Neither of those options were acceptable, which was why I’d gone the route of not telling her. And even though DeFiglio wasn’t a threat to her any longer, a big part of me regretted how I’d handled it because keeping shit from each other wasn’t good for our relationship. I just had to hope she’d forgive me for it.
Chapter Fifteen
Ariana
After tossing and turning most of the night, I woke up at the ass crack of dawn and tip-toed out of my sister’s apartment. I left a note on the counter, so she and Alec didn’t worry about where I’d run off to while they were asleep. Since Alec hadn’t gotten home after his game in Vegas until around five o’clock, I figured they wouldn’t be up for quite a while. Plus, it was the perfect opportunity for me to surprise Mark with breakfast in bed.
I stopped and picked up freshly baked bagels with all the fixings—lox, schmear, tomatoes, onions, and capers. It seemed like a good choice in case Mark was still sleeping when I got there. Then I could put everything but the bagels in the fridge to save breakfast for later and climb into bed with him.
The day after our conversation about me making my move to Chicago permanent, Mark gave me a key to his condo. It had been just one step in his campaign to convince me to stay—and it had been a successful one. I’d decided that as soon as I figured out how to handle my mom’s debt with Louie, I’d tell Mark and my sister that I was going to make my home here.
The sun was barely up when I made it to Mark’s building. It was still quiet in the lobby as I waited for the elevator, and the condo was dark when the doors opened on his floor. I was quiet as I put everything away in his kitchen, and walked on bare feet to his bedroom. He was sprawled out on his stomach on his mattress, sound asleep with his face buried in the pillows.
A narrow beam of light peeking through the bottom of the shades covering the windows helped me navigate my way through the room. I left my pants and top hanging off the back of a chair and climbed on to his mattress, wearing only my bra and panties.
Mark rolled over when I cuddled against his side. He wrapped his body around me with a mumbled, “Ariana.”
I loved that even while only partially awake, he wanted me close. “Go back to sleep, baby. It’s still early.”
“Mmkay,” he sighed.
I lifted up to press a kiss to his cheek and freaked out when I saw a small cut just below and to the side of his temple, near his eye. There was a dark bruise around it, and the skin looked swollen. “Holy shit, baby. What happened to your eye?” I reached over to the bedside table and turned on a light so I could see the damage better. “Did you go to the hospital?” His eyes looked unfocused when he opened them. “Do you have a concussion? Did they do any scans? Were you in an accident? Why didn’t you call me?”
He pressed his lips against mine to stop me from asking more questions. When I sighed into his mouth, he pulled away. I was relieved to see that he looked more alert, but his eye really looked awful.
“I wasn’t in an accident. I didn’t go to the hospital, so there weren’t any scans. I don’t have a concussion. I didn’t call you because it was the middle of the night and what happened wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have over the phone.”
The fact that he remembered everything I had asked helped alleviate my concern about a potential concussion. And if he didn’t have one, then he could explain. “We’re not on the phone now.”
He piled the pillows against the headboard and sat up with them at his back. Then he pulled me close to his side and began his explanation with a question of his own. “You know Alec had a game in Vegas last night, right?”
“Yeah, between the time difference and the flight time, he didn’t get home from it until super early this morning.”
“I was in Vegas, too.”
I twisted around and looked at him, surprised by his admission. “You went to Alec’s game and didn’t tell me?”
“I saw the game, but it’s not the reason I flew out there. I went to talk to Louie DeFiglio.”
“Oh.”
I wasn’t sure what else to say, not with conflicting thoughts and feelings swirling around my brain. I wanted to know how it went, but I was also afraid it had gone badly. I felt horrible that Mark had gotten hurt while doing something to try to help me, but I was also irritated that he hadn’t discussed it with me first. Luckily, he filled the gap in conversation.
“Your mom’s debt to him is paid, and he’s not going to take any bets from her in the future.
Whoa. “You flew all the way to Vegas and back home again in one night just so you could pay Louie off for me?”
“I did.”
“Wow.” I was back to being so stunned that I could only come up with one-word responses.
“You don’t need to worry about him being a problem again.” He lifted his hand and showed me his knuckles. “My black eye was from an unfortunate encounter with his desk, but his busted lip is because I smashed his face a few times.”
“Was that before or after you paid him off?”
“After.”
That sequence of events worried me since Louie struck me as the kind of guy who held a mean grudge. “And you’re sure he’s still letting the whole thing go, even after you punched him?”
“Trust me, with the shit he said that earned him those punches; he made it clear he wasn’t interested in using your mom to get to you anymore.”
I cringed a little, wondering what he might have said. But that wasn’t important, so I set aside my curiosity and focused on the bigger issue. “And my mom? Did you see her while you were there?”
He shook his head and gave me a tight squeeze. “But as pissed as I am with her for treating you like collateral instead of her daughter, it’s probably a good thing I didn’t see her. I might’ve burned bridges you weren’t ready to destroy.”
“It hurts to think about how much she’s changed from when I was little.” My eyes filled with tears, and I buried my head in his shoulder. “I miss having a mom. Mine hasn’t really been one to me in years.”
