by L. A. Casey
I heard my mother tut and it pissed me off.
"It was very last minute Keela, Jason only proposed to Micah six weeks ago."
I widened my eyes. "He proposed six weeks ago and now they are gettin' married in one? Is Uncle Brandon payin' for this?"
It must be expensive as hell booking everything on such short notice.
Aideen snorted. "Of course he is payin' for everythin'."
"Keela, that is none of your business."
That meant yes.
"I still think it's very soon for them to get married."
"Keela, you have got to get over Jason."
Was that a joke?
"I am over Jason! I don't care that he is gettin' married. I just care that I have to fuckin' be there when it happens!" I snapped.
"Keela Elizabeth Daley!" my mothered bellowed.
I groaned and hung my head. "I'm sorry for cursin' mother, but look at this from my point of view, please."
My mother sighed. "I understand it will be awkward and believe me I don't care very much for Jason Bane either, but you will be at your cousin's wedding. My pacemaker would explode if you were absent, do you hear me? You would kill me!"
Oh, Jesus overdramatic Christ!
"Mother! You can't say somethin' like that to me, I'm your child!"
I practically heard her roll her eyes. "And as my child you should be wary of my weak heart."
I face palmed myself. "I can't believe you would use your heart condition as a guilt trip to make sure I go to the weddin'."
"I've no idea what you're talking about."
I gritted my teeth, she spoke so clear and proper, not like me at all.
"You're unbelievable, mother."
My mother chuckled. "Thank you, honey."
It wasn't a compliment and she knew it.
"Anyway hun, the point of my call is to let you know that I assume you've taken a week off from work so I already went ahead and paid for your room at the resort. It is a single, I would have gotten a double for comfort, but it was the last room available. I did manage to get a bigger bed for you though. I'll send all the information to your email."
I frowned. "I can pay for meself, mother."
"Don't argue, everything is last minute so I am covering your flights and hotel. I am your mother, it is allowed for me to give a helping hand to my only child."
I shook my head, this was the only time in my life she has thought ahead when it came to me and did something nice, but it was only because it was for Micah's wedding. There was no doubt in my mind that she wouldn't have gone out of her way to make sure I was going to this wedding if it had been someone else's.
"Okay accommodation and flights aside, what are you going to wear?"
I sighed. "I don't know, Aideen is comin' shoppin' with me and Alec to get-"
"Who is Alec?" my mother cut me off.
I looked up then and remembered where I was. I was in the middle of the Slater's kitchen and they were all staring at me whilst still being shirtless.
"Who is Alec?" I repeated and locked eyes with said male.
He grinned and me so I narrowed my eyes at him as I said to my mother, "Alec is me boyfriend, did I not mention him to you?"
My mother’s gasp was overplayed. "No! You did not mention a boyfriend!"
I slightly smiled at my mother's shock.
I shrugged even though she couldn't see me. "Sorry, it must have slipped me mind."
"How could something like that just slip your mind, Keela? How long have you been together? Is it serious? What does he look like?" My mother fired her questions at me.
"How long are we together?" I repeated out loud.
"Three months?" Alec suggested in a low voice.
I shrugged. "We're together three months."
Alec winked.
"Is it serious?" my mother asked, exasperated.
"We're pretty serious, he is actually movin' in with me today," I said then wished I hadn't as I watched all the Slater brothers grin and bump fists with Alec.
Aideen chuckled from across the table. "This is gonna be hilarious."
"What does he look like?"
What the hell did she care?
"He is very good lookin', God mother."
Alec's ego and head got bigger in that moment, I'm sure of it.
"I cannot believe you are moving in with a man who I've never even met! I am coming over soon to meet him!" my mother snapped and then hung up on me.
I pulled my phone away from my ear and looked at Alec who had his eyebrows raised. "She took the boyfriend news well?"
I shrugged. "As well as can be expected."
Aideen burst out laughing. "She wants to meet him, doesn't she?"
