Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Carter
As I drive to Port Angeles the next morning, I can’t seem to focus on anything but Eve. I keep picturing her straddling me, her stunning breasts under my palms. The way she pinned me with those wide green eyes and brushed back a lock of her hair that was scattered over her face.
Even in the climate controlled car, I get actual chills every time the sound of her moans drifts through my head. Eve has the face of an angel, a body to tempt Satan, and on top of all that, her temperament is just pure honeyed gold.
Too bad she’s my student. The fact that we’d come so close to hooking up was a problem. I went there to apologize after waking up feeling like an asshole for being so harsh at the coffee shop.
And then, I just fell victim to my weaknesses. Eve was my weakness.
I didn’t regret going further with her, though. In fact, it felt so fucking incredible I was almost gleeful.
I drive the rest of the way to the mansion, alternately struck by dreamy reminiscence and irritable knowledge of reality. When my car tires finally crunch that familiar sounding gravel, I know I’m home. I can just make out the house through the overgrown trees on both sides on the driveway.
It is three stories high, painted a dull gray color, and extremely old-fashioned looking. It is missing most of the shutters and the paint is peeling. And either I’m crazy, or the whole entire house is leaning distinctly left.
I pull in between my mother’s elegant black Mercedes.
As I jog up the front steps of the mansion and pull open the front door, I see no signs of life inside. The fire-scarred grand staircase directly ahead has been repaired with certain big blocks of steps replaced. It hasn’t been finished yet so it looks a bit garish right now, stark new oak wood standing out from charred wood that withstood the fire.
Everything is quiet.
“Hello?” I call out.
There is a pause, and then a voice calls back. “I’m in the library, darling.”
My mother. Making my way around the staircase, I wonder what she wants to talk to me about. I was hoping it wasn’t anything serious.
I trundle down the hallway, stepping into what used to be the library. Now it’s just a void, a few crumbling bookcases along one wall and scorch marks that touch both floors of the room and lick at the windows above.
In the center of it is my mother, her glossy dark skin standing out against her white couture dress.
“Mom.”
My mother cocks her head and holds out her hands to me. “Carter! Come here.”
I flush and hurry to kiss my mother on her cheek. She’s wearing an intricate head wrap that towers above her head, but she’s still petite next to me.
“Hello, darling. Thank you for coming.” She looks at me somberly and I instantly know I’m in some kind of trouble.
I slide a glance toward her, narrowing my gaze. “What’s going on?”
My mother shoots me a dissatisfied look. “Well, let us not dally here in all this soot. I was just going over some design ideas for the renovations. It’s very stressful.”
She whirls and walks past me, expecting me to follow.
The fire destroyed so much of our house and my mother has been busy untangling how to restore everything properly.
I look around, trying to note what’s been done, but it doesn’t appear much has changed since the last time I was here.
“Carter!” my mother’s voice rings through the house. “Are you going to leave me waiting forever?”
I keep moving, shaking my head.
Outside, my mother is standing beneath a large white tent, a pleased little smirk playing on her lips.
I stride down to where she has a table laid for two. Starched linen, crystal glasses, undoubtedly expensive china, and gleaming silverware. There are two fully decked out servants wearing tuxedoes with tails… my mother’s style, to a t.
I sit down across from her and she starts in on me immediately.
“I called you here because it was reported to me that you were seen having coffee, and looking very intimate, with someone very inappropriate.”
“What?” I ask, shocked. “You have someone spying on me? Why?”
“That doesn’t matter,” she says, with a dismissive wave.
“It sure as hell does!” I say, my voice rising in anger.
“What truly matters, Carter, is that you think you can do whatever you want. That the person you gallivant around with doesn’t affect this family.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I say, completely bewildered.
“You were seen with Eve. Of all people, Carter!”
She admonishes me like I’ve got something to be ashamed of. I stare back at her like she’s grown a second head.
“You can’t be serious about this girl,” my mother says. A haughty little laugh leaves her lips. “She’s just some silly white girl that you think is going to pass my inspection. You have to know that she will not.”
She makes a disapproving sound. “You need to focus on your career, Carter. What would your father think?”
My head whips around. I can feel myself growing hot under the collar. “Don’t bring my dead father into this.”
She smirks. “He would not approve of this girl, Carter!”
“That’s not the damn point!” I shout, standing up from the table.
My mother looks faintly surprised. “I think she’s stirred up your blood too much. Sit down, have something to eat.”
I shake my head staring down at her.
“What do you have against Eve, Mom? She’s a great person.” I keep my voice as levelheaded as possible.
My mother sneers faintly. “You are almost related by blood. It’s enough to make one squeamish.”
Emphatically, I shake my head again. “We’re not related.”
“What about your job? Hm? I doubt they will look favorably on you after they find out you’re with her. She is one of your students. One phone call to inform the administration and you’d be out of a job instantly. You’re going to let this — this — this girl risk your job like that? Certainly makes me question how much she cares about you…”
I square my jaw. “That’s nothing for you to be concerned about. Certainly nothing for you to pass judgment on Eve for.”
My mother shrugs. “I’m sure she’s a perfectly nice girl. But she’s close enough in relation to be invited to Aunt Margaret’s house for Christmas. People will talk about you, Carter. You can do so much better than perfectly nice. I only want that best of the best for my only son.”
I growl. “I’m leaving. I can’t sit here and listen to any more of your craziness.”
My mom stands up so suddenly that her chair tips over behind her. “Carter, I only want what is best for you. You can do better than I did. You can find your soulmate. Someone who is your equal in every way.”
Looking over at my mother’s face, I just feel sorry for her.
“Mom…”
“Yes, son?”
My feelings of Eve seem to all surge to the surface and my mother’s short-sightedness rings crystal clear in my head.
That’s when I know.
I am stupidly, profoundly in love with Eve Moreland.
Not just that… I mean, that part I already knew. But today I realize that someday, I’m going to marry that girl. I would be a damn fool not to.
“I’m already half in love with her, Mom. You can’t stop me. Nobody can.”
She glowers at me.
She snorts. “I should never have let you go to that boarding school, Carter. I should have kept you close, mothered you more.”
I shrug. “I’m sorry that I haven’t met your standards. I think by now, my personality is what it is. It’s about time that you figure out what you are going do about it.”
Her expression tightens. “I could cut you off. Leave you with nothing.”
I turn away. “If that’s your choice, so be it. Doing that would certainly send a message. But then, I would need to carefully consider whether I wanted to be involved in your life or not.”
My mom moves toward me, her expression growing pinched. “What does that mean? Carter? I only want what’s best for you, you know.”
“Goodbye, Mom. Call me when you can be less judgmental.” I shake my head, heading toward the back door. As I make my way back through the house and out the front door, my words ring in my head.
I’m already half in love with her…
It’s true. But it might just be an understatement. Eve has stolen my entire heart. And I want to love her fully, and forever. Halfway won’t do.
As I drive back to Seattle, I list off every reason we shouldn’t be together. I decide that none of them are worth losing Eve over. Nothing is impossible to overcome. And if I lose my job, so be it.
I’ll still be a wealthy man because I’ll have Eve. But before I torch my entire life, I need to do one thing first.