24. Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Griffin
The rest of our short time in Virginia seemed even shorter once Kaitlyn had her entire family there with her. A smile was permanently on her face until the tears fell this morning before we left for the airport. I stood by, Marilyn’s carrier in my hand, as I watched Kaitlyn hug her family goodbye. Is this what a healthy relationship with a father looks like?
We tried our best to stay awake for the majority of the flight to London, so our internal clocks would be ready for sleep by the time we landed. She filled her time with books. I filled mine with work, and for a two-hour period somewhere over the Atlantic, we filled it with each other.
“I’m nervous,” she says when we slide into the back seat of a waiting car on the tarmac, finally shielded from the flash of the cameras from the half dozen paps who were waiting for us.
“Kaitlyn, ten minutes ago you were bouncing from window to window screaming oh my God to everything you saw on approach. Can you go back there? We’ll get settled in my flat, get a good night’s sleep, and meet my mother for lunch. She wanted to cook. You’ll be smothered in the best way. We won’t deal with my father for a day or so. Tobias will meet us tomorrow night so we can get you prepared. I won’t let him fuck with you. Count on that.”
Kaitlyn tips her head over on my shoulder. When this began, I could say it was because of who could be watching. Now, I know it’s her way of seeking comfort. It makes me proud I can be that for her. “I’m still going to be nervous, no matter what, but it makes me feel better knowing you have my back.”
“That’s one thing you can always count on.”
We pull into the valet parking outside the concierge to my building. Darkness has taken over the sky, but the warmth of the glow from the flats light up our arrival. We take the elevator with our bags up to the eleventh floor. I’ve told her about the on-site fitness center for her runs, the spa for the massage and facial I’ve booked for her, and the pool we can relax in when our workdays are done.
“I can’t wait to see everything in the sunshine.”
“You could make it out, but we overlook Hyde Park. I have two balconies that will allow you a perfect view in the morning. But for now, you need sleep.”
“Am I sleeping in your bed?” she asks as she stifles a yawn.
“I had hoped you would, unless you want a room to yourself. I have two guest rooms.” I want to toss her over my shoulder like a caveman and carry her to my bed, but I didn’t want to make any assumptions about where she’d like to be. Up until this point, we’ve not been given the option of separate space.
“You’re like a big, personal space heater at night and I tend to get cold, so I’ll be taking over half of your bed for the time being.”
“I was really hoping you’d say that.”
The idea of Kaitlyn in my bed, in my apartment, is nearly too much for me to handle.
“Lead the way then, sir. I’m very sleepy and you’re very rich, which means you probably have an insanely nice mattress. I can hear it calling me from the elevator.”
The lift dings when we reach my floor and the doors slide open to reveal the large, wooden door to my apartment. It’s a keyless entry, so I scan a fob against a small sensor and the lock clicks.
“Home sweet home.” I step aside so she can enter first, mostly because I’m a gentleman. Partially because I want to watch her walk into my home.
I reach over to switch on the dimmed overhead lighting in the hallway. The dark paint reflects the darkness we came from outside. The lights nearly mimic the stars. “This hallway is bigger than nearly my whole apartment.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, Kaitlyn.”
“Clearly you’ve forgotten the matchbox that is my home.”
I lean in and kiss her ear gently. “I like your home.” I set the cat carrier on the floor and let Marilyn out. “Believe it or not, I had Tobias set our furry friend up with all her needs here in this front restroom.”
“She’ll learn quickly.”
“I’m not worried. All the way at the end are the common areas…the kitchen, dining room, main terrace, and the lounge area. On the left over here is the hallway to the guest suites on the right and the main bedroom is on the left. Would you like to explore tonight or fall into that mattress cloud you’ve dreamed of?”
“I’m tempted to ask for a full tour because this place is a mansion, and I want to see every inch, but…” She yawns again, this time ending it with a little squeak. “I think I may be too tired to function for longer than sixty more seconds.”
“Well then…” I take three steps to close the distance between us, then scoop her into my arms and over my shoulder in a fireman’s hold. “Let’s get you to bed.”
