Authors: Violet Walker
Chapter Two
A
fter a sleepless night, Rory tossed her covers to the side and jumped out of bed. She needed to be at her best today for the new client. He or she was paying big bucks for her services and she didn’t want to meet them today with bags under her eyes and grumpy. Whenever she couldn’t sleep, she moved around quickly to trick her body. Today it didn’t work; she was still plagued by dreams of her first and only love. Why she thought of Hunter last night, she couldn’t say. It might have had something to do with her brother’s newfound love. Either way, it was an unwelcome night of dreams and left her feeling unsettled.
By the time she pulled up to the beautiful Victorian mansion, several cups of coffee and a stern talking to had bolstered her confidence. She was awake and ready to do the thing she loved above everything but her family. Stepping from her car with several binders, a camera and her trusty handbag, she trudged up the gravel drive to the intricately carved massive double doors and knocked. She leaned in to look more closely at what was carved in the doors and was startled when the door swung open. “Hi, I’m Rory Harwood here to see…actually I’m not sure. I’m the interior decorator.” She gave the middle-aged woman with a salt and pepper afro a nervous smile.
“Sure thing, Ms. Harwood, come on in. Mr. Brandt will be with you soon.”
“Thanks and you can call me Rory.” She flashed a beaming smile at the woman.
She smiled back. “Alright Rory, I’m Ramona. If you need anything, ask for me. Follow me.”
Rory followed her into a spacious but empty room with high ceilings and aged windows that still held a hint of their former beauty. Pulling out a small notepad, she began jotting down notes on the major improvements that were needed. The front room--which she figured to be a gathering room or a receiving room--held a large stone hearth that brought a smile to her face. But the rest of the room was so…cliché. There was dark brown wood everywhere that gave the room a somber feel that made her wince.
“Find something you dislike, Ms. Harwood?”
She stiffened at the deep voice that echoed in the empty room. It was familiar yet not, and when she turned her green eyes went from wide globes to tiny slits. She gasped audibly at the shock of seeing the one man she never thought she’d see again. Had
hoped
to never see again. He heard the gasp but she didn’t care; she knew this man, better than any other, in fact. At least that’s what she thought back when she was a silly teenager with visions of forever in her head. “Hunter Bishop,” she sneered across the distance.
“Brandt, actually. It’s a long story and I’m sure we’ll get to it soon enough.” He shrugged in that careless way of his and she wanted to smile and cry and scream all at once.
Instead, Rory shook her head. “I’m not interested in hearing any stories. I’m waiting for the owner of this home or their assistant so I can get to work.” She turned back to her notepad when his voice interrupted her thoughts.
“I am the owner of this house, Rory. I hired you.”
“Why?” Her heart thundered at his words. No, it couldn’t be true. She wouldn’t let it be true.
That damned shrug again. “You’re the best at what you do.”
She wasn’t buying it. “You set me up. Again.” She shook her head and gathered her things. “Haven’t you done enough?”
She saw the smirk wash away along with any color in his skin, but he recovered quickly with a curt nod. “I have and I will explain it to you. But only when you’re ready to listen.”
She held the books of fabrics and colors tightly to her chest and glared at him. “Since when have you ever given a shit about my readiness for
anything
?”
Another direct it. “I always have and when you’re ready, I’ll tell you.” He glanced around the room and changed the topic. “So what would you do to this room?”
Rory didn’t bother to look around. “Nothing. Obviously we can’t work together, so I will email you a list of excellent designers who can get the job done.” Binders clutched tightly to her chest she stared him down.
Hunter stared back, hands on his hips, looking extremely pissed off. “No.”
She bristled, incredulous. “What do you mean, no? It’s my choice and I’m choosing to bow out of this project. Good luck.” Rory turned on her heel and took two steps before he spoke.
“It has to be you Rory. Or are you too affected by me to work closely together and get this job done?” She opened her mouth to protest, but he kept talking. “I mean, not to be a dick, but I’m kind of a big deal these days. Decorating my home can help your business, unless of course you’re still too attracted to me to be professional. I totally understand that. I find you very distracting.”
She took in his smirk and knew he was goading her the way he always had, questioning her morals and her professionalism just to get his way. Except dammit, he was right. She had to go through with it. If she didn’t, Hunter would think it was because he still held some sort of power over her. He didn’t, even though his tall, dominating presence made her heart race and her stomach clench tight. It didn’t matter that he had grown up to be utterly delicious, he’d hurt her worse than any other person ever had.
They stood several feet apart and stared. And stared. Rory took in his black hair that had grown out just long enough to have a hint of curl at the ends and those penetrating silver eyes. She sighed and remembered how she used to stare into those beautiful eyes for hours. There was still that hint of a dimple when he showed that smirk to the world. Finally, her gaze broke away from him and the memories he brought forth. She needed to remember that she’d given him her virginity and her heart and the next day he’d disappeared without a word. There had been no good-bye or good riddance and she hadn’t heard a word from him. Until today. Those thoughts were enough to douse her libido with ice cold water and kill any attraction she felt towards him. She straightened her back and rounded her shoulders, “You’re right, I am a professional.” She sat the binders down and launched into a lengthy description of how she would improve the receiving room.
For the next four hours, Rory led Hunter around his own home and told him everything that needed to be done to give his home a cozy, sophisticated feel. From the guest bedrooms to the kitchen and even his dungeon, she detailed every last change she’d make. “Is there anything you would keep?”
She smiled at his bewildered expression. “Sure, this girl has great old bones. She just needs to be updated with a hint of sophistication.”
Hunter took her in and he was damned impressed with the woman she had become, even if that woman had tried to ignore him the entire time without actually ignoring him. “Okay, Rory, tell me, what do we do next?”
