Rory smiled to herself. Her cousin Con had changed from the boy she’d known, and she really liked the man he’d become. She also thought he and Indy were perfect for each other, so hearing that they’d had some struggles helped her. “It’s easy to look at y’all and think that you got together without any big issues.”
“Everyone has issues,” Elle said. “If Kit is the right guy, you’ll know. Rory...”
“Yes?”
Elle hesitated. “Do you have any more memories of what happened the night of the ball?”
Though Rory recalled being attacked by her date that night, Elle had confirmed she hadn’t been raped. Even though he hadn’t gone further, knowing that someone had tried to hurt her and force her was still difficult to process.
“No. None. And it’s totally different with Kit. I want him to want me.”
“Good,” Elle said. “I’m sure he does. Is he seeing you again?”
“He’s coming by later to teach me how to drive.”
“I think it’s safe to assume he likes you. Teaching someone to drive isn’t an easy thing,” Indy remarked. “My mom used to yell at me every time I drove with her.”
“That’s nothing like Kit,” Rory said.
“Good.”
The doorbell rang and she smiled at the girls. “That’s probably Kit. Talk later.”
“Yes. If you need us, text,” Indy said.
Rory disconnected the call and then stood. Looking at herself in the mirror, seeing not only her mom now, but also herself. She just had to get used to so much more than this body and she knew she was getting there one step at a time.
Kit wasn’t any closer to figuring out what the hell he was going to do about Dash Gilbert. No matter how many times he reminded himself that Rory wasn’t really part of the Gilbert family that he hated, he knew he didn’t hate Dash anymore either. Meeting him the other day, talking to him had confused the issue even further.
A smart man would stay the fuck away from Gilbert Corners. And Kit had always been praised for his intelligence, which he knew would end the minute someone put the pieces together about his identity/past. He was back.
He couldn’t stay away from her. There was a white-hot attraction between the two of them and his guy brain was saying just hook up and then that would go away and he could move on. Get back to just coming to Gilbert Corners to plot Dash’s downfall.
But despite what he was currently doing, he was smarter than that. The draw to Rory wasn’t just sex. If it was, Kit wouldn’t be here ready to give her driving lessons. He was here because he couldn’t stay away.
It didn’t matter that he knew it would be smarter and easier to take down Dash Gilbert if Kit had nothing to do with Rory. But that wasn’t happening.
It was a clear, cool, crisp autumn day. The leaves were changing and fell as he walked up toward Rory’s house. She’d put two large terracotta planters blooming with mums on either side of the walkway that led to her front door. The door had been painted since he’d last visited and had a large autumn-themed wreath on it with something hanging in the center. When he got closer he noticed that it was Jack and Sally from Tim Burton’sNightmare Before Christmas.
He rang the doorbell and stood there. Maybe this time when he saw her he’d be able to friend-zone her and let go of wanting to take her into his arms, kiss her and not stop until they were both naked and he was balls deep inside her.
He got hard just imagining that and shifted his legs, adjusting his erection before the door opened.
“Hi,” she said.
His cock twitched and he had to look away from her to just try to get himself under control. But he couldn’t get that warm, welcoming smile of hers out of his mind. The way her lips were curved, he knew what they felt like under his. He missed the taste of her.
How was he going to spend any time next to her in the close confines of the car and keep his hands to himself?
“Hi,” he said back. He noticed she wore a black-and-white striped shirt tucked into a black flounced mini skirt, striped tights and a pair of flats. She looked cute and Halloweeny and he was trying to be chill.
But his chill was gone. He was completely swept away by the sight of her long, sexy legs in that fetching getup and then she smiled at him again and he was a goner.
There was no pretending that he didn’t want more than a friendship with her. It didn’t matter that she was the sister of his enemy.
“Want to come in for a minute?” she asked.
Yes.Hell yes. He wanted to come into her house, take her into his arms, ravish her until she became soft and pliant in his arms and then... “I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”