Mason stared at me a little longer. It was beginning to look and feel a little awkward all of a sudden.
As if he sensed this, Mason cleared his throat, smiled, and leaned forward to take my hand. “Nice to meet you, Ayden. I’ve heard so much about you. I practically feel like I know you already.” The undertone to his statement didn’t go unnoticed.
At least he remembered me . . .
God, what was I saying?
I cleared my throat. How much more agony did I need to endure? “Nice to meet you, too.”
My mother made a noise like a little chipmunk. “It’s so nice that you’ve finally met each other.” She looked around. “Where’s Hunter? He is coming, isn’t he?”
Mason managed to pry his eyes from mine to look at my mother. “Erm... yes. He’s just gone to the local shop to get us a couple bottles of champagne.”
My mother cooed, “Oh, that’s great. Would you like something to drink now?”
I shouted, “No!” just at the same time as Mason shouted, “Yes!”
I didn’t want to be alone with this guy, but it looked like he had other ideas.
My mother laughed. “Mason, what can I get you, darling?”
Mason smiled. “Just some water for now, Kat. Thank you.”
She tapped his shoulder, glared at me to behave, and moved away. I really didn’t want this. “Maybe I should go and help—”
I made a move to go, but Mason grabbed me. “I had no idea.” At least he had the sense to look panicked.
“Oh, and you think I did? This isn’t exactly a picnic for me either.”
His eyes widened. “You won’t say anything?”
I gave him a look. “You really think I want to tell her that the man I lost my virginity to is the same man she’s dating?”
Mason’s eyes went wide again. “I didn’t know you were a virgin.”
I shook my head. “This is so not the time to be discussing this.”
He nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.” He paced a little, looking seriously stressed. “Fuck.”
“Darling, here’s your water.” My mother walked in with a spring in her step. You would think she had won the lottery the way she was parading herself though the house.
“So, what is it you wanted to tell me?” I asked, wanting to get to the bottom of it.
“All in good time, sweetie. Hunter hasn’t arrived yet.”
I didn’t know which was more sickening—my mother being nice or calling me “sweetie.” I guess it had to be a mixture of both.
I couldn’t understand this. When I met Mason, he seemed like an intelligent man. How the hell he could have failed to see past my mother’s fake smile was beyond me.
I barely had time to comprehend all of this when I heard a car horn blaring outside. Mason smiled and turned to my mother. “That must be Hunter.”
I soon heard a knock on the door, and my mother turned on her heels to answer it. In that brief moment alone, Mason gave me an apologetic look.
Yeah, buddy. You and me both.
I heard my mother greet Hunter in the hall, and then I heard his voice filling the air.
I inhaled sharply. My nostrils flared, and the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I would know that voice anywhere. That voice was nearly identical to the one that was whispering sweet words into my ear not so long ago.
“Fuck, you’re so tight. You’re pussy is so sweet. I can’t get enough of it.”
Surely this couldn’t be? Karma wouldn’t be so cruel!
He entered the room, and all of the air that was in my lungs escaped me at once. He stood there in shock as he penetrated me with those eyes. Suddenly, his lips curved up into that cheeky, but beautiful smile I remembered from two weeks ago.
I felt dizzy. I felt nauseous. Suddenly, the whole room was spinning.
“Shit!” I heard someone shout.
As my head cleared, I was suddenly aware that Hunter was on one side of me with Mason on the other side. They were pulling me up and ushering me towards a chair.
I was in the seven circles of hell. Surely I had just died, and now I was in hell for being responsible for my father’s death. I was being punished for being the murderer my mother always made me out to be.
This couldn’t be any more surreal than it already was. I had two men—both of whom I had slept with over the course of a year—holding me up on either side.
Father and son.
“I can’t say I’ve ever had that affect on a woman before. I suppose there’s always time for a first,” I heard Hunter joke.
My mother giggled. “She’s always been a little melodramatic.”
Trust my mother to stick her nose in it. She would think I had purposely acted faint just to get attention. All I wanted to do was grab a bottle of something strong and head up to my room.