“I’ll share mine with you. She’s dying to meet you.”
“Thanks,” I sniffled.
“Not only will it make the two most important people in my life happy, but maybe it’ll also help me make up for the fact that I kept something important from you shortly after lecturing you about doing it. For the same exact problem. It isn’t right for me to give you shit about not talking to me about important stuff if I’m not going to grant you the same respect—even when I’m driven by the urge to protect you.”
The tears spilled down my cheeks, and Mark lifted my head when he felt them hit his skin. “Which kind of tears are these?”
“Relief that the mess with Louie is over, sadness and confusion about my mom because I don’t know where I go from here with her, and awe because you give the best apologies and you take such good care of me,” I rattled off.
“You’re not pissed at me for interfering and taking over?”
“I’m not pissed.” I thought about it for a moment. “But maybe I’m a little worried because I have no idea how I’m ever going to be able to pay you back. Fifty grand is a lot of money to me.”
“It was actually a little more than that because of interest,” he mumbled. “But you’re not paying me back. You’re officially my woman. That means I get to do things for you.”
“‘Things’ doesn’t include flying halfway across the country to drop five figures on me,” I argued.
“I didn’t spend the money on shoes and bags for fuck’s sake. It was for your safety, which makes it guy territory. And when things are in guy territory, the budget is up to me. So no more talk about paying me back or how much I spent. Got it?”
“With the way you’re willing to throw money around, I should’ve asked what the starting pay is for the job you want me to take,” I grumbled.
“Tell me what salary it would take to get you to say yes, and I’ll make it happen,” he offered. “And don’t forget to include an ownership stake in
future deals. Those’ve been more lucrative for me over the years than my actual salary.”
A little more than three weeks ago, I’d been a cocktail waitress in Vegas, living in a dinky apartment, who thought she’d never find Mr. Right. Now I was lying in bed with a guy who would do just about anything for me, in a condo that takes up an entire floor of a building in Chicago, talking about a management position where I could potentially own part of the business. I felt like I’d stumbled into a whole new, perfect world.
“Okay. That’s it.” I scooted down the mattress to get comfortable. “My brain can’t take anymore. It’s about to explode. I need sleep.”
“Me too, gorgeous. I only caught an hour or so nap on the plane.”
Since we were both exhausted, it didn’t take long before we fell asleep. About six hours later, the sound of a blender running in the kitchen woke me up. I rolled over, bumped into Mark’s hard chest, and promptly freaked the fuck out.
“Mark,” I hissed, jabbing him in the side with my elbow. “Wake up. There’s someone in the condo.”
“Fuck,” he groaned. “Is it noon already?”
“I don’t know. I’m too busy being scared about the intruder to worry about what time it is.”
He ran his hand through his dark hair, making it look even more rumpled than it already did. “It isn’t an intruder. It’s my mom. We had plans for lunch today, and she wanted to eat here instead of going to a restaurant. I was going to call you to ask if you wanted to join us, but then I slept through the morning and you’re already here anyway.”
“Yeah, I’m here. Obviously.” I lifted the sheet off of us a little and gestured to my half-naked body. “But I’m only wearing panties and a bra.” I pointed at my pants and shirt on the chair. “Go get my clothes for me, please. I’m afraid to get up because then your mom might walk in and that would make this even more awkward than walking out of your bedroom in the middle of the day after she’s been in the condo for who knows how long.”
“You’re being adorable again.” He dropped a quick kiss on my lips before crawling over my body to climb off my side of the bed and grab my clothes for me. While I was pulling them on under the covers, he put on a pair of jeans and a University of Chicago sweatshirt. He looked great, except for one tiny thing...
“You have a black eye because of me. Your mom is going to hate me.”
“You’re worrying for nothing, gorgeous.” He ran his fingers through my hair, smoothing out the tangles. “The eye isn’t your fault. It’s mine. And it’s not a big deal. My mom has seen me with a black eye before.”
“Just maybe don’t tell her how you got this particular black eye?”
“If it’ll make you less anxious, she doesn’t need to know the details.”
“Okay. Great. Phew,” I heaved a deep sigh of relief. “I guess we should go out there, then? See if she needs any help with lunch?”
“Sure, as long as you’re ready.”
I nodded and smiled. “I’m ready.”
I so wasn’t ready. But as big as Mark’s condo was, there wasn’t anywhere to hide. So I was just going to have to fake it until I made it.
Mark held my hand as we walked to the kitchen. He didn’t let go when his mom whirled around and dropped the knife she’d been using to cut tomatoes on to the cutting board to rush towards us.
“Mark! My baby boy.” She gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before turning to me. “And you must be Ariana. It’s lovely to meet you finally. Mark has told me so much about you, but it didn’t do you justice. You’re even more beautiful than he said.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you as well.”
“I hope you don’t mind hugs because we’re an affectionate family,” she warned right before she gave me one, followed by a kiss on the cheek.
I leaned against Mark as he wrapped his arm around my back. “I don’t mind at all.”
“Good. And I hope you’re hungry. I decided on brunch instead of lunch and brought over an egg casserole, along with a few other things. I also pulled out the bagel stuff from the fridge.”
