“Such a gentleman,” I purred and winked.
“Yeah well, my ma’s probably watching through the window, and she’d have a hernia if I didn’t help a woman out of the car.”
I opened my eyes wide. “Your mother?”
He grinned and just as I was about to question him further, the front door opened and a petite woman with long black hair liberally mixed with silver, wearing a red ruffled apron, stood watching as he grabbed my hand.
Her dark gaze, exactly the same as her son’s, clocked the hand holding and she smiled wide. “Jonah, you brought a woman home for dinner. This is a great surprise, son.”
I nudged his shoulder and grinned.
“Ma, this is my friend, Simone. Simone, this is my mother, Loretta.”
“Your friend?” She squinted and assessed her son with a shrewd eye.
“Yeah, Ma, my friend.” Jonah ran the fingers not holding my hand through his hair making it messy sexy.
“What kind of friend?” She held her hand out toward me.
Before Jonah could answer, I did for him. “The kind who spent the entire day on a date with him, kissed him twice, and who he brought home to his mama,” I offered candidly.
“Fucking hell,” he growled, and I laughed.
Loretta smiled and held my hand and patted the top with her other one. “Aw, that kind of friend. I see. This makes me very happy. My boy needs a woman to look after. He’s happier when he has someone to take care of, and someone taking care of him in return.”
“Oh really?” I laughed. “Tell me more, Loretta. I’m all ears.” I smirked at Jonah.
“Come, come. I’ve got pasta and meatballs on the stove.” His mother waved.
My mouth watered at the visual. I gripped Jonah’s hand and followed his mother inside. “Come on, honey, let’s have dinner with your family,” I teased.
He tugged my hand so hard, I landed right against his side where he dipped his head straight to my ear. “You’re not at all bothered that I brought you home to meet my mother on the first date?”
“No. Why would I be? Moms always like me. What can I say? It’s a gift.” I shrugged.
His dark gaze traced my face and he lifted his hand and cupped my nape. Then he brought his lips to mine where he kissed me softly. “You’re not like any woman I’ve ever known.”
I smiled. “Thanks, baby. That’s sweet. The kiss is even sweeter, but my stomach is about to eat itself if I don’t get something inside of it and your mom is Italian. I’m counting on this being some really awesome spaghetti and meatballs, so can we get to the part where you get over how weirdly cool I am and feed me?”
He smashed our lips together in reply, touched his tongue with mine, and I instantly forgot how hungry I was, suddenly all about being hungry for more of Jonah.
“Kids!” I vaguely heard his mother call out from somewhere in the house. “Good Lord above,” his mother gasped from over my shoulder.
“Sorry, Ma. Try and make a little more noise when you approach next time,” he joked.
I started laughing and turned toward his mother, likely beet red. I hooked a thumb at Jonah. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help myself, but he started it. And have you seen him? You made the most beautiful man on earth, Loretta. I plain turn stupid when he puts his lips on mine.”
This had his mother beaming with what I assumed was pride. “No sorry needed. His father is the same.”
“Where is Dad?”
“Garage, tooling away on that old car.”
He smiled. “My father’s hobby is fixing up classic American vehicles.”
“Cool,” I said in awe. “Can we check it out?” Cars were great at getting you from point A to B. Though all the new shiny bling and curves kind of took the fun out of the deep rumbling engine and smooth edges of sculpted metal from eras past. If I had my pick, meaning the money to buy whatever I wanted, I’d totally buy a muscle car. I wanted to feel the rumble of a car underneath me as I drove. Be one with it. My old hand-me-down sedan definitely did not have that feel. Alas, another in the long list of things I loved but wasn’t sure I’d ever have, not to mention the car I did have had been stolen by my would-be captor.
“He’d love nothing more than to show you his baby…”
He was cut off when I heard a man’s voice from deeper in the house holler. “Loretta, woman, your man is wasting away in here!” A booming laugh could be heard from the other room. “What’s the hold up?” His dad then appeared in the living room from where I guessed was the kitchen.
