Chapter 6 : In Which He Brought Her Home

"Girlfriend?" Aurora's eyes grew twice as large. "Are you asking me to cheat?" She held her forehead and backed away from him. "Oh God, this is not happening to me again."

"Aurora."

"Madame Zoya!" She flared back.

Theo exhaled heavily and took a step back. "Fine. Madame Zoya. I need a girlfriend to get Audrey off my back."

The newspaper headline popped into her mind and Aurora slanted her eyes at the man towering over her. "This is about the merger, isn't it?"

"Be my girlfriend until Audrey leaves and you'll be compensated for your time," Theo repeated.

"Like an escort." Aurora's face fell flat. Great, she laughed silently, he has just officially made her the slut that everyone's been talking about.

Theo straightened to his full height, barreled his chest and gave a dignified look at the woman before him.

"I'm attracted to you, Aurora."

The abrupt admission halted her breath.

"But this is strictly business," Theo continued steadily. "State your terms. I don't intend to cheat you on anything."

Her eyes narrowed with fury. "You know my situation and you come here with this... this business deal - how is this not cheating me?"

"I have only one request - that you give me your time when I need it. The terms of this deal are all yours to decide," Theo stated quietly.

"All of them?" Aurora repeated under her breath, casting a doubtful glance.

Theo nodded. "As long as you give me your time when I need it."

Aurora turned from him, the wheels of her mind churning furiously. It's a blank check, she thought, staring at the crystal ball. This is the solution to all her problems. She could ask for anything.

"I can give you time to think about it." Theo looked purposefully at her back.

The bewitching goddess whirled around. "I'll do it." Her eyes sparkled with a newfound determination. "I have three conditions."

Theo remained silent, his strong gaze fixed on the feisty goddess.

"I want three thousand dollars."

"I can give you more, you know that."

"You're not the only one with money and I earn my keep. I want to work at your company." She looked directly at him.

Theo studied her features and nodded. "That can be arranged." The impish grin was back.

"But not as your secretary."

Theo stepped forward. "Why not? That's a perfectly good position."

"You need a pretend girlfriend and I need a permanent job with good pay; that's what this deal is about, so my third condition is we keep things simple and professional." Aurora stretched out her hand. "Deal?"

The CEO looked down at the delicate, fair hand then gazed up at the ravishing seductress before him. The moment he laid his eyes on her, he wanted her. Keeping things simple is the last thing on his mind.

He took her hand. "Deal."

Aurora shook the huge hand with a bright smile. She was finally able to catch a breath. Trish might have been right after all - her luck was changing.

"The contract starts now."

Aurora paused with startled eyes. "Now?"

"If we want to be convincing, we have to start as soon as possible." Theo pulled her forward and smiled pleasingly when she landed on his chest with a soft gasp. "We'll need to get to know each other quickly." He whispered just loud enough for her ears as his intense gaze captured her emerald eyes.

Initially shocked by the sudden change in him, she recovered in a fraction of second and returned a smile with the same tease. Circling both arms around his hips, she whispered back in her low, raspy voice, "When?"

That seductive voice thickened his throat instantly. What a little temptress, he smiled affectionately, then lifted a thumb to stroke her smooth cheek and felt a tremor as she shuddered under his touch. A satisfied grin appeared on his lips.

"Dinner. Tonight."

Aurora muttered. "I'll be done at eight."

******

The lights came on and a breathtaking view of the living room filled her eyes.

Aurora stood in the middle of an enormous amount of space. Aside from the gold picture frames, the bronze lamp stands and the wooden furniture legs, everything else was in white, from the marble floor to the ceiling.

"I thought you liked dark blue." She moved around leisurely, her eyes fleeting across the paintings and sculptures.

Theo took off his jacket and uncuffed his sleeves. "I wear dark suits. But that means nothing." He disappeared behind a door then re-emerged shortly in a white T-shirt and faded blue jeans.

"So what are you making for us?" Aurora was looking at a photo of young Theo grinning freely at her, with an arm across the shoulder of a much older man. She smiled warmly at the striking resemblance then casually lifted her gaze and saw Theo and went still.

He does have a boxer's body, she thought as her eyes drank in the contours of his well-defined muscles, from his hard waist to his vast chest, to his huge arms. She met his gaze and his arrogant smirk appeared.

"Like what you're seeing?"

Her cheeks flamed up instantly. She spun away from him. D*mn it, Aurora! Stop acting like you've never seen a man! God, this is embarrassing. Swiftly, she blurted the first thing that came to her.

"I'm hungry."

Aurora squeezed her eyes tightly. Nice, Aurora, good move. Why don't you just tell him that you want him for dinner?

He chuckled softly. "What did you say?"

"I mean, what's for dinner?" She repeated in a hoarse voice.

Theo took her elbow and turned her around, and then saw her blushing furiously. He wanted to take her then and there. Instead, he leaned in and lowered his voice. "What would you like to have?"

You, Aurora thought and her eyes widened in great shock. She hastily switched her focus to the grand piano and replied in a dull tone, "Pasta."

He chuckled. "Pasta, it is."

The kitchen came alive as he shuffled about, opening doors and closing them, and then moving things around. Within minutes, the CEO was chopping up vegetables with the swiftness and precision of a chef.

"Have you worked in a Michelin-star restaurant? Where did you learn to cook like that?" She sat in front of him at the island.

Knitting his brows at the tossing pasta, he replied, "My dad. He loved to cook."

"Was it him in that photo?"

"The one you were looking at? Yes." Theo turned off the heat and divided the contents into two plates.

Aurora leaned over and grinned with delight. "Carbonara?"

"Italian style." He placed her plate in front of her. After a brief disappearance, he returned with a bottle of white wine and two glasses.

Aurora filled her lungs with the rich aroma. It has been five years since someone cooked for her. She took a bite and shrieked in excitement.

"Oh my God. This is delicious."

She took another mouthful when he placed his plate next to hers and sat beside her. After a sip of wine, she turned to him as he was sipping from his glass. "How many women have you dated before?"

He choked. Wiping the wine off his shirt, he shot a confused frown. "D*mn it, Aurora, where was that from?"

"Hey, if I'm your girlfriend, I'd be curious."

Theo narrowed his eyes at her. She was moving the pasta around with her fork, trying to appear nonchalant. He couldn't tell if she was truly unconcerned, but her reaction piqued his interest. "Fair enough. A lot."

Aurora shot an annoying glance at the burly man beside her. "A lot? What kind of answer is that? If someone asks, how do you expect me to answer?"

"Tell them exactly what I said."

Aurora rolled her eyes. Men are such insensitive blockheads. "Okay, then what about you and Audrey?"

"What about it?" Theo returned a blank look but he was actually having a great time watching her reactions.

Oh my f*cking Lord, Aurora groaned inwardly. "How far did you go? Did you sleep with her?"

He stared at her quietly then a playful grin surfaced. "Are you jealous?"

Those beautiful eyes widened with shock. "What? Are you crazy? Why would I be jealous? I'm just a fake girlfriend!" She hastily took a large mouthful of pasta. "Mmm... this is d*mn good."

Theo watched as she licked the sauce off her lips. Without a warning, he lifted his fingers to her chin.

Aurora was rooted in her spot as his thumb grazed slowly across her mouth, wiping the luscious sauce off her lips. She sucked in the air sharply when he placed the thumb at his lips.

With a devilish grin, Theo held her gaze intensely as he sucked the sauce off his thumb. His eyes fell back on her lips, now glowing in an inviting red, plump and juicy, ready for his taking.

He leaned in.