Chapter 27: Chapter 27

The terror that takes over me is greater than any other I've felt in the past five to six years. I am afraid of my past. Yes, I do think of it, but never into details, I kept having nightmares about the night I was raped, I'd wake up panting, shivering, but more than anything wishing I could forget. The nightmares only stop four months ago, after I met Rory and even though I don't dream of it anymore, I still don't think too deep into it. No one knew my fear because I never told them the mental and emotional torture I was going through.

When he sees my reaction and he gives me one of those charming smiles I'm beginning to love and stretches his hand and when I don't take it, he smiles and says. "I won't rush you, Taylor, I promise."

Weirdly enough, I love the way my name rolls off his tongue. I wonder what other things he can do with his tongue.

Why did I just think that?

"I made breakfast while you were sleeping," can he get any more adorable? Damn! "Today is going to be another long day I bet." Then comes his deep dimples and I almost lose it.

Seriously? You're not making it easy to get over you.

I don't say anything, silently take his hand and even though I want to run away, I know I'm too hungry to walk away.

"Come eat after you brush. There's a new brush in your bathroom, come back when you're done." He walks over to the dining and takes a sit. Opening up some of the nicely arranged plates on the table and I see the meal that looks more like the food I see in the cooking TV shows and the aroma only makes my mouth water more.

"How sure are you that I'll come back?" I raise an eyebrow.

Without turning to look at me, he answers. "I will just take it up with faith."

I know my answer and more than anything, I do want to eat and be satisfied. So after brushing my teeth, with the new brush Rory had told me I'd find in my bathroom, I walk back into the living room where he is.

"You're back." He says dropping his fork and knife down to give me a genuine smile.

"You can stop looking at me like I'm your food, your food is before you."

He gives me a teasing look. "Well, I'll give this food up just to eat you ou-"

"Enough before I lose my mind. Let's eat." I snap, blocking his nasty words away from my mind.

I take a seat and sit and he serves the food into my plates different dishes from different bowls.

"What the hell is this dish called?" I question, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well, wouldn't you want to know?" He wiggles his brows at me and my nose scrunches up.

Not really.

We ate peacefully without any uttered word and when we finish, Rory clears up the table and goes to the kitchen to do the dishes. I do not move from where I stay while he does his work in the kitchen, nor do I offer to give him a helping hand. Instead, I think about the question he'd asked earlier about Toby and the reason he'd ask.

I'm so lost in my thought that I don't realise Rory's back in the room until he takes my hand and I see he's seated even closer to me.

"Thinking?" He curiously asks and I nod firmly.

"W-why do y-you want to know about T-oby?" I stutter nervously and I want to run away, but Rory's hand gently rests against mine and I look up at him and shook my head. "You already know everything about me so there's no reason for me to tell you anything."

His gaze is intense and searching just like he was thirty-minute ago and it intensifies into something much more powerful, compelling and controlling. He knows what he's doing, he knows my weakness, my vulnerability and now he wants to know my fear too.

"How do you even know anything about me?" I ask out of the blue and skipping the subject, which changes the atmospheric condition of the room.

"I asked around, and got some info from your brother." His mouth curls up in a corner and the smile on his face is too mischievous that I know instantly realise he's using one of my brothers to know things about me.

He's manipulative and cunning and he's using your brother to get to you!

I feel the sting of betrayal in my heart and I spring up from in front of him, I do this hoping he will not rise after me, but who am I kidding? He follows me up and grabs me by my arm and turn me to look into those devious wicked green eyes of him and I bit into my cheek to keep any wrongs words from running out.

"You manipulating bastard, you didn't only crawl your way into my life, but also into the life of my brother and you're using him to give out about me." I grit my teeth angrily.

I watch his mouth thin into a grim line as I struggle to free myself from his grip. "Now stop struggling with me woman because you keep rubbing your body against my 'you know' I can tell you that that is really not helping me get over my want for you."

My cheeks burn red as he says this and I stop struggling with him.

"You right to be mad at me, but I only did that t-"

"Stop trying to give excuses for lurking into my life, you had no right and I can press charges if I want to." I cut him off angrily.

"Your lips are unusually red." He purrs, cutting my anger into shred as shivers run down my spine before I can control it. He sees the reaction on my face and he smirks injuriously. My cheeks heat up and I can do nothing but stare at him. "It's always nice to see you struggle with me when you know you know you can't win."

