by Lexi Aurora
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean, Owen?”
“C’mon, let’s head to the top and I’ll explain when we get there.”
Harrison felt a flash of intrigue, along with just as much frustration. What was Owen up to?
The climb to the top was challenging, but not impossible, and Harrison laughed as he scrambled just ahead of Owen in an effort to make it to the pinnacle first. His whole body vibrated with adrenaline, which gave him the strength and speed to haul himself up onto the ledge just barely ahead of Owen. As soon as he was on solid ground, he collapsed onto his back, panting. “Okay, man... come on. Say what you’re going to say and get it over with.”
“You have feelings for Riley. And before you say anything to me, let me just say this: I know you’ve had shit luck with women, and I know trusting people has never been easy for you. I remember that first time you told me that you bounced around from one foster home to another when you were a kid, and while that’s horrible, yes. It’s no excuse, Harrison. You have got to let people in if you ever want a chance to be even remotely happy. I mean, you let me in, didn’t you? Letting Riley in can’t be as tough as all that, now can it?”
“Listen, Owe–”
“No, no. You listen.” With a grunt, he flopped down next to Harrison and gave his shoulder a playful shove. “It’s about time you let her see beyond those walls, even if it’s just a glimpse. Let her see you for who you are, and maybe she’ll return the favor. I know this is really crappy ‘guy talk’, but I’m your best friend, man. This is part of my job.”
Harrison nodded slowly and sat up. His palms rubbed together as he stared out across the view, contemplating Owen’s words. “You really think she’s worth it?”
“That’s not up to me to decide, but if you think so, even a little bit... then yeah. I do.”
Chapter Five
RILEY COULDN’T BELIEVE what she was looking at. She’d expected the pictures of course, but to actually see them on the front page news and on every social media outlet that she knew of was as offensive as it was shocking. Despite the clear disgust all over her face, the caption read:
Riley Byrne and her old flame are back at it again to prove that love truly never dies. Will this time be their happily ever after?
Brad’s face was lit up as though he’d just won the lottery, and he had an arm wrapped forcefully around her shoulders. The only reason she appeared to be leaning into him because she had been trying with all her might to pull away from him and shove him at the same time. She remembered the moment with clarity, but the damn media seemed content to spread their lies and twist the truth to get what they wanted: fame, recognition, and money. Brad was probably in heaven right now seeing these pictures, and Riley could practically feel the blood in her veins boiling in anger. She had been such an idiot that night to go up there with him, to trust him; she’d known better than that for the last year. Hell, she’d broken up with him for a reason!
With a scoff, she turned off her phone and closed all the windows on her computer that had anything to do with, well...anything. And she’d woken up this morning in such a good mood, too; it was so typical of Brad to ruin her day, her week, her month, possibly now her year depending on how interested people would be in their ‘on again, off again relationship.’
“What a loser,” she muttered. “Riley, once again in the spotlight. If he thinks this is going to mess with me, he’s got another thing coming, right out of left field.”
She turned her phone on again and called her father while her teeth caught and nervously sucked on her lower lip. This would work. This had to work.
“Riley?”
She couldn’t stop the rush of relief upon hearing her father’s voice, and an involuntary smile lit her face. “Hey, Dad. I have a question. Do you have Harrison McCoy’s number? I have some questions for him about investing in real estate. It’s for an article I need to finish by the end of the week.”
“Sure, honey.” Jeff sounded confused, but she could hear him rustling through some papers. Seconds later, he gave her the number.
“Thank you, you’re a life saver!” She hung up before he could say anything else and quickly jotted the number down on a pad of paper. After that, she stared blankly at the number for what felt like hours; really, it was just a few minutes. She couldn’t believe she was willing to go to these lengths, especially after so adamantly telling him ‘no´ after he’d asked her out on a date. “Come on, just call the damn number,” she muttered with a sigh.
She shook her head once as she dialed Harrison’s number. When it started to ring, it was all she could do to stop herself from hanging up. She told herself she’d end the call after five rings, not brave enough to leave a voicemail message; that just seemed desperate to her.
“McCoy, what can I do for you?”
When she heard his voice, she just about pressed ‘End Call’ right then and there. Damnit, she hated this! She was a woman who stood her ground and didn’t let anyone push her around. This went against everything that she believed in. “It’s Riley. Is this Harrison?”
There was a brief pause, and then he said, “Well, this is a surprise.”
“Believe me, you aren’t the only surprised one. But...well, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said, and I’ve decided to take you up on your date offer. But it will be for one date. One, and that’s it. Can you handle that?”
Another pause. This one longer. Riley swore she could hear the gears turning in his mind. “Yes. I can handle that. I’ll pick you up at eight and we’ll go to the King Star Bar & Grill, just like I proposed last time.”
Riley closed her eyes and questioned what the hell she was doing for the umpteenth time. This was so crazy! “Yes, fine. I’ll see you at eight, Harrison.”
IT WAS 7:58 WHEN RILEY heard the rumbling sound of a sports car pull into her driveway. Since she didn’t know anyone with that kind of car –her father was more of a pick-up truck guy– she knew that it had to be Harrison; Brad certainly didn’t have the cash for a vehicle like that.
