Kiss by Kiss (Riggins Brothers Book 3) Page 4

  “I have some plans,” I tell her. “Is there anything specific you want to do? I know it’s your only day off. Is there anything that you need to get done tomorrow?” Whatever it is, we’re going to do it together. I want the entire day with her.

  “I—” She starts and then immediately stops. I can picture her thinning her lips, as her hazel eyes wage a war of indecision. It’s a look I’ve seen on her every day this week when I mention tomorrow.

  “Don’t censor yourself with me. I want to know what you think, what you’re feeling.” I wait for her to speak, and when she does, her words are softly spoken.

  “I want real. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. I’ve had enough fake in my life. I don’t want or need more. If you can’t be you… if you can’t be real, then I don’t want you in my life.”

  Damn. “Who hurt you?” My defenses are up. That’s not a speech from a woman who’s been cherished and told daily how amazing she is. Hell, I barely know her, and I already know that she’s incredible.

  “We all have a past, Grant. Mine is just that, mine. I agreed to do this, and I’m not going to go back on my word. But I need you to just be you. I don’t need smoke and mirrors. I don’t want you to try to impress me. I want you to be you. Grant Riggins. Whatever that is. If it turns out we’re not into the same things, or compatible, then so be it. However, we will never really know unless we are both unapologetically who we are.”

  No bullshit, that’s refreshing when it comes to women, and me and even my brothers. She’s new in town, so she doesn’t know who we are. She doesn’t realize my net worth, and she still agreed to spend the day with me tomorrow. Suddenly everything I had planned is tossed out of my mind, and a new plan takes place. I’ll give her me… something I’ve never done, but with Aurora, I want to.

  “I’ll be there at nine to pick you up. Dress casual and wear comfortable shoes.”

  “Casual? Jeans and a sweater?”

  “Perfect. Maybe bring a change of clothes and different shoes for later.”

  “I’m not spending the night with you.” Her words don’t sound convincing.

  “That’s not why I mentioned it. We don’t know where the day is going to take us, and if you decide to have dinner with my family, I want you to feel comfortable.” I don’t exactly know what we’re going to be doing, but my original idea is not going to cut it. She wants the real me, that’s what she’s going to get.

  “Grant, maybe this isn’t the best idea.”

  “What? Of course, it is. I’ll be there at nine,” I say again.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Doing what?”

  “Taking me out.”

  “Because you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on, and I want to get to know you better. I want to spend time with you.” Her sharp intake of breath tells me that she’s surprised by my answer. “I’ll be there at nine. Sweet dreams, baby,” I whisper before ending the call. I’m not giving her a chance to try and back out. She gave me her word, and I know she’ll be ready when I get there in the morning. Glancing at the time on my phone, I see it’s just before nine. I have twelve hours before I get to see her. That’s more than enough time to change the course of our day.

  She wants the real me, that’s what she’s going to get.

  I’m early, half an hour early, but I can’t seem to help it. I’m eager to see her and get this day started. I changed our plans last night, and I hope that the change is a good one. I had originally planned on taking her to breakfast, then a museum downtown, but something tells me Aurora isn’t really a museum kind of girl. I’m not a museum kind of guy. I was trying to impress her, and that was my mistake. Luckily for me, our phone call last night pushed some clarity into my mind, and I was able to get online and change our plans.

  Climbing out of my SUV, I make my way to the back entrance of the bakery. There’s a buzzer just like Aspen assured me there would be. I press it and wait.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s Grant,” I tell the staticky voice. I can’t tell which sister it is, but the lock releases, and I’m quick to pull open the door. The frigid January air is starting to make my teeth chatter.

  “Come on up!” a voice calls from the top of a set of stairs.

  Not wasting any time, I take them two at a time. “Morning,” I greet Aspen.

  “Good morning. She’s almost ready.” She steps back, allowing me to enter their apartment.

  “Nice setup,” I say, my eyes scanning the small living room and kitchen area.

  “Thanks. We got lucky that this apartment was fully renovated when Aurora found the building. We only had to focus on the bakery, and the commute to work is nice.” She grins.

  “Definitely a perk,” I agree. Movement from the corner of my eye catches my attention, and I turn to see Aurora. Her long brown hair is down for once and is falling over her shoulders in loose curls. She’s wearing a pair of jeans that mold to her curves, a long sweater covering her ass, which is a damn shame. She’s wearing a pair of black fuzzy boots with a flat heel. She’s a fucking vision.

  “Is this okay?” she asks cautiously. I can hear the concern in her voice.

  I open my mouth to speak, but the words are locked and won’t come. Instead, I move one foot in front of the other until I’m standing in front of her. Bending, I press my lips to her cheek and breathe her in. She’s not working today, but she still smells sugary sweet. “You’re perfect,” I whisper in her ear, finding my voice.

  “Maybe I should change.” She takes a step back, but not far enough. Reaching out, I snake my arm around her waist, pulling her close.

  “No. You’re dressed perfectly for where we’re going.”

  “Where are we going?” She tilts her head to look up at me, and her hazel eyes are both guarded and showing hints of excitement.

