“I’m deaf,” I say in one quick swoosh.
His head tilts to the side and a deep crevice forms between his brows. “What do you mean? We’ve been speaking this whole time.”
“I read lips,” I confess.
I wait with baited breath and watch the way he processes my words. I brace myself for him taking off now. We won’t even get to the point of sharing a meal together. I hate myself for feeling so weak at this moment for allowing the fact that I’m incomplete to somehow make me feel less than I should. Having gone to a deaf school, I was fortunate to take classes that taught me to be proud of who I am. We learned about deaf people who made world-renowned accomplishments in industries that matter. I know better than to feel inadequate, yet the feeling of inadequacy is now running through my veins and creeping to every crevice of my body like the bloody plague. I feel helpless to stop it. Deep down I know I think this way, not because I’m deaf, but because my mother walked away from me when I was far too young because me being deaf was just too hard on her.
I can’t look at him anymore, so I pull my gaze to the rug on my floor. I should tell him to leave now, but I feel frozen. I watch his feet move as he takes a step toward me, his warm breath brushing across my face, then I feel his thumb at my chin forcing me to look him in the eyes. When I stare back at him, I see an unexpected tenderness.
“I feel stupid,” he says. “I mean you must think I’m the world’s biggest idiot,” he continues, and I’m a little perplexed. “I’m sorry for not noticing. I’m sorry that I don’t know sign language to communicate better with you.”
My brows dip together as a pained expression takes over my face. What’s happening here? Why is he apologetic? I’m confused. “You’re apologizing to me?” I ask almost flabbergasted. “I should have been upfront with you,” I say.
His head tilts slightly to the side, his cerulean eyes are filled with warmth and confusion, “You don’t owe me any explanations. You can’t hear me, but you can read my lips. I know this may be a little challenging, but I want to get to know you. Maybe you can help me learn to sign,” he continues with a crooked grin that just about makes my panties combust. Where did this guy come from? He’s nothing that I expected and as much as he makes my heart flutter he’s scaring the shit out of me because I’m a planner and I didn’t plan for him.
I laugh. I don’t know how I sound. Maybe I seem scary because I feel borderline crazy. “You realize what you’re asking for? It’s very challenging for a deaf person to be friends with a hearing person…”
He cuts me off. “Who said I want to be friends?” His blue eyes smolder as he looks at me. I’m sure my cheeks flush pink because I feel warm all over.
“This is complicated.” I wave between us.
“What makes you think I can’t do complicated?” he rebuts.
I bite my lower lip and look up at the ceiling then back at him. “I guess your reputation would suggest you don’t do complicated. I may be deaf, but I do browse the gossip columns, and your face is a recurring theme along with all the beautiful women in this city. I mean honestly, you can have any woman you want, why me?” I ask because as much as my insecurities are threatening to take over, I’m still me and I say what I think, always.
He lifts his hand and brushes my cheek. “Because I’ve never met anyone like you before; because you’re beautiful, witty, you say what’s on your mind, and you’re apparently a little liar.” His lip quirks up on one side in challenge.
My brows dip together and I’m not sure I read his lips correctly. “Did you just call me a liar?” I feel stunned but I’m unsure how my tone comes across. I usually don’t speak this much and haven’t done speech lessons in quite some time. The only reason I can talk so clearly is because I became deaf when I was seven. My speech had been fully developed by then.
“I did,” he confirms.
“Why?” My brows dip together.
“Because you lied to me at the Veterans gala, you said you worked in a clothing store, and you are truly a teacher.” He cocks a brow.
I clap a hand over my mouth. “I thought you were a jerk. I didn’t think I would see you again. Not after I called you a schmuck and took off. I’m usually not a liar. I’m just used to spending most of my time around deaf people or at least people that sign. Being around you throws me off,” I admit.
He swipes a hand across his mouth. “The feeling is mutual. You throw me off too.” He pulls his gaze away from me to look at the food on the coffee table. He points to the table but turns his head, so he’s looking directly at me. “Can we eat our dinner now? I bet it’s getting cold.”