Little butterflies were fluttering in her belly, and she kept telling herself that there was no reason to be nervous. It wasn’t as though she liked Harrison at all, he was just a tool to get the ‘Brad and Riley’ story off the press. Right? She breathed in deeply and nodded, murmuring to herself that there were zero feelings. She couldn’t get hurt, not again, and she didn’t even know Harrison except that he was rich and liked graphic novels. That was it.
Her stomach fluttered again when she heard the doorbell ring, and her face flushed. She checked her reflection in the mirror –this had to be at least the tenth time already– and swallowed the lump in her throat. She balled her hands into fists before she took in several deep breaths to calm her nerves and went to the front door.
She opened the door slowly and put a fake smile on her face, but when she saw Harrison standing there dressed in an expensive navy blue suit with a sophisticated grey and white tie to match it, that smile became more genuine. And it wasn’t as though she had any control over it, either, it just happened! It was infuriating, how did he make her smile like that??
“I’m glad you changed your mind.” Harrison gave her a broad smile and a wink, as though he was already teasing her about her decision. What a jerk!
“Well, you did say you weren’t going to stop. So I figured we should get it over with now instead of later.” It was impossible to keep the playfulness out of her tone, and she berated herself for not having more control in front of a man she barely even knew.
“This is true.” His teeth showed with that smile, and he gestured to his car. “Shall we?”
Riley swore her heart skipped a beat with that smile, and she inclined her head toward him. It was impossible to stop smiling back. Damn him! Not normally a shy woman, she found herself at a loss of what to say as she tried to understand her emotions and keep them under control at the same time. That flush was still there on her face, she could feel it. He didn’t co
mment on it as he led the way to the car and slipped into the driver’s seat.
“So what made you change your mind for real?” He tilted his head toward Riley as she slipped into the passenger seat and buckled up.
“I told you.” She couldn’t balk or hesitate, not even for a moment. If there was one more thing that she’d learned about Harrison, it was that he was smart. “I just want to get this over with and that’s all.”
“Mmhmm.” He smiled slowly as though amused by her statement, and a quiet chuckle drifted from his throat. “Are you always this forthcoming and stubborn?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, the last thing you said to me, if I recall, was this: ‘No one can ask questions after they die of old age, Harrison. Good bye.’ It seemed pretty final to me. Now you’re suddenly asking me on a date? Seems a little strange, not that I’m complaining. I’m just curious is all.”
Ugh, this man is as infuriating as he is gorgeous. With a sigh, Riley avoided his gaze and looked out the window. While he did have a point, she was humiliated enough over this rushed decision, and she didn’t want to add to it by telling him the truth. If she was going to go out with the man, it had to look believable or no one was going to buy it. “Like I said, I wanted to get it over with. And, maybe I wanted to hear about your favorite comic book story, who knows?”
“Yeah?”
“Maybe.” She shrugged one shoulder and continued to keep her gaze averted. A very faint smile was etching its way across her mouth, though, another one that she was unable to stop.
“I see that, you know.”
“Shush, I never smile...”
He let out a laugh, the corners of his eyes crinkling in such a way that it made Riley’s heart melt and flutter at the same time. By the gods he was attractive, which led her to wonder why on earth he was interested in her of all people. There had been hundreds of women at that event, and yet he had shown interest in her above all the others.
“Why did you ask me on a date, Harrison? Why did you want this so badly?”
The seriousness of the question made his smile fade, and he glanced toward her briefly. Just when he was opening his mouth to say something, he pulled into the parking lot of the King Star Bar & Grill. “Hold that thought. Once we get settled, I’ll answer. Promise.” He gave her a gentle wink and turned the car off.
That’s what they all say, she thought as she slid out of the car. Promises, promises. They always just break them in the end.
She slapped that fake smile back on her mouth and walked with him to the front doors. They were magnificent with stunning dark lacquer and silver handles. A doorman opened them for the two, and Riley glanced over to Harrison just in time to see him offering his arm. Might as well. A secret smile on her mouth, she took his arm and walked with him into the high class restaurant.
It was breathtakingly gorgeous, with hardwood floors and deep brown walls which gave the place a warm and sophisticated ambiance. The tables were rectangular and very simple with plain silk tablecloths draped over them, white in color. Chairs were also made of wood with forest green cushions and ornate Italian carvings. Menus were already laid elegantly upon the tables, and each table had its very own flameless candle that flickered and danced as though it was the real thing. Wait staff flitted and danced every which way, but there was a casual, low stress atmosphere that made Riley feel somewhat comfortable even though she’d never been to a place quite so luxurious as this.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.
Harrison offered her a smug glance, almost as though he was silently agreeing with her or telling her that ‘he’d told her so’ without actually saying the words. He then gestured to the maître d, who appeared as though he should have been at a wedding and not at a restaurant. His solid black tuxedo almost put Harrison’s to shame, and his black bow tie and white button down were so crisp that they had to be new.
