Chapter 19 Aurora #2
‘I see. How are you feeling? Still hot?’ He lifts the back of his hand to my forehead in a move that’s way too familiar.
I step back quickly to create space between us. The bite of branches from the bush behind me dig into my back.
His eyes crinkle at the corners like he’s amused, and he leans in close. ‘Don’t be shy, young lady. I don’t bite. Unless you want me to.’
He moves back with a wink. I stare at him, my breath coming in shallow pants. All these months wanting to get to speak with this man. Wanting to be close to him. And now I’m paralysed as his eyes drink me in.
‘I’m Aurora Thorne,’ I blurt.
He looks blank, his brow furrowing like he’s trying to place the name but isn’t quite there yet.
Bastard. He never came to court. None of the board members did.
There was one lone representative from the company, and that was it.
It was as if they didn’t even deem my father’s case worth their time.
As long as he was convicted and they had a scapegoat to blame then they didn’t care.
They washed their hands of my father the day they fired him and handed their suspicions over to the authorities.
If Dominic Ainsworth had been in court, then he’d recognise me. Remember my name, my father’s name.
‘George Thorne’s daughter,’ I add with a hint of bite in my tone.
A flash of recognition passes across his face briefly before he clips, ‘I see.’
‘I’ve been hoping we’d meet.’
‘Have you now?’ He chuckles, but something about the sound makes the hairs on the back of my neck prick up.
‘Yes,’ I press on, determination burning in my veins. ‘I’ve been looking into my father’s case. And I believe the company might have more information that could help him, and—’
‘Who did you come with?’
‘Sorry?’
His eyes roam over me hungrily as he admires me in my dress. The thing feels itchy suddenly. I wish I’d worn something less fitted. Something with a higher neckline.
‘My father is innocent. He—’
‘Whoever it is, they’ve abandoned you in this large house,’ Dominic continues. ‘If you were my date, I wouldn’t have taken my eyes off you for a second.’
I swallow. ‘I’ve seen some records that—’
‘Tell me, young lady, who’s the lucky man?’
The spiky bush seems inviting again as he lifts his eyes to mine.
‘That’d be me,’ a deep voice interjects.
Rich brown hair appears a couple of inches above Dominic’s head before Rafael steps around him, placing himself by my side. The heat of his body spills from him like a furnace as he snakes a possessive hand around my side and grips my hip.
I hate him, but at the same time, I’ve never been so glad to see him in my life.
Dominic reaches out and claps Rafael on the shoulder. ‘Makes sense,’ he says, looking at me. ‘A beautiful, young blonde.’ He smiles and turns to leave. ‘Well, have a good evening, you two. I’ll catch up with you later, Rafe,’ he calls over his shoulder.
‘How can you be friends with a guy like that?’ I exhale with a mixture of relief and regret as every dream scenario I’d had of interacting with Dominic Ainsworth goes up in smoke.
Rafael’s jaw is clenched hard, and he’s glaring into the house with narrowed eyes as Dominic’s cologne disperses into the night air.
‘He’s married,’ he states flatly.
‘And?’ I shudder. ‘Doesn’t mean he can’t be a leery prick.’
‘Are you okay?’ He turns so we’re facing one another head on.
‘Like you care,’ I retort, too unnerved by Dominic to be civil. I shrug out of his grip. ‘You told me that, remember? In your office.’
‘I recall what happened in my office.’
He holds my eyes, and I hate him for having such beautiful, mesmerising ones.
‘Exactly,’ I huff. ‘So don’t claim to be bothered now, just because your pervy friend was—’
‘Did he touch you?’ he growls.
‘What?’
He moves closer, and instead of moving towards the bush, I find myself leaning into his space, staring up at him towering over me.
‘Did Dom touch you?’ he repeats, his voice a rough husk.
‘No, he . . . Well, yes, technically, on my arms and my face. And it was weird . . . I didn’t like it.’
Rafael sucks a sharp breath in through his nose and a muscle in his cheek clenches. ‘Stay by my side.’
He holds his hand out to me and arches a brow when I don’t move.
‘What? No way!’
‘Aurora,’ he growls, his darkened gaze boring into me. ‘I’m not asking. Take my hand, or have it wrapped around you. Either way you’re not leaving my side until I take you home.’
His sudden protectiveness is like whiplash.
Dove told me he’s like this, always wanting to know everything about every man she ever dated.
Before everything that happened with the one we don’t talk about, that is.
