Chapter 25
CHAPTER 25
NATE
“What the fuck?” I growl, slamming my hand against the steering wheel.
My eyes follow my sister crossing the street a few houses down, heading towards my grandparents place. It’s in a swanky part of Santa Rosé with luxurious homes dotting the street with yards large enough that one doesn’t feel suffocated by neighbors. My grandparents have lived in this house my entire life, with many celebrations taking place here. It’s the only place big enough to host our expansive family of aunts, uncles, and cousins.
It isn’t Jordan that has me angry per se, it’s the man at her side that makes me want to punch a hole through something. I might not generally be a violent person, but when a guy screws with my sister, or screws with my woman, you can bet your ass I’ll be out for blood. Paul and Vincent are at the top of my list.
Rolling my window down, I yell out to Jordan in a tone that says not to ignore me before she’s across the grassy front yard to the Spanish-style, creamy yellow home. “Jordan!”
Her spine stiffens as she comes to a dead stop, causing Paul to stop next to her. He looks in my direction first, lifting a hand in a greeting that I don’t return. I stop the truck in the middle of the street, waiting for her to turn around and come over. She knows me well enough to know that I’d confront her at the party one way or another, and she won’t want this conversation to be overheard.
She says something to Paul and finally turns, leaving him standing there as she stalks toward the truck. Even from the street I can see the firm line of her lips and the hardness in her eyes. She’s not happy I caught her, or that I’m about to call her out on her date.
“What?” she says by way of greeting, and then glances around me at Savanna. “Hey Sa—whoa, you okay?”
My head snaps in Savanna’s direction. It sounds bad to admit, but I nearly forgot she was there. In the passenger seat, she’s white as a ghost, and my stomach drops as I realize I must have scared her with my outburst. My face instantly softens, and there’s an apology written in my eyes, but she’s not looking at me. Whether intentional or not, I’m not sure.
“I’m fine!” she says in a cheerful voice that sounds convincing, but I’m sure is only for Jordan’s benefit. Or maybe mine. Either way, I’m not sure I believe it. “Just nervous about meeting the family, you know? It’s technically only our second date.”
“Please, they’re going to love you,” Jordan says flippantly, then holds up a finger in warning. “Just don’t get stuck alone with Aunt Laura. She will talk your ear off, tell you everyone’s life story, and then demand to know when you and Nate are getting married and having babies that she can cuddle.”
“Personal experience?” Savanna asks.
“Yes. Though come to think of it, that’s every aunt that will be here, which is why I brought a date that everyone already knows and hates,” Jordan says pointedly with a snide smile, returning her gaze to me.
“Is this where you’ve been the last couple of nights? With him?” I question, unable to keep the censure out of my voice.
The line of Jordan’s lips flattens again. I can see her grinding her teeth before she answers. “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.”
My eyes narrow at my sister. “You do recall sitting in my bar, crying and drinking over that asshole, right? Telling Liam and me how he was getting nudes, and sending them back?”
“It’s our bar,” she corrects with venom. I hold back my wince because while she’s right, I’m more than a little pissed. “And they weren’t exchanging nudes. She was sending underwear pictures, and he was sending shirtless ones.”
I’m not sure I see the difference when the guy was supposed to be in a committed relationship with her. It’s all semantics, but apparently not to Jordan.
“Okay,” I grind out, correcting myself, “telling Liam and me that he was doing things he shouldn’t have been doing.”
“Look, I get it. You don’t like him. No one fucking likes Paul. I know that. You know that. The whole damn world knows it, Nate. But I was not showing up to this barbecue alone, especially not when you’re showing up with Savanna,” she says, exasperated, and then looks around me to Savanna. “No offense to you. You just don’t know what it’s like to be single at one of these things. It’s better to be here with someone than without.”
“You could have brought someone else,” I seethe, my tone far from calm and collected.
Jordan snorts with derision. “Like whom? Liam?”
“Sure! Yes! I don’t give a shit. Anyone would have been better than Paul!” I hiss at her.
Eyes that match mine turn into slits as she glares at me, contempt coming off her in waves. “Paul’s not your friend. It’s not your life. So, it isn’t your choice.” Then she whirls around and strides away, leaving me feeling irritated and unsatisfied.
In a perfect world, she would have listened to me and ditched Paul right then. Unfortunately, the world is far from perfect, as Jordan is quick to remind me.
There’s only one rule when it comes to her dating life and me as her big brother. No dating my friends. Even if I would have made an exception if she’d brought one of them with her today, Jordan never would have done it. But fuck, it would have been better than her getting back together with this douchebag.
