Chapter Eight: In Which She Acts Rashly

"Please. Please do not make me go in there." Glory cried from where she was clinging to the opposite side of the limo. Arden was pulling at her free hand trying to get her to get out of the limo, "You're being ridiculous Miss Novacek! I am taking time out of my busy schedule to help you and I don't appreciate your little antics." He growled through his teeth. Glory continued to hold on tight, "I didn't ask for your help! Please!" She started feeling desperate and when Glory started to feel desperate things always got out of control, "I will literally get on my hand and knees and beg you to not take me in there Mr. Fox! I'm dead serious! My hands and knees! I know how much you would love that, so how about it?" She asked as she cast a tight smile over her shoulder at him.

He stared at her silently for a moment and Glory thought maybe he was going to agree but then his eyebrow quirked a bit, "Why don't you want to go in this store Miss Novacek? Your adamant behavior about this is leading me to believe that there is something more behind your reasoning other than the fact that you don't want to shop." She bit the inside of her cheek. Glory chose to pretend like she didn't hear him say anything, "I will literally do anything that you want right now if you promise to not take me in there. Anything..." She gave him a suggestive wink which quickly caused him to release his hold on her. Glory's face slammed into the window. She let out a tiny groan at the unexpected pain.

Before she could really process to much of what was going on the door she was holding onto opened. She fell out of the car, face rocketing towards the concrete. Two big hands grabbed her before she hit the ground and lifted her up out of the car. Glory felt surprise run through her when she found herself looking into Arden's eyes which were downright dreamy.

Of course not at the current moment because he looked ready to kill her again. She really thought they had moved past that stage of their relationship, "If you're going to continue to act like a child then I'm going to treat you like one." He whispered down at her before he quickly tucked her into his side. He had a vice grip on her as he steered them toward the store. Glory recovered herself and began pushing her feet into the ground to try and stop their movements.

"Glory—" He whispered her name into her ear with a deep voice that sent a shiver through her body, "I will carry you in there if I have too, but if you make me do that I promise you that you won't like what happens later." She felt her mouth open and close like a fish out of water at his words but her inner goddess couldn't be more excited about the idea of punishment at the hands of Mr. Fox. He opened the door with his free hand and ushered them inside. Glory let her shoulders sag down in defeat. She had been doing so well at avoiding her past up to this point. Though she'd known eventually it would catch up to her again but she had dreamed it would have been much, much later in life like at her funeral.

A woman in a tight pencil skirt and white blouse approach them with a friendly smile, "Hello Mr. Fox. My name is Marissa and I'm Helena's assistant. We talked briefly on the phone when you made the appointment." Hearing Her mother's name made her feel a churning in her stomach. Glory could only hope that she was out ruining the lives of other people and not in her shop today. Arden gave Marissa a charming smile, "Yes. It's nice to meet you in person. This is—" He pulled his arm away from Glory, ushering her forward, "The problem I was discussing with you about." She looked over to him with a glare, "Problem?" She questioned with mocking smile.

Marissa came forward and started circling her like a shark picking off pieces from a wounded seal. She reached out and picked at Glory's clothing. Which surprised her the first couple of times as she tried to turn to make sure her back was never to Marissa. When she reached out for her again Glory smacked her hand away, "No touching the merchandise unless you take me on date first." She gave her a weird look as she backed up inspecting Glory from further away, "We could definitely help you with your problem Mr. Fox. She's got an adequate figure and she's not to bad in the face either." Glory's mouth dropped open at the woman's blunt words.

Someone better hold me back cause I'm about to squish this girl like a bug under my ratty converse, Glory thought to herself as she glared at Marissa. As if sensing the danger the woman was in Arden stepped forward and pulled Glory back to his side, "I am glad to hear that." It sounded like he was trying to hold back laughter which rewarded him an elbow in the side. He tensed beside Glory but kept up his charming persona.

"Marissa—" Glory's eyes widen at the sound of the familiar voice. Oh dear lord, If you are real I pray that you would let a giant manhole open up in the earth and swallow that woman whole please, She prayed silently in her head.

"Marissa! Have you seen my appointment book? I think I misplaced it again. You know me—" Her mother marched into the room not looking much different from the last time Glory had seen her which was about six years ago. When Glory had ditched the family name and lifestyle to pursue her love of writing and college. Her mothers blonde hair was styled short into a pixie cut and she was dressed to the nines in her blue suede dress. Her eyes widen a bit when she saw her daughter, "Gloriana..."

"Helena." Glory greeted her in a clipped tone. She leveled her with her usual disapproving look, "Still going on about that are we?" Helena questioned as she fells in beside Marissa who was looking back and forth between the two of women in confusion. Helena took in the whole scene and the fact that Arden Fox had his arm wrapped around her daughter. Glory could already see the wheels turning in her mothers head.

