Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77516 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77516 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
His fingers lightly moved my dress up, like he could feel my thoughts, my energy. They moved high enough until he felt the lace of my panties, his large and callused hands taking up my entire thigh.
I almost parted my knees and let him raise the dress higher.
The car stopped outside the restaurant.
Deacon gave me a final look before he pulled his hand away and got out of the car.
I recognized it because we’d come here before, when he thanked me for bringing Derek out for his birthday. The food was delicious, and Deacon must have liked it too and wanted to introduce his mother to it.
When we got out of the car, he circled his arm around my waist.
I knew I should pull it off, but I couldn’t. It felt too right.
He opened the door for me, and we walked inside.
His mother was sitting alone at the table, enjoying a glass of white wine.
When we approached the table, she beamed at the sight of her son and got to her feet, her arms raised. “My son.” She hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek. “You look so handsome in that shirt.” She gave his arms a squeeze. “So strong.” She dropped her affection then turned to me. “Hey, Cleo. So nice to see you.” She gave me a one-armed hug, affectionate but nowhere near Deacon’s ballpark. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you, Margo.”
Deacon pulled out the chair for me.
I sat down and felt him push me in.
Then he sat beside me, right across from his mother.
“I didn’t realize you were coming,” Margo said. “What a nice surprise.”
Deacon grabbed the wine list and turned to me. “A bottle?”
“Sure,” I answered.
The waitress came to our table—and I recognized her right away.
It was Tess.
Her eyes went to Deacon, like she hadn’t forgotten about him. “Nice to see you again.”
He stared at her blankly, like he couldn’t figure out how they knew each other.
She turned to Margo. “Is this your mother?”
“Yes,” Deacon answered. “I thought she would enjoy this place.”
“That’s sweet,” she said. “Momma’s boy…I like it.”
I tried not to glare at her. I was annoyed with her behavior last time, but now that Deacon was my man, I was even more annoyed than before. She’d left her number, and he didn’t call—get the hint.
“What can I get started for you?” she asked.
“A bottle of wine for the table,” Deacon said. “White. Whatever you recommend.” He handed over the menu.
“I think I want an appetizer,” Margo said, looking at Deacon.
“Whatever you’d like,” he said.
“Let’s do the gnocchi,” Margo said.
“That’s what I got last time we came here,” I said. “And it’s soooo good.”
“Perfect,” Margo said. “We have the same good taste.”
Tess left to retrieve the drinks.
I looked at her ass as she walked away, which was nice and perky, but Deacon was pretty happy with mine so she didn’t stand a chance.
“You two come here a lot?” Margo asked before she drank from her glass.
“We came here a few months ago,” Deacon said. “I had this…work thing…and I wanted to take Cleo out as a thank you.”
“Aww,” she said. “That’s sweet, Deacon.”
She had no idea how sweet this man could be.
“But I brought her here with me tonight for another reason,” Deacon said.
“Oh?” Margo asked, her eyes flicking back and forth between us. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense…”
Deacon held her gaze as he took a pause. “We’ve been seeing each other for a while…and it’s pretty serious.”
I liked hearing him describe our relationship that way, like it wasn’t a short-term fling that was delicate and vulnerable. It was strong, invincible.
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh my god…”
I smiled but felt my cheeks turn bright red, and I hadn’t even gotten a glass of wine yet.
“Oh, that’s so wonderful.” Her hands came together against her chest, and she practically swooned. “I thought I saw something between you two…” She tapped her finger against one side of her nose. “A mother always knows.”
Deacon was a little tense with her like he was with everyone else. When it was just the two of us behind closed doors, he was practically transparent. He wore his thoughts on his face, spoke his mind, and shared a few smiles. But even with his own family, he was a little uneasy.
It was a great compliment.
“I’m so happy for you, dear.” She reached across the table and gave his hand a squeeze.
“Thank you, Mom.” He squeezed hers back, and just to make a point, he looked at me like he was saying, “I told you so.”
“After all that stuff with Valerie, I was worried you would give up. Thankfully, you found a very lovely girl.” She looked at me and smiled.
“Thanks, Margo,” I said quietly.
“So, how long has this been going on?” she asked.
Deacon was quiet as he considered the question. “Since it became romantic…six weeks. But since everything really started…six months.”