Chapter 15
DANNY
I walk upthe winding driveway to Laura’s parents’ massive house, trying my best to focus on being the most believable douchebag boyfriend I can possibly be. But at the back of my mind, all I can think about is Eden…
The other night we almost kissed. If her brother hadn’t dropped by unannounced, I’d have kissed the hell out of her. I’d have pulled her onto my lap, cupped that beautiful face in my hands, and kissed her until she was breathless and moaning, begging for more…
My dick strains in my jeans at the thought. And judging by that dazed look in Eden’s eyes, she was ready to kiss me too.
Yeah, I know I shouldn’t be thinking about my best friend’s little sister this way. Cruz made it clear years ago to all his friends that Eden is forever off-limits. At the time, that was totally fine. I didn’t see Eden in that way. She was always my friend’s little sister.
But years of not seeing each other has changed things. We’re in our twenties now and completely different people from the kids we used to be. And that night months ago, when I ended up at her apartment door by total chance and saw her for the first time in years, I was blown away. I didn’t see the Eden from years ago. All I could see was a stunning woman I was intrigued by and wanted to get to know.
Now I know for sure that I’m crazy attracted to her. These past months of working so closely together helped me see her in a whole new light. I spend more time with her than anyone else in my life. She’s not Cruz’s mousey kid sister anymore. She’s a brilliant, sexy, funny woman I can’t get out of my mind.
Who the thought of kissing has me hard as steel…
“God, I hope this works,” Laura whispers, pulling me back to the present.
Enough thinking about Eden. I’ve got a job to do.
I peer down at Laura and smile. “You asked for a douchebag boyfriend, and a douchebag boyfriend is what you’ll get.”
She chuckles, and I notice the tightness in her expression is gone. “I love what you chose to wear.” She gives me a once-over. “That shirt is just…wow. I mean, ‘perfect’ is the word I wanna use, but I feel like even that’s not enough.”
I glance down at the t-shirt I’m wearing and chuckle at the stark white letters that jump out against the black fabric.
Millions of my unborn babies died on your daughter’s face last night.
“Awful, right?” I say.
“It’s perfect. Like, seriously perfect. I can already picture the disgust on my parents’ faces when they see it.”
“I’m committed to giving you what you asked for, Laura. I’m going to be insufferable. It’s probably going to be very, very uncomfortable in there. But I can promise you that your parents will be so sick of me by the end of this evening, they’ll be ecstatic you ended things with me. And when you bring over your real boyfriend, they’ll just be so thrilled he’s not me.” I wink at her, happy when I see relief wash across her face.
We walk up to the front door and she knocks. A woman who looks like Laura thirty years from now answers.
“Sweetheart! So happy to see you. Come in.”
After she pulls Laura into a hug, she turns to me. Her smile drops as she turns back to Laura. “Darling, is this the…gentleman…from the photos on your phone?”
Laura nods excitedly. “It sure is!”
Her mom’s gaze falls to my chest. “Oh my…”
I don’t think I’ve ever made someone uncomfortable with my clothes. But that’s exactly what’s happening, and my instinct is to cringe and make a joke before apologizing. But not tonight. Tonight, my success will be measured by just how uncomfortable I make Laura’s parents. And judging by the look of horror on her mother’s face—and how Laura is biting back a smile—I’m killing it.
“Mom. This is Danny. My boyfriend. Danny, this is my mother, Georgia.”
Georgia stammers before pursing her lips and reluctantly offering me her hand. I grab it and kiss it. Her jaw drops.
“Georgia, I hope you don’t mind my saying, but you’re an absolute smoke-show. Like, ten out of ten on a scale of hotness.”
Once again, she’s stammering.
“And let me tell you, I’m relieved,” I say. “Can’t be with a woman who’s gonna age like milk, you know? But you? Georgia, you’re like a fine wine.”
I pivot my gaze to Laura, who’s smiling so wide, I’m afraid her face will explode.
She steps to me and I pull her into a side-hug. “Isn’t he great, Mom? Gosh, just so, so sweet. He’s not stingy with the compliments.” Laura aims a dreamy gaze at me. “You always told me to find a guy who isn’t afraid to express his feelings for me, Mom. Well, I’ve found him.”
As soon as she pecks me on the lips, I take that as my cue to do what we discussed on the car ride here. Laura starts to pull away, but I grab her chin with my hand and deepen the kiss, making sure to get extra filthy with my tongue. We French kiss in full view of Laura’s mother for a solid ten seconds before finally breaking apart.
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and shoot the smuggest grin I can possibly make at Georgia, who looks like she just witnessed a ten-car pile-up on the freeway.
“Harold!” she shrieks. “Harold! Come here! Laura’s arrived with her…her…”
Georgia’s gaze turns dazed. She blinks several times before closing her eyes and shaking her head.
Laura reaches over and grabs her mom’s hand excitedly. “Isn’t Danny the best? I can’t wait for Dad to meet him too.”
