Chapter 25 Chance – Rory
CHANCE
RORY
Rhodes tore himself away, citing meetings. We agreed to meet after lunch for wedding planning.
I had the oddest feeling when he left the room—like I wanted to weep.
What the hell? He was my boss, my fake fiancé, the billionaire I worked for.
We’d had fun in bed, more than fun. He’d made me see white and rocked my world so profoundly that I was probably ruined for other men for good.
But I couldn’t let myself fall for him, if that’s what I was doing.
Too late, dumbass, said the voice in my head.
I feared she was right.
I decided to let myself be happy, at least for the morning.
I sort of couldn’t help it—my limbs were loose, and I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face as I showered and dressed.
Scenes from last night and that morning played through my head.
I shivered, remembering the way that Rhodes touched me.
I couldn’t believe everything we’d done.
I couldn’t believe how he’d made me feel.
I couldn’t believe how I felt about him.
But I shut down that line of thinking, because it would only lead to trouble.
He was probably enjoying playing with me, that was all.
We were in this together. Any physical connection was just a bonus to our contract.
Rhodes probably thought that since he basically owned me, he might as well make the best of it.
And I should look at it the same way. Right?
I hustled to get dressed. I tried to stop thinking about Rhodes. I hoped Maria and Luke would like some company; the sun was shining outside on the grounds, and I longed to be outside.
I missed Josie and Bo so much that it hurt. I winced, but then I remembered the guardianship petition—soon enough, my little brother and sister would be safe. I decided to call them that afternoon to check in. I couldn’t wait to hear their voices, and I missed my Grammy, too.
I was about to leave the suite, but I stopped myself.
I turned back to the bed, the sheets still rumpled.
Embarrassed, I quickly made it, even though the staff would come in and clean the room while I was gone.
I sank down on the edge and sat for a moment, scenes from last night and this morning once again flooding me.
I’d be a fool to pretend it didn’t matter to me, that it was nothing.
I’d never been with a man before—and what an introduction!
Warmth spread through my skin as I remembered the thrill of Rhodes’s touch.
He’d done things to me in the past few hours that I hadn’t ever experienced.
He’d unlocked pleasure and sensation in my body that I didn’t know existed.
The connection between us hadn’t been in my imagination—it was real.
He wanted me, too. We’d done things I’d never done with anybody.
Things that made my cheeks burn. Things that made my thighs quiver.
Things that made me scream his name.
All of this shocked me, but not as much as the fact that I’d given myself over to him without a second thought. I’d kissed him. I’d been the one to light the match by calling him ‘Sir.’ I’d been the one to snuggle against him this morning, teasing and laughing.
I hadn’t planned any of this. I hadn’t thought it through. It just was.
The thing was, I liked Rhodes. There was more to him than just a suit, a frown, and a board meeting. He had a secret world, one that I’d been granted limited access to. And the thing was? I’d given him a peek behind my curtain, too.
I didn’t get close to people. I’d learned, the hard way, that it wasn’t safe.
When your own mother regularly threw you over to party or for her latest boyfriend, you understood that your importance to others was negligible at best. That, combined with the fact that I had an MIA, deadbeat dad who wanted nothing to do with me, made me feel pretty certain that I was the only one who would ever have my own back.
I loved my siblings, and I loved my grandmother.
They were my safe people. But one of the things I valued in those relationships was what I brought to them—help, guidance, caretaking, and the fact that I was needed.
My mother and father didn’t need me; they were obligated to me, and neither seemed thrilled about it.
I was just a mouth to feed, a cramp in their personal freedom.
But in these other familial relationships, I had a sense of value, that I was bringing something to the table, and that I would not be abandoned because I was necessary.
My siblings and my Grammy loved me. But they also needed me. That made me feel safer.
Rhodes needed me, too, but that’s why we’d signed a contract.
That was easy. That was safe. But he’d shocked me last night because we’d had fun together.
That was the plot twist I’d never seen coming—I had no idea the billionaire had a sense of humor or was playful.
But in bed, he had been both generous and funny, making me laugh as much as he’d made me orgasm.
Didn’t see that one coming.
I wasn’t sure what to think this morning, in the afterglow of our tryst. I knew I wanted more of him.
I was already cold without his touch. I tingled with anticipation of seeing him again, of wondering if he was thinking of me, too…
And curious to know if he wanted to get naked again tonight. I hoped so!
The fact that he hadn’t pressed me for sex was slightly unnerving, though. It must’ve been in my file from the agency that I was a virgin, although Rhodes and I had never discussed it. Still, I had the sense he knew. He’d been gentle with me. He hadn’t even asked about sleeping together.
That was the other thing that was bothering me.
I wanted him to ask.
It had been clear to me last night that Rhodes was a skilled yet gentle lover.
He made me Feel Things. I was going to marry him in a few days—it was a fake marriage, but still.
Who better to take my virginity than my husband?
Bonus points because he was insanely hot and muscular, witty, and great in bed (and I could tell he was just from what we’d done over the past several hours).
I was twenty-two. If not now, then when?
I stood to go—I should see if Luke and Maria were already outside—but I paused as I glimpsed my reflection in the mirror.
My skin was flushed and glowing. An irrepressible smile lit my face.
I somehow looked prettier, and it had everything to do with the fact that Rhodes had rocked my world last night.
And this morning. And had promised to do it again.
But it wasn’t just the coming-attractions sex that had me glowing, and I knew it. If I was being honest with myself—which was dangerous, given the subject matter—I would have to admit that not only was I attracted to Rhodes, not only did I like him, but…
Something was sprouting inside of me. A small, tight bud. Warily, I recognized it for what it was: hope.
A tiny, fragile hope had sprung in my chest—a hope that maybe, even though our marriage was fake and we’d signed a contract, maybe there was the tiniest of all the tiny chances that something real could grow between us.
Wouldn’t that be wild? What if I could really be Luke’s Aunt Rory?
What if Josie and Bo could come live with us?
What if we could all swim in the glorious Barrington Manor pool in the summers, have barbecues, and live happily ever after?
What if it could be that easy?
Smiling to myself, I headed off to find Luke.