A honk sounds behind me, and I glance in my side mirror to see one of my cousins sitting there. He sticks his head out the window and yells, “You planning on parking there for the afternoon, Nate?”
I give a wave and start down the street, pulling into the closest available spot I can find. Running a hand through my hair, I blow out a breath and close my eyes for a moment. The afternoon has barely begun, and I’ve already managed to upset two of my favorite women in the world. I really hope this isn’t how the rest of my day is going to go, or I’m going to need some headache relief, sooner rather than later.
Savanna has been silent since her brief part in the conversation, and I’m a little worried about what I’m going to see when I look at her. I shouldn’t have gotten that angry. Shouldn’t have hit my steering wheel. Seeing me react that way must bring up memories for her, and I don’t want her upset. Not because of me.
Finally, I gather my balls and chance a glance in her direction.
She’s sitting there watching me, a concerned smile lifting the corners of her lips, her eyes gentle and kind as she looks me over. I start, not expecting the warmth staring back at me.
“You okay?” she says softly.
“Me?” I ask, my eyes widening, incredulous she would be asking me what I should be asking her.
There’s a soft chuckle from her as she reaches over and takes my hand in hers. “Yes, you. You were pretty upset with her.”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? I scared you,” I frown, sliding my fingers through hers, pulling her hand towards me to press my lips to the back of it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak out like that.”
She rolls her eyes good naturedly. “Nate, you need to be able to have emotions. Yes, it startled me, but so does running into someone when I come around a corner. Life happens.”
Eyeing her skeptically, I don’t have a chance to answer before hands slam down on the truck beside me and my cousin’s head is halfway through the window, surprising both Savanna and me. “Yo, man! You brought a date? Fuck, you should have texted me. I thought for sure you’d be here single, and I wouldn’t be the only one they’d come after.”
“Ah, Savanna, meet Danny. Danny, this is Savanna,” I introduce them.
He shoves his arm through the window and extends his hand across me to shake hers.
“Danny is one of my cousins,” I tell her, and then to him, “Savanna is…”
I realize I have no idea what to call her. My date sounds kind of pathetic, like I picked her up specifically for the party, but given that it’s our second date, I haven’t exactly asked her to be my girlfriend. If that’s something people do these days. Hell, even if they don’t, I planned on it. I just figured it was too soon.
“His girlfriend,” she supplies easily without missing a beat.
My head snaps in her direction, and I see a friendly smile for Danny, but her eyes turn shy as she glances at me.
“Well shit. I don’t think Nate’s brought a girlfriend around for five years. It’s good to meet you!” Danny gives me a slug on the arm and grins at me, drawing my attention back to him. “She’s a knockout, man. Good for you. But also, fuck you for leaving me hanging here.”
Without an answer he shoves his hands into his pockets and walks across the street to join the party, making me feel a little remorseful leaving him high and dry.
Turning back to Savanna, I know two things. She’s snickering at me, and Danny is right. She is a knockout.
Her long blonde hair is curled in waves and falls all over her shoulders and cleavage. She’s got a little extra makeup on today that accentuates her high cheekbones, almond shaped eyes, and those perfectly kissable lips. I think what gets me the most, however, is her dress; a sky blue, off-the-shoulder sundress that alludes to her being braless. It hits her just above the knee to show off those perfect calves I enjoy so much.
It’s cute, flirty, and the second I saw her wearing it, I wanted to get her out of it. I can’t wait until later when I can do just that.
That’s coming from a guy who has had two very athletically paced nights in a row. This woman drives me crazy, and I can’t seem to keep my hands off her. Not that that’s a bad thing, especially when she can’t keep her hands to herself either.
“What’s so funny?” I ask her.
She full on laughs. “Your dating life really is the center of everyone’s attention.”
“You mean my lack of dating life. Now I’ve got you, so people will soon forget about me.” I smile at her, bringing her hand back to my lips as I look her up and down, amusement in my eyes. “Girlfriend, huh?”
Color blooms across her cheeks. “For the day at least. I thought it was easier than anything else, and you seemed to be at a loss.”
“Maybe it shouldn’t just be for the day,” I say with confidence, surprising myself.
I seem to have trouble asking this woman on dates, but suggesting she be my girlfriend is no problem. Holy shit, maybe I do have game.
Savanna lifts an eyebrow at me. “Maybe?”
“Well, yeah, I mean… you know. Maybe it should be longer than that. Maybe you should just, you know, be my girlfriend. If you want. I know this is only our second date, but—” I catch myself, realizing I’m stammering my way through this like a fool. I take a steadying breath and try again. “With the way we’ve been living together, it just feels… longer. Feels right. You know?”