Mark reached out and snagged a slice of tomato from the cutting board. “I didn’t even know I had bagels.”
“I brought them over this morning,” I explained.
“And she brought plenty of your favorite—pumpernickel.”
“Thanks, gorgeous.” Mark gave me a quick kiss before popping the tomato into his mouth.
We filled our plates and sat down at the dining room table. It was the first time we’d used it since we’d started dating since we usually sat on the stools at the kitchen counter—or in bed.
“Where did you go to school, Ariana? Mark did his undergrad at the University of Illinois, but then he came back home and went to graduate school at the University of Chicago to get his MBA.”
“Mom,” Mark sighed, shaking his head. “She’s already my girlfriend. You don’t need to give her my resume to convince her I’m good boyfriend material.”
“Oh, yes. Right. Sorry,” she laughed. “It’s a habit since I’ve been looking forward to when Mark would find the woman he wanted to settle down with.”
“That’s okay. You have a lot to be proud of when it comes to your son. You did a great job with him,” I complimented her.
“Thank you, dear. Since we both already know so much about my son, why don’t we talk about something more interesting? Like you! Did you go to college in Las Vegas?”
I really wished she’d asked me a different question, but it was what it was. “I didn’t attend college. I only have my high school diploma.”
“Ariana never gives herself enough credit,” Mark interjected. “She might not have her degree, but she’s currently trying to decide if she wants to take a management position with Rourke Hospitality.”
My heart filled with warmth as he jumped to my defense—even when I didn’t really need it. “Actually, I’ve already decided.”
“And?” Mark looked at me expectantly.
“I’m going to take it.”
He jumped up with a big “whoop” and rushed over to pick me up and twirl me around. When I spotted the approving smile on his mom’s face, I relaxed into his hold and let myself be swept away by the moment.
Chapter Sixteen
Mark
“So I finally got to meet Ariana,” my mom chirped.
We were in the kitchen packing up the leftovers after lingering over brunch for almost two hours. Alessia had called Ariana’s cell a couple of minutes ago, and she’d wandered down the hallway to my office to talk to her sister.
“You can’t really complain about how long it’s been, Mom. We’ve only been together for a little under a month.”
“I can complain as much as I’d like. I’ve waited forever for you to introduce me to a woman you actually wanted me to meet,” she corrected. “Let alone a woman who matters enough for you to care if we like each other or not.”
That was a fair description since I’d hardly ever brought women around my mom. And the rare times it had happened in the past, it hadn’t been my idea. But just like everything else with her, the situation was different with Ariana. The stakes were higher—our relationship—and the outcome meant everything to me.
“I know how important education has always been to you, but I hope you don’t let it color your opinion of Ariana. You’d miss out because she’s fucking amazing.”
My mom stopped what she was doing and turned to me. “I know the girls I’ve pushed towards you have been well-educated, but I couldn’t care less if Ariana has a PhD or a GED. That girl has something much more important than a degree. She has my son’s love. And just as important to me, she returns it wholeheartedly judging by the light in her eyes every time she looks at you.”
“Do you really think she loves me?” My cheeks heated as the words slipped from my mouth. They reminded me of a little boy who gave the girl he liked a note with checkboxes to see if she liked him back. I was a grown ass man, and I should ac
t like one. “Never mind. Don’t answer that. This is a conversation I should have with Ariana.”
“Ahhh! I’m so happy! My boy’s finally in love.” She danced around the kitchen, and it made me chuckle. Any doubts I’d had about my mom approving of Ariana had been dispelled.
“I’m glad you’re happy for me, Mom. But maybe keep it down? I’d prefer Ariana to find out about my feelings directly from me instead of overhearing you shouting it from the rooftops.”
“Then I guess I’d better get out of here. There’s no time like the present to have that conversation with her. You should never put off the important stuff when it comes to the people you love because there’s no guarantee how much time you’ll have with them.” She shoved a bunch of containers in the fridge, grabbed her purse, and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before heading towards the elevator. “Bye, Ariana! Sorry I have to run off, but I didn’t realize how late it had gotten,” she called out.
Ariana wandered out of the office, her cell phone in hand, just as the elevator door closed behind my mom. “Crap! I hope your mom wasn’t upset that I missed saying goodbye to her.”
“No worries there. She rushed off to give us some time alone and wasn’t upset at all.” I took her cell and set it on the table in the entryway. Then I pulled her close. “I don’t think anything could dim her happiness over meeting you.”
“You really think so?” She beamed a smile up at me when I nodded. “Thank God! I was so worried I’d mess it all up and she’d hate me. The whole meeting the parent thing is way more nerve-wracking than I expected.”
I didn’t like Ariana being anxious about anything, but I loved that meeting my mom had mattered to her. “You totally nailed it.”
She flashed me a sassy wink. “What can I say? I give good girlfriend.”
“The absolute best,” I chuckled.
Her green eyes turned serious. “Only because I have the absolute best boyfriend in the world.”
“Yeah, but loving you makes it easy to be a good boyfriend.”
Chased Into Love Page 10