Chapter 24: In Which They Kiss and Step Up

You will come to me, he said.

That was the last thing on her mind as his lips grazed hers.

Oh God, his lips… they were so erotic. She moaned in pleasure against his mouth, kissing him back fervently as he grazed her lips, urgently and demanding.

She needed no coaxing and opened her mouth willingly. His tongue slid in and rubbed against hers, and proceeded to drive her senseless. She couldn’t feel anything else until his hand glided across her navel.

She flinched. How did it get there? She couldn’t think further as he was raking through her hair, the clawing of his fingers on her scalp sending a wave of goosebumps down her back. He tugged her orange-red mane backwards and deepened the kiss, luring a groan of pleasure from her.

His hand went higher, gliding slowly across her stomach, left then right and then left again, as if he had all the time in the world to feel the silkiness of her smooth skin. She whimpered with a heightened anticipation. Wanting more, she snaked her arms around his neck and slid a hand through his open collar and caressed his back.

A grunt escaped his lips. The touch of her fingers was so feathery and sensual, his back heated up instantly. He grabbed her hands and pinned them on the bed above her head. D*mn, he wants more.

He tore his lips away and dragged his mouth down her jaw, tracing her jaw line. She gasped in a lovely high-pitch that encouraged him and he moved further down.

“Theo…” she breathed in between her excited exhales as he nuzzled the side of her neck, then up to her ear.

When he found her sensitive spot and sucked on it, she shuddered hard and whimpered again, wanting him to release her hands so she could touch him. His other hand had reached the wire of her bra and it was like a gate which prompted him to make a quick decision - if he went any further, there would be no turning back.

Not now, he decided.

With an enormous effort, he halted.

He inhaled deeply to prevent his heart from pounding harder, then lifted his head from her shoulder.

Her lips were bright red and plump from his kissing. Her cheeks were fierce red from his touches. A proud smile touched his lips. His breathless goddess couldn’t look more beautiful.

Aurora was puzzled. He had stopped touching her. Did she do something wrong? She opened her eyes and saw him staring down at her. He was as breathless and affected as her, she grinned back, then kissed his chin.

He groaned and took her lips for another long, hard kiss before he broke away and rolled onto his side and pulled her back into his embrace. As they took slow, deep breaths to steady their racing hearts, he whispered over her head, “You’re staying.”

“Hmm. I’m staying.”

He wrapped his legs over hers. “I don’t care about that d*mn deal.”

There was a brief silence from her and then she relented, “Alright.”

“You’re mine.”

She chuckled. An intoxicated Theo is bossy and ten times more sexy. “Stop being bossy.”

“Well, I am your boss,” he paused and asked the question that has been swimming in his mind. “Was it really Trish’s stalker that made you cry?”

Aurora raised her chin and her lips met the base of his throat. She felt his Adam’s apple bobbed and smiled teasingly.

“Aurora,” he warned. He tightened his arms and her body pressed harder against him. She felt his hard arousal and let out a soft gasp. “Tell me,” he repeated in a louder, strained voice.

She sighed and conceded, “No.”

“What was it then?”

Another lingering hesitation and then, she said, “I’ll tell you when the time’s right.”

“Tell me now,” he persisted.

“I’m tired ,Theo,” Aurora whined. And frustrated, she added silently, because he had stopped halfway. In a sweet whisper, she pleaded, “Can I tell you tomorrow, please?”

F*ck, Theo groaned. She sounded as innocent as a kitten’s mew but that low voice also made it f*cking provocative. He couldn't say no.


******


Theo walked down the steps and saw Aurora moving about in the kitchen. His mood instantly lightened.

He thought she had left when he woke up and she wasn’t next to him.

Aurora turned around and caught Theo coming down the stairs, and grinned at him.

“Good morning. I hope you don’t mind. I was hungry so I thought I’d made us breakfast.”

“Why would I mind?” He stepped towards the counter and smiled warmly down at the two plates of eggs and bacon.

“Well, chefs don’t usually like it when someone else uses their kitchen.”

“You mean knives,” Theo chuckled and then shrugged. “Well, I’m not a chef and you’re my girlfriend, so use away.”

He leaned over with a glint of mischief in his eyes, his face coming close to hers. “Use it as often as you want.”

His lips lingered close. She took the hint and took for a light and fast kiss, but he swiftly reached over, cupped the back of her head with a hand, and pushed her forward to lengthen the kiss.

Though she was surprised, her lips parted almost instantly and he kissed her thoroughly.

When they broke off, her heart was racing again. She avoided his gaze in order to catch her breath as she went over to his side and sat beside him.

“We better eat fast or we’ll be late,” she whispered.

Theo flashed his impish grin at her. “The boss will never be late.”

Aurora scoffed, “Well, I’m not the boss, am I. And I don’t want Rose to have a bad impression of me."

Theo groaned, "And there's another one I should be jealous of. Seriously, when will you stop?"

She finally met his gaze with a chuckle. "The next person you should be jealous of is yourself. Cause you're starting to grow on me."

He stopped chewing and stared at her like she had just uttered the most ridiculous thing.

Aurora quickly looked down at the runny egg. Perhaps, she should start eating.

A large hand covered hers and forced her to look back up at those mesmerizing eyes.

Fighting the strong urge to take her back to bed and finish off what they started last night, Theo asked in a rough whisper, "I want to know what's bothering you, Aurora."

There's no running away now, Aurora thought, and with an exasperated sigh, she turned to face him directly.

"I have a huge debt. I think you'd probably figured it out."

"I do."

"The text told me to pay up ten thousand dollars by today. It was more than the usual sum and the deadline was much shorter, so I panicked," she lied.

"How much are you short?"

"Four thousand."

"I'll write you a check."

"No!" Aurora grabbed onto him. "Don't. You've already done a lot for me. Because of your friends, business at Madame Zoya's has gotten better. So I've been getting a bonus everyday."

"But I'm your boyfriend, Aurora. Let me help--."

"If you want to help, then approve my request."

Theo sighed. "Even if I give you your three months' salary in advance, you're still short of the full amount."

Aurora backed away and threw a determined glare. "I won't take your money just like that, Theo. You want to help, you do it my way."

"Alright, alright," he held both hands up in surrender. It's not wise to provoke her now, he thought. Not when their relationship has just taken a leap forward.

"With today's bonus, I'll have enough. Trust me, okay?" Aurora squeezed his hand and gave Theo an adorable smile, which teased a weak smile in his lips.

After today, the blackmail will stop, Aurora thought as Theo took another bite of the bacon and remarked that it was delicious. It'll be as good as if it didn't happen.

Theo doesn't need to know.

"By the way, my mother wants to meet you."

Aurora stopped chewing and battered her lashes furiously at her boyfriend who was chewing nonchalantly.

"Your mother?" Her voice came out in a terrified whisper.