"Well, Hello I'm Helena Carmondy and you must be Mr. Arden Fox." She stuck out her hand and Arden received it, "It's nice to meet such a prestigious woman in business." Glory felt like she wanted to gag. Her mother feigned humility, "Oh you flatter me Mr. Fox. How did you and my daughter become acquainted with one another?" She asked with a smile. Arden tensed next to Glory in shock, "Your daughter?" She could feel his eyes on her and she did her best to keep a straight face.

"Yes, Gloriana—"

"Its just Glory now." She quickly interjected and her mother frowned.

"Glory wanted to make a name for herself on her own doing whatever it is she does—Writing romance novels or something." She waved it off like it was something laughable which caused anger to stir in Glory. This was why she couldn't stand her mother. She had always been like this.

"Actually I—"

"And made a name she has. I've hired her as my personal matchmaker." Arden interrupted Glory before she had time to start an argument with her mother. His tone of voice took her by surprise it sounded almost like he had been annoyed by her mothers comment about her.

Helena's eyes widened slightly in surprise at his comment, "Really? Is that so?" She let a pleasant smile fall upon her lips but the look in her eyes told Glory she was about to tear her down, "I'm sorry you'll have to forgive my surprise. You see Gloriana hasn't had a boyfriend in her entire life. It was always her cousin Gemma who was like a sister to her, that had the boys calling. I'm sure you can understand with her little—personality problem. So the thought of her helping someone find love is quite laughable."

Glory frowned, "First, I told you its Glory. You know I hate it when you call me Gloriana which is why you do." She pushed herself away from Arden and he let her go, "Second, I don't have a personality problem. It's called sarcasm and intelligence. Also—not that this matters but I could have had as many boys as Gemma if I had wanted but I didn't because I didn't open my legs to every tom, dick and harry that looked in my direction." She glared at her mother for a moment longer then spun around, "I'm leaving!" She snapped at Arden before she marched out of the store her body practically shaking with anger.

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Glory sat in the back of the limo tapping her sneaker impatiently. When she had stormed out of her mothers shop she had assumed that Arden would have followed her. Only now she was beginning to think that he expected her to return to him once she was done throwing her tantrum. Well, he had another thing coming if he thought that Gloriana Novacek was going to spend any more of her day being belittled by the peanut gallery.

She contemplated telling the driver to take her to the nearest McDonalds so she could eat her weight in greasy, artery clogging burgers to hopefully drive away the horrible feelings seeing her mother had brought her. Maybe if she was lucky she would have a heart attack on sight and be spared from further entanglements her mother and Mr. Fox. Her dark thoughts were interrupted when the side door opened.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, She thought to herself as she came face to face with Arden. Glory quickly turned her face away from him as he slid into the bench seat near her. The tension in the limo was palpable and she only hoped he was as uncomfortable as her. He cleared his throat trying to get her attention but she ignored him, keeping her eyes focused on the world outside of the car.

Arden cleared his throat a bit louder and she bit into her cheek in irritation. Glory reached forward into the area that held drinks and grabbed a bottle of water. She turned quickly in her spot and tossed it at his face with more force then was necessary. The water smacked him in the center of his face, "Damn it! Fuck!" He reached up and grabbed his nose, glaring daggers at Glory.

"What the hell was that for? Jesus Christ woman..." He played with the bridge of his nose, wincing a bit, "I think you broke my fucking nose."

Glory rolled her eyes as she moved from her seat coming towards Arden, "Calm down, you big baby. I didn't break your nose..." He watched her with suspicion as she reached out towards him, flinching back away from her touch. She couldn't help but smirk at the reaction, knowing that a man like Arden Fox was scared of her helped lighten her dark mood.

She held up her hands in front of his face like a peace offering before slowly reaching out to him again. He watched her closely as her slender fingers grabbed gently at his nose. Arden winced a couple times before Glory dropped her hands back to her thighs, as she was crouched before him, "Unfortunately it looks like your nose will be perfectly fine."

He gave her a dark look, obviously not enjoying her joke, "No thanks to you. You are a natural disaster waiting to happen."

Glory found herself mesmerized by the way the dim light of day played off of Arden's eyes. He truly was the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on and her body definitely wanted him but every time he spoke he made her brain angry. Arden seemed to lose a bit of his harsh scowl when he realized Glory was silently staring at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He questioned her.

She moved back a step and lowered herself into the seat, "I was realizing that if we want to find you a bride you're going to have to work on the way you talk to people."

