Chapter 17
Otto
It’s been hours since Damian left, and he’s still not answering my calls. I grip the phone a little tighter as I hold it to my ear. His voicemail picks up again. Cursing under my breath, I don’t bother leaving another message. I’ve already left four.
Kat spent the last few hours helping Lincoln with a school project while I cleaned up the kitchen, then put in a load of laundry. She protested, but I did it anyway. I’m determined to spend the rest of my life serving her. I’ll take care of her every need, and Damian will spoil her rotten.
If he’d just answer his damn phone instead of running away.
Once the schoolwork has been cleaned up, Lincoln’s friend calls and he disappears into his bedroom. I take Kat’s hand and pull her to the couch. Sitting, I tug her down onto my lap.
She instantly tries to stand back up. “I can’t sit on your lap, Otto.”
“Why not?” I lock my arms around her waist.
“Because I’m a grown-ass woman, and I’ll squish you.”
“You’re staying right where you are, beauty.” I lean in, letting my lips brush up her neck. “If you complain again, I’ll make you sit on my face instead.”
“Otto!” Her gasp is loud enough that I worry Lincoln’ll come out to check on her. But he doesn’t. He seemed pretty distracted by whoever called. From the blush on his cheeks when he answered, I’m guessing a crush.
Ignoring the way Kat’s gasp makes my dick react, I hold her tighter and rest my chin on her shoulder. “I want nothing more than to have your thighs squeezing my head, beauty, but right now we need to talk. I’m worried about Damian. He’s not answering my calls, and I think I should go check on him.”
“He could just need time to think.” She shrugs, but her lips turn down.
“Maybe,” I concede. “But I should still check on him.”
She twists a bit in my lap, turning so she can look at me. There’s a beat of silence as she studies my features. “Tell me what he’s like.”
“Damian?”
“No, Hannibal Lector. Yes, Damian.” She backhands my chest lightly, and I laugh.
“He’s quiet, but not shy. He can talk to anyone, but he’d rather hide away with his numbers and his books.
He’s the steady, studious type, you know?
Sometimes it feels like nothing phases him…
except you, I guess. He’s smart too, like really smart.
He works for a big accounting firm when he’s not playing security guard for the dragon king. And, fuck, he’s hot.”
The first time I saw Damian, I made a complete fool of myself, fumbling over my words like a movie star fangirl. He was just so handsome, I couldn’t think straight.
“I wish I could remember him,” Kat whispers.
“Yeah, me too, beauty. But you will.”
Her eyes lock with mine, one hand brushing a lock of my hair out of my face. “You love him.”
The words are quiet, but there’s no question in them. They tug at my heart and make my grip loosen. Do I? We weren’t really together that long. But… yeah. I nod. “I think I do.”
Everything’s complicated as hell now, but I know it could be so easy if we could just get Kat’s memories back. The three of us would be so good together. Perfect, really.
I pull her in for a soft kiss. “Just as much as I love you.”
“Otto, you can’t say you love me. We met yesterday.”
“Yes, I can. I just did.” I kiss her nose. “You’re my mate, and you’re perfect, so of course, I love you.” I smile against her lips and kiss her again so she can’t argue with me. She moans into my mouth as I slide my hands up into her hair, massaging her scalp.
“Let me show you how much,” I plead.
“Otto.” Her tone is scolding. “My son is in the next room.”
“Didn’t stop you yesterday. Or this morning.”
Shit! That’s the wrong thing to say. Her expression changes to something I can’t read, and she’s out of my lap faster than I can hold her there. Guilt flashes across her pretty face. As if what we did was somehow wrong.
“Wait, beauty. I’m sorry.”
“You should be.” She storms down the hall, but rather than locking herself away in her bedroom like I expect, she knocks on her son’s door.
He answers with his phone to his ear. “Yeah?”
“We’re going out. You okay on your own for a bit?”
“Yeah, Mom. I think I can handle it.” He rolls his eyes.
“Don’t give me that attitude,” she snaps.
“Sorry.” His gaze softens. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t leave the apartment, don’t let anyone in, and don’t use the oven.”
“But—”
“You heard me. You almost smoked us out last night. If you’re hungry, microwave something or eat something cold.”
“Okay, fine.” He doesn’t look happy about it, but he doesn’t keep arguing with her.
She’s a good mom, but it’s clear she carries a lot of anxiety and puts a lot of pressure on herself. It makes sense. She’s had to be everything to this kid for so long. Has she had any support or help?
As soon as Lincoln’s door closes, Kat marches to her room. She pulls a pair of well-worn tennis shoes from the closet and sits on the bed to put them on.
“Can I ask you something?” I sit down next to her, our thighs touching.
“Sure.”
“Have you had any help?” My hand drops to her knee, and she stills with her shoes half-tied. “With raising Lincoln, I mean? Do you have family around or something?”
She goes back to tying her shoe. “My parents and brother live in Arkansas. We go out to see them as much as we can. And they come out here. But…”
“It’s not the same.” I rub gentle circles on her knee. “Why didn’t you move back there?”
She gives me a dry look I’m not sure how to interpret before letting out a sigh. “I like New York.” She finishes tying her shoe, then leans back on her hands, looking up at the peeling paint on the ceiling. “Maybe I also felt like I had something to prove,” she admits in barely a whisper.
“I can understand that.”
We sit silently for a few minutes, listening to the stomping of feet from the apartment upstairs and a burst of laughter from Lincoln down the hall.
After a bit, I kick her foot with mine. “So where are we going?”
She stands up, holding her hand out to me. “We’re going to find Damian.”