It was like looking at Jonah thirty years from now. The same dark brown hair and facial features. Wisps of gray at his temple and curls around the sides of his ears. Still a full head of hair, thankfully. He stood tall, an inch or two over six feet. Similar build, though it was obvious that his dad partook of his mother’s cooking and didn’t hide it if the small rounded stomach was anything to go by. His eyes were a clear blue though.
“Son,” his dad called out. “Why didn’t you tell me Jonah was here already?” He stomped into the room and took Jonah into his arms and clapped him hard and loud on the back. Jonah sucked in a hiss. His father jerked back. “You hurt?”
“Yeah, Dad, bruised some ribs is all. You know how it is?”
“Oh, has your dad been shot before too?” I turned my gaze to him. “Are you in law enforcement?”
His dad’s face took in mine and then turned hard. I glanced at his mother and she paled. Shit.
“I’m fine. I was wearing the vest,” Jonah rushed to say.
His mother’s eyes filled with tears. “My son was shot. Why didn’t you call us? When did this happen? Oh, my Lord. Are you okay?”
I bit down on my bottom lip and crossed my arms over one another before I mouthed, “Sorry,” to Jonah. Always sticking my foot in it. Dammit, I need to keep my mouth shut.
“I’m well. I was working a case. It’s how I met Simone. How’s about we talk about it over dinner? What I can tell you anyway.”
That had me giving him big eyes and he shook his head. He knew what his family could handle hearing about his job. I was pretty sure the idea that he’d been shot by the Backseat Strangler wasn’t exactly going to make for polite dinner conversation, but what did I know. I was the outsider in the mix.
“Yes, come. Dinner’s ready.” His mother urged us with a wave. “Simone, would you like something to drink? Wine? Water. Pop?”
“A glass of wine would be heavenly. Thank you, Loretta. Is there anything I can do to help?”
She shook her head gracefully and I followed behind her into the kitchen. It was an average U-shaped kitchen with a six-seater dining table in the bit of open space. Cabinets occupied two of the walls with a door by the fridge that likely led to the garage.
Jonah led me to a seat next to him and we sat while his mother put a big bowl of cooked spaghetti, another big pot of sauce with a ladle, a platter of fresh garlic bread, and a bowl of salad all in the center.
“We eat family style. Feel free to serve yourself. Guests first,” Loretta said then poured two glasses of wine.
She moved to give her son one of them, but he shook his head. “No booze while I’ve got Simone on my watch.”
“On your watch?” His dad interlaced his fingers and set his chin on them staring at his son. “Explain. Now.”
For the next fifteen or so minutes Jonah updated them on some of what happened. Leaving out the part where he got shot three times, me once, and the loss of Katrina to the psycho. He did tell them who he was protecting me from and that he was off work for the next week to heal. His parents seemed thrilled that he would be on babysitting duty and not out there chasing after the serial killer.
“And when did the two of you decide to be a couple in all of this?” his mother blatantly asked.
Jonah choked on a piece of his bread and I chuckled while smacking his back.
“Ma, we are um…”
“Seeing each other?” I offered.
He let out a relieved bre
ath. “Seeing each other. Yeah, that.”
“What’s the difference?” She frowned.
“A lot, Ma, but that’s between me and Simone. Let’s just say it’s new and leave it at that, yeah?”
“Don’t get that tone with your mother, son. Mind your manners,” his dad chastised.
And I lost it. Snort-laughed and put my head down so I was looking at my lap as I tried desperately to control my laugher.
A warm arm sliced across my back and Jonah pressed his chin to my shoulder, and whispered, “Keep it up, baby. You’re gonna get it.”
I swallowed and cleared my throat, then reached for the glass of wine and taking a hefty sip, allowing it to warm my body from the inside out. Jonah watched me like a hawk. So much so that I turned my head and taunted, “Oh yeah, you gonna give it to me?”
He smirked. “Only if you’re good.”
Damn.
Check. Mate. He won.
Just as I was reaching for another hunk of supremely amazing garlic bread to sop up the rest of the sauce on my plate, lest it go to waste, someone rang the doorbell.