His eyes widened with surprise, "What?"

Glory waved a hand over the expanse of his body, "I mean you've got yourself set in the looks department, but the moment you open your mouth you are bound to send them running for the door. I'm surprised that you actually even found a girl who was willing to marry you in the first place."

Arden's eyes narrowed into angry slits and his body tensed up like a snake getting ready to strike, "You are—You Miss Novacek are—" He was so angry that he couldn't seem to formulate an insult. Glory waited patiently for him to finish not feeling the slightest bit put out. In fact she was finding her mood much improved knowing she had gotten under his skin. It served him right for making her endure even a minute in her mothers presence.

He let out an angry growl before he launched himself across the seat at her. Glory let out a surprised shriek as she tried to scurry away from him. His strong hands grabbed onto her arms as she kicked out widely, nailing him in the shin.

"Fucking—Shit—I swear I'm going to strangle you..." He snarled through teeth clenched in pain.

"Get off of me! You weight like a thousand pounds! You're going to suffocate me!" She yelled.

"Good, that would solve all my problems!" He grumbled as he flipped her onto her back.

They continued to scramble about on the seat, "Rape! Rape! Ra—" His hand smacked over her mouth drowning out the sound of her cries. Glory had imagined dying many times in her life, but she had never pictured an event where she would be murdered by a hot billionaire in the back of his limo.

There bodies stilled as they both found themselves exhausted from the struggle. Arden was positioned on top of Glory, on hand resting on the seat next to her head while the other was pressed firmly against her face. It did not escape her notice that every time they breathed her breasts would brush gently against his firm stomach. She swallowed hard as she felt a familiar warmth pooling in her lower stomach.

Arden was panting heavily, "Are you quite done now?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Dis shis yor fwalt!" She mumbled into his hand.

He slowly pulled his hand away from her mouth, "What?"

"This is your fault! If you hadn't brought me here none of this would have happened." Glory pouted up at him. His expression seemed to soften a bit and he let out a heavy sigh, "If you hadn't thrown that bottled water at me and listened to what I wanted to say I wouldn't have manhandled you like that."

She stared up at him, trying hard to ignore how sexy he looked leaning over with his disheveled hair, "I didn't mind the manhandling all that much—" She mumbled to herself. His eyebrows lifted and her cheeks felt hot as she realized he had heard her.

"What was it you wanted to say?" She quickly rushed, trying to skirt around the sudden sexual tension that was dancing in the air around them. Arden cleared his throat, "What your mother said back there was uncalled for. If you hadn't run away you would have heard me tell her that in not so gentlemanly word —and that she would never get a cent from me."

Glory's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "You cursed out my mother? For me?"

Arden's face turned a little pinker, "I wouldn't say that it was for you. I mean I would do that for anyone. No one should have to have a parent say such things—"

"Arden?" She interrupted him.

His blue eyes met her brown ones in a speculative gaze, "What?"

"Stop talking before you ruin the moment—" She reached up and grabbed onto his shirt, yanking him down to her. He fell towards her as she threw him off balance. Glory smashed her lips into his as she had been wanting to do since the last time he had kissed her. She knew she shouldn't be kissing him especially since they were going to be business partners but she couldn't find the will to care.

He tried to pull away but she hooked her legs around his hips and bit his lip. That seemed to be all the push that Arden needed. He let out a fierce growl of hunger before he joined her in the heated kiss. Glory could feel her body humming with adrenaline and desire as Arden's hands slipped up under her shirt and cupped her breast. She arched up into him breaking away from the kiss with a gasp, "We really shouldn't be doing this. I mean we hate each other...you were trying to kill me a second ago..."

Arden trailed kisses across her jaw to her neck. His thumbs stroking her nipples lazily over the cotton fabric of her bra, "You're right we should stop." He whispered against her flesh before he pulled back and slipped his hands from under her shirt. Glory stared up at him in a haze of sexual frustration, her inner goddess screaming insults at her in her mind.

"Are you going to let me go Miss Novacek?" Arden questioned after a moment of silence, making Glory realize she was holding him prisoner with her legs. She could feel the force of his arousal still pressed up against her and that was all she needed. The devil on her shoulder drop kicked the angel straight out of the limo.

"Henry!" She yelled as she tightened her legs around Arden, making him grunt and narrow his eyes in muted desire, "Mr. Fox would like you to take us back to his place. We have serious business matters to discuss." The limo engine roared to life and pulled into traffic a moment later. This was a better idea then eating her weight in McDonalds, at least this bad decision would help her burn calories. Arden shot her a sexy smirk that would have had even the most devout nun lifting her habit. Oh yeah, she was definitely going to regret this later.