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“Honey…” I wet my lips and clear my throat “…buns … uh … surprise! My mom is here for Christmas.”
Mom holds her at arm’s length. “You’re so beautiful. I always knew my boy would find a beautiful woman.Finally!I’m getting grand babies.”
Oh no … fuck me. Did she really say that?
Serena doesn’t blink. Not once. Her gaze darts between Mom and me. A silent plea for an explanation.
“Sorry. Where are my manners? Mom, this is Serena. Serena, this is my mom, Martha.” I pray for points from Serena for saying her name correctly.
“Serena. What a beautiful name. I can’t believe Henry’s kept you a secret.”
Serena’s brows scrunch together when she shifts her attention to me.
“Well, we’re good at keeping secrets. Aren’t we, doll face?” I wink at her.
She’s going to kill me. My balls have already started their retreat to safety.
“So … good.” Serena finally manages two words.
“Well, get dressed.” Mom kisses her cheek. “I’ll change out of my travel clothes and start dinner.” Mom heads toward Emily’s old bedroom while Serena murders me with one look.
The bad kind of murder that involves slow torture.
“Give me a sec,” I manage to say past the tight grip of death around my neck. I’ve never seen someone go so long without blinking. She’s going to need some eyedrops. This house is rather dry in the winter.
By the time I deposit my mom’s belongings in Emily’s room, Serena is gone. The creaky stairs don’t allow me to sneak up on her, which makes her condition quite shocking.
She’s naked.
This is worth repeating. She’s. Naked.
Granted, her back is to me.
Granted, she’s in the process of stepping into a pair of polka dot underwear.
Granted, I should have asked if it was okay to come up here.
But …she had to have heard me.
“Why the look,boyfriend?” Serena shakes me from my thoughts.
I tear my gaze away from her body and focus on her eyes. “It’s not like I was planning on this. You knew I went to get my mom from the airport. Why the hell did you wait until the last minute to take a shower? A noisy shower at that. Jeez … could you have been any louder? What was I supposed to tell my mom?”
“It was the shampoo bottle. Then my conditioner. And I fell asleep after you left, so when I woke, I didn’t have much time. But I needed a shower.”
She’s speaking, but I’m too focused on her tits, taking a quick mental picture of them before she pulls a fluffy pink sweater over her wet head.
“Shower,” I mumble. “Got it.” While she steps into a pair of light blue jeans, I mosey toward the antique desk in front of the window. My attention shifts from the overcast December day to her desk littered with pens, highlighters, a keyboard, and an open notebook. “What is this?”
“It’s nothing. And it’s personal. And mine. So please give it back.” Serena reaches for the notebook when I snag it from her desk.
I turn in a slow circle, using my height and wingspan to keep her from taking it. She’s like a dog jumping for a toy being dangled just out of her reach. “Hermann Bechtel? Why is my great grandfather’s name in your notebook?”
She nabs it, but it’s too late to erase what I’ve seen. “Because …” She hugs the notebook while I inspect her, void of all trust. She’s a slippery creature. I thought I was the one in control … taking advantage of her mistake. Am I wrong?
“He built this house for my great grandmother,Afina.”
“Your …” My thoughts trip over themselves. “Are you a cousin or something? I hope not. I’ve had a few inappropriate thoughts that I would never have about a cousin. I don’t get it. My great grandmother’s name was Marian not Afina. What are you talking about?”
