by Kay Manis
Reading wasn’t about flat words on a piece of paper. They had to come to life if I wanted to comprehend and retain them. And I had to believe them if I wanted more with Hindley.
* * *
Rory Gregor is smart.
Rory Gregor is smart.
* * *
I was doing it. I was reading. And writing. And falling for an incredible woman.
I wasn’t exactly sure which fact was the biggest surprise to me. But I was okay living in the moment, believing them all.
Chapter 7
-HINDLEY-
“Look, Mom, I don’t know. The shoot is going well, but dinner tonight with you guys may be pushing it.”
It wasn’t a total lie. Filming Rory’s commercial was going perfectly, and we were close to wrapping up two hours ahead of schedule. But the minute my mother told me my stepsister, Geneva, would be at dinner too, everything had changed for me.
“Well, I thought it would be nice for all of us to have a celebratory dinner,” she said. “You can even bring your new client with you.”
“Nice for who, Mom?”
Caroline Hagen Barton didn’t want to congratulate me. She wanted information on Rory. He was a celebrity, and that instantly put him in her inner circle. That, and the fact I was pretty sure my mother still had a small crush on Rory ever since Geneva’s wedding. But who could blame her, she was only human.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“Nice for me, for Geneva, or for you to lust after Rory some more?”
“That’s enough, Hindley. If anyone should be upset, it should be me.”
“You?” I grimaced. “Why you?”
“Imagine my shock at our Junior League luncheon last week when the wife of the senior partner of my own daughter’s law firm had to tell me about her promotion.”
“It’s not a promotion, Mom.”
“Well, it certainly was newsworthy to the other women at the luncheon.”
“That’s because most of their teenage sons and probably half of their teenage daughters know Rory.” It was true and it was a demographic I was counting on. Not only could we tap into the purchasing power of these snotty, rich kids, but potentially their whole family.
“At any rate,” my mother went on, “it would have been nice to find out from my own daughter that she was representing the rich and famous.”
“Whatever,” I sighed. “Look, Mom, I have to go. They’re calling me back out to the set.”
“I’ll see you at seven, darling. And don’t forget to bring Rory.”
Her tone was so giddy, I almost felt sorry for her. There was no way I would ever be able to talk Rory into having dinner with my family. Hell, I didn’t even want to go.
“Seven o’clock, Hindley.”
“We’ll see, Caroline. Bye.” Without waiting for her response, I clicked the phone off and shoved it back in my pocket.
Matt Davis stepped through the French doors and stood next to me with a sigh. “Man, I knew it was hot in Texas, but no one ever told me it would be this hot.” We were standing inside Rory’s best friend’s home, taking a break from the heat.
Leif Jennings designed skate parks for a living and had graciously offered his gorgeous house, along with his own personal skate park that sat adjacent to his home. The backdrop of the Texas Hill Country made the location a perfect spot for filming. I couldn’t have been more thankful to Leif for letting us intrude on his private domain.
Even though the entire creative team of Sonora Water had flown out for the shoot, Matt insisted on coming as well. Rory said it was to look at my “hot little ass,” which I thought was untrue, but adorable.
So far, Rory had been a master in front of the camera, hitting every trick the director threw at him and delivering his lines like a seasoned actor. I truly believed there was nothing this tall, dark, brilliantly handsome man couldn’t do and I couldn’t wait to see the finished product.
But even more impressive was the way he’d kept his jealous tendencies in check when it came to Matt. Especially during times when even I was getting creeped out by the guy. Like now.
“Can I have some of your water?” Matt reached for the bottle of water in my hands that I’d been drinking from.
I froze. I didn’t know what to do. Sharing a bottle of water was an intimate act, or it was to me anyway. I didn’t want to give him the wrong message. I mean, we needed him, we needed to keep the company happy, and for all intents and purposes, he was the company as far as Rory and I were concerned.
Okay, so maybe one bottle wouldn’t hurt.
