“I think maybe it’s time that I head home,” she said, and wiped her hand on her face, as though it would get rid of the redness in her cheeks. “We have an early morning tomorrow.”
Elijah pushed his seat out from the table and stood up. “Sure thing. Are you ready now, or do you want to take some time to have a coffee or water?”
Aubrey felt as though she was in the room with someone else completely. There was no way that he was the same person who had frustrated her so much on the first day. It seemed implausible.
“I’m okay. Thanks, though.”
Elijah reached for the phone in his pocket and swiped across the screen. He began texting someone, then lifted his blue eyes to hers. “Our ride should be here soon.”
“That fast? I thought you said you were getting a car to pick us up.”
There was a gleam in his eye as his lips formed into a playful grin. “It’s not an Uber, but doesn’t that work basically the same way?”
“I guess, but it’s not like I text someone and have them show up right away. I mean, how much does that cost every month, anyway?”
“Do you really want to know?”
Aubrey slipped her arm into her jacket. “No. It’s probably more than I make in a year, and it’ll just hurt my self-esteem.”
He stepped out from the table and opened the door for her. “Then I’ll keep it a secret. For now.”
“Have a great night, and thank you for dining with us,” Miranda said, appearing out of nowhere with a wide smile across her face.
Aubrey didn’t reply, but simply bowed her head lightly as she made a quick getaway. She enjoyed the food, but she couldn’t stand the idea of having been nearly denied from the place. Even the hostess having believed that she might be lying was enough to cause her to clench her hand into a fist. She may not have looked the part, but assuming that she was lying because she wasn’t part of the New York City elite? Unbearably infuriating.
She could feel the eyes of dining couples on them as they passed, seeing a few surprised expressions as they moved through the dining room. Aubrey realized that they weren’t interested in her. They were all primarily focused on Elijah. It was like they couldn’t believe who was in the room with them. She glanced at him quizzically, but he seemed to barely notice the attention he was garnering. Did it happen to him all the time?
The hostess graced them with a wave as they passed her podium and left through the heavy front doors. Aubrey wanted to throw a middle finger back at the restaurant as they left, but deemed it inappropriate and, likely, a side effect of the alcohol.
There was a chill outside as the black limo waited in front of the restaurant for them. When he said he’d have a car waiting for them, she’d fully expected a Lincoln, but certainly not a limo. She brought her jacket in closer and stopped before entering the vehicle. It was probably best he not find out where she lived. It would likely cause him to judge her. Aubrey’s apartment was decent, but it wasn’t anything to write home about.
“I think I’m going to get an Uber home instead.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Why would you do that? You have a ride right here.”
“I just don’t want to inconvenience you.”
“You won’t be inconveniencing me,” he said, moving closer to her. “Do you think I see you that way?”
She swallowed hard as her heart quivered. Aubrey had yet to see that kind of look in his eyes, and it made her legs buckle beneath her. The scent of his cologne overwhelmed her senses as he drew closer. She had to look up to meet his eyes as he neared her. She hadn’t noticed just how tall he was when she’d first met him. She felt like willing prey.
“Am I inconveniencing you by being this close?” he asked her and opened the limo door behind her. She could feel his breath against her skin, and it caused shivers throughout her entire body. “Get in the car.”
She couldn’t deny his eyes. Not in that moment. She didn’t want to, either, as the sensation of wanting to be with him became overwhelming. He brought his lips to hers and pushed her in lightly. Aubrey smiled as he brought himself on top of her and pushed her further into the backseat and closed the door. She felt his strong body overpowering her as his tongue slid into her mouth and massaged hers. She gave a slight moan as she kissed him deeper.
His whole body hardened as he brought his hand to her hair. She could feel his heartbeat against her chest as he pushed himself further into her. She could barely breathe, and she loved it. The sensation of his lips against hers lit a fire inside her stomach that lowered itself past her thighs. She didn’t want him to stop, ever.
His hand grazed her skin as he brought it towards the bottom of her dress. He used his arm to hold himself up, and she could feel his stubble against her face as he breathed into her. Her hair fell back behind her, and she was overcome with wanting him to push into her even harder. Feeling his muscles tense above her made her want to kiss him harder. She could taste wine as she bit his bottom lip lightly, pulling him closer.
Aubrey’s leg quivered as his fingers trailed the bottom of her dress, removing the fabric from her skin inch by inch. She pulled away and brought her eyes to meet his.
“Are you okay?” he asked, out of breath.
That’s when she realized the inevitable. He was her boss. Whether or not he had planned the evening to end in a one night stand didn’t matter. What mattered was that she got her bearings and remained professional. This, unfortunately, was the opposite of professional. No matter how much she wanted him, what they were doing was wrong.
Aubrey cleared her throat and lifted herself off the seat and onto the passenger door. She was breathing heavily as the anxiety set in, causing her stomach to twist into a knot. “It’s fine. Really. I just,” she paused, searching for the right words. It was hard to form words after having had his lips on her. She wanted more. “We shouldn’t do this.”
He licked his lips and lifted himself from her. “If that’s how you feel. I promise I’d never force you to do anything you don’t want to.”
“Of course. I know that,” she said, wiping her lips. “I didn’t not want that. Trust me, you’d have known.”
He chuckled to himself. “All right, but I’m still going to have the driver take you home. I want you to get back safe, and you’ve had too much to drink to make me comfortable with you heading home in an Uber. Fair?”
She brought her legs to a sitting position. “Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll take that.”
The awkwardness of the situation was palpable. Elijah banged on the screen between them and the driver, and the black window lowered. She saw the driver turn towards them, and she felt her cheeks burn. He must have heard them and known what was going on in the back seat. She couldn’t help but feel as though he was accustomed to such things.
“Where are we headed?”
Elijah turned back to Aubrey, whose face became even redder. She still didn’t want him to find out exactly where she lived. The idea of him seeing her neighborhood was enough to make her want to recoil into a corner and stay there forever.
“Soho,” she lied. “Near the Louis Vuitton store. Just head there, and I’ll give you directions until we get there.”