His thumb finger grazes over my lips and they part on their own accord. My mind race, thinking of what is about to happen. Is he going to kiss me? The thought alone makes my legs jelly, but he does nothing to take possession and even though I can see a lustful hunger in his eyes, it is held back by his self-control. He trails his hand around my lips down to my neck and a low, but longing moan erupts from my throat.

"You like what I'm doing? I can tell." He taunts and I can only roll my eyes mentally at his understatement because I love what he is doing. "You're so responsive, Taylor."

Oh, heavenly father, I'm going to lose it if he keeps this up and keep calling my name like that.

"Mr Gate-"

He places his finger on my lips and waves a smile at me. "Call me Rory."

I close my eyes and count to three and breathe deeply trying to set my head clear. "Rory. This is. So- wrong!" I moan out louder as his lips suck down on my neck and my hand goes into his hair.

This isn't going to end well.

"You're responding, how wrong can that be?" He murmurs into the crook of my neck, before leaving small trails of kisses there.

It's wrong, so wrong.

"You have Paris, Rory," I push him away and move back and we are both breathing heavily. "I can't be this girl you want me to be."

"Why not?" He asks with a rough and rigid voice. His hair has been ruffled with my hand, but he still looks as sexy as ever.

Stop thinking that!

"Because it's wrong."

"I want you and clearly from what just happened between us, you want me too." His hand strokes my cheek and I want to lean into him, but I don't instead, I move away.

"Why do you want me, Rory?" I ask.

"There are a thousand and one reasons to want you."

I snort, "You're right, you keep telling me that like I'd believe you."

"If you think I don't want you, then come with me to the bedroom and we'll see about that."

I frown even though my cheeks are as red as a tomato. "You want to make me your other woman, one who will only be of use to you in the bedroom and the bedroom only. I won't be that woman that you'll never be able to take out on dates, nor will I step out publicly with you because the other woman cannot be the woman the world recognise or even accept even if she yarns to be with you, hold your hand and kiss you in the face of the world, she knows her place and that's where she'll stay. You promise her you'll give her the world, but that is only another empty promise you make her and year after year she'll wait for you losing her other chance to find happiness because she believes she can find it in you. In the end, the other woman loses all and suffers more because no one will understand her pain and anguish or lament, but until the end, she'll keep wishing she had been wiser to know you were just out to ruin her, but it's too late to do anything about it. She loved a coward and will never forgive herself for it."

We say nothing after I'm done, only stare at each other and finally, Rory speaks. "I'm not a coward." He says with such confidence it makes me smile.

"And I'm not going to be anybody's other woman."

I watch reality TV shows to know the difference between love and stupidity.

"We owe Paris to show her some respect, because while we are here fooling around, Paris is working herself out in Italy for your wedding."

His phone begins to ring and he answers it, moving away from me as he speaks.

"Yes, Francis what was the result of the test?"

He sees me move over to where he is and removes the phone from his ears and pressed the speaker of the phone.

"We caught the shooter and after so much interrogation, he's told us who sent him," Francis says from over the phone.

"Well, who is it?" Rory asks almost impatiently.

"Luke Powers."

Luke Powers? Why does that name ring a bell?

Rory runs a violent hand through his messy hair and I see him trying to control his anger. He speaks in some foreign language before saying. "Lock that bastard up once you lay your hand on him." And with that, he ends the call, tossing the phone on the couch, he begins to pace around.

"I've heard the Luke Powers before, it just needs to-" my mouth opens as the name registers in my memory.

Luke Powers was the man I met at the fundraising party at the 5 Star hotel four months ago, the man that wanted to force me into having sex with him before Rory saved me and beat the hell out of him.

"Why would he want to kill you?" I ask, my hands fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

His gaze drops to my shirt. "We have had a long feud, but I didn't know he'll take it this far."

"What feud? I ask, with a quiver in my voice.

He takes my hands into his and bringing them up to his lips, he kisses them. "Hun, it's a long story."

"Tell me?" It isn't a question, nor is it a command. When he doesn't speak, I pout and give him a puppy dog look.

He closes his eyes briefly before muttering. "Goodness, Taylor. Cutie. You're wicked! Okay, I'll tell you everything."

Yes! I smile inwardly at my persuasive skills.