“Ahh! Griffin!” She laughs and kicks her legs. “What are you doing?”
“Sweeping you off your feet, obviously.”
Kaitlyn was in my bed and under the covers for approximately thirty seconds before I could hear her soft snores. I haven’t told her she does that. Maybe I never will because she’d just deny it or become self-conscious about it, and that’s the last thing I want. I love her little snores.
I take some time to unpack, change clothes, and check some emails before crawling into bed beside her. In her sleep, she rolls toward me, nuzzles into my side, and sighs sleepily.
The last thing I expected to happen when I sat with her in my hotel room and hashed out this plan was for me to catch feelings. I did that in spades.
How am I going to say goodbye to her?
Kaitlyn
I slept like the dead. I knew he’d have an incredible mattress. I woke this morning well-rested, happy, and with his strong arms wrapped around me.
That lasted about point two seconds before I remembered I’m going to meet his mother in a few hours. Now, I’m a bundle of nerves and anxiety. “Stop thinking, baby.” Griffin’s raspy voice echoes inside his chest. I didn’t even know he was awake.
“Good morning to you too.”
“My mother will be the easiest meeting of your time here. I know she’ll love you.”
“Isn’t that the hard part? I want her to like me, but wouldn’t it be easier if she didn’t?”
I hear Griffin groan as he turns me in his arms to face him. “Bianca Conforti is English and Italian. She is like Mrs. Doubtfire on speed. I can tell you how this will go. She will treat you like a queen and I will be her little Griffy.”
I giggle. “Griffy?”
“Don’t go there, Pixie.”
I poke him in the ribs and he grunts then laughs. “Don’t make fun of me.” I stick my tongue out at him.
“You’re lucky we have things to do today, otherwise, I’d put that tongue of yours to better use.”
“Rain check, then?” I wiggle my eyebrows playfully.
“Without question, baby.”
I decided to wear a simple, yellow sundress and a pair of white kitten heels. I must have changed clothes four times before finally settling on this outfit. My hair is down today, in long, soft waves and I’ve kept my makeup simple and light. I’m normally okay with meeting parents, but not when I know I’m going to be lying to her face.
“Your mother doesn’t know the truth?” I ask him on the way down to the car.
He shakes his head. “Only Tobias.”
“She’s going to hate me when this is all over.”
Griffin gently takes hold of my wrist to halt my walking. He places two fingers underneath my chin, guiding it up to meet his eyes. He skillfully places his aviators on top of his head so I can see nearly through his pools of green. “Kait, she despises what my father has become. She will adore you before and after. You’re doing this for me. Remember that.”
I reach my hand up to rest on his chest. “I look at you sometimes and wonder how I could have been so wrong.”
Griffin smiles sweetly before he bends down to place a soft kiss on my lips. “I gave you every reason, baby.”
There are those damn butterflies again. Who am I kidding? He doesn’t give me butterflies. He gives me fucking pterodactyls.
I expect to find an SUV waiting for us, but instead, Griffin pulls out a set of keys and we step into the underground garage.
“Are you driving us?”
“Did you think I’d bring you here and not try to impress you with one of my cars?” He gives me that cocky smirk and I melt a little right there.
He leads me to the sexiest matte gray car I’ve ever laid eyes on.
“Holy shit.”
“I do like that reaction when I show a pretty girl one of my toys.”
He opens the door for me, but not before I caress the paint. “What is this?”
“Let me introduce you to the Ferrari 812 Competizione. Let’s just say I got this idea from a friend who drives in Formula One. You know if he likes it, it’s mega. It will hug every curve of your beautiful body. Not better than I can, but you get the idea.”
“Fuck me. This is sex on wheels. How do you not get off while driving it?”
“Who says that’s a thing, my love?”
My love? Oh, Jesus. I’m glad I’m sitting down, because if I wasn’t, I’d have collapsed to the concrete. Is there anything bigger than a pterodactyl? There has to be, because I feel it. “Drive. Drive fast.”
