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Chapter Eleven
Rory
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“Ithink maybe I changedmy mind,” I say to Archer as he opens the back seat of the Uber and extends his hand to me.
“Don’t be nervous. By this point, everyone is so drunk they’ll probably not even notice we’re here.” He helps me out of the car, sliding a strand of hair out of my face, letting his hand linger for a long moment on my cheek. “Besides, you’re with me.”
“That’s the problem, not the solution.” I laugh nervously, turning to look up at the massive two-story home that sits at the top of a hill. While it’s a very populated area, the positioning of the house makes it look much more secluded than its neighbors.
“Being with me is a problem?” He arches a brow, not the least bit offended by my comment.
“In case you haven’t noticed, you kind of draw a lot of attention,” I point out. “We were at the restaurant for the entire span of forty-five minutes and no less than ten people approached us while we were eating,” I remind him.
Being with Archer is like existing on an entirely different playing field. The rules are different here. Hell, everything is different. And while I’m desperately trying to keep up, I can’t deny that I don’t really fit here. Truth be told, I don’t even know why I’m trying.
But then he looks at me the way he’s looking at me now and all that doubt just goes right out the window like it never existed to begin with.
“I’m sorry about that. I know it can get tiring.”
“Do you... Get tired of it, I mean?”
“Yes and no. I knew what I was getting into when I chose this path. I knew that if I made it to a certain point that my personal life would change because of it. And I know that once I go pro it will probably enter another stratosphere. But it’s a tradeoff, right? I mean, aren’t most things? You take the bad with the good. You overlook the things you don’t like because in the end the thing you love is worth it?”
“I guess that’s true with more than just your chosen profession,” I agree.
“Look.” He pulls me close, tipping my chin so that I’m looking up at him. “You say the word and we will get right back in that car and leave.”
“I think the car is already gone.” I scrunch my nose.
He glances behind me, the confirmation in his smile.
“You say the word and I’ll have another car here to get us in minutes.” He touches the side of my face a second time, causing my heart to race at an alarming rate.
“No, we’re already here. What’s the harm in going inside?”
My knees shake when his full, soft lips land on mine.
It’s nothing more than a whisper of a kiss, a sweet little peck, but it’s enough to make me feel like someone has just ignited a fire right in the center of my belly.
“Can I let you in on a little secret?” He looks down at me in a way that tells me maybe I’m not the only one who feels seconds away from spontaneously combusting.
I can only nod.
“I had selfish reasons for asking you to come here with me.”
