Chapter 20: In Which They Can't Get Enough of Each Other

Her words slit at him like a razor.

“Let’s break the deal,” Aurora whispered.

Theo didn't move. “No,” he responded briskly.

“Theo!” Aurora retorted. “We were supposed to be professional - that was one of the terms. And we aren’t.”

“My only term was that you be my girlfriend until Audrey leaves. She has not given up so you’re still my girlfriend. This,” he said with his finger oscillating between them. “Is a lover’s quarrel. Given our circumstances, it’s completely logical. So we’re being professional.”

Aurora’s eyes grew with each word until they goggled in fury.

As much as she would like to think that he was wrong, he wasn’t, and that made her more furious. She had been duped; her third condition was actually useless from the beginning. Why didn’t she realize it sooner?

She glowered at the frowning idiot in front of her. He looked deliciously attractive, standing in front of her in only a pair of black sweatpants that barely hung around his hips. Her eyes swept across the clear ripples of his six packs and she forgot to breathe.

D*mn it, Aurora! Get a grip of yourself!

Aurora took a deep breath and said firmly, “I’m breaking the deal.”

Theo straightened his back with a deep inhale and replied in a cool, collected voice. “Are you sure you can, Aurora?”

He noticed that she had been looking and was grinning inside. But, he needed to stay on his toes. As with all mergers and acquisitions, anything can happen. Tables turn with the blink of an eye but he won’t let it happen here. He must - and he will - convince Aurora to be his, entirely.

The second he uttered the question, her confidence vanished. The texts of blackmail flooded her mind once more. She had almost forgotten about the '10k in a week'.

Sh*t! She squeezed her eyes in embarrassment and her rage went up another notch.

Theo smirked at her silence. “I thought so.”

Aurora detected a note of arrogance in his voice and decided then and there, she would find a way to get even.

After adding curtly, “Get dressed. We’re going for breakfast,” Theo stalked off.

He headed straight for the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Aurora jumped at the loud bang, then her face relaxed again as she exhaled in frustration. Well, he's not the only one with a temper, she grumbled silently. She'll show him hers.

"Two can play this game," she mumbled and moved to her luggage.

Theo locked the door behind him and slumped against it. Any second later, she would have caught him breaking out in cold sweat.

When she got off the bed, he took one glimpse of that oversized T-shirt she was wearing and his limbs went numb.

That d*mn shirt hid almost everything and yet revealed almost everything. He caught her nipples perking beneath the soft fabric and then he saw her entire body through the shirt.

It fell off her shoulders on one side, revealing her slim upper arm and the side swell of her left breast, which was enough to trigger his full imagination. Then, it ended just above her knee. He couldn’t tell if she had anything on underneath - argh! He felt like he was on the brink of insanity with just guessing what she was wearing -- or not wearing.

Those flushed cheeks and seething eyes made it worse. God, she was sexy as hell, he thought and groaned. His head fell back against the door with a slight thud as he smiled to the ceiling.

He wanted her so badly.


******


She was annoying him on purpose.

Theo could tell immediately and he decided to play along.

It started at breakfast.

Kate met Aurora at the coffee station; she noticed the orange-red hair beauty popping three sugar cubes into a hot latte.

"I didn't know you had a sweet tooth, Aurora," she giggled.

"Oh no! This is not for me. It's for my boyfriend," she emphasized loudly - enough for the entire dining room to hear.

Kate was wide-eyed. "Theo? But doesn't he take sugarless--."

"Oh, you never know! Men change their habits like they change clothes," Aurora snapped her fingers and left the stunned Kate gaping after her.

Theo's eyes fell into a grim line as the latte intruded his view, followed by Aurora's overly sweet voice.

"Here you go, darling!" She sang and sat beside him.

He swung around and grinned widely at the lovely face. "Thanks, sweetheart. You're certainly the sweetest. How did you know that I was feeling for a nice and strong latte? You deserve a reward."

Before Aurora could react, Theo grabbed her neck, pulled her in and settled his mouth firmly on hers for a long, hard kiss.

"Ah hell!" A man in a yellow shirt, known to all in the stock market as Keane the sharp shooter, flinched in disgust. "We're having breakfast man."

Aurora resisted at first, but she soon retaliated and kissed back fiercely. She was pleased when Theo let out a grunt of surprise.

"Seriously you guys, take it back to your room." The man next to the kissing couple, Calix - a renowned economist, young, single and miserable - jabbed a fork into his bowl of fruit with a soured look.

Abruptly, Theo pulled away and shot a menacing grin at Aurora before lifting his gaze at the bewildered looks.

"Sorry, guys. She's just too cute. Couldn't help it. Just look at her," he pinched her heated cheeks like she was a toddler, and flashed his impish grin at her warning glare.

Gill and Kate chewed as though they were in a slow-motion scene and watched on in awe, as Theo, chuckling, grabbed the cup of latte, took a large gulp and convulsed into a series of coughs. Their eyes widened as his girlfriend laughed heartily as she passed him a glass of water.

After breakfast, the men went for a round of golf while the women decided to lounge by the swimming pool.

"What's going on between you two?" Gill whispered to Theo, as Calix quietly took his shot.

Theo frowned instantly.

Keane chuckled then apologized to Calix's grouchy face and turned back to Theo. "Aurora’s a gem. She really knows how to get to you."

Gill shot out a hand and received a hi-five from Keane in front of Theo’s unimpressed expression. "For all the hearts you’ve broken since college, it’s about time you get flustered by a woman."

Theo scoffed. "Flustered? Me? Come on, Gill."

"Let's see how long you'll last in this silent war," Keane rested an elbow on Gill's shoulder and laughed alongside Gill, ignoring Theo's glare.

-----

"Do fortune-tellers read their own fortune?" Sophia blurted.

Aurora raised a brow at the stout woman in a bikini, lying on the sun lounger - she had never thought of that.

"What happened with Theo?" Kate turned around and asked.

Aurora stared ahead and shrugged. "He was being an ass, so I'm giving him a piece of my mind."

The women erupted into chuckles.

"My Jeffie's too nice. I wouldn't dare," Sophia lifted her nose like a proud queen.

"Theo's different when he's with you," Kate remarked quietly at Aurora. "He wasn't as… lively when he was with Audrey."

Aurora smiled warmly at the glittering pool. Then, her spirits dipped. She was starting to feel sorry for Theo. Any man would be upset when his girlfriend suspects his affections.

He may be right - she hasn't been fair to him.

"Say… I haven't seen Audrey since breakfast. Is she not joining us?" Sophia asked nonchalantly.

Aurora's phone buzzed and she picked it up when Kate placed a hand over hers. Curious, she lifted her gaze and met the princess's kind face.

"Don't mind Audrey. She's a little bit pampered--."

"A little is an understatement, Kate," Sophia interrupted then gracefully sipped on her cocktail.

"Okay, she's spoiled. What I'm trying to say is, I've known Audrey for the longest time, so I know what's best for her - even more than she does. If you are serious about Theo, hang onto him."

Aurora grew still. She's serious as far as the deal goes. Then, it dawned upon her that she has already invested so much of herself in this pseudo relationship.

When did it happen?

The squeeze in her hand brought her back to senses. Kate smiled at her like an older sister then announced that she would look for Audrey.

With an occupied mind, Aurora looked down and saw her phone. She recalled that there was a new text waiting for her and after a sigh, she opened it.

Audrey: (photo) Come to the fountain.

What is she up to now, Aurora groaned silently as she tapped on the screen.

The photo came up and she saw Audrey and Theo chatting happily at the beach.

Theo's eyes were smiling.