  “Our first stop is breakfast. I hope you’re hungry.”

  “She was too nervous to eat,” Aspen answers helpfully.

  “It’s just me,” I say, pressing my lips to her temple. She sucks in a breath, surprised by the gesture. “Aspen, I’ll take good care of her.”

  “Be good, kids. Have her home before midnight, or don’t….” Aspen laughs, letting her voice trail off.

  “We’ll keep you posted. Did you pack a bag?” I ask Aurora.

  “I told you I’m not spending the night with you.”

  “Okay, baby. But you might want to change,” I start to explain. “That’s fine. We can come back here for you to change if you want to.” She bites down on her bottom lip, showing me her uncertainty. “Trust me.” My tone is gentle as I will her to give me her trust.

  “You kids better get moving.” Aspen claps her hands.

  “I’ll take care of her,” I tell Aspen with a wink.

  “Oh, you better.” She gives me a sassy grin, and I know she’s not talking about me bringing her sister home safely. My cock twitches behind the zipper of my jeans at the thought of “taking care” of Aurora like that.

  Aurora steps out of my hold and slides her arms into her coat. I watch as she grabs her purse and a small bag that I know has a change of clothes packed neatly inside. I hide my grin by biting down on my cheek. Now is not the time to gloat.

  Walking toward her, I offer her my hand, and she hesitates. Her eyes dart to her sister, then back to me, and then to my hand that’s still suspended in the air waiting for her. I watch her as she straightens her spine and exhales slowly before placing her hand in mine. It’s a small victory, but one I’m going to take all the same. It’s going to be a lot of baby steps with Aurora, and I’m good with that. I don’t know who hurt her, but I hope one day she’ll tell me. In the meantime, I’ll be sure to prove to her that she doesn’t have anything to worry about when it comes to me.

  I can’t explain it, but I’m drawn to her unlike any woman ever before. To me, that’s reason enough to stick around and see where this goes. With her hand in mine, I lead us out to my SUV. Taking the bag from her hands, I place it in the back seat before opening her door for her. Once she’s in, I jog around and climb behind the wheel.

  “Please tell me that whatever we’re doing it’s inside,” she says as soon as my door is shut.

  “Yes. I want to get to know you, not give you frostbite,” I tease.

  “Good.” She rubs her hands together. “I was about to jump out if you’d given me any other answer.”

  “The objective is to keep you with me today as long as I can, not push you away.” I keep my eyes focused on the road, but I can feel her stare. “What?” I ask, glancing over once I’m at the Stop sign.

  “Why me?”

  “Have you looked in the mirror lately?”

  “Precisely why I am asking the question.”

  Something stirs inside me at her words. I can’t really describe it—anger, sadness, and even determination to make her see herself how I do. Checking my mirrors, I signal to pull over and park on the side of the street. Putting the SUV in Park, I take off my seat belt and turn to face her. “I know we don’t know each other really well, but let me tell you something about me. What you see is what you get. I’m not going to blow smoke up your ass to try and manipulate you. You’re gorgeous. I don’t know who has convinced you otherwise, but I’d like to introduce him to my fist. So, we have a rule.”

  “A rule?” she asks.

  “Yes, a rule. When you’re with me, none of that ‘why me’ bullshit. You’re here sitting next to me because I want you to be. I want to get to know you, and today is how we start that process. Nothing more and nothing less. Got it?”

  “Do I get to make rules too?” she sasses back.

  “Name it.” I love that she’s being bold. That she’s inserting herself into whatever this is between us. I don’t like the thought of her being passive about me, about us, or hell, about anything.

  “I-I’ll get back to you,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest.

  I silently curse the coat that’s hiding her breasts from me. “When you think of one, you let me know.” With that, I pull back onto the street and head toward a small diner on the edge of town. Norma’s is a staple, and only locals really know about it. They also have the best home-cooked food in town. It’s a place my family and I used to frequent a lot growing up, and I want to share that with her.

  “I didn’t even know this place existed,” she says as I pull into the parking lot.

  “That’s the best part. Stay there. I’ll get your door.”

  “I’m capable,” she tells me.

  “Rule number two, I get to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I’ll get your door,” I say again, pulling my keys from the ignition and rushing to her door.

  Chapter 6

  Aurora

  “That was delicious, thank you,” I tell Grant, pushing my plate of half-eaten pancakes away from me.

  “You barely ate any of it. Are you not hungry?” There’s genuine concern in his voice, which is not something I’m used to. Not from a man, that is.

  How do I tell him that it’s my insecurities and the past evil in my mind that keeps me from letting loose and enjoying our breakfast together? “I’m full.” I smile big, hoping he believes me. It’s not a lie. I’m satisfied, but I could have eaten the entire thing easily.

  “Well, I guess it’s a good thing we’re going to have a good lunch as well.”

  “Lunch? We’re still sitting in front of breakfast, and you’re already thinking about lunch?” I ask. I’m not judging him, just surprised.

  “That’s because lunch is the second part of our date.” His grin lights up his handsome face.

  “What are we doing in-between breakfast and lunch?” I ask cautiously.

