Chapter Nineteen Unwelcome Surprise #2
For a second, I hesitate to go as we gaze at each other, feeling a pull toward him. It’s like my body doesn’t want to leave. If I stayed… if I knelt in front of him… would he tie me up again? Make me cum over and over until I lose my mind?
I swallow, my blood heating, and quickly tear my eyes from him.
“You too.” My voice is a little too squeaky, which is mortifying, but as I hurry away to my room, I can’t help the smile tugging at my lips.
The next morning, Jayce and I are getting packed and ready to travel for his away game.
He’s going with the team, and I’m meeting up with the girls so we can all go together.
We’re standing in the kitchen, finishing breakfast, minutes away from leaving.
It’s casual and comfortable, and I’m looking forward to the day.
It’ll be fun to watch the Night Hawks game with the other girls.
Jayce and I are planning to share a hotel room to keep up appearances, and there’s a small flutter of excitement in my belly at the thought.
“Do you get nervous before games?” I ask, placing my syrup-covered plate into the sink. Jayce outdid himself this morning with French toast and crispy bacon instead of smoothies. He said he likes to carbo load for games.
Looking up from the fridge, where he’s putting away the carton of eggs, bread, and butter, he grins and shrugs.
“Nervous isn’t the right word.” He shuts the fridge door and turns to face me fully. “I get excited. A surge of adrenaline hits me that I don’t get anywhere else. Well, except the bedroom.”
My cheeks heat as he gives me a slow once over and I can’t stop my mind from going back to our night together.
Being tied up and touched with such care by his big, strong hands and the way he made me cum so hard…
I nearly passed out when we were done. We haven’t done anything since then, but I’m rather eager to continue exploring everything he’s introduced me to so far.
The feeling of giving total control over to him and letting him make all the decisions was incredibly… freeing.
Suddenly, the penthouse’s intercom buzzes, snapping me back to reality. I frown, and Jayce furrows his brow in confusion. He moves to the front door to answer the intercom. Who’s buzzing us this so insanely early in the morning? It’s barely six o’clock.
“Hello?” Jayce asks through the small speaker by the door.
“Hello, Mr. Vaughn. This is reception. You have a visitor asking if she can come up.”
Jayce shoots me a baffled look. “Who is it?”
“She says her name is Iris Holloway.”
It feels like my stomach drops straight to the floor. My heart freezes. Mom? What the hell is she doing here? In an instant, all the peace and contentment I’ve experienced in this place vanishes. Reality has returned.
Jayce is watching me, and I realize he’s waiting for me to give him the go-ahead to let her up. For a moment, I’m tempted to tell him no. I know I can’t just turn her away, though. She’s here, in Colorado, for the first time since Colson died.
That’s a really big fucking deal.
Swallowing, I nod. “It’s okay. Let her up.”
Jayce holds my gaze while he hits the intercom button. “Send her on up.”
A few minutes later, there’s a knock on the front door and when Jayce answers it, Mom comes breezing into the penthouse like she owns the place.
There’s a man in a suit following her with several garment bags, her luggage, and a stack of binders balanced precariously in his arms. Mom spots me immediately, but she pauses in front of Jayce, giving him a wide smile.
“Hello, Jayce.” She offers him her hand, which he takes and gives a gentle shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Sutton’s mother, Iris.”
“Hello, Mrs. Holloway.” His voice is warm, his expression friendly, but there’s a tension in his shoulders that Mom doesn’t notice. “A pleasure to meet you. Can I take your coat?”
“Oh, thank you.” She sheds the black, fur-lined coat she’s wearing, passing it to Jayce. It’s only then that she turns back to me and hurries over with a big smile and determined glimmer in her eyes.
“There’s my girl!” She wraps me in a tight hug, then holds my shoulders as she looks me up and down. “Oh, you look gorgeous. Being engaged looks good on you.”
“Hi, Mom.” I force a smile. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to surprise you!” she exclaims.
“I am… certainly surprised.”
Turning, she looks back over at Jayce, who’s hanging her coat up in the front closet.
“Sorry for dropping by like this,” she tells him, patting his chest. “I was just so excited about my little girl finally getting married! Such a happy occasion is worth showing up in person for, isn’t it?
Plus, I need to see what we’re working with to properly plan, so I decided to just take matters into my own hands!
Don’t worry, though. I won’t intrude on you completely.