Rory swooped in next to me, all sweaty, and stinky, and irresistibly delicious. “Oh, thanks, Hindley.” He grabbed the bottle from my hand and gulped down its contents, his lips never touching the rim.
The seemingly innocent act sent tingles of need straight to my best parts. How the hell could this guy make the simple act of drinking water so damn sexy?
Over the edge of the bottle he winked at me. I reminded myself that with Rory Gregor, nothing was as innocent as it seemed.
Rory knocked Matt’s shoulder with his elbow and nodded toward me. “Isn’t she the best agent ever, Matty?” He gave a half-hearted grin that didn’t reach his eyes as he held up the empty bottle. “She’s always thinking of me.”
I swallowed hard at the truth. I was always thinking of him, and I feared that may not be the best thing right now.
Matt stared down at his freshly pressed shirt where Rory had just touched it, as if a skunk had sprayed him.
“She always puts my needs first,” Rory continued.
Oh, shit. I knew exactly what Rory was doing. He was marking his territory. I gave him a warning glare. We could not do this in front of the sponsor.
“Listen, Hindley,” Matt said. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight, to celebrate our first project together?”
I glanced at Rory, surprised to see him still sporting the same smirk. He knew something, but he wasn’t going to let me in on the secret.
“Actually, Matt, she can’t tonight,” Rory answered for me. “Her mother asked us over for a family dinner, to celebrate Hindley and me. You know, now that she’s my agent and I’m her client and we’re committed to each other and all.”
Matt narrowed his eyes as he glanced between me and Rory. This was not going to end well.
“Well,” Rory continued, “we’re committed for at least the next twelve months, or so the contract says, right, boss?” He bumped my hip and his bellowing laughter echoed through the home.
I grimaced. Why was he doing this? He was jeopardizing everything. Again.
Matt smiled as he ran a hand down his sleeves and tugged at the cuffs. “Well, maybe some other time then.”
“Yes, we’ll try again another time,” I said, trying to sound both excited and disappointed, praying I wasn’t leading him on.
“Tomorrow for lunch, perhaps?” he asked. “My flight doesn’t leave until the early evening.”
I glanced at Rory from the corner of my eye, not surprised to find his once smug face now morphed into an expression of annoyance.
“Um, sure,” I said, “I’ll, uh, call you tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.” He reached out and stroked my arm up and down before grasping my shoulder and squeezing it several times.
I held my breath, willing him to remove his hands, fearing a panic attack might overtake me. Or worse, Rory’s fist would meet Matt’s face.
“Man, you feel tense,” Matt said, continuing to knead my shoulders. “You could use a massage. Maybe I should book us a couple’s massage tomorrow morning at the hotel where I’m staying. They have a world-class spa.”
Oh, shit.
Rory was going to kill this guy, and I couldn’t say I’d stand in his way. Matt was being completely inappropriate and unprofessional.
A crunching noise had me turning to find Rory crushing his water bottle in his hand. Every muscle in his arm was flexed, his eyes narr
owed with that look that ultimate fighters got right before they went in for the kill.
“Oh my goodness, Rory,” I said, stepping in front of him. “I almost forgot. I need your signature on one more document.”
Rory was fuming, his jaw clenched, eyes glassed over with fury. It took all my strength to turn him away from the scene.
“Please excuse us, Matt.” I grabbed Rory’s arm and yanked him hard, dragging him down the hallway. “Stop, Rory,” I said in a hushed tone as we moved further away.
His gaze remained fixed behind him on Matt.
I found an open door and pushed Rory into the room, closing and locking the door behind us. Slowly I turned to face Rory, bracing for his wrath. Instead, I was surprised to find him sitting quietly in a chair, gazing out the window.
I crept up beside him and squatted down, resting my hand on his thigh. “Hey,” I whispered.
He turned and stared down at my hand before finally meeting my gaze. His eyes were a darker blue than normal.