Nope. No game. And now my palms are sweaty. Unfortunate for me since I’m still holding her hand.
I can tell she’s trying her best not to giggle right now. I’m fairly sure this is highly amusing for her, but she does her best to keep a straight face when she says, “Are you asking me a question? Or merely suggesting this?”
Running my free hand through my hair, I take a deep breath. I’ve seen this woman gloriously naked. I’ve made her come multiple times. I’ve gotten very intimate with many parts of her body. This shouldn’t be that hard, but I’m nervous as hell.
“I’m asking a question,” I hedge, gauging her reaction. I never want to play poker against her, because her face is remaining rather neutral while I try to gather some courage. “Will you be my girlfriend?”
I feel dazed by the smile that lights up her face with such happiness it makes my heart swell and my chest puff with pride.
She starts to lean towards me over the console. “Well, to my boss Nate, you should know I might want to take weird days off during the week.”
“Oh?” I raise an eyebrow. “Why is that?”
“Because my boyfriend does long shift work, and I think I’d definitely like to spend some days off with him,” she says with a grin.
“Hmm. Well, I’ll have to see what I can do for you, but I’m sure we can work something out.” I grin back at her, moving across the console to meet her halfway.
“Dating the boss comes with some perks, huh?” she asks, her lips almost touching mine.
“It definitely does. I’ll have to show you some others later,” I tell her, closing the last bit of distance between us, my lips capturing hers in a sweet, tender kiss.
“Where have you been? You’re late!” My mother admonishes as Savanna and I walk in the front door. When she notices Savanna in the next breath she squeals with delight. “You made it!”
We could have gone through the side yard to the back, but Savanna needed the bathroom before we joined the party, so I opted for the front door thinking we’d be in and out without anyone noticing. I should have known better.
“You told him not to show up without me,” Savanna teases as my mom embraces her in a hug. “Good to see you again, Elizabeth. Happy birthday.”
“And you, my dear. This dress is lovely. You look beautiful,” my mom says as she lets go of Savanna and turns to me. I get a smack on the shoulder instead of the warm embrace. “Where’ve you been?”
“Picking up your gift,” I tell her smoothly, holding up the gift bag in my right hand. Inside is a beautiful white gold pendant in the shape of a heart with a rose gold rose through the center. It’s a bit of a lie considering I picked it up the other day. I hold up my other hand, showing her another bag with a bottle of wine in it. “And picking this up for the collection.”
My mom doesn’t need to know the sweet kiss Savanna and I shared turned into a full-blown make-out session like we were a couple of teenagers. When we were finally done, I needed another five minutes to lose the raging hard-on we’d created. It took every ounce of willpower in me not to drive us to some deserted parking lot so I could be inside her. Because fuck, I wanted to be inside her. Knew how bad she wanted the same. Knew without going up the skirt of her dress she’d be dripping wet for me.
She makes me delirious with need. If I were ever to be caught in a compromising position in public, it could cost me my job, one thing I love the most in my life, and two days in a row I’ve considered it.
I glance at Savanna now. She’s smiling brightly at my mom, but steals a look at me. The memory of the truck passes between us, and the only thing keeping my dick from going rock hard all over again is my mother standing before us, taking her gift from my hands.
“Oh Nathan, you shouldn’t have! But I’m so glad you did,” she says with a twinkle of laughter.
Much to my chagrin—or relief, I’m not sure—she chooses that moment to finally give me the hug I was waiting for. It’s easier to control raging hormones when you’re being hugged by your mother.
I give her a tight squeeze and press a kiss to the top of her head. “Happy birthday, mom.”
When we release each other, Savanna doesn’t meet my eyes, instead looking at my mom. “Could someone point me in the direction of the bathroom?”
“Right down here, dear!” my mom says, pointing down the hallway to our left. “First one on your right.”
“I’ll wait for you in the kitchen,” I tell Savanna, pointing towards the back of the house. She’ll have to go through the formal living room and dining room before finding the more casual areas of the house, but I have no doubt she’ll be able to find it.
She gives me a smile, our eyes catching once more. My dick twitches, begging me to go after her as she heads to the bathroom. A room with a lock. Away from prying eyes. No threat to my job.
Use the other head, man. Mom’s birthday. Think of mom’s birthday.
Right. My mother. Who is staring at me with a bemused look on her face, like she knows exactly which head was doing the thinking. My neck burns and I know I’m turning crimson, but she remains silent, shockingly, as I hook an arm around her shoulder and start to lead her towards the kitchen.
Even more surprising is the lack of questions. I was prepared to answer them, especially with Savanna nowhere in sight, but she doesn’t ask a single one.