“Like a thrill do you? Consider that noted.” He slides his aviators back down as the engine literally roars to life. I can feel the vibrations of the car everywhere…especially there.
We pull from the underground garage and are met with flashing cameras from the sidewalk. Four or five men with huge lenses, pointed in our direction, rush toward the car.
“Oh my God. Do you deal with that all the time? They can just be outside of your apartment?” I ask.
“It’s a public sidewalk,” he sighs, carefully turning out onto the street then pressing the gas, sending us roaring toward our destination.
“That’s just… wow.” I shake my head and exhale, trying to put it out of my mind and enjoy the ride.
The city turns into the edge of the countryside. Everything is so beautiful and feels old in the best way.
“I feel as if I’m in the middle of a historical novel, like if I touch a standing stone I’ll disappear.”
Griffin’s eyes are glued to the road as a small smile spreads across his face. “Don’t do that. I’d miss you too much.”
He’d miss me?
I turn my head so I’m looking out my window. I don’t want him to see what those words have done. I feel like I could cry. I don’t understand how it affected me so quickly. The truth of the matter is, I’ll miss him too. He bulldozed his way into my life then the bull turned into this amazing man. I’ve never known anyone quite like him. Even with all these extraordinary circumstances around us, being with him is one of the most real things I’ve ever experienced.
“Hey.” His strong hand rests over the top of mine, folded in my lap. “Are you all right?”
“Mmmhmm. Yeah. Just a moment of wow, I’m here.”
He regards me for a second, like he doesn’t really believe me, but instead of pushing, he squeezes my hand and changes the subject. “You’ve never been here, have you?”
I shake my head. “Never, but I’ve always wanted to. I expect the full, tourist treatment from you, okay? I want to do all the silly things the locals hate about foreigners.”
“Like what?”
“I want fish and chips. I want to see the London Eye and visit Tower Bridge. I want to see the palace and maybe even visit the Harry Potter Studio.”
“My God.” He chuckles. “You really are a tourist.”
“I have a feeling you’ll still claim me. And anyway, lots of public places for photo opportunities, right?”
I hear a deep sigh. “I hate you’re thinking like that.”
“I thought you might be proud of me for finally accepting it so well. It only took me less than a month.”
“I didn’t get a chance to bring it up, but the article from the interview is out.”
“Oh God. Tell me.”
“Kaitlyn, it was fantastic.”
“Stop,” I say in genuine surprise.
“I’m serious. Tobias even agreed. I think if we do one strategic outing here, that should be enough. I don’t want you to extend yourself for this more than you already have.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m extending myself…”
“I would. I know this isn’t easy on you, especially after seeing the screenshots Mika sent.”
“I mean, you’re right, that was like a punch in the face, but now I know the extent of it, and can try to better prepare myself for it.” I reach over and scratch at his stubbly cheek with my nails. “No more work talk for now. Show me what this car can really do.”
I’m running on pure adrenaline when we finally roll to a stop outside of his mother’s home. I’m not sure which speed we topped out at, but I felt like the G-forces were gluing me to my seat. It was a rush. I can’t wait to do it again.
“Shit,” I say, “I didn’t bring her a gift. Why didn’t I think about that?”
Griffin’s hand reaches down for me inside the car. “You are the gift, Kaitlyn.”
The moment my hand slides into his, a warmth rushes through my body along with a true sense of calm. The only things I can hear are the birds, the breeze, and the breath between us. “Honestly, the feeling is mutual.”
Once on my feet, I raise to my toes to place a soft kiss on Griffin’s lips. “Griffy!”
I hear a warm voice holler from the house. When I look up, the door is wide open and a beautiful older woman with long flowing black hair, in a pale gray dress with bare feet, comes striding down the path toward us.
“Mum!” he says excitedly and he releases my hand to go to her. I watch them happily. There’s just something about a man who loves his mom. It’s one of the most attractive things in the world.
“I’ve missed you,” she says as she wraps him up in a hug. He’s much taller than her so he bends pretty far to accompany her.