I nod and a wide smile bursts from my lips. I shouldn’t be this giddy. I’m in so much trouble with this guy. “Sure. I’m starved.”
We sit and eat. I want to say that my nerves are still frayed, but they aren’t. I’m not sure if he’s said anything this whole time because I’ve focused on the delicious food on my plate. When I pick my eyes up from my plate and look at Colton, he looks content enjoying his food too. My world is a quiet one; I eat in silence unless I stop eating and use my hands to communicate. I don’t know how this handsome powerful man will fit into my life, but I know now that I want to find out.
When we are done eating, I look over to him. “That was delicious. Thank you.”
“Thank you, I liked eating with you. I liked that you actually eat.” He smiles and his shoulders move up and down, so I presume he’s laughing.
I give him a confused look.
“My dates usually pick at their food or won’t eat anything with a carb in it,” he chortles. “This may seem weird, but I liked eating beside you. I like just spending time with you.” He smiles, and the way he looks at me warms my chest. “Do I have permission to kiss you again? Because I liked that too.” He smirks.
I nod my head and he moves in closer to me, his scent is so manly and fresh, the heat in his eyes causes my mouth to water as our lips collide once more. A kiss has never felt like this before, so electric, even his taste has my insides burning. I want to push him away and gain some perspective, but I don’t because his touch ignites me. The fact that he accepts me for who I am does incredible things to my insides. He said he wanted to learn to sign. Those words make my heart flip. My own mother wasn’t willing to learn to sign. I begin to think that my reservations about dating a hearing person were maybe blown out of proportion. I know the statistics but not everyone is this man, Colton Mathis. He’s something special. I can feel it in my gut.
Chapter Six
Colton
“You better have a good excuse for running off on Bachmaker’s niece. Your father has been flipping his shit these last few days. I told him to stay away, and take a breather.” Al shakes his head. “He won’t stay away forever. Not with the engagements he has planned. Do you have a game plan where he’s concerned?” Al asks, and I know it’s because he has my back. He also knows how to handle men like my father.
“Don’t worry. I got this,” I wink.
“Yeah, you act all cocky now, but I bet the old guy called Susan this morning to find out your itinerary today. I expect him to walk through that door any minute.” Al gives me an expectant look and takes a seat in the comfortable brown leather chair in front of my desk. I bet my father did call Susan to find out where I’d be today. I wouldn’t expect anything less. In the past, the thought may have caused some anxiety because even though I’m a grown man my father has a specific effect on me, one that I hate to admit doesn’t always leave me with the best feeling. The only difference is that today I don’t give a shit. I’m flying high on cloud Evie, and there’s no way in hell my father can influence my mood or the fact that I absolutely will not date Bachmaker’s niece because hell I think I found the woman of my dreams. “What the hell is wrong with you, man?” Al snaps, his tone harsh and worried.
I snap out of my daze and focus on him. A bubble of laughter escapes my chest.
“Are you fucking high?” He continues looking at me with this completely
baffled look probably wondering why I’m relaxed leaning back in my office chair, behind my desk, like I don’t have a care in the world.
My lip quirks on one side. “No, I’m not high.” My voice is chiding.
His eyes widen “Well, what the fuck is wrong with you? I sent you like five text messages to meet me for drinks last night. I was at the Continental with this fucking gorgeous woman, and she had a friend. I thought you’d meet us for drinks, but you were apparently MIA, and now you have this fucking…” he waves his hand in front of my face. “I don’t even know what to call the stupid look you have on your face.”
“I’m sure you handled the ladies just fine without me.” I look at my computer screen and scroll over my agenda for the day.
“Of course, I did.” He shrugs me off. “Whoever said three’s a crowd clearly didn’t have game.” He snickers lifting one leg up and across his knee. “Well?” He waits expectantly.
