Chapter 2 #2
I nod. “Yes, like he could be on one of those shiny magazine covers. He is as tall and broad as my father, but his face is both smooth and has these hard lines. A perfect nose and all that. He was very symmetrical.”
“Symmetrical!” Bonte falls into another fit of laughter.
“I only mean it’s clear he is not for our world. He’s got deep green eyes, and his hair is brown but with a bit of blond too. His suit made him appear as though he should be working on Wall Street or a fancy lawyer.” Clean cut.
“Like he works in finance with a trust fund, 6’5”, blue eyes.”
“Green eyes,” I correct her. I just said that. “I would guess his height to be that, but I was on the stairs, so with the angle, I could be off. I don’t know about trust funds. I suppose. I think most families of such wealth have them.” We all do.
“It was a joke.” She waves me off. “It’s a song. This is all so interesting to me.”
“I agree.” I give the kitty a few more scratches. “Eros, he’s with Mac at the main warehouse?”
“Yeah, he left about an hour ago. He said he’s got a surprise for me later. Even picked out an outfit.”
“He picked it out for you?” She nods. Why do I find that alluring?
“I should probably go. I need to handle a few things, and then family dinner.”
Bonte pops up and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
If it were anyone else besides my mom or dad, they would probably catch an elbow for invading my personal space, but Bonte is the exception.
I head out to touch base with Mac and Eros.
The three of us have always been close. I want to fill them in on the new developments of my dad’s meeting.
I realize my mistake when they start asking me a million questions I don’t have answers for, so I abort and go back home and start pulling up everything that Mac had already dug up on Paxton and start to go through it more thoroughly.
I get so engrossed in it that I almost miss dinner, but Mom comes and drags me downstairs.
“You okay?” my father asks me after dinner. I nod.
“Still thinking about things.” I’m going in circles here. I am not normally so indecisive. I make a choice and move forward. I should do that in this situation as well.
Everyone is mingling in the living room area, and a few people have already left. My little brothers have taken off too.
I stand up and simply say it. That is what I always do when I make decisions. Once my mind is made up, I don’t waver, and I put the information out into the world.
“I’m getting married.” The room goes eerily quiet before half of it shouts, “What!” Most everyone has a shocked expression.
“What?” I ask. “You think I’m not marriage material?” It’s a little hurtful that they don’t think anyone would want to marry me. Thank God I don’t have normal people feelings or I would be devastated by their reactions. I’m not. Am I?
“It’s one thing to say maybe I’ll get married. You just said you are getting married,” my Aunt Cosima says. She is Eros’ mother, my father’s sister.
“I get to help plan it,” Nix announces. Nix is always down for anything that might be girly. I suppose a wedding falls into that. I’m sure she’s already conjuring up a million ways to try to torture me. Hair, nails, makeup. God help me.
“We don’t even know to whom!?” Bonte adds. I’m sure she’s piecing things from our earlier conversation together.
“It might be an arranged marriage,” I add because they might be right. No one would want to marry me without getting something in return. The thought hurts this time, but I push it down deep where those kinds of feelings belong.
“What year is it?” Nix asks. “That’s still a thing outside of romance books? But not to be crude.”
“Liar.” Jax, my cousin, interrupts Nix because she has no problem being crude, ever. She shoots her brother a death glare along with her middle finger and continues.
“But, Naomi, you know if you get married, you have to like kiss and have sex with them. Be affectionate… even cuddle sometimes.”
I have been thinking about those things. In fact, since I got back home and started going over the information on him and shuffling through more pictures, that is what’s been on my mind.
“I will not discuss such things,” I say curtly, letting everyone know I do not wish to go further in conversation about that.
“Are you blushing?” Nix asks. Am I? I don’t blush. That’s ridiculous.
“It’s warm in here, and can we not talk about these things right now? My father is here.” There, that should do it.
“Is War responsible for this?” Nix turns her ire onto my father. “And wait.” She points between Mac and Eros. “Why the hell are you two so quiet about this?”
“I think it’s time to head out,” Eros says, standing with Bonte in his arms. She’s been perched in his lap. The outfit he picked out for her is nice. It’s a skirt, but the pantyhose have a design.
Eros quickly gets out of here. Mac reaches up and grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. I need that because the room erupts once again.
“Enough!” The room goes dead silent. If my mom yells, everyone better listen. She doesn’t do it often. I could likely count the times on my fingers. “We are done with this for tonight.”
Mom grabs my hand, leading me out of the living room area and upstairs. She doesn’t stop or speak until we enter my bedroom.
“Do you want to talk about this, or do you need some time, honey?” Mom never pushes me; that’s probably why I feel so at ease with her. She doesn’t think I’m strange.
“Not tonight. It’s been a lot.” And I have more research I need to do.
“Okay, you know where to find me.” She pulls me in for a hug and kiss before turning to go.
“Mom,” I call out, and she stops at the door. “Am I pretty?”
“Of course you are. Why would you—” She cuts herself off. “They are all just shocked. It has nothing to do with how you look.”
“It’s not only that. He winked at me today, and I know it’s a small thing, but Bonte said he was probably flirting, and I don’t think anyone has ever flirted with me. No one has ever tried to date me.” Mac draws attention when we’re out, but I never have.
“That has nothing to do with your appearance, sweetheart. You are intimidating, and a lot of men can’t handle that.
That’s not your problem; it’s their insecurities.
But this one doesn’t seem intimidated by you.
He clearly walked into this house and said he wanted to marry you. I know it wasn’t your father’s idea.”
“It’s probably only because he needs something.” There’s a small part of me that wishes that weren’t true. A part I don’t understand.
“This man has really gotten you out of sorts.” Mom smiles when she says it. Like she knows something but is going to keep it to herself.
“I don’t like it.” That’s not entirely true. It’s different and intriguing.
“These things can be scary. I don’t care what anyone else says or the teasing; you have a heart, as does your father.
You just keep it tucked away, and one day you’ll find someone who will work to get there, and if they don’t, then they aren’t worthy.
Would you really want a man who wouldn’t put in the effort? ”
I shake my head no. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. I’m your mom. I always want you to talk to me about these things, and well, do you think I’m pretty?”
“Yes.” When I was younger, I would always think she was prettier than the princesses in all the movies.
“If you haven’t noticed, we could almost be twins. You’re looking at yourself in twenty years. I just have a lighter air about me. My clothes are frillier.”
“They are kind of odd.” She snorts a laugh. What? They are. She makes a lot of them herself, and everything has a million pockets. I never had to worry about where I was going to hide my weapons when I was growing up. I knew if my mom made it, there’d be secret pockets somewhere.
“I’m not going to tell you to smile because it makes people comfortable, but it can give an opening for men to try to hit on you.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Smile or be hit on?”
“Both.”
“I love you.” She cups my cheek. “You’re a beautiful girl, and that man I saw today isn’t hard on the eyes either.”
“He was pleasant to stare at,” I agree. She smiles at me.
“I’ll leave it to you to think this all over. Just remember, it’s your choice. Marriage is an important decision, and I want to make sure you’re comfortable in the one you make.” Mom heads back toward the door.
“Love you too, Mom.”
“I know, honey.”
The door closes with a click, and I drop down onto my bed.
What is your plan here, Paxton Monroe?
That is now my goal: to find out everything he might be up to. If this is some sort of game to him, toying with me and getting into my head, then he has no idea who he is trying to get into bed with.
I’ll cut out both of his eyes.