Apparently, with him, Rafael’s brotherly protectiveness soared to even greater heights.
But I’m not his sister. There’ll be another reason he’s being so bossy when he’s usually such a dick.
I study him, noting the bunched-up tension in his shoulders and the deep line etched between his brows as he stares back at me with startlingly focused precision.
‘You’re not to leave my side, understand?’ he says, like he’s explaining something to a child.
I snort. ‘Why do you care if I get hit on? Are you worried I’ll embarrass Fairfax Guardian by insulting a pervy client if I tell them to fuck off?’
He steps closer, his eyes blazing. ‘You think I’m worried about you embarrassing me?’
‘Why else are you acting all weird? Like you actually give a toss. You know what? I’ve had enough of trying to figure you out.’
I move to walk past him, but he blocks my path with his giant body.
‘What I “give a toss about”,’ he hisses, ‘is that I might jeopardise a multimillion-pound business relationship and end up in prison like your father when I rip the hand off any man who touches you. So, please, Aurora, don’t fight me. Not on this.’
I gape at him, hating how he has to have another dig at my father, like he can’t help himself. ‘You’re an arsehole, you know that?’
He lowers his voice to a rough warning. ‘No one touches you, understand?’
I look down at his hand that he’s wrapped around my hip like he thinks he’s actually going to win this.
‘You’re touching me right now.’
‘No one except me.’
‘What makes you so special?’
‘Better the devil you know, isn’t it?’ He arches a dark brow, and I hate that he has a point, because as much as I despise him, he seems the safer option right now.
‘You figure, huh?’
‘I know. You can trust me not to do anything you don’t want or ask for.’
I huff out a humourless laugh. ‘I can’t trust you!’
‘Aurora.’ He steps closer and my nipples pebble like they’re magnets being drawn to him. ‘You have no idea the restraint I have. I didn’t kiss you in my office when you said not to, did I?’
‘What? You were screwing with me in your office . . .’
He draws in a slow breath, eyes pinned on mine. ‘Don’t act so innocent. You knew damn well the moment you saw me watching your video.’
‘Just let me go. I wouldn’t want to distract you,’ I say sweetly, but it’s filled with a wrath that’s seeping from me, dark and unforgiving.
Rafael slams to a halt, whipping back towards me.
‘You’re already distracting me! I don’t do this with anyone! You think I want this? Having my thoughts taken over by you? Seeing you with another man and feeling like I’m—’
‘Like you’re what?’
‘Like I’m going out of my bloody mind!’
He moves so fast I have no time to react. He pins me against the wall, both of my wrists firmly inside his bruising grip on either side of my body.
‘How does it make you feel? Knowing I’ve watched all of your videos. Multiple times. That I’m addicted. That I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to. Believe me, I’ve tried. But you’re under my skin. You’re . . . Fuck . . .’
He exhales, leans closer, until our faces are inches apart. I can’t help but trace the path of his tongue as he runs it over his lower lip, my breath hitching as it slides back behind his perfect teeth.
The next confession leaves him in a gravelly whisper.
‘And I don’t just want to watch. I want to touch . . . taste . . . savour. I want to do unspeakable things that your pretty little head can’t even begin to imagine.’
My breath stalls. I expected some embarrassment, a level of denial even. Not brazen honesty. Not from him.
‘But you don’t like me. And I don’t like you.’
His gaze drops to my mouth. ‘And it’ll be much simpler if it remains that way.’
He releases one of my wrists, and dusts my cheekbone with the backs of his knuckles, a deep edge of regret in his voice.
‘I’m a man who knows what he wants, Aurora. Even when what he wants is no good for him.’
I turn my cheek into his touch without thinking, but he lets go of me before I can soak in the warmth of his skin.
‘Are you saying I’m not good enough for you?’ I bite back quietly.
Rich molten bronze swims back into focus as he holds my eyes.
‘I’m saying I shouldn’t be this close to you.’
‘Because of Dove,’ I say in understanding, feeling the soft flow of his breath against my lips.
I’m not entertaining the idea of me and him for one second. Despite the fact my panties are damp right now and he smells . . . damn, he smells amazing.
I still hate him.
He frowns, his gaze dropping to my mouth. ‘Because of me. Because of who I am. And who I will never be.’
He pushes away from the wall and holds his hand out to me. I don’t know what makes me do it, but I slide mine into his waiting palm.
He swallows thickly, looking at our entwined fingers. ‘Now come on. The sooner tonight’s over, the better it’ll be for everyone.’