His father growled low in his throat clearly annoyed by being disturbed during dinner. I got that. It was annoying. Like when you’d just sat down to eat and the phone rang and it was a freakin’ telemarketer and not someone you could easily just tell, “Hey, I’ll call you right back when I’m done with dinner,” and they let you. No, you were stuck on the phone with someone who wanted to sell you a new warranty on your stove that you didn’t even know had a warranty in the first place.
Jonah stood and set his napkin on the table. “I’ll get it.”
“So, Simone, what do you do?” his mother asked.
“That’s a rather loaded question. It would be easier to ask what I don’t do.” I smiled. “Most of the time I bartend at Tracks downtown. I also work in my mom’s best friend’s flower shop a couple days a week, and I just recently as of two days quit my waitressing job.”
“That’s a lot of jobs. A hard worker. I like it,” his father complimented.
“Thanks. It’s not hard work except for the fact that it’s tiring and physical a lot of the time, but I’m almost done with school. I have one more class in order to get my associate degree in business. Then I hope that will help me get into an office management type position where I can make higher pay, secure healthcare benefits, and one day toss my old hand-me-down junker my sister gave me. Well, if I ever get it back.”
His dad, who I later found out was named Marco, pointed at me. “You work for what you get. This is admirable. It will mean more. When you get that degree, you come see me at our offices. We’re not a huge construction business, but me and my other son Luca run the jobs. We have about thirty men under us. Our office manager is leaving us in six months to have a baby. She wants to be an at-home mother raising her children. We’ll have an opening…”
“You just met me and you’re offering me the possibility of a job?” I pressed my hands to the table so they wouldn’t see them shaking with excitement.
“I like people who are hard working and driven. Willing to work three jobs in order to make something of themselves. That’s all I need to know about you. The rest being you came here with my son who wouldn’t bring a woman to his mother’s home if she didn’t mean something to him. And he’s a good judge of character, being a junior profiler in the FBI hunting down madmen. Doesn’t hurt you’re beautiful. Part of the job is dealing with people so that helps. You’re social and outgoing. We’ll have you meet Luca, do a walk around, learn about the job, get details from Lisa who’s leaving us, and see if you’d make a good fit.”
“Wow, this is so unexpected, and I…well, I don’t know what to say.” I covered my pounding heart with my hand.
“Say you’ll come check out the offices. Meet my men. Meet my other son.”
“Definitely. I’d love it. Um, we might have to wait a little bit but let me go ask Jonah.” I hopped up and out of my chair excitedly sprinting into the living room.
“Jonah, you’re never gonna guess what your dad just offered me!” I called out to his back. He flicked his gaze my way and held up a hand to ward me off.
He’d have to do a lot more than hold up a hand if he was going to get me to listen. I had news and he needed to be the first to hear it.
“You didn’t hear me!”
“Simone. Not now,” he grated through his teeth and then faced the doorway again. His entire body was stiff and wired to the point I thought he might jump at whoever was opposite him.
“Jonah, come on, this is ridiculous. Take the check!” I heard a high-pitched woman’s irritated voice screech.
“I don’t want your money, Helen. I don’t want anything from you, or from my brother.”
“Don’t be that way. It’s not his fault and you know it. Frankly, the fact that you are playing blameless in this is rich. Just like you to play the victim,” she sneered.
“It’s not me who fucked Luca. That was you.” He pointed and scowled as I pressed up close to his back, my hands curled around his biceps.
I didn’t speak but I could tell in the line of his body that he was angry and concealing that anger by being as passive as possible. He was hurting and whoever this woman was, she was the source.
I curled around his side, ducked my head under where he was holding the door jamb, and pressed my cheek to his pec. “Hey.” I waved to the tall brunette whose hair was cut at a severe line at her pointed chin. She was super thin, with an angular, pretty face. A little like Sandra Bullock from her Speed movie days. “I’m Simone.”
“Helen. Here.” She handed me an envelope, one I just accepted automatically, hoping it would make her leave.
“I can’t believe you came here. How could you?” Jonah groused.
