The delicious sight of braised ribs paired with mashed potatoes was mouthwatering and she meant it literally. Aurora raised a hand to quickly wipe off the drool that was starting to slip out of her mouth.

She heard Ryan chuckle beside her and she ducked her head, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. The aroma tickled her nose making her stomach grumble in response,


"Here," Ryan placed a spoon in her hand, "Have a bite."

His expression was encouraging but she was doubtful. Her wary eyes darted from him to the scrumptious meal placed in front of them. What would her mother say if she saw her like this?

Aurora mentally shuddered at the thought. Since she was a little girl, all she was allowed to eat were low-calorie food. Her mother forbade any meal that didn't have green in them, which meant she didn't grow up eating chocolate or ice cream. Although she had tried eating it once or twice behind her mother's back, it left her always craving more.


But this was different. She wasn't alone where she could eat as she liked. Ryan was watching her and she feared he would find her eating habit disgusting.

"I can't," She threw the stainless spoon back on the tray, shaking her head from side to side, "I'm sorry but I can't. I'll just order a-"


Ryan raised a finger, "If you say salad one more time, I'm going to take you over my fucking thighs and spank you hard."

The devilish glint in his eyes had her crossing her legs together, easing the slight pushing that had begun. The corners of his lips tipped upwards, his dark eyes glittering in a manner that said he knew what he was doing to her,

Aurora gulped and took the spoon back, she dug into the mashed potatoes first and lifted it to her mouth. "Oh-" She gasped when the flavours hit her tongue, her eyes widening slightly,

Ryan chuckled, pushing the plate containing the ribs to her, "Try the ribs next,"

She did as he said and a loud gasp escaped her lips, eyes widening further. This was good!

It was really good!

"Wow," She whispered, the back of her palm concealing her mouth, "This is good."

Ryan winked and picked up his spoon, "Told you. Now eat before the food gets cold." He dug into the braised ribs and she watched as his throat bobbed when he swallowed.

She held back a giggle as she too dug into the steaming bowl, chewing in large bites. It was so delicious, she felt like downing the whole bowl at once. Ryan would look at her from the corner of his eye every once in a while but she was too busy to care,

"What did they put in this?" She asked, chucking more spoonfuls into her mouth, "It's really good," She gave him a thumbs-up digging into mashed potatoes again.

She heard him chuckle and then said something but didn't hear, "What?" She looked up, arching a brow questioningly,

He laughed softly and then shook his head, "Here," He gently took her chin and then removed a folded napkin from the table. She tried to shift away when he brought the clothe closer but he held her still, "It's clean,"

He moved closer, from this angle she could see the light smattering of freckles dotting the bridge of his nose. It looked weird yet cute. The small jewellery on his ear sparkled under the lightning and a fond smile twitched at her lips, she remembered the first time she had seen him with piercings on. Her thighs involuntarily clenched at the memory and she released a soft gasp,

Ryan dabbed at the corner of her mouth, his eyes concentrated as he cleaned the spot.

Aurora swallowed tightly, the scent of him was nearly intoxicating and she struggled to keep her fingers in check. But when he looked up, those deep black pools staring intently at her, she moaned softly,

The corner of his lips twitched and he pinched her skin lightly, "If don't stop looking at me with those fuck-me eyes, I can assure you that you won't make it back to your house tonight."

She blinked dumbly and quickly tore her face away from his hold. His smug chuckle filled her ears and her cheeks flamed with heat,

"Come on, have another bite," He nudged her gently and she looked at him. He gestured to her almost-finished bowl, "You look like you need another. Should I order another-"

Her phone's ringtone blasted the air, interrupting the rest of his statement. Aurora hastily dug into her purse, cursing silently when she saw her mother's image glowing brightly on the screen.

She jumped to her feet instantly, "We have to go." He cocked his head to the side and she grabbed his arm, "Now."

Ryan rolled his eyes, releasing a weary breath but rose to his feet. He dug his fingers into his wallet and brought out several twenty-dollar bills. "Betty, I'm leaving!" He hollered out to the waitress who gave him an enthusiastic wave.

Her face crumpled into a frown when the blonde blew him a kiss. When he caught it and then turned to her, she gave him a look,

"What?" He asked, batting his lashes innocently.

She rolled her eyes and walked out, leaving him behind. She grabbed the smaller helmet off the motorbike and placed it on her head,

"You're cute when you're jealous, do you know that?" She almost jumped at the sound of his voice, but then chose to ignore him busying herself with doing the straps of the helmet. "You're doing it the wrong way, here,"

She stepped away from him and gave him her best death glare. "I can do it just fine." To prove her point, she successfully strapped them together and fixed the helmet perfectly on her head. "Now, let's go."

He gave her a look which she ignored, keeping her gaze fixed on the road. It had turned incredibly dark and when she checked the time on her wristwatch, her eyes went wide,

It was already past eight and her phone was ringing repeatedly. Ryan zipped through the busy street with incredible speed, she had to tightly clutch him by his midsection, pressing her cheek to his back and keeping her eyes sealed shut.

They kept driving on and on until she started to feel nauseous, luckily after a few swerves and turns, they began to approach her neighbourhood.

"Stop!" She shouted, peeling away from him and straightening, "Stop here.

He didn't say a word, however, did as she asked, driving to a halt. She climbed down from the vehicle and undid the straps of the helmet on her head,

"Here," She said, handing over the helmet which he accepted, "Thank you, for everything."

He nodded and she tried for a small smile before facing the road, she swallowed tightly as her eyes caught the gleaming mansion ahead of her. She was about to take the first step when he called her name,

"What?" She looked over her shoulder, arching a brow at him.

He wasn't wearing a helmet which she considered unsafe. His plump lips were curled into a slight smile and there was a sly glint in his eyes,

"I'm glad you called me today."

Before she could think of a response, he kicked his motorcycle to life and drove off, leaving a trail of dust behind.