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“I know I’ve said this a dozen times already, but I can’t tell you how disappointed your father and I are that we’re not going to get to meet Leo this trip like we thought we would,” Peyton’s mother, Tawny, said as the three of them sat at a table at her parents’ favorite restaurant, waiting for their entrees to be served.
“I know, Mom, and I’m really sorry,” Peyton replied, for the same dozenth time since arriving home last night. “His company keeps him—”
“Very busy,” Tawny finished for her, because they’d had this conversation a dozen times and her mother knew Peyton’s standard response. “So you’ve said, but surely he’d realize how important this trip was to you, and how much we were looking forward to meeting the man in our daughter’s life after he’s been dating her for the past nine months.”
“Tawny, honey,” Peyton’s father, Carson, placated his wife gently. “How about we just enjoy dinner tonight and be happy that we get to spend the next week with our girl. She can’t control her boyfriend’s work schedule.”
Peyton appreciated her dad coming to her defense, but his understanding also increased her unease because there wasn’t a boyfriend, and clearly Leo wasn’t going to magically appear to appease her mother’s growing doubts. She’d pleaded her case to Leo last night, put the ball in his court, and hadn’t heard from him since. No text, no phone call, nothing. Twenty-four hours later, and she was pretty sure he’d gone home last night, replayed their conversation in his mind, and decided he didn’t need her kind of crazy in his life.
Never mind that he’d taken her mouth like it was made solely for his pleasure. Deeply. Thoroughly. With the slow stroke of his tongue along hers and firm lips that promised to take her body places it had never been before. The man knew how to kiss a woman to make her forget every thought in her head, except for the need thrumming through her veins and the pulsing heat between her legs that hadn’t felt a man’s touch in way too long—and wanted Leo to be the one to assuage the ache.
She shifted in her seat at the arousing thought just as their waiter arrived at their table with their meals. Italian was on the menu tonight, and he served her the baked ziti, her mother a large portion of lasagna, and her father the grilled chicken covered in marinara sauce. Despite the delicious, savory scent of their dinners, Peyton’s appetite had vanished in the wake of her mother’s questioning, and in its place, a heavier cloak of guilt was starting to take hold and weigh heavily on her conscience.
She took a few small bites of her ziti, then absently pushed the noodles around on her plate, wondering what had made her believe she’d be able to convince someone like Leo to agree to the pretense of being in an intimate, long-term relationship with her for the sole purpose of keeping her parents happy? Then again, she’d created the elaborate charade, and it was her problem to deal with and not his issue to fix for her.
“Peyty,” her mother said after at least five quiet minutes had passed, her voice filled with concern as she set her fork down, while her pale blue eyes searched her daughter’s face much too intently. “I’m starting to worry about you,” she said, clearly sensing Peyton’s subdued mood. “Did something happen between you and Leo? Did you get in a fight or break up? Is that really the reason he’s not here?”
Startled by her mother’s perceptive question, Peyton did her best not to react in a way that would confirm her suspicions. No, it wasn’t as though they’d gotten into a fight or broken up . . . Leo, her boyfriend, just didn’t exist. “Why do you ask that?”
Tawny paused for a moment, and one of those brief, conspiratorial looks passed between her parents before her mother spoke again. “Because you’re usually so upbeat when you talk about Leo on the phone, but this afternoon, and even now, it’s as though you’re forcing yourself to make excuses for him not being here. If something happened, you can tell us. You don’t have to pretend everything is okay between the two of you if it’s not.”
From across the table, Peyton’s father was watching her just as expectantly, which told her that her parents had discussed the possibility of a split or trouble in paradise because they’d sensed something was off. Both of them were waiting for her to answer, and a part of Peyton felt defeated. Really, how long would she be able to continue this farce without giving her parents some kind of solid, physical proof that she was in a relationship?
She figured she’d had a good nine-month run with pretend Leo, so maybe she just needed to get it out in the open that the two of them had broken up and be done with it. Which meant she’d have to deal with the disappointment and worry from both her parents and her mom continuously asking her if she was going to be okay, because God forbid she was going to be alone again in New York. Ugh.
Peyton glanced at her dad’s face. Despite recently going through a quadruple bypass, he looked healthy and fully recovered. And she didn’t need to tell them about losing her job, too. Not until she found a new one, at least. If she had to listen to her mother fuss over her for the next week because Tawny believed her daughter was heartbroken, then Peyton would suck it up and deal.
She inhaled a deep breath, gathered her fortitude, and decided it was time to come clean. “About Leo . . . ”
“He’s here!” her mother announced, a tinge of excitement elevating her voice as her gaze focused behind Peyton, toward the entrance to the restaurant.
Peyton frowned in confusion, certain she’d misheard her mother, because there was no possible way that Leo was here, at the restaurant, when she hadn’t even spoken to him to let him know where she was. “What? Who’s here?”
“Your Leo,” Tawny explained, her entire face lighting up with delight. “I’m pretty sure it’s him. He looks just as handsome as he does in the pictures you’ve shown us. I think he’s looking for you.” Her mother lifted her hand and waved enthusiastically to get the man’s attention.
Still not convinced, Peyton glanced over her shoulder. Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight of Leo Stone making his way toward their table in his sexy leather jacket and a pleased-with-himself smile curving his lips. He was carrying a cellophane-wrapped floral bouquet in one of his hands, and she had to tip her head back to look up at him as he stopped beside her chair.
“Hey, Pixie,” he said affectionately as he tucked two fingers beneath her chin to push her mouth closed since it was currently gaped open in shock. Then he leaned down and pressed his warm, firm lips to hers as if he had every right to kiss them because she belonged to him.
“Surprise,” he murmured, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he straightened again to address her parents.
“It’s a wonderful surprise,” her mother agreed, clearly thrilled with this turn of events.
Peyton couldn’t think, let alone speak when her mind was spinning and trying to make sense of what was happening considering she hadn’t heard from him after last night’s dinner. All she could do was watch as Leo stepped toward her mother and bestowed a charming smile on Tawny that flashed his swoon-worthy dimple.
“You must be Mrs. Bishop. These are for you,” he said amicably as he handed her
the colorful bouquet. “You’re even more beautiful than the pictures I’ve seen of you.”
“Thank you. The flowers are lovely,” her mother said, blushing like a schoolgirl and completely won over by Leo’s compliment and good manners. “We aren’t formal people, so please call me Tawny, and this is Peyton’s father, Carson.”
Leo reached out and shook her dad’s hand in a firm grip. “It’s nice to finally meet you, sir.”
“Same here, Leo,” her father said with an approving nod. “Have a seat and join us for dinner.”
Leo settled into the chair next to Peyton. “I ate earlier during my layover so I’m all good,” he said, making it sound as though he’d flown to California today and had just recently arrived.
Dumbfounded, Peyton couldn’t stop staring at him . . . This was all so unexpected, and a hundred different questions were running through her mind.
