Stubborn. Rowan started to move by him towards the en suite bathroom. He wrapped his fingers around her upper arm, stopping her from leaving.
“Why?”
Rowan blew out a weary breath. “I have a date. Now please leave my room and feel free to remember the common etiquette of not entering a person’s private space without an invitation. Spoiler—you won’t be getting one.” Hugh pulled her back until her front was plastered to his. He looked furious. Good. She was furious.
“Who are you dating?”
“None of your business. It’s never been your business. You made sure of that, Hugh,” Rowan added. Knowing the dig would land.
It did, but he shook it off in record time. “It is my goddamn business. Who is it?” he demanded again.
“William Stanton. Diana Gaine’s nephew.” Rowan felt a moment of intense satisfaction at Hugh’s shocked face.
“No. You’re lying.”
“I don’t need to lie, Hugh. Christ! You’ve been running away from me in an embarrassing sprint for months. Why would you think I wouldn’t seek a relationship with a man who isn’t embarrassed to claim me?” Rowan demanded.
“A relationship?” Hugh roared.
Rowan yelped as Hugh spun her around, pressing her back against the wall next to the door. Leaning in close to her ear, he whispered, “And do you touch yourself at night thinking aboutWilliam?”
The inference was clear—did she touch herself the way she’d touched herself thinking about Hugh. Rowan was furious. This!Thisbehavior after a million rejections! She looked at his clenched jaw and furious eyes and stood on her tiptoes until he moved closer. Whispering in his ear, she lied.
“I don’t need to use my own hand. Will knows how to use his just fine.” She shoved his chest then, catching him off guard. He took two steps back and she ran to her bathroom and locked the door behind her.
12
After his confrontation with Rowan, he’d stormed down his mom’s hallway intent on heading to his own place before he busted Rowan’s bathroom door down. His mother had been sipping coffee in the kitchen, her soft silver curls wrapped in in a silk scarf and a matching robe cinched about her waist. It had been apparent to Hugh from the look on his mother’s face, that she’d heard the argument.
“You’re breaking into my home early today. Did you and Rowan have a nice chat?”
Great, Hugh thought, he’d pissed his mom off too. Quite a morning he was having. “I didn’t break in. You gave me a key card years ago.”
“My mistake, obviously.”
Hugh wasn’t sure if the mistake was not remembering or giving him a card in the first place. He chose option one. “No problem.”
She clenched her jaw before having to release the pressure to take a sip of her coffee. “Do you know that last night I got Rowan to consider hearing you out at some point?”
“I didn’t know that, no.” Hugh was not enjoying this talk.
“I wonder if she’ll still consider it after you barged into her bedroom at seven o’clock in the damn morning?” Mom shook her head in irritation. “Get out of your way, Hugh. You are your own worst enemy in this. Go home, Son. You both need to cool off and have cooler heads before you see each other again.”
“She has a fucking date tonight. Am I supposed to just relax and watch some TV while another man…when...” Hugh couldn’t even finish the thought.
“I heard her tell you she’s seeing William Stanton. His father, Owen, Diana’s brother, will be with William. We are going to the event together tonight. So, I doubt if there will be a lot of…bedroom things going on,” his mom finally choked out, blushing.
Ignoring that his mother utteredbedroom thingsin his presence, he zeroed in on what she’d glossed over.
“Are you dating Owen Stanton?” Hugh refused to flinch at the thought of his mother seeing a man who wasn’t his father. His father was no longer here. It’s only that Hugh hadn’t considered…hadn’t pictured his mother moving on. It was selfish, but the young boy still lurking inside Hugh’s grown body felt crushed on his father’s account.
His father would beat his ass for having such uncharitable thoughts.
Mom blushed. He should have stayed in bed this morning—except he wouldn’t have seen Rowan’s tattoo. He wanted to laugh all over again.Kiss my ass, Hugh.My God, that woman surprised him in a thousand different ways.
“I am not dating Owen or anyone else, young man,” Mom finally answered. Offended and rightly so.
Sighing, Hugh forced himself to say, “I wouldn’t mind if you were, Mom. I only asked because you never said anything before.” Oh, God. Was that moisture in her eyes? This was escalating.