“Well, what?” I answer. I know he wants to know where I disappeared to last night but I want to keep the details to myself a little longer, cherish them, relish the idea of kissing Evie and hope that it happens again, soon.
“Don’t,” he warns. “Just spit it out. Where the hell were you? Did you go back to screwing that witch again?” he asks, referring to my long-time fling Cassandra. It’s never been serious at least for me it hasn’t. We just have terrific chemistry and a love for dirty sex. She’s available when I want, and so in that sense, we match perfectly. From time to time she’s brought up the relationship talk, but I’ve been upfront from the start. I’m not that guy. I don’t want a family, and I don’t want to settle down. I don’t want to be burned like my father, because hell my mother turned his whole world upside down, and he lives with a million regrets. No way I will allow that to happen to me. Nope.
“I wasn’t with Cassandra. Chill the fuck out,” I scoff. The thought of being with Cassandra now after spending the evening with Evie completely turns me off.
“Then who?” he asks. I know Al. He won’t let up.
I let out an exasperated breath. “I met up with the woman from the Veterans gala,” I begin.
“That vixen with the red hair?” he continues. “Fuck yes.” He grins mischievously, and that devious glint he gets in his eyes appears when he scores with a woman in bed. It irks me that he’s thinking that way about Evie. I don’t like it.
It doesn’t make sense because Al and I are used to shooting the shit about the women we date, but…last night with Evie was special…just as I’m about to deflect his questioning the door to my office is flung open. There is only one person who would have the nerve to burst into the governor’s office uninvited…my father.
“Jesus Christ, Colton, I ask you for a simple favor. No scratch that. I ask you to do something that will further your career…” He huffs, and his tanned skin is tinged red. His dress shirt which is buttoned to the top looks like it’s stretching across his thick neck where an angry vein pulsates. “I didn’t ask you to bed the girl Colt, it would have been a simple date, and in return, Edmund would have donated a good three million to your campaign.” My father lets out a loud, angry growl.
“Father…I…” I can’t even put in two words as me, and Al share a knowing look. I have to give Al credit for putting up with my father.
“Don’t ‘father’ me…I’ve never seen something so rude in my life. Did I raise you with no manners?” he scoffs. I’m surprised it took him three days to come here and tell me off. Truth is I was expecting him the next morning only he was MIA which means he had to deal with other Mathis family business. I don’t answer him, so he continues. “To walk away from the poor girl like that and then chase after that other girl like a dog in heat.” He blows out a breath. “You’re supposed to be the next president of this country. What does it say about you that you have the attention span of a chimpanzee in heat?” I wait for him to finish his rant knowing he won’t let me get a word in any way. I want to laugh at his comment. A chimpanzee in heat? What the fuck? Even though I do feel hot and heavy for Evie. I can’t seem to get her out of my mind. I probably just need to bed her and move on. That must be it. As thoughts run through my mind, I somehow manage to block my ranting father. Until he slaps a picture on my desk and my eyes widen when I see Evie’s round blue eyes staring up at me.
I bolt out of my chair landing on my feet before I can even say a word. “What the hell? How did you get her picture?” I look to my father wishing daggers would shoot from my eyes.
He leans forward over my desk, still seething, his face flushed with anger. “What did you think? That you would blow a multimillion-dollar contribution for some piece of ass and I wouldn’t look into it?” he snaps.
I lean forward over my desk getting in his face. “How dare you? My private life is mine.”
My father’s lip curls on one side. “A high school teacher is one thing Colton, but she’s deaf. How can a deaf woman function as the first lady?”
I don’t know what happens next because I’ve never wanted to physically strike my father but my hands ball into fists by my side, and before I understand it, Al is by my side holding me back because I want to hit my father with all my strength. My anger beats inside me like a time bomb ready to detonate.
“Colton, take a deep breath and back down,” Al urges, pushing me back and away from my father. He turns his head and quickly says, “Mr. Mathis I think you should leave. I’ve got this, and I will call you later.”