I’ve got a room at the Four Seasons, so you don’t have to put me up or anything. ”
“No need to be sorry,” Jayce assures her. “We’re happy to have you. Unfortunately, I have to get going. We’ve got an away game today, and I’m actually going to be gone overnight. Sutton was going to come too, but…” He looks up at me, a question in his eyes.
I try not to show my disappointment visibly. “You go on without me,” I say. “I’ll stay here and hang with Mom.”
“All right,” he nods. Crossing to me, he plants a kiss on my lips. “You two have fun. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
My heart hammers, the feel of his lips lingering on my skin as he turns, grabs his duffle from the floor, and opens the door.
“See you later, Jayce!” Mom says, waving at him.
He chuckles. “See you later, Mrs. Holloway.”
“Bye,” I say, and the next moment, he’s gone.
Mom turns to me and claps her hands together. “My goodness, he’s so handsome, isn’t he? Okay, now that it’s just us girls, I have a whole day planned for us!”
“What do you mean?”
“Shopping, spa treatments, and of course, wedding planning!” She uses her fingers to tick off the items on her list. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from groaning at the mention of wedding planning.
I knew she’d be all over it, but I didn’t expect her to fly halfway across the country like this.
“That sounds great,” I say.
“You go on and get changed.” She waves her hands at me, as if shooing me along. “I don’t think that you should be going around like that all day. Oh, and wear your hair down, sweetie.”
I’m wearing jeans and a Night Hawks jersey with Jayce’s number on it, and my hair is bundled up in a high bun so the teal is on full display.
All things considered, this would be a pretty normal thing to wear out in the city, especially on a game day, but I know in Mom’s thinking, this is barely better than walking around in my pajamas.
Also, I know she wants me to wear my hair down to hide the teal.
“Give me a minute. Wait right here.” I don’t want her to realize that Jayce and I are sleeping in separate rooms. I hurry down the hall, leaving her behind in the kitchen and quickly change into slimming black slacks and a pink blouse.
Before leaving my room, I shoot a text to The League of Extraordinary Bitches.
Sutton: Hey, guys. Change of plans. My mom surprised me and is in town, so I’m not going to make the trip for the game.
The responses arrive immediately.
Rylee: Your mom’s in town?! What the hell??? What’s she doing here?
Grace: Ahhhh, we’re gonna miss you!
Skyler: Boooooooo!! We were gonna get shitfaced and catcall the guys from the press box!
Sutton: I know, I’m bummed, but there will be other games! Mom wanted to surprised me because of the engagement.
I don’t want them to know that I’m actually dreading being alone with Mom, terrified that I’ll slip up and tell her the truth about my relationship with Jayce. I also don’t want to ruin their good time and make any of them worry about me.
Grace: That’s kind of sweet. I know your mom can be a lot sometimes, but she really does care.
Rylee: Are you really okay with her randomly dropping in like this?
Stacey: Sorry! I was napping. You’re mom’s in town, Sutton? That’s nice!
Skyler: Want us to call and fake an emergency? I totally will!
Sutton: Lol, I appreciate the offer, but it’s not necessary. Mom and I will have a good time together. You all have fun at the game and cheer the guys on for me!
Sighing, I tuck my phone in my pocket, knowing Mom’s likely getting impatient. When I return, Mom gives an approving nod.
“That’s so much better,” she declares. “Remember, sweety, just because you’re engaged doesn’t mean you should stop putting effort into your appearance. You don’t want Jayce to think he’s not worth it, right?”
I know she doesn’t really mean for her words to stab me like they do, so I keep a forced smile in place, even if it feels brittle and my heart sinks as my anxiety returns full-force.
My peaceful reprieve is officially over.
Two hours later, I’m sitting in a plush chair in one of Denver’s most expensive spas getting lavender oil massaged into my temples.
My mom is beside me, flipping through wedding magazines and chatting away in a one-sided conversation I’m barely part of.
The air is warm and faintly scented with eucalyptus and citrus, and pale stone floors are heated while natural light pours in through floor-to-ceiling windows, softened by sheer linen panels.
It’s the perfect environment for relaxation and rejuvenation… and yet, I’m tense as a brick wall.
“You could do something elegant, like lace sleeves,” she says, holding up a page. “Or maybe something modern. Jayce seems like he’d love something sleek and sophisticated.”
I nod automatically. “Mm-hm.” She has no idea what Jayce would like, and honestly, neither do I.
“And the venue! Oh, sweetheart, Denver has some stunning options. Rooftop gardens, mountain views, ballrooms with chandeliers the size of cars. Imagine you and Jayce dancing under all those lights.”
Each word presses into me like a thumb on a bruise.