“Are you okay?”
I looked up to see the concern in Mason’s eyes. I gave him a look to say I wasn’t okay. Of course I wasn’t okay. Nothing about this situation was okay.
“I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Are you sure?”
I looked to my other side and saw Hunter smiling down at me. He asked the question, but he was obviously too busy feeling smug about my reaction to him when he walked in to care about my answer. He thought I almost fainted because of him alone.
He didn’t know the half of it.
I nodded my head, and Mason gestured for me to take his water. I uttered my thanks, took a sip, and felt my nerves calm down a bit.
“Well, that was a great start to the introductions.” My mother laughed, but then glared at me while Hunter and Mason weren’t looking. They were too busy staring at me like I would break.
I didn’t want this.
“Have you eaten today?” Hunter asked.
I nodded. “I had a sandwich at lunchtime.”
He frowned. “That’s not enough. You need to eat.” He turned to my mother. “Kat, do you have anything she can nibble on for now? Some bread or crackers, perhaps?”
My mother laughed like they were being ridiculous, but moved towards the kitchen. “Sure thing, Hunter. I’ll go grab some crackers from the pantry.” She glared at me again and walked off.
Hunter kneeled down and took my hand. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I looked up, and I really wished I hadn’t. My obsession with those eyes was playing a taunting game with me. His mesmerising gaze was like none other I had ever experienced in my life. It was almost as if he could reach into my soul and pick out all of my sins. Sins I didn’t want him to know about. Sins that would ultimately destroy me if they ever got out. If he knew my sins, he wouldn’t be kneeling beside me with my hand in his. He wouldn’t be sharing with me that look of promises to come. He would be disgusted with me. I was disgusted with me.
I nodded, but averted my eyes. I couldn’t have him looking at me like that. Looking like he wanted to eat me until he devoured me whole. There would be no way I could ever go back there with him again.
“Fuck, you feel so good.”
Shit, I was going crazy. I had to stop thinking about that night. I had to get him out of my head.
“Isn’t that just so sweet, Mason? Look, they’re bonding already.”
Mason looked up to my mother and smiled as she handed me the crackers. As I said my thanks, I grabbed one off the plate. Hunter winked at me and then gently swept his finger under my palm.
My whole body reacted. Shit, if just that little touch could set off sparks, then how would it feel if he touched me somewhere more intimate again? I couldn’t allow myself to ever be alone with him. It was just a good thing that my mum wasn’t marrying Mason... Then, I would be in serious trouble.
“Right. Shall we make the announcement, Mason?” She walked over to him, and he placed a loving arm around her shoulder. They both looked happy for some reason.
“Hunter, why don’t you open a bottle of that champagne first?”
Hunter reluctantly let go of my hand and walke
d towards the two bottles on the table. My mother raced out the room, grabbed four glasses, and came running back. Hunter smiled at my mum and then popped the champagne. My mother cheered, and we all watched as Hunter poured some into all four glasses.
He handed them out, and when he came to me, he purposefully swept his finger over mine. I looked into his eyes, and he winked at me.
The fire burned between my legs. Shit, he didn’t even need to touch me for it to start. All he had to do was simply be in the same room with me, and I wanted him with a passion.
“So, what’s this all about, Dad? You’ve been keeping me hanging for two days now.”
All eyes were on my mother and Mason as they smiled brightly. I popped another cracker in my mouth and waited for someone to speak.
“We’re getting married!”
Jaimie Roberts was born in London, but moved to Gibraltar in 2001. She is married with two sons, and in her spare time, she writes.
In June 2013, Jaimie published her first book, Take a Breath, with the second released in November 2013. With the reviews, Jaimie took time out to read and learn how to become a better writer. She gets tremendous enjoyment out of writing, and even more so from the feedback she receives.
If you would like to send Jaimie a message, please do so by visiting her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJaimieRoberts
LUCA (You Will Be Mine) (The Sicilian Mafia Series Book 1) Page 26