I, we’re in different places. This can never go anywhere, so… We shouldn’t start.”
He seemed like he was babbling. But as she replayed his words in her head, she started to get it.
He didn’t think she was good enough for him.
“‘Different places,’” she repeated. “Because you’re this fancy finance guy, and I’m a formerly homeless party planner living in her brother’s apartment?”
“What? No, that’s not it. At all.”
“Then what is it, exactly? How am I wrong?” Please, tell me I’m wrong.
But instead, he said nothing. The emotion drained from his face. It was like he’d suddenly put up a wall against her.
“I should go.”
“Then do it!”
She never should’ve confessed so much to him, told him all that stuff about her childhood. Of course, a man like him wouldn’t see past it. He probably felt sorry for her.
Most guys would’ve fucked her anyway and ghosted her later. So maybe she should be grateful. He was an upstanding variety of arrogant asshole.
But still an asshole.
Aurora went to her room, leaving the mess in the kitchen. The front door clicked shut, and she knew he was gone.