“Hi,” I said, smiling.
“Hi,” he answered softly.
I didn’t know what to say next. He had already done such a great job of calming himself down, I feared if I broached the subject with Matt, it might set him off.
“So, dinner? Tonight?” I asked, my brows lifted. “With my family? You really want to go?”
He sat quietly with his lips in a firm line, showing no emotion.
“You know, it’s with my mom, the one who—what does Dana call it—eye fucked you at her own stepdaughter’s wedding.”
A hint of a smile tugged at his mouth and I blew out a sigh of relief.
“And my stepfather,” I continued, “who I think told you to keep your dick in your pants because I didn’t even know your last name.”
He smiled, wide and broad, and my heart nearly stopped beating. He was the most captivating, beautiful person I’d ever met.
My Skater Boy was back.
I stood and sat in his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. “You’re amazing,” I said, “you know that, right?”
He stared down at his fingers that were tracing an unknown pattern on my thigh.
Okay, so maybe he wasn’t completely back but at least he was here with me.
I lifted his chin with my finger until he finally met my gaze. “You are perfect to me, Rory. Perfect for me. There’s no one else I want more than you.” No one else I’ve ever wanted more, I wanted to add.
My eyes studied his and I held my breath as he sat in silence. I needed him to believe me. “I’m all yours,” I said. “Remember?” I leaned in and slowly placed my lips against his.
I moved to pull back but before I could, he snagged the back of my head with his hand and drew me closer, deepening the kiss. Suddenly we were all over each other like an inferno—hands and mouth and tongues—reaching for whatever we could. In less than thirty seconds, Rory had me almost naked and on the desk behind us.
I wanted to protest but couldn’t. He needed this, he needed to claim me. And in some strange way, I needed his possession too.
The timing was inappropriate, the location less than ideal to share our coming together, but I didn’t stop him. And he didn’t try.
I fell back onto the hard wood as he sunk deep inside me. The sounds of our lovemaking echoed in the room, sending me closer to the edge. In the abyss of our release, we found the commonality that had brought us together in the first place. We were better together than we ever had been apart.
“After you.” Rory smirked as he held the door open. His deviant smile and crystal blue eyes had my insides melting again, even though we’d just got our clothes back on less than five minutes ago. I couldn’t get enough of my Skater Boy and he knew it.
I glanced down at my clothing, ensuring I hadn’t put anything on backward or inside out.
“You’re perfect,” he whispered in my ear, his breath wafting across my skin. “To me.”
A shiver ran up and down my spine, and I knew if I didn’t get out of his reach soon, he was going to grab me, throw me back on that desk, and devour me all over again.
I skipped out of his reach but not before he swatted me hard on the butt.
“Hey.” I rubbed at my bottom. “I thought you said no spanking.”
“Well, I think you were very bad in there, Miss Hagen, and I needed to discipline you.”
I cocked a brow and he laughed. My Skater Boy was so mercurial, and hot.
“So seriously, dinner?” I asked. “Tonight? With my family?” I knew the subject of my family would extinguish our sexual appetite. “You really want to go?”
“Why? You don’t want to take me to your family’s house for dinner?”
From his tone I couldn’t tell if he was offended or joking.
“You know my stepsister and her new husband will be there.”
“Did she ever find the spider you put in her cake?”
I smiled at the memory. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, I can bring another one with us, if you want.”
I burst into laughter at the shared memory and Rory joined in. I found myself lost in his charms all over again.
I was slowly learning there was very little I didn’t love about Rory Gregor. Okay, so maybe that was a lie. I’d already realized some time ago that I didn’t just love everything about Rory, I loved him. Period. I didn’t know how to tell him, or if I even should.
For now, I would wait, and pretend for a little while longer that he loved me too.
Chapter 8
-HINDLEY-
“So, Rory,” Paul purposely paused for effect, “Gregor, right?” He winked at me.