I understand why when we walk into the warm brown kitchen and find three of my aunts working away around one of two islands in the middle of the enormous room. I cringe, realizing I should have thought about this before entering the lion’s den.
“Is it true?” Aunt Laura asks, standing at the island furthest from me, washing carrots.
Aunt Rita, cutting up potatoes at the first island, waves her knife at me. “Is she here?”
“Where is she?” Aunt Shirley questions from the island with the sink, smashing a hamburger patty between her hands.
As if they planned it out, they ask the questions in succession. It’s a coordinated dance between the three of them, something my cousins and I swear they’ve rehearsed a million times, though the questions always differ slightly. These three aunts—there’re two more who are the wives of my uncles, plus my mom—are all my dad’s sisters and the family resemblance runs strong.
Three pairs of lively blue eyes stare at me from where I’ve stopped just inside the kitchen, my mom still under my arm. Aunt Shirley with her blonde hair, and Aunts Laura and Rita with their dark brown. Their expectant looks are all the same, and I know if they were smiling, those smiles would look near identical to the one my grandmother has.
My mother steps away from me to rejoin the others, giving me a smug look as I run a hand through my hair. The four of them look like the rainbow, each one wearing a bright color to match their outgoing, busy personalities.
“It’s true, I saw her with my own eyes,” my mom says, setting her gift on the far granite countertop where a few others sit for later. “She’ll be right along any second now, ladies.”
The questions come at me all at once, each aunt talking over the next, volleying for my attention. I put my hands up to silence them, astonished when it works. The aunts aren’t known for quieting, but a second later I realize it had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with the female presence now standing beside me.
Savanna looks exquisite with the blush coating her cheeks, and I slip an arm around her shoulder, urging her into my side. Shielding her physically for what I know is coming. Not that it’ll do her any good.
Aunt Rita is the first to murmur into the now quiet space, save for the laughter and chatter I can hear coming from outside. “My heavens.”
“She’s gorgeous,” Aunt Shirley breathes to her sisters and my mom.
“Mmmhm,” my mom hums her approval.
Aunt Laura’s fingers are hovering near her lips, her eyes sweeping Savanna up and down like the others. They turn to me next and give me an assessing glance. “Can you imagine? The babies…”
Savanna’s arm wraps around my waist and I glance down at her, an apology written in the furrow of my brow and tight line of my lips. There’s nothing but ease and a twinkle of mischief in those gray eyes, though, and she turns back to look at my aunts, her smile as bright as I’ve seen it.
“I know,” Savanna nods at them as though they’ve all been the best of friends for years. “I picked him because I knew we’d have beautiful kids. Two, I hope. One boy and one girl.” She lifts her hand and waves it dismissively. “But it’ll be a while. We’ll need to get married and settled before we think of them. Maybe two years?”
My eyebrows are as high as they’ll reach on my forehead, my eyes wide. My shock has nothing to do with the plan that Savanna lays out before them. That doesn’t bother me at all. Because I can see it. I want it. Whether she’s being serious or not, I can picture it all.
My astonishment is how easy this is for her. How easy she made it look to come into the lion’s den and meet them head on. Gave them the meal they wanted to feast on, but didn’t allow them to play with their food first.
No one says a thing. No one even moves. We all just stare at the woman tucked under my arm, smiling broadly at everyone else. Not one of my cousin’s partners has rendered the aunts speechless. I’m not sure if it’s happened in their entire lives. But Savanna…
Her “I got this” attitude is the sexiest thing I’ve ever experienced.
“I’m not sure I can wait that long to knock you up,” I finally say, breaking the silence. “We may need to talk about this timeline. Married in three months, pregnant in six? As long as we have no issues conceiving that is.”
Beside me Savanna’s shoulders shake with a silent chuckle. It’s my mother, however, who catches my eye and throws down the towel she’d picked up to dry dishes before Savanna walked in.
“Oh Nathan,” she calls, exasperated. “Don’t tease me like that! It’s my birthday!”
Savanna and I both break out in laughter, followed by each aunt, one by one, as they realize they’ve been duped. After we all share in the laugh, I make the formal introductions, but the flurry of questions I expected never comes. Yeah, they fawn over how pretty Savanna is, and murmur amongst themselves, but unlike the rest of my cousins in the past, we’re not subjected to an inquiry.
It makes my blood hum. A weight I hadn’t known existed lifts away and I can breathe just a little easier. I’d been concerned about Savanna being able to handle this, just as I’d been concerned about her handling my friends. The worry hadn’t been warranted though.
I should have known.