The man in the tuxedo smiled without even looking down at his book of reservations and swept up a set of stairs to a private floor. It was so much quieter up here, and Riley could just barely make out the low din of people down below. Her eyes were slightly wide as she took it all in, and she knew that her face had to be as red as a berry by now; she could feel the nervous sweat prickling against her hairline and temples. What on earth had she gotten herself into? Honestly, she’d agreed to go on a date with Harrison, not a...whatever this was!
After the maître d had shown them to their table, which was very similar to the ones downstairs, he told them the house special before leaving on silent footsteps. Riley stared after him for a moment and then pivoted to face Harrison. “What on earth, Harrison? I honestly have no idea whether to laugh or just... I don’t even know! When you said ‘date,’ I didn’t think it would be...”
“Well, I did.” He smirked at her, eyes dancing. “Your seat?” His teeth showing, he pulled out the chair for her with a playful wink and a warm smile.
Speechless, Riley sank down into the chair and found her eyes travelling to the immense full-wall window in front of her. She could see a view of the entire city from here, and all she could do was stare at the lights and the rise and fall of high rises and the gorgeous way the setting sun cast everything in a multitude of colors.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes...” She felt a sudden pang of guilt as she met his gaze, and her stomach did a series of unbearable flip-flops. How on earth was he such a good-looking man? Despite his stunning looks, she couldn’t do this to him. Maybe she’d have been able to do it to Brad, but using him this way? It just seemed wrong.
“I thought you’d like it. So do you hate me a little less now?”
His question snapped her out of her guilty thoughts, and she gave him a startled stare. “Hate you? No, Harrison, I don’t hate you. I just...”
“Don’t like me?”
“No... no, it’s nothing like that. It’s...”
“Something you can’t tell me?”
“Stop trying to finish my sentences!” She leaned back into her chair and sucked in a deep breath. Gods, this had to be the worst fake date anyone had ever gone on. “The truth is, Harrison... I agreed to go on this date with you to make Brad jealous. Someone’s going to come and find us later, maybe when we leave, and she’s going to ask us if we’re together. When I say yes, she’s going to take some pictures of us and send it to the media to derail Brad’s attempt at trying to make it seem like he’s my boyfriend.”
Riley covered her face with her hands and cringed, bracing herself for the tongue lashing she was certain was coming.
“Really?” Harrison laughed softly, and when she peeked through her fingers at him, she saw the biggest, most obnoxious grin on his face.
Slowly, she pulled her hands down from her face and eyed him with caution. “Okay... I just admitted to using you, and you’re laughing and grinning as though you’ve won some contest or something. What gives?”
“I did win. Anything to make that boy miserable and pay for the way he talked about you at that event, I’m in. And if it means I get to spend a night with you, well...I win again.”
“Wait... he talked to you at the event? What did he say?”
“None of that matters now.” He reached across and carefully took Riley’s hands in both of his. “What matters is tonight. And if this is the only time I have with you, I’m going to make the most of it. Starting by not letting Brad of all people ruin it.”
I’m in trouble, Riley thought as his fingers closed around her hand. He was so warm, strong. Confident. All she could think about as she looked at him from across the table was that she felt absolutely terrified; and in the same breath, she didn’t want the night to end.
Chapter Six
EVERYTHING ABOUT RILEY was mysterious and exciting, and Harrison could safely tell himself that he’d never met anyone quite like her. She was confusing, too, in ways that made him want to discover all of her secrets. If she was so determined to get
rid of him, why tell him about her plans and her plots to get rid of Brad? That had to elicit at least a small degree of trust, even he knew that. It would have been so easy for him to foil all of her plans and simply leave, so why had she told him?
He watched her with amused fascination as she grabbed her jacket and picked up her purse. She looked so confident and stand-offish, but at the same time there was a vulnerability and light to her that drew Harrison in; he hadn’t been able to escape that draw since the first time they’d met.
“I know you probably won’t like the idea, but hear me out. I have something you’ll want to see back at my penthouse. Promise, you’ll love it. I promise.” He offered her the most charming smile that he could muster and gave his eyebrows a playful wriggle.
“If it’s sex you want, then no. Not happening. Nice try, though.” Riley gave him a stare of disdain.
“It’s not, I’m telling you. Come on, you’ve trusted me this far. What’s a few more minutes of your time? My place is on the way to yours anyway, is it not?”
“Well... yes....” She sighed and clearly fought a smile, her focus lowering to the floor. “All right, fine. But it had better be good.”
“It’ll be good.” He winked at her and offered her his arm, which she took without hesitation this time. His palm pressed briefly against the back of her hand as he descended the stairs with her, and his heart pounded in his chest. There was no denying the attraction that he felt for her, and he knew –he just knew– that she felt the same way, too; maybe that was why she was scared because it damn well terrified him, too.
“Riley Byrne? Oh my god, it’s you!” An excited woman in her early thirties strode up to them, her whole face one giant smile. “Who is this with you? Your brand new beau? Weren’t you with Brad?”
Harrison stopped when Riley did, and while he had an umpteen number of things to say to the reporter, he was more than a little curious about what Riley had planned; so he remained quiet and simply waited.