“I’ve missed you too.” He kisses her cheek then turns to me; arm extended for me to take his hand. “Mum, this is Kaitlyn Logan. Kaitlyn, this is my mother, Bianca Conforti.”
I slide my hand into his and step forward. “It’s so nice to meet you, Ms. Conforti.”
“Oh, please,” she replies, coming toward me with open arms. “Call me Bianca.” She hugs me, really hugs me, and I melt into it. She exudes the mom aura I’ve missed for so long. “Oh, Griffy. You said she was beautiful, but those pictures didn’t do her justice. I’d say you might be out of her league.”
He chuckles. “Nice, Mum. Your gardens look amazing.”
“The weather has been perfect for my green thumb. Enough about me. I hope you both brought your appetites. I was too excited at the thought of cooking for more than just me.”
“I hope you didn’t go to a lot of trouble,” I say.
“Darling, it’s not every day my son brings a lady home. There’s no trouble to be had here unless you’ve brought it.”
She wraps her arm around my shoulders while she takes Griffin’s hand at her other side. The feeling I have right now is nearly the same feeling I get when I go home to see my father, but now it’s mixed with regret.
She’s so happy he’s finally bringing someone home, and it’s a sham. I never expected to feel as guilty about this as I do, but when he looks over at me and gives me that signature grin, those dimples I get to call mine for a few more days make it somehow worth it.
I think.
Bianca wasn’t kidding when she said we needed appetites. I think she prepared enough food to feed a small army.
“Mum, don’t you think you went a little overboard?” Griffin asks as he pulls out my chair.
“I’m Italian, Griffy. You know our love language is carbs.”
“You’re a woman after my own heart,” I tell her. “I could be wooed with only carbs.”
“That explains why our first date was such a hit,” Griffin replies as he sits next to me.
Memories of that night flood my mind. I know it was for show, but it was honestly one of the best first dates I’d ever been on. Even if that date had big air quotes around it.
“Oh yeah? Where did you take her?”
I answer for him, “The most adorable, little Italian place in New York City. He filled me full of pasta and wine.”
“Is that the night of the kiss?” his mother asks with an arched brow.
“Um, what are you talking about?” Griffin responds, confused.
I look between them and shake my head. I have no idea what she’s referring to.
“Oh, Griffy, you know I keep tabs on you online, even though I shouldn’t, and I saw all the pictures of you two kissing outside of a restaurant. It looked so romantic and passionate. It made the hopeless romantic in me swoon.”
Our first kiss.
My heart races at the memory.
“Is there any part of our relationship that is private?” I ask her.
“I’m certain there is amore.” Bianca pats my hand. “The kiss was the most passionate thing I’ve seen. I’m sure there are things a mother shouldn’t or wouldn’t want to see or know about.”
“Mum! For fuck’s sake.”
“You act like I’m a prude, no? You should know better than that. I’m just glad she’s lovely, she’s smart, and she’s finally the only one.”
Jesus. I feel so guilty. This mother is so happy I’m with her son. It’s a lie. All of it is a lie. I look up at Griffin with a real pain flowing through my body. I’ve known this woman for all of three minutes and there’s an instant connection. I don’t know if I can do what we need to do. It was hard to do with my father. This feels worse somehow.
“Griffin?” I ask. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Is everything all right?” he asks in genuine concern.
Bianca rises to her feet. “I need to check on the cake anyway. You two chat. I’ll be right back.”
She even looks like she glides when she walks. This woman is a literal angel.
“What’s the matter?” he asks, turning in his chair to face me and take my hand.
I immediately shake my head. “I can’t do this. I can’t lie to her.”
“Whoa, where is this coming from?” He cups my cheek lovingly.
“She’s so happy for you. It’s like she’s been waiting for you to be with someone real for so long. I can’t lie to her face. Everything in my heart is screaming at me for doing this to her.”
“Kaitlyn…”
“No. I mean it. Griffin, listen to her. She’s humming in the kitchen.”
“She always does that.” He places his strong hands gently over my cheeks. “It means that much to you?”
“It really does. The tone of her voice, her sense of humor. She reminds me of my own mother. Please?”