Seconds later, a tall man wearing a dress shirt and trousers, and the deepest frown I’ve ever seen strolls down the nearby staircase and stops when he sees me. The horrified look on his face is identical to his wife’s. A beat later, it morphs into a scowl. His gaze lands on mine and Laura’s intertwined arms.
“Daddy, this is Danny. My new boyfriend I’ve been dying for you and Mom to meet.”
She hops over to give him a quick hug. The whole time, the guy’s too stunned at the sight of me that he barely hugs his daughter back. When she steps aside, I reach for his hand to shake.
“Danny,” he says, his tone as hard as his handshake.
“In the flesh. It’s great to finally meet you, man.”
“Man.” Harold says it like a curse word.
“I was just telling your lovely wife what a hottie she is. Well done, my man.” I reach my hand out to fist-bump him, but he stays as still as a statue. He breathes in, chest heaving, and I swear I see his face redden.
“Excuse me?” he says through gritted teeth.
“It’s a compliment, Daddy. Shall we head to the dining room? We’re starving.”
Her dad mutters something that sounds a lot like profanity under his breath before spinning on his heel and stomping down the hall, Georgia whispering something in his ear.
I start to follow them, but Laura holds me back.
Her brown eyes are practically dazzling. “Oh my god, that was so great! They hate you so much right now,” she whispers, her tone giddy.
I chuckle and take a breath. “I definitely got that vibe from them.”
“You’re doing perfect. Keep it up.”
The first few minutes of dinner is a mix of chatting initiated by me and Laura, and tense silence from her parents.
Harold clears his throat and stabs his fork into his ribeye, probably wishing it was my face. “So, Danny. What do you do for work?”
He still sounds like he’s fantasizing about strangling me.
“You know, I don’t really believe in work,” I say around a piece of steak. I take a few seconds to chew loudly.
The clank of Harold’s fork and knife hitting his plate ricochets in the formal dining room. “Excuse me?”
I shrug. “I just mean that I don’t want to work a job that I’m not passionate about.”
“And what are you passionate about?”
“Not sure yet.” I point my fork at him. “But when I figure it out, you’ll be the first to know.”
Georgia makes a choking sound.
“So you don’t have a job?” Harold asks.
“Nope.”
I take a long swig of the beer Laura offered me, catching a quick glimpse of Harold and Georgia gawking at me in disbelief.
Harold huffs. “How do you expect to pay for your expenses with no income? Money doesn’t grow on trees, young man. I know that more than most, seeing as I operate my own law firm.”
“He’s living with me for the moment,” Laura says.
“He’s what?” her parents bark in unison.
“Yup,” Laura says proudly with a grin before reeling in her expression. Georgia covers her hand with her mouth, like she’s trying to hold back from vomiting. “Look, you guys. I know this probably sounds a little shocking.”
“A little?!” Harold yells. Georgia reaches over and pats his hand and he immediately clamps his mouth shut. With her free hand she fans herself before digging out a tiny orange pill bottle from her skirt pocket and dry-swallowing two white pills.
Laura offers a sympathetic look to both of her parents. “I know Danny is different from the guys I’ve dated before.”
“You’re goddamn right about that,” Harold mutters before downing his entire glass of Scotch. Georgia grabs his glass and steps away from the table, returning with two full glasses of amber liquor. She hands Harold his glass, and together they take dual long swigs.
“But I just feel such a connection with him,” Laura says. “The attraction between us was instant. I’ve never fallen this hard, this fast for someone. Yeah, he’s a bit rough around the edges, but he’s also honest. I respect that so much. Danny is the sweetest, most genuine guy I’ve ever met.”
Laura mentions how I bring her flowers every week and cook for her as a way to make up for my lack of a job—all stuff we came up with in preparation for this dinner. It doesn’t do a damn thing to soften her parents’ death glares at me, but it’s brilliant all the same. Our relationship needs to be believable, so I have to have some redeeming qualities.
Laura slides her hand along the table to mine and laces our fingers together. “I know this is a bit nuts, but that’s love, right? It hits you when you least expect it. And when it does, you just have to go with it.”
I drain the rest of my beer.
“Another?” Laura asks brightly.
“I’d love that, babe. Thanks.”
She stands up and I brace myself for this next part. When she walks past me, I smack her ass cheek. From the corner of my eyes, I see her biting back a laugh.
When I turn back to her parents, Georgia’s brow is at her hairline while Harold looks like he’s about to dive over the table and stab his steak knife through my throat.
I squint at him. “You’re a lawyer, right?”
He nods, his jaw muscle bulging. The pulse point in his neck throbs. This guy hates me with every bone in his body.
I mentally high-five myself for my douchebag performance and build up the nerve to ask him the question Laura told me to earlier this evening before we arrived.
Smug smile in place, I hold his gaze. “You don’t think you could help me get a few DUIs off my record, do you?”