Chapter Thirty
CHAPTER THIRTY
LUKE
W hat if they hate her? Or what if they like her, but they don’t like her for me? What if they don’t understand that I’m in love with this woman? I don’t want to introduce Leena as my girlfriend , because she’s so much fucking more than that. So is Sebastian.
Sebastian. Fuck.
With that thought, I don’t even realize that my fist is clenched on my thigh until the man beside me reaches over and flattens it out. He gives it a pat for good measure before placing his hand back on the wheel.
We’re nearly forty-five minutes into a two-hour drive to just outside the city where my parents live, but fuck me if this hasn’t been the longest forty-five minutes of my fucking life. Actually, scratch that. Finding out that Leena had been kidnapped was probably the longest drive of my fucking life.
Which is why I don’t want her to worry about the next twenty-four hours. She’s had enough worry. So, I told her it would be fine.
Which it probably will be.
Maybe.
“Luke,” Sebastian growls from the driver’s seat. I look down, noticing my fist is clenched again. I loosen my fingers, then run them through my hair.
“What?” I say, exasperated.
“You fucking know what. Calm the fuck down,” he chides.
“I’m calm,” I say. Then I realize how quickly I said it, which probably didn’t help my case.
“Are you sure you want me to come to this?” Leena asks.
“What? Oh fuck, baby girl, of course I do.” I look back at her and she smiles sweetly.
She’s not the one I’m worried about.
And I’m not entirely sure if Sebastian is either. But both of them?
How in the fuck do I explain that? Well, I suppose that’s an easy answer. I’m definitely not explaining that.
So how in the fuck do I hide it? Sebastian and I have been pretty good about the public displays of affection, so we’re used to that, but can he keep his hands off of Leena? Can I keep my hands off him? My family is really fucking observant, and they’ve seen Sebastian and I interacting since we were teenagers. But it’s different now. Will they notice?
“It’s just a day, then we’re going home. Yes?” Sebastian says, but I barely hear him. I didn’t think this through. Didn’t think I would be feeling this way.
Then his hand is on my clenched fist again, holding it. “Yes?” he repeats.
“Yes. Just a day. It will be good to see them,” I say, turning my hand so I can hold his. I take a deep breath, because it helps.
God, why am I so nervous?
Because you want them to like her.
Because you’ve never brought a woman home before… I suddenly realize that this will be the first time. Sure, Sebastian and I have had women in the past, both together and separate, but they were always submissives. And bringing them to meet my family would have been… awkward.
I suppose it doesn’t matter what my family thinks. Because there isn’t anything anyone could say or do that would change how I feel about Leena and Sebastian. About the three of us together. And Sebastian’s little breakdown last night proved once again that he feels the same way. That this is important.
This is everything .
—
We pull into the gravel driveway of the large, two story, Colonial-style home my family has lived in since before I was born. It’s rustic, but they keep it nice. There’s even a pasture and barn out back that was a hell of a lot of fun when we were kids. I think they might even have a few of my old dirt bikes still in the shed.
Sebastian turns off the car and the three of us are silent for a moment, Leena leans between us to see out the front window.
“It’s so cute!” She beams.
“How can a house be fucking cute? It’s a house. And it ain’t small,” Sebastian asks, staring at her sideways.
“You know what I mean.” She smiles and slaps his arm as they look at each other. I smile looking at them.
“You good?” Sebastian asks me and I open the car door before I have time to think about that question.
“Yup,” I say, slamming it. I open the back, and watch as Leena retrieves her bag.
“Put it down, sugar. You don’t want to get Lu in trouble in the first five fucking minutes,” Sebastian tells her, and I’m grateful for it. Because he’s right. Leena looks confused, but she gives in, even though I can tell she doesn’t want to. She grabs her smaller bag, letting me take the larger one.
When we come around the car, I immediately hear my mother’s voice calling from the porch.
“Lucas! You’re here! Are you letting that poor girl carry her own bag?” she lectures, putting her hands on her aproned hips.
“Hey, Ma!” I call out, turning back to Leena who’s trying not to laugh and Sebastian who’s actually laughing. I glare at him as I take the smaller bag from her, adding it to the pile I’m already carrying.
“Uncle Luke!” two very enthusiastic voices call out and I drop to a knee as the little bundles of energy come running toward me. I hug my seven-year-old niece and five-year-old nephew for half a second before they move on to their next target.
“Seb! Seb!” they call out, wrapping their little arms around his massive legs.
“Hey, squirts!” he says, ruffling their hair before they make their way to Leena.
“Who are you?” my niece asks, her big blue eyes looking up in wonder as she twirls back and forth in her dress. My nephew, already over the introductions, heads back to the house, tripping twice on the way there.
“My name is Leena, what’s your name?”
“My name’s Isabella,” my niece says shyly.
“That’s a very pretty name,” Leena says in that voice people like to use for kids, and my little niece practically glows at the compliment. “Will you show me where we’re going?” Leena asks, offering out her hand. Isabella takes it, a cute little blush blooming on her face. I watch them head toward the house, my niece swishing her dress as she goes, and I can’t help my broad smile.
Even though I don’t want kids of my own, that little girl has my heart. Always has. And seeing how good Leena is with her? That melts my heart. I glance at Sebastian, finding him looking after our woman with the same sort of expression.
When we reach the porch, I drop my bags and go to hug my mother, who is… already hugging Leena. And, by the looks of it, cutting off her circulation. Oh boy.
“Lucas, you didn’t tell me she was gorgeous!” She holds Leena at arm’s length so she can get a better look at her. I step in closer, deciding it’s time I saved her from this.
“Yeah, she’s gorgeous, Ma. Now, can I get a hug?” I smile, holding my arms out wide so the older woman can slam into me, which she does.
I rest my cheek on her head and smile at Leena as I rock her for a long moment before letting go.
“Ope, I can’t forget my favorite. Sebastian? Get over here,” my mother says, looking behind me. Sebastian puts his bag down and holds his arms open too, sporting the grin he saves for kittens and my mother.
“Mrs. Campbell,” he says, hugging her and lifting her off the ground a little. My mother chuckles, and Sebastian mouths the word “favorite” at me from over her head before setting her back down. I glare at him.
“Okay, okay. You’ve had a long drive,” she says, patting Sebastian’s chest before heading inside. “Let me show you to your rooms.”
I cringe as I suddenly remember how my mother likes to pre-plan sleeping arrangements.
I glance over at Leena and Sebastian. Leena doesn’t seem to realize what’s about to happen, but Sebastian definitely does. He quirks a brow at me before following my mother into the house.
Shit.
I didn’t think this through.