Her eyes widen. “What?”
“I don’t care about Olivia, your father, or anyone else who might object.” I hold her gaze, letting her see the truth in my eyes. “I’ll be your new family, Aurora. The only one that matters.”
She starts to shake her head, but I continue before she can argue.
“You can fight this all you want, but in the end, you’ll accept your fate.” I soften my grip, trailing my fingers down her neck. “Until then, I’ll give you space. Time to come to terms with what’s happening between us.”
Tears glisten in her eyes, but there’s something else there too—desire, need, the same hunger that’s consuming me.
When I lower my mouth to hers, she doesn’t pull away. Her lips part instantly, and what begins as a claiming turns desperate, needy. To my surprise, Aurora kisses back with equal fervor, her fingers digging into my shoulders as she presses herself against me.
She wants this as badly as I do.
I lift her onto the counter, stepping between her legs as her hands slide into my hair. She moans into my mouth, and the sound nearly breaks my control.
The crunch of tires on gravel cuts through the moment.
“Shit,” Aurora gasps, yanking her mouth from mine. “Martha’s early.” She pushes at my chest, panic replacing desire in her eyes. “You need to go. Please use the side entrance by the pantry. She can’t see you here.”
I can’t help but smirk. “Only a dirty little secret for you and you alone, hmm?”
She glares, but there’s no real heat behind it. “Hunter, please.”
I steal one more kiss, deep and claiming, feeling her momentary surrender before I pull away. “This isn’t over.”
I turn and stride down the hallway toward the side door, slipping through it just as I hear the front door open and Martha’s cheerful greeting echo through the house.
19
AURORA
Idrag myself through the door of our apartment, exhausted both physically and emotionally. The memory of Hunter’s hands on me, his mouth against mine, haunts every step. Even now, hours later, my body aches in ways that remind me exactly what we did last night. What I let him do to me. What I wanted him to do.
My sister’s fiancé.
The apartment buzzes with activity before I even close the door. Music plays from Olivia’s room, and I hear her singing along, something upbeat and cheerful that makes my stomach twist with dread.
“Liv?” I call out, dropping my bag by the door.
“Aurora!” Olivia appears in the hallway, practically bouncing. “You’re finally home! Where have you been? I thought you’d be back from Portland yesterday!”
I force a smile, guilt crawling up my throat like bile. “Sorry, I took a detour at Dad’s place. Needed some time to think.”
“Well, you picked the worst time to disappear!” She grabs my hand, pulling me toward her bedroom. “Look!”
Her room looks like a fashion bomb exploded. Clothes cover every surface, and a massive suitcase sits open on the bed, already half-filled with designer outfits.
“What’s happening?” I ask, though part of me already knows. Hunter’s doing.
“I got invited to London Fashion Week! Can you believe it?” Olivia twirls, her face radiant with excitement. “Front row seats to all the major shows, exclusive parties, the works!”
My heart sinks. “That’s... amazing, Liv. But what about the wedding? Isn’t it in a few weeks?”
“That’s the best part!” She grabs another dress from her closet. “I called Hunter right away, worried he’d be upset about me taking off so close to the wedding, but he was completely supportive! Said I absolutely had to take this opportunity, that we can handle any wedding details when I get back.”
Every word is a knife. I picture Hunter on the phone with her, encouraging her to leave while plotting our next encounter.
“He’s so understanding,” Olivia continues, oblivious to my turmoil. “I honestly thought he might be annoyed, but he insisted I go. Isn’t that sweet of him?”
