AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sorry, what were you saying.”
I hear Nico chuckle. He heard my mother. “There’s a woman at the front gate demanding to see you.” He mumbles, “She seems kind of pissed.”
“Really? What’s her name?”
“Amanda Tremaine.”
Mom’s eyes light up. She leans forward and speaks into the phone. “Send her right down, Nico.”
You have to be kidding me. What are the chances of this happening?
Mom claps her hands together. “I didn’t know she was coming.”
“Neither did I. She shouldn’t be here.”
“Why not? She’s your girlfriend.”
“Umm…she hasn’t met Andie.”
“It’s been a few months. It sounds like it’s time. I’m so excited.” She’s practically jumping up and down.
“Mom, wait here. Let me go outside and greet her.”
“Of course.”
There’s zero chance of her listening to me.
I practically sprint out the front door as a car pulls up my large, circular driveaway. It stops and Amanda steps out.
It’s the first time I’ve seen her since the night we met years ago. I swear I feel my heart beat harder and faster. She’s in tight, torn jeans and a paint-covered T-shirt, her hair is in a messy bun, and she doesn’t have on an ounce of makeup. Shemay be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.
But this beautiful woman looks mad. Really. Fucking. Mad.
I walk right up to her and quietly say, “Amanda Tremaine. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
Her eyes narrow and she points her finger at me. She’s so adorable. “I just found out you’ve been buying my paintings. You’ve got a lot of nerve. I don’t want or need your money. I’m not a charity case.”
Shit. I was supposed to remain anonymous. Damn gallery.
Naturally, at that moment, Mom decides to come outside. I whisper to Amanda, “Please go with what I’m about to do. I beg you. I’ll make it worth your while. Anything. I promise.”
She places her hands on her hips. “Are you for real right now? I’ve definitely heard you utter those words before.”
“And I meant them back then. I bought your paintings. I did, in fact, make it worth your while.”
“You motherfu—”
I silence her by grabbing her face and kissing her lips. It’s not deep since my mother is standing thirty feet away, but it’s enough to stop her mouth from moving. And she doesn’t fight it, so that’s good. In fact, I think I hear her moan into my mouth, but it’s hard to hear anything over my mother’s squeals of joy.
Amanda’s lips are soft. She still somehow smells and tastes like cherries. Since the night we met, I’m obsessed with all things cherry.
I pull away and whisper, “Just go with it. Pretendlike we’ve been dating for a while. I swear I’ll do whatever you want.”
She blinks a few times before tilting her gorgeous head to the side. “Anything?”
“Anything.”
I grab her left hand. I don’t need Mom seeing her wedding rings, though I don’t seem to feel any. She must not wear them when she paints. Judging by her appearance, she was definitely painting today.