I nodded my head without looking away from Alec whose eyes widened a little.
I titled my head and beamed at him with an evil smile. "Tell me, Alec... are you ready to meet the Devil?"
"Women love me, Kitten. Your mother won't be any different so stop stressing."
I ignored Alec as I tucked my phone into my bag. Aideen had just messaged me that she finally got into her apartment. I dropped her off on our way back to my apartment, but there was a car fire being put out in the carpark of her apartment complex so of course she started to talk with the hot firemen. Myself and Alec didn’t stick around so I made Aideen promise to text me when she got inside her apartment, just so I knew she was okay.
I walked up the stairs of my apartment complex and even though Alec told me not to stress over him meeting my mother, I couldn’t help but stress. My mother would be coming to my apartment to meet Alec and if the entire place wasn't sparkling, I'd never hear the end of it.
I glanced over my shoulder to Alec who was walking up the stairs behind me. "Are you sure you don't want a hand with your stuff?"
Alec shook his head. "No, I'm good."
I shrugged then turned my head back around, I was a little breathless by the time we reached my floor. I opened the doorway to the hallway that lead to my apartment and gestured Alec in with his two duffle bags ahead of me.
Yes, he had two huge duffle bags, the man wasn't joking when he said he was moving in. He was moving everything he owned into my apartment.
Everything.
"What is your apartment number?" Alec asked from in front of me.
“Five-twenty,” I replied.
Alec stopped outside my door then dropped his bags to the floor and turned to me. "You have five locks on your door."
It was a statement, not a question.
I looked to my door then back to Alec and said, "They are necessary."
Alec frowned. "Why do you live here if it's not safe?"
I sighed. "Because I don't have the money to live somewhere like Upton, that's why."
I brushed by Alec and fished my keys out from the end of my bag, when I found them I pulled them out and got to work unlocking my door. I was in the middle of opening the last lock when the noise of a door opening from behind me got my attention.
"Keela?"
Bollocks.
I put a smile on my face as I turned and moved around Alec's large body.
"Hello, Mr. Doyle."
Mr. Pervert's eyes dropped to my legs for a moment before they reached my face. "Hello, sweetheart."
I shuddered in disgust then jumped when I felt a hand come around my waist, Mr. Doyle looked down to Alec's hand and his jaw set.
"Who is this?" he asked without taking his eyes off Alec's hand.
"I'm Alec Slater, Keela's boyfriend," Alec answered in a tone that was firm yet smooth.
I watched Mr. Pervert slightly narrow his eyes as he lifted them and looked over my head. "I'm Henry Doyle, Keela's neighbour."
"You mean our neighbour."
I bit down on my lip when Mr. Pervert stepped back a little, I don't know whether he was shocked or intimidated.
"You're movin' in?" Mr. Pervert asked, his voice gritty.
Alec gently pulled me backwards until my back was pressed
against the front of his body. I bit the inside of my cheek when his hand slide down from my waist and rested on my lower stomach. If I had a V line, his hand would had covered one side of it, that's how low his hand was.
Don't remove it.
"Yeah, I am," Alec replied to Mr. Pervert and I could tell from his tone that he was smiling.
The smug shite!
"Well... welcome to the buildin'," Mr. Pervert said in a forced upbeat tone.
"Thank you," Alec replied, his tone naturally upbeat.
Mr. Pervert tilted his head a little. "If you don't mind me askin', where are you from?"
Alec's thumb began to stroke my lower stomach through the material of my dress.
Don't remove it.
"New York," Alec replied then randomly kissed the top of my head.
"Ah, I see. Well take care, and best of luck to you both." Mr. Pervert smiled, glanced to my legs then turned back to his apartment and disappeared inside.
When the coast was clear I slapped Alec's hand, which caused him to yank it away from my body lightning fast. I swirled around and shoved him in the chest and he found funny.
I pointed my index finger at him. "Don't touch me like that again!"