“I’ll have mock ups for you in two days, maybe sooner.”
“Great!” His voice was a little too excited, “Call me and we’ll set up a time to meet and discuss it.”
She gave him a curt nod and professional smile before she turned to gather her things.
“Seen you soon Rory. Real soon.”
She groaned loudly in the empty room.
Hunter chuckled.
This is going to be fun!
~
Hunter was supposed to work late on the new application his company would release in January. Instead, he’d found his thoughts had strayed to Rory and what a beautiful woman she’d turned out to be. She was even more stunning than ever, her blonde hair darker than it used to be and much longer. She’d worn in shorter in high school and now it cascaded down her back. But those green eyes hadn’t changed a bit, they still had little shards of gold sprinkled throughout that gave them a luminescent glow. Rory had made life for him bearable during high school, making him laugh when he needed it and keeping him grounded when he would have flown into a rage. At school, he was the ultimate geek, helping teachers and students alike navigate the new world of computers and the Internet. At home, he was a burden to his father for reasons that were, at least then, unknown to him.
Rory always had his back. First as his friend when she threatened—and sometimes followed through on those threats—those who bullied him for his insanely high IQ and ill-fitting clothes. Then later, as his girlfriend, she’d showered him with the love and affection he’d been starved for most of his life. Rory Harwood had been fearless back then, bucking the high school social order to befriend him and then give her heart to him. She’d turned his bleak existence into one of light and love and, most of all, of happiness.
She’d forced him to own his intelligence and aptitude for technology, testing his programs and giving him feedback. It was Rory who had pushed him to create the things everyone else said were impossible. And one of those things turned out to be the idea that had launched his company just two years after the earth-shattering news he’d learned before he’d left Rory and his hometown behind for good. Well,
for now
. This year, this time with Rory, was his chance, probably his
only
chance, to make it up to her and prove himself, if she would let him. No, it wasn’t up to her to let or not let him. He
would
do it. Because he wanted more from Rory, a whole lot more.
And he would get it.
“Do you have a minute?” Cecilia interrupted his thoughts. “Hey Hunter, I have updates on the new app.”
“Okay, shoot,” he turned his attention to his trusted assistant as she updated him on his newest application which would switch automatically to driverless mode when the driver was handling the car recklessly. They were having problems with the switch, and he was happy to hear the programmers had fixed the bug. The developers had worked diligently and everything was finally on track. “Good job, Cecilia. Thanks.” He spun back to his computer and typed in a few notes. “I’ll take a look at the program myself to see how it’s going.” It wasn’t unheard of for Hunter to get in the trenches with his people and do the grunt work with them. He enjoyed it as much as they did, and one day soon, he would join them at the office and put his fingers to work.
“Alright,” she nodded. “I’ll let them know to expect you.”
“That’s alright, I’d like to surprise them.”
She nodded with a hint of a smile. “Would you like to have dinner?”
His brows crinkled in thought. “No, I’m too busy, but go ahead and order something for yourself. Better yet, you can go on home and maybe enjoy a night out with your friends.”
Cecilia nodded with slumped shoulders and left, disappointed that Hunter couldn’t see how she felt.
Hunter hadn’t noticed her disappointment; he was too excited about what he’d found while looking into any info he could find on Rory. Hardwood Industries’ Christmas Ball was coming up, and a few clicks later, he’d purchased two tickets. He knew it was too soon to ask, but Hunter intended to be Rory’s date for the ball.
~
The past forty-eight hours had been hell on Rory. She hadn’t slept more than a couple hours at a time, so she was cranky with giant bags under her eyes. The only bright spot was that the mockups were done and they looked fantastic. She hated that Hunter was back in her life because he made her remember her past and her present. It was because of him that she didn’t trust men and had no faith in herself as a woman. She rebuffed any and all attempts at intimacy. She’d tried to share her body with a man once after Hunter, and it had ended in unmitigated disaster. She’d frozen up at the worst time and scared the poor guy half to death. After that, she knew she wasn’t cut out for that kind of connection.
Unfortunately, when she had fallen asleep over the past two days, she was reminded just how attracted she still was to him. She’d been attracted to him, enchanted by him as a skinny computer geek terrified of his own power, but now he was a beautiful man who’d grown into his body. Working him over the next few weeks would be dangerous for her, for her heart. Her best chance was to hope that he was the type of billionaire she usually worked with, the kind who relegated all insignificant decisions related to the home to an assistant or wife.
Wife?
Shit, that thought hadn’t occurred to her before and it should have. What if Hunter was married and there was a Mrs. Brandt somewhere who she would have to work with every day for the next few weeks. That would be immensely awkward. She sighed and stepped out of the car and over the gravel that would take her to the front door.
Rory was relieved to see a young brunette with light brown eyes answer the door. She introduced herself as Cecilia, but her cool demeanor told Rory that this must be the girlfriend. “I have all the samples and everything so we can get started.” She winced at the enthusiasm she heard in her voice. It was too much.
Cecilia nodded and coolly told her, “Mr. Brandt will be with you shortly.”
Mister?
So much for the girlfriend theory. “Oh okay, sorry. I thought you’d be making the decisions.”
Cecilia watched her bite her lip nervously. “You must be her,” Cecilia said, her voice laced with venom.
Against her better judgment, Rory rolled her eyes and asked. “Who?”
“Aurora.” She practically spat the name.
“Yes, Aurora is my name but everyone calls me Rory.”
Cecilia shook her head in disgust. “Of course they do.”
“What are you talking about?” Her irritation with the woman had grown and she found it difficult to reign in her temper.