On a good day, she could avoid being tempted by the brownie. She could avoid being tempted by the salted caramel. But put them together and there would be carnage.
“Well, hello. I was just coming to introduce myself. You must be Avery. My son’s fiancée.”
Chapter Six
A very opened her eyes to find a smiling woman holding out a welcoming hand to her.
“Oh, um, yes, that’s me. Your son’s fiancée. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Cates.” But so very awkward. The woman looked a little too closely at her face as they shook hands.
Just then, Sijan poked his head out, his face crunching into a grimace when he saw her standing with his mother. “Oh, hey, Ma. What are you doing here?”
“Henry Lee was rushed in, and I came to sit with him while they track down Hawk. A possible hot appendix, but one of the nurses took him for a scan to confirm, so I thought I’d come up and meet your fiancée .” She looked questioningly at Sijan. “The one I didn’t know you had.”
“Damn it. I forgot how fast the Grapevine works. Ma, can we talk about this later?” His eyes cut a warning look over to Avery.
Pfft. Don’t waste your time, Mr. Movie Star. There was one slimy handful of worms still wriggling around in her all-too-clear memory that had to be accounted for.
“Oh, we’ll definitely talk about it later, Sijan.”
“Mrs. Cates, I wouldn’t worry about me if I were you.” Avery linked her elbow through Sijan’s. “This engagement has been pretty rocky from the start. I honestly think your son is going to wise up and break it off. Any day now.”
“Please, call me Cecelia.” Her head tilted as she looked at Avery a little closer. “You think so?”
“Definitely.” Avery nodded, blinking up adoringly at Sijan. “Isn’t that right, sugarhoneybritches?”
“Maybe even today,” Sijan ground out.
Cecelia moved her gaze between the two of them. “Interesting. I know my son pretty well, and he sure doesn’t look at you as if he wants to break up.”
“What?” Avery frowned and shot Sijan a warning glance. “Oh, that. No—that’s just the weird attraction thing. That’s going to fizzle out any day, and then he’ll see I’m just a sad, shallow woman.”
“Most sad, shallow women don’t realize they’re sad, shallow women.”
“Oh, well, we Hollywood types are always in therapy. It’s very popular, you know, getting in touch with your inner child. Knowing what color your chakra is. The best actors are the most twisted.”
“Then plan on earning an Oscar, because you’re bent like a pretzel,” Sijan said.
Cecelia’s gaze ping-ponged between the two of them. “You two should come to dinner. It sounds like it would be entertaining and enlightening. Why don’t—”
Sijan shook his head before his mother even stopped talking. “Oh, hell no, I don’t think so.” He leaned in and kissed his mother on the cheek. “We’re going to head down and visit Henry Lee. I’ll call you later and explain.”
“It was nice meeting you, Cecelia. You’ll thank Sijan later for dumping me.” Avery had to raise her voice a bit since Sijan was firmly guiding her toward the open doors of the elevator. “Seriously, I may be a red-hot habanero chili pepper in bed, but I give your son heartburn everywhere else. Bye!”
Before the doors to the elevator had slid shut, Sijan had her backed up against a side wall and was kissing her silent. And kissing her stupid. Wow, the man packed some sexy into his kiss. She would have oozed onto the elevator floor if his hard, muscular body hadn’t been pressing hers against the wall. When he withdrew his lips, her neck refused to do its job and her head bumped against the wall behind her. “Ouch.”
“I can’t believe you said that to my mother.” Sijan blazed his lips on a wicked path up her exposed neck.
“I didn’t mean to, but the look on your face egged me on. Now we’re even for your slimy trick at Lonnie’s.” She tilted her head farther to
“Well, hello. I was just coming to introduce myself. You must be Avery. My son’s fiancée.”
Chapter Six
A very opened her eyes to find a smiling woman holding out a welcoming hand to her.
“Oh, um, yes, that’s me. Your son’s fiancée. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Cates.” But so very awkward. The woman looked a little too closely at her face as they shook hands.
Just then, Sijan poked his head out, his face crunching into a grimace when he saw her standing with his mother. “Oh, hey, Ma. What are you doing here?”
“Henry Lee was rushed in, and I came to sit with him while they track down Hawk. A possible hot appendix, but one of the nurses took him for a scan to confirm, so I thought I’d come up and meet your fiancée .” She looked questioningly at Sijan. “The one I didn’t know you had.”
“Damn it. I forgot how fast the Grapevine works. Ma, can we talk about this later?” His eyes cut a warning look over to Avery.
Pfft. Don’t waste your time, Mr. Movie Star. There was one slimy handful of worms still wriggling around in her all-too-clear memory that had to be accounted for.
“Oh, we’ll definitely talk about it later, Sijan.”
“Mrs. Cates, I wouldn’t worry about me if I were you.” Avery linked her elbow through Sijan’s. “This engagement has been pretty rocky from the start. I honestly think your son is going to wise up and break it off. Any day now.”
“Please, call me Cecelia.” Her head tilted as she looked at Avery a little closer. “You think so?”
“Definitely.” Avery nodded, blinking up adoringly at Sijan. “Isn’t that right, sugarhoneybritches?”
“Maybe even today,” Sijan ground out.
Cecelia moved her gaze between the two of them. “Interesting. I know my son pretty well, and he sure doesn’t look at you as if he wants to break up.”
“What?” Avery frowned and shot Sijan a warning glance. “Oh, that. No—that’s just the weird attraction thing. That’s going to fizzle out any day, and then he’ll see I’m just a sad, shallow woman.”
“Most sad, shallow women don’t realize they’re sad, shallow women.”
“Oh, well, we Hollywood types are always in therapy. It’s very popular, you know, getting in touch with your inner child. Knowing what color your chakra is. The best actors are the most twisted.”
“Then plan on earning an Oscar, because you’re bent like a pretzel,” Sijan said.
Cecelia’s gaze ping-ponged between the two of them. “You two should come to dinner. It sounds like it would be entertaining and enlightening. Why don’t—”
Sijan shook his head before his mother even stopped talking. “Oh, hell no, I don’t think so.” He leaned in and kissed his mother on the cheek. “We’re going to head down and visit Henry Lee. I’ll call you later and explain.”
“It was nice meeting you, Cecelia. You’ll thank Sijan later for dumping me.” Avery had to raise her voice a bit since Sijan was firmly guiding her toward the open doors of the elevator. “Seriously, I may be a red-hot habanero chili pepper in bed, but I give your son heartburn everywhere else. Bye!”
Before the doors to the elevator had slid shut, Sijan had her backed up against a side wall and was kissing her silent. And kissing her stupid. Wow, the man packed some sexy into his kiss. She would have oozed onto the elevator floor if his hard, muscular body hadn’t been pressing hers against the wall. When he withdrew his lips, her neck refused to do its job and her head bumped against the wall behind her. “Ouch.”
“I can’t believe you said that to my mother.” Sijan blazed his lips on a wicked path up her exposed neck.
“I didn’t mean to, but the look on your face egged me on. Now we’re even for your slimy trick at Lonnie’s.” She tilted her head farther to
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