  “We have a little time to kill. I was thinking I could drive you by my place, so you know how to get there.”

  “And I need to know this because?”

  “Because you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together, and you’re going to need to know how to get to me when I’m not with you or at the office.”

  “You act like that’s the only two places you’re going to be.” I laugh.

  “Well, I do go to the gym with my younger brothers. The older two don’t join us very often now that they’re married or almost married. The only other place I frequent is my parents’, and you’ll see their place later today.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Of course, it is.” His confidence in this decision is resolute.

  “We’ll see,” I say, not committing. I have no idea why he’s so adamant that I go to this dinner with his family. But it’s not something that appeals to me. I’m not in the mood to be judged.

  “Ready?” he asks when the waitress brings back his change. He tosses a twenty on the table, and my eyes bulge out of my head. “I can afford it, and they work hard.” He shrugs as if leaving a twenty-dollar tip for a bill that wasn’t even thirty dollars is normal. Maybe it is for him. I have no idea what his financial status is.

  “Yes,” I answer as he offers me his hand to help me slide out of the booth, and I take it. I like the way it feels. The way the warmth of his skin seeps into mine. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the touch of a man, and even if it is just holding my hand, I’ll take it.

  Once outside, his SUV is already running. He opens the door for me and rushes around to his side of the truck. “Gotta love remote start,” he says, rubbing his hands together.

  “I was getting ready to ask you about that.”

  “It’s one of the best features ever invented.”

  “It is nice,” I say, settling into the heated leather seat.

  “This is nice,” he says, reaching over and lacing his fingers through mine.

  He rests our joined hands on the center console, and I can’t help but stare at them. I can’t see his tattoos, not under his jacket or the long-sleeve Henley he’s wearing today, but I know they’re there. I’ve never given much thought to tattoos, but on Grant, they’re sexy, and I want to see more of them and wonder if he has them anywhere else, someplace I can’t see.

  “This is me,” Grant says, pulling into the driveway of a condo not far from downtown.

  “It’s nice.”

  “You haven’t even seen the inside.” He chuckles.

  “I live over a bakery. It’s a tiny two-bedroom, so this is nice. Trust me.”

  “Your place is cute. Convenient too.”

  “Yeah,” I agree. I wait for him to tell me how I’m living in a shoebox compared to this place, or how crazy I am to have invested every penny into a business that I don’t know will succeed. However, early numbers are showing are good. Warm Delights is doing well. I just hope we can maintain our momentum.

  “You want to go in?” he asks, surprising me again.

  I turn to look at him, trying to gauge how he wants me to answer. “Do you want to go in?” I answer with a question of my own.

  He grins and shakes his head. “Yes and no. I’d love to show you my place, but we have reservations.”

  “What time is our reservation?” I ask, glancing at the clock on the dash. It’s almost half-past ten.

  “Eleven.”

  “Yeah, we better get going.” I turn back in my seat.

  “It’ll happen,” Grant says, putting his SUV in Reverse and backing out of his driveway.

  “What will?” I ask, confused.

  “I’ll get you in there.” He points through the front window of his SUV. “I’ll get you in my space.”

  “You’re awfully full of yourself.”

  “I’m a determined man.”

  “I don’t really know how to take you at times.”

  My confession has him tossing his head back in laughter. “That makes two of us. I can’t tell if you’re into me, or if you’re here just to be polite.”

  “If you remember, it was Aspen who accepted your invitation,” I remind him.

  “She did.” He nods. “But you’re still here, sitting next to me in my truck, spending the day with me.”

  “You’re right. Take me home.”

  “What?” He presses on the brake, stopping us in the middle of the road and whips his head to the side to look at me.

  “Gotcha.”

  “Oh, Aurora.” He tsks. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “Tell me where we’re going?” I offer.

  “Nope. Not after that little stunt. You’ll find out when we get there.”

  “Are we there yet?” I ask. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. If I would have talked that way to Elijah, he would have lectured me for hours, told me how immature I was being.

  “You’re going to be a handful, huh?” He laughs lightly.

  I don’t respond, and he doesn’t expect me to. Instead, we travel to the other side of town in complete comfortable silence. I don’t feel the pressure to fill the silence, and for once, my mind isn’t worried about how I look, if what I chose to wear is good enough, if I’m good enough. I don’t know how he managed to pull it off, but Grant Riggins has got me out of my own head.

  “Cooking class? We’re taking a cooking class?” I turn to look at him. I know my mouth is hanging open in shock, but this is not what I expected. Not at all.

  “Yep.” He grins, and I can tell he’s proud of himself. “I know you love to bake, so I thought maybe you would enjoy this too. I, for one, can cook. Mom made sure we all could, but I’m no gourmet chef. We’re making homemade ravioli today.”

  “Really?” I ask again.

  “Good surprise?” he asks.

  “The best! I’ve always wanted to do this.” I bounce in my seat a little from my excitement.

  “Did you go to school to learn how to bake?” he inquires.

  “No. My mom and my grandma taught me. Mom went to school for it, but I never did. I just picked it up. That’s part of why I was so nervous about opening my own shop. I don’t have an education.”

  “Passion.”