I bit back a smile at my stepfather’s wedding reference.
“Yes, sir. Gregor.”
“Please, tell us about yourself,” Paul said.
Rory wiped his mouth. “There’s not much to tell, Mr. Barton.”
“Call me Paul. I’m sorry about my comment at the wedding, by the way.”
“What did you say?” my mom asked.
We looked at my mother then back to Paul who shook his head slightly, signaling that we should keep our mouths shut.
“Paul,” my mother said. “What did you say to Rory?”
“I told him we were delighted to have him at Geneva’s wedding.”
Paul and my mother looked at each other and smiled, an all-knowing expression that said eventually she would find out what my stepfather had said. I didn’t even want to think about her tactics.
“So, are you two a couple or what?” Geneva asked, glaring at both of us.
“No,” I said, a little too quickly.
Geneva stared at Rory like he was a tasty treat. “So, you’re available?”
I wasn’t surprised by her question, but I was appalled that she was doing it right in front of her husband of like three weeks.
“Actually,” Rory said, ignoring Geneva’s question, “when we met, I didn’t know Hindley would be my attorney.”
“So, at the wedding, you didn’t know Hindley was your agent?” Paul asked, scrutinizing Rory in disbelief.
“No, sir. Once we found out, we both agreed it would be better to keep our relationship purely professional.”
As if on cue, every set of eyes at the table rolled toward the ceiling.
“It’s true,” I said, feeling a little desperate. I hated lying, to anyone, but especially to Paul. “My job is important to me.” I stared at my stepfather. “To you.”
“To me?” He pointed to himself.
I stared in confusion.
“Why me?” he asked.
Surely Paul realized the need to keep things on the up-and-up to protect my job, and his own company. If the senior partner, Mr. Stedwick, pulled his investment, it could possibly ruin Paul’s investment company.
“Well, I thought Mr. Stedwick was a client of yours, an investor,” I said.
“He is, but that has nothing to do with you and the firm, Hindley.”
I sat in silence, t
rying to think back. There was no way I’d misunderstood Paul’s comments three months ago when I’d taken the job at Stedwick and Nigh.
“Keep Aston Stedwick happy, Hindley, or it could cost us all.”
“Hindley.” My mother interrupted my thoughts.
“Oh, yes,” I said. “Sorry. Well, anyway. This job is very important to me, and these deals we’re working on are very important to Rory.”
I stared directly at Paul, knowing he was the one I had to convince that Rory and my relationship was strictly professional.
He nodded.
“Rory and I are both professionals,” I said.
At least that wasn’t a lie.
“We are committed to each other, but only through our legal contract, right, Rory?” I turned to him for confirmation.
He stared down at his plate as he pushed the food around. Everyone stared at him, awaiting his answer.
“Rory,” I said softly.
Slowly he lifted his face and stared at me. His bright blue eyes seemingly lost, covered with a veil of darkness.
“Right,” he said quietly.
Oh, no. I’d hurt him with my words.
“Hindley tells us you’re from Denver, Rory,” my mom said.
I wanted to kiss my mom for the change of subject.
He gave a quick nod. “Yes, ma’am, that’s right.”
She smiled warmly. “I’ve never been to Denver. I’m sure it’s beautiful there. Paul, have you ever been to Denver?”
My mother and her small talk. Bless her, she was relentless, but tonight, I loved her for it.
“What do your folks do, Rory?” Geneva’s husband, Stan asked.
I was surprised to hear from Third, my nickname for Stanley Winston III. He’d been so quiet, I’d almost forgotten he was there.
“I’m not close with my parents,” Rory said curtly, letting everyone at the table know this was not a subject to be brought up again.
“Rory’s manager, Jack and his wife, Kara have been surrogate parents to Rory for most of his life,” I said.
Geneva tossed her white-blonde hair over her shoulder and placed both forearms on the table, cocking her head. “What’s up with that?”