My father stands stubborn and still. He contemplates for a moment. Then says, “Fine. Get our boy to see reason.” Then he storms out of the office. Only the hurricane brewing inside me hasn’t subsided. It’s still fierce and blowing as I wonder what the hell has come over me. My father has said ridiculous things like that before. He has a distorted view of the world, but I try to accept his faults while still trying to respect the man that raised me. Now I feel so far away from any understanding at all, I feel like the earth’s axis has tilted, and I can’t find my bearings.
With my father out of the office, Al releases his grip on me. “You good?” He gives me a worried look.
I sit back in my chair, undo the top button of my dress shirt, and loosen my tie.
“Tell me what the hell is going on Colton?” Al insists.
And so, I relent and tell my best friend about my evening with Evie. Everything from what she was wearing, to what we talked about, and how we kissed. As I ramble on and on, Al sits back in his chair with a wide smug grin on his face and says. “Oh, even the mighty one’s fall.”
Truth is I can’t argue with him because I don’t know what’s happening, but I feel like I’m falling.
Chapter Seven
Evie
I’m busy finishing my grading during my lunch period when I feel a presence hovering above my desk. I look up to see Jake’s warm brown eyes staring down at me, and he looks confused.
“Didn’t you say you were going to stay in and grade last night?” he signs to me.
Shit! My stomach sinks. I hate lying to him. He deserves better than that from me. My face scrunches up, and I give him a puppy dog look that is laced with guilt. “I had an unexpected visitor last night. I didn’t get through as much of my grading as I wanted to,” I sign back. He waits expectantly for me to tell him who the said visitor was. I blow out a breath knowing he will be very opinionated about me dating a hearing person although I wouldn’t say that the governor and I are dating. I don’t even know what we are. He took my phone number when he left last night. Sent me a text close to one in the morning saying he enjoyed his evening and that was it. I should know better than to be excited about this but the attraction I feel for him is like an itch that won’t go away even when it is repeatedly scratched.
“So!” Jake motions to me.
“It was the governor, okay? He came to my place last night, and we ended up having dinner.” I sign, and even though I don’t mean for the irritation I’m feeling to come through when I communicate, I know it does
and Jake does to.
“The governor?” he signs, and his eyes widen. It’s not every day that someone like me gets a visit from the governor. Even though Jake and I are best friends, we share a complicated past. Despite everything though we’ve remained friends and share in each other’s personal lives. He’s met a couple of the men I’ve dated. It’s only been a couple because I don’t date very much. “Why would the governor come to your house? How does he know where you live? Are you in trouble? Because if you are, I’ll say that the pie throwing was my fault.” His hands move at a rapid pace as he shoots off question after question.
I shake my head. “It’s not like that…well he knows it was me who threw the pie, but he isn’t angry. He wants to get to know me,” I motion and I feel the flush crawl up my cheeks. I can’t stop it even though I wish I could. Jake catches on too. I swear I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I never turn into a hot mess like this because of a man.
“Get to know you, as in date you?” Jake waves his hands in the air; his gestures are fast and cut, showing the anger he feels. The warmth in his brown eyes has faded to something cold.
“Jake, I knew you would think it was a bad idea. He wasn’t the one who sent you away for the Habitat project. No one even informed him that you came to his office and I showed him the proposal, and he wants to help,” I explain.
“He wants to help. Huh? I’m sure,” he says, and I sense the sarcasm oozing from him.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I snap back. I don’t like what Jake was insinuating. “If this is because he’s hearing I don’t care. He’s a good man, and he wants to get to know me. He wants to learn to sign,” I argue, wondering why I was even arguing with Jake. It felt wrong. “I want to try and see where this leads. I like him,” I motion more softly.
“I can see that,” he snaps his hands back at me. “What about Carter? Have you thought about how having a relationship with the governor would affect him?” he asks, and I hate that he’s brought our son into this. As I said, we have a complicated past.
Mr. All Wrong Page 6
