Being pissed off, I suppose, is the best way to be when I’m about to face my mother. Because it means I won’t let her walk all over me like she does on too many occasions to count. She’s my mom and I spend more time biting my lip to keep my words back than I do actually talking to her. Why? Well you see, I’m not the perfect daughter. I don’t like to sit and chat books with her and her friends over tea and sandwiches. Heaven forbid, I bring up the kind of books I like to read. I’m sure they’d all choke on their tea if I mentioned, Christian Grey from the Fifty Shades trilogy. In fact, on one occasion when I was annoyed with her for interfering with my life again, I’d purposely gone out and bought paperbacks with the most risqué covers I could find and minutes before her friends were due to arrive, I’d gone around and laid them out where they would be found. A childish thing to do, but it was worth it to see the look on her face.
I’ve never been good enough for her. As a child growing up I’d prefer the jeans my dad would buy me instead of the lacy and frilly dresses my mother would buy. Or I’d prefer to be up a tree, instead of standing beneath, or the time the son of one of my dad’s friends had shown up on a bike. I’d gone off on the back with him and ended up covered in mud because the heavens had opened and soaked us and there’d been no mudguard on the bike. I’d loved it of course, but as usual my mom had been disappointed in me. She couldn’t understand why I’d act like a boy instead of a delicate young lady. Delicate my ass. Apparently my marriage prospect was going down beyond belief because of my wild ways.
Well, I guess we are about to see what she thinks about Lucien, who I’m not too sure about at the moment. He told me we were going to get married, but I’d agreed to be engaged for now. The only thing is, he hasn’t mentioned anything about it since the hospital. So who knows what’s going through that head of his. I wish I knew though so I could help rid him of his dark thoughts.
Realizing I’ve been lost in thought for most of the journey, I pull myself back into the present as Lucien pulls into a parking space directly outside my mother’s building. I’d lived here for a month or two when we first arrived back in Lexington, which drove me crazy. Needless to say I’d moved out as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
Climbing out of the car, Lucien runs around and gets my door. This time I climb out myself, as his hand wasn’t offered. Closing the door, he still isn’t really looking at me so when he takes my elbow I yank it free. I just catch his startled expression from the corner of my eye before the mask is back in place.
We walk into the building in silence and greet the doorman, who shows us to the elevator. Once inside, I press the button for the seventh floor and stand on the opposite side of Lucien. His dark looks have started to get to me. I’m already on a short fuse because of what I’m about to say to my mother, but having Lucien be like he is, when he’s promised to be there for me with her has me worried.
My mom will take one look at us together and see the tension that has sprung up between us.
As the elevator takes us slowly up to my mother’s floor, my anger flares to life and I can’t hold it in any longer. Turning to Lucien, I ask, “What the fuck is going on? And don’t you dare say nothing.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Are you for real?” I wave my hand between us. “You’ve been in a snit since you made love to me and I want to know what changed. What happened?”
He gives me a dark look before running his fingers through his hair. “It isn’t you. It’s me. You knew going into this with me that it wasn’t going to be easy.” He looks away. “Let’s get this over with so we can go and actually celebrate with my family.”
“Not sure I feel like celebrating,” I mumble under my breath as I exit the elevator and lead Lucien to my mother’s apartment.
After I press the buzzer announcing our arrival—an arrival she’ll be expecting since the doorman will have informed her I was on my way up with a strange man—Lucien takes hold of my face, turns me to look at him and seals his lips over mine.
I’m so stunned at this unexpected move that my mouth opens allowing him entry. His tongue dances with mine as I moan and wrap my arms around his neck, bringing us flush with the other. He turns me inside out with his touch and I know when he’s holding me tight in his arms like he is now, with his mouth devouring mine, and his hands on my bottom that I have his undivided attention. I just wish it lasted longer than the kissing and touching.
“Well really, Sabrina.”
My instinct on hearing my mother’s voice is to pull away from Lucien, but he doesn’t allow me to as he slows our kiss down. He eventually leaves my lips, smiles down at me and kisses me again before letting me turn to face my mom.
With his arm around my waist, he smiles the way that makes my heart melt as he greets my mom. “Mrs Walker. How are you? I’m Lucien McKenzie.” He is so smooth. I watch in disbelief as my mom melts before my eyes. Well that’s a first!
“Come in.”
Mom opens the door wide for us to enter and frowns as I walk past her.
“Please call me Dorothy,” she tells Lucien without missing a beat, “and would you like some refreshment? I’m sure Sabrina wouldn’t mind finding you something.”
God, we’ve been here a minute and she’s pissed me off already. That’s a new record.
“Sabrina isn’t going to find me anything.” Lucien takes my jacket and keeping hold of it, ushers me onto the sofa before sitting beside me with my jacket draped over his thighs. “I know you’ve met some of my family, and for whatever reason I wasn’t present, but we’re here to let you know that I’ve asked Sabrina to marry me and she’s accepted.”