A bored expression overtook Alec's face as he looked down at me. "I touched your stomach through the material of your dress, I didn't rub your bare skin so relax and breathe."
I felt my eye twitch as I moved around him and unlocked the final lock on my hall door. When I opened the door I glanced to my left and groaned, dog food was all over the floor and so was some water from Storm's water bowl.
"I'm gonna kill that bloody dog!" I hissed as I turned and marched down the hallway and into my bedroom.
As suspected, Storm was lying on his side of my bed with his legs stretched out.
He was snoring.
"Strom!" I bellowed.
Most dogs would jump up with fright or at least wake up, Storm didn't even lift his ears to indicate he heard me. He really was the worst guard dog in the history of guard dogs.
"Storm!" I snapped again as I walked to my bed.
I reached onto my bed and shook him awake. He opened his big puppy dog eyes and stared at me with what I could only describe as distaste.
Yes, he hated to be woken up.
"Don't look at me like that, get your arse up out of that bed right now or you're gettin' a bath."
He slowly moved then until he was sitting upright, he hated getting a bath and recognised the word I had to threaten him with when I wanted him to do something for me.
He really was like a human male.
"Come on, off the bed," I coaxed.
He stretched, yawned and then jumped off the bed. I looked down at him when I heard a growl erupt from him followed by a loud bark that gave me a fright. He was crouched down a little and looking behind me so I turned around and saw Alec leaning against the frame of the doorway looking between Storm and myself with an amused expression on his face.
"You named your fake boyfriend after your dog?" Alec asked, the light laughter in his voice not going amiss.
How embarrassing!
I felt myself blush. I was mortified that I was caught lying in the first place but it was even worse now because Alec knew who Storm really was.
"Shut up, Alec," I muttered.
He chuckled. "You're adorable."
Come again?
"I'm twenty-three, I'm not adorable."
Alec winked. "You're a very adorable twenty-three year old, kitten."
I pursed my lips then looked back down to Storm when he growled.
"Hey, enough of that, he is our new house guest."
I looked at Alec when he lowered himself down to his knees. He avoided eye contact with Storm and held out his right hand like his was offering something.
"Come here, Storm," Alec said then whistled a little.
Was he for real?
"He won't go to you, he hates everyone but me."
Alec ignored me and continued to call Storm to him. I folded my arms across my chest and sat back on my bed with a sigh. Alec continued trying to coax Storm closer to him and just as I was about to put a stop to it Storm suddenly took a hesitant step in Alec's direction and ceased growling altogether.
I felt my jaw drop open as his hesitant step turned into slow moving strides. When Storm was in front of Alec, he sniffed at Alec's outstretched hand and nuzzled his nose into his palm then allowed Alec to pet his head.
He actually allowed someone other than me to touch him.
"I don't fuckin' believe it!" I gasped.
"What?" Alec asked me without looking way from Storm.
"He doesn't like anyone apart from me, this is weird."
Alec shrugged. "I'm good with animals."
I looked at him in disbelief. "Are you a dog whisperer?"
Alec flicked his eyes up to me for a moment before looking back at Storm, but not before I noticed they were creased with amusement. "No, I just know how to act with animals. Did you see how I was down on his level, and not looking directly in the eye as I offered my hand to him? He could sense I wasn’t a threat which is why he is letting me pet him now."
I scoffed. "Aideen isn't a threat, she has known Storm since I got him when he was a puppy and he hates her."
"Does she hate him?" Alec asked quizzically.
That would be a hell yes.
I nodded. "Yeah, they fight all the time."
Alec chortled. "How can a dog and a woman fight?"
I scratched my neck. "You'd be surprised what lengths a woman will go to just to argue with someone... or something."
Alec smiled and shook his head causing lose strands of hair to fall free of his bobbin. "Well, he can sense she doesn't like him so he has decided not to like her back. He can decipher whether he likes someone or not, dogs are very smart."
"I know that, Storm is very smart."
Alec looked up to me. "Easy, mama bear."