“It’s Thursday, same night of the week you have dinner with your folks when you are in town. I took a shot.”
“I wish you hadn’t. Please leave and don’t ever come around again. It’s over in a way it’s never not going to be over.”
“Cash that check. Half of the money is yours. And, have a nice life, Jonah. I know I will without you,” she huffed snidely.
“Fuck you.” He spat the words as though he couldn’t get them off his tongue fast enough.
She made a pinched ugly face. “Nice. Real nice. Good luck with that one, Simone. You’re gonna need it.”
“Aw, thanks. I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got. You know, you should look into some Botox for those frown lines around your mouth.” I canted my head to the side and pursed my lips. “Nah, never mind. You’ll still be ugly. Don’t bother.” I let out a long breath. “Well this was fun, but I need to tell my man some really great news and you’re kinda putting a damper on my joy. Hope to see you never.” I curled my hands around Jonah’s hips and pushed until he let go of the doorjamb and backed into the house. I gave a jaunty wave before slamming the door.
“Guess what!” I pressed my hands together still holding the envelope. “Your dad offered me a job!”
Jonah looked at the door, then at my face, down to the envelope, and back up to me. “What?”
“Your dad said he needs a new office manager. I told your parents about being one class away from my associate’s degree and he practically offered me the job at his company!” I bounced up and down on my feet. “Honey, this is huge for me. Ginormous. Gargantuan.”
He shook his head as if to clear it. “Big news. Got it.” He pointed to the door. “Do you uh, have questions about what just happened with my ex-wife?”
The word wife had me clamping my mouth shut for a moment before I blurted, “That was your wife?”
“Ex-wife.”
“Huh. And she cheated on you with some dude named Luca.” I frowned for a moment as I put it all together. “Oh, hell no!” I covered my mouth in shock. Then my entire body got hot. Sweltering hot. Burning with rage. I clenched my hands together, my wounded one smarting a bit as it was just scabbing over, so it didn’t need more tha
n a couple bandages to cover it. I narrowed my eyes and reached for the door. I pulled it back so hard it jarred my shoulder which I barely felt.
Jonah looped me around the waist and pressed me back against his form, grunting in the process. “Where are you going?”
I shook out of his hold. “I’m going to start one helluva cat fight with that skank! She fucked your brother! She deserves to have her ass beat!” I roared and pushed myself further out the door.
Jonah hooked me more firmly around the waist and hauled me up and off my feet like he’d done at Navy Pier today bringing me right back inside. “Easy, tiger.”
I smacked at his arm. “Let me go. She’s gonna get away,” I argued. “That woman is the worst of the worst. Not only did she cheat, she broke every girl code known to mankind, not to mention her vows to her husband! Eww. She’s the scum on the bottom of your shoe. Now let me go rub her face in it!” I fought until Jonah whirled me around once more, locked his arm around my waist, and smashed his lips to mine.
Before I knew what was happening, I was opening my mouth and his tongue was delving inside. My anger quickly turned to lust and I gave what I got and then some. Turning my head from side to side, tunneling my fingers through his silky hair. One of his hands was cupped at the back of my head trying to keep control of the kiss, the other shifted from my waist to my ass.
Total ass man.
He gave a squeeze and I mewled into his mouth. Before it got too hot and heavy Jonah eased back, nipping at my top lip playfully and then sucking on my bottom one.
“You good?”
“Mmm.” I was in a Jonah kiss-daze, swimming in his dark eyes while my heartbeat settled to a more normal beat.
He chuckled. “You were pretty mad, baby. Seems my girl has a temper hiding under all that sweet.”
I pinched my lips together. “I don’t like your ex-wife.”
He huffed. “I’m getting that. Though I’ll say, that’s just fine since I don’t like her either.”
“You kids done?” Jonah’s father asked. “Get the wicked witch of the Midwest to stop coming around? Swear I saw her car drive by each week for the past month.”
“Yeah, Dad, we got rid of Helen.”
Wild Child (A Soul Sister Novel Book 1) Page 9