I bit the insides of my cheeks so I wouldn't smile.
"Look, let me just show you the rest this coffin sized apartment so you can get settled in while I clean up before me ma gets here."
Alec complied and got to his feet then gestured around with his hands. "Let the tour begin."
I cleared my throat. "Well, this is me bedroom."
Alec glanced around then focused his gaze on the bed, the bed that pretty much took up all the space in my room.
"A king? I like it."
I gave him a pointed look. "Storm sleeps with me so I need all the room I can get."
Alec pumped his eyebrows at me. "Sounds like you need-"
I held my hand up cutting Alec off. "I'm sure whatever was about to leave your mouth was crude, offensive, and would make me wanna slap you so save it and let me continue on with the tour."
Alec smirked at me then motioned with his fingers that his lips were sealed.
"Follow me," I chirped.
I breezed by him then stopped seven steps later and opened the bathroom door on my right. "This is the bathroom. I'm OCD about cleanin' it so leave the bathroom lookin' like it did when you entered it or I will hurt you, understand?"
Alec leaned his head in and glanced around then looked down at me. "I'll keep it clean, but out of curiosity how would you hurt me exactly? I'm not sure you could physically hurt me... your hands are tiny."
They were not!
I frowned. "Don't underestimate me playboy, I can be dangerous."
Lie, I couldn't and wouldn't hurt a fly.
Alec licked his plump lips. "You can go from kitten to hell cat in half a second, got it."
I blinked up at him. "Great, so we're clear on that?"
Alec smiled at me again and I couldn't help but stare at his mouth.
"Did you ever have braces?" I asked.
Alec slid the tip of his pink tongue over his pearly whites and made me want to do the same with my own tongue.
Calm it, girly.
"Yeah, when I was a kid I had to wear th
ick metal ones for about two years. It sucked, but it was worth it."
I sighed. "Your smile is very pretty. I don't know if I like it... It seems wrong for someone to possess a smile like that."
I wasn't trying to chat him up I was just being honest.
Alec regarded me with a thoughtful look before he gazed at me with amusement twinkling in his big blue eyes. "All my brothers have nice smiles, it's something we all got from our father. Dominic, Kane, and myself have dimples - we got those from our mother. You can see Dominic's dimples when he speaks, that's how deep they are, but mine are only when I smile. Kane has a dimple on his cheek when he smiles, but you can't see it unless you're close to him when he smiles because a scar cuts through it. Speaking of Kane, his smile is the one to watch out for, it changes how he looks when he smiles."
I ignored the comment about Kane's scars because I didn't want to be rude and ask how he got them.
I thought about his smile though, and nibbled on my lower lip. "I already noticed that. He is sort of scary when he isn't smilin', but when he is smilin'... Oh my God, he is stunnin'. I don't believe in one night stands, but if he smiled at me-"
"He won't be smiling at you," Alec cut me off, all traces of amusement leaving his eyes and features.
I frowned. "What has your knickers in a twist?"
"Kitten, when I'm in your presence I don't want to hear you talking about my brothers. Any of them."
When I am in his presence?
"Who the hell do you think you are? Jesus?"
Alec shrugged his shoulders. "I'm probably the closest thing on this Earth to Jesus, kitten."
What. The. Fuck?
"You vain piece of shite. How dare you compare yourself to-"
I was cut off when Alec burst into laughter; he bent forward smacked his left knee with his left hand and placed his right hand on the wall to keep him steady.
"Your face!" Alec roared with laughter. "You should have seen your face!"
I hated him.
I didn't know him that well but I hated him and I was allowing him to move in with me.
I officially lost my fucking mind!
I grimaced as I turned around. "Pipe down and follow me."
Alec continued to laugh as he followed me down the narrow hallway.
I stopped when I entered the combo kitchen and sitting room. "This is the kitchen and the sittin' room since there is no wall separatin' them. It's a small one bedroom apartment but it suits me fine."