“One of two things would happen. Either they treat you like shit and you decide you can’t take the heat and run as fast and as far as you can, or…” she hesitated, unsure how to continue.
“Or what, sweet girl?”
She had backed herself right into this corner. What she should have done was stopped at reason number one. Now she had no choice. She lowered her voice and her face. “Or my mother will say something to turn you against me or even offer to pay you to stay away from me and I end up far more humiliated than I was before we went to dinner. In my mind, I lose either way. I don’t see another outcome.”
He stiffened before he dropped her hand, and then he reached for her and pulled her sideways onto his lap. With one hand at her back and one hand under her chin, he met her gaze. “First of all, have I not made it perfectly clear how I feel about money?”
“Yes.” He had. Repeatedly. He didn’t like it. That was the next topic of conversation she needed to bring up in full disclosure.
“I rather abhor it. It makes people act like fools.”
She almost laughed. He had no idea how correct he was.
“I make plenty of money. Enough to keep me comfortable. Enough to keep a significant other also fed and clothed and housed. Hell, I could raise a few kids too. I’m not poor. I do not need or want more. It wouldn’t matter if your parents offered me six trillion dollars, I would walk away. So know that right now.”
“Okay.” She believed him.
“In addition, I’ve realized I judged you unfairly when it comes to money. I knew from the moment I saw you that you had plenty, and it got under my skin. I judged you before I even met you. It was wrong. You’re not that kind of person. I’ve known that from the start. I apologize if you worried about that with me. It wasn’t fair.
“Now as for our other problem, bring it on. I don’t have to impress your parents. I have to impress you. If they want to try to sabotage what we have, they’re welcome to try, but I will not be so easily persuaded, and I’m quite sure you won’t be either.”
She stared at him. He had no idea what he was asking for.
“Rowen, they are absolutely the shittiest people you will ever meet. My mother will get right in your face and belittle you. My father will stand by and let her—equally shitty.” Suddenly, she realized something and shook her head. “And yet, the only way I can prove that to you is to show you. So please, be my guest. Dinner tonight at my parents’ house. It’ll be a hoot. We can bring balloons.”
“Balloons?” He stared at her quizzically.
“Sure. Why not? Then we’ll have something to pop in the car on the way home after the shitstorm. Maybe they can serve as a stress reliever.”
He chuckled. “You’re on. I’ll get balloons.”
Chapter 26
Faith was a mess. There was no hiding her tension as she stood next to Rowen at her parents’ front door.
Rowen had already knocked. If he hadn’t done it, she might have changed her mind and turned around, chickening out. This was going to be a total disaster, and it made her literally sick to her stomach to realize how much power her parents had over her. They even had the power to destroy everything good in her life, either directly or indirectly.
Sure, Rowen was full of hot air and big words, insisting it couldn’t be that bad and he could handle it, but he had no clue what he was about to walk into.
The elderly woman who opened the door wasn’t someone Faith had ever met, but she didn’t hesitate to let the two of them inside. She mumbled a few words in greeting without making eye contact.
“Faith? Is that you?” Her mother’s high-pitched, grating voice made her cringe before the woman stepped into view. Jane made her appearance by regally stepping out of the library several yards away to the left of the ridiculous grand entrance.
Faith had given her mother only four hours’ notice that she was coming and bringing a date, leaving all this information on voicemail at the exact moment in the day when she could reasonably be assured her mother would be taking her afternoon nap.
A lady should always rest in the afternoon so that she’ll look her best in the evening.
Rowen set a hand on Faith’s lower back as Jane strode in their direction. Jane wore a navy skirt, a white blouse, and nude heels. The blouse looked like it had been taken from the dry-cleaning bag five minutes ago.
Jane pasted on a ridiculous smile as she reached Faith and leaned in to air kiss first one cheek and then the other, as if she were French. The woman had been to France several times, but she was certainly not French.
Her hair was arranged perfectly on top of her head as usual. If Faith wasn’t mistaken, she’d had it bleached earlier that day. It was amazing how she never looked like she needed her roots done. It was a wonder it hadn’t all fallen out from overtreatment.
“Is that Faith?” her father asked, emerging from the library behind his wife. He was a large man. Almost as tall as Rowen and almost as big.
Faith smiled inside. It gave her pleasure to realize the father she had grown up thinking was a giant was actually not as big as her current boyfriend. She grabbed Rowen’s forearm and squeezed it. “Mother. Dad. This is Rowen Easton.”
Her father glanced at Rowen, brow furrowed, saying nothing. Instead, he pointed over his shoulder toward the library, asking, “Does anyone want a drink?” Not surprising. After all, it wouldn’t be proper to fail to offer houseguests a beverage as soon as they stepped inside.
Ignoring Faith’s introduction altogether, Jane spun around to follow her husband, William. “I certainly would. White wine spritzer if you will, dear.” Even her voice grated on Faith’s nerves.
Faith realized she hadn’t moved to follow her parents when Rowen pressed against her lower back. He leaned his lips close to her ear. “They seem nice,” he joked.
She twisted her neck to glance at him. “They didn’t even introduce themselves, Rowen.”
He smirked. “True.”
Rowen looked hot enough to eat. He wore perfectly fitting khaki dress pants, a navy button-down, and even a matching navy tie. When he’d picked her up, she’d lost her breath.
“Sweet girl?” he encouraged, sliding his hand from her back to her fingers and giving a tug.
Finally, she followed.
He pulled her close to his side and whispered in her ear, “Have I mentioned how fucking hot you are in that dress?”
He had. A few times. But she flushed again anyway. Mostly because she wasn’t wearing anything underneath and it made her feel sexy.
Of the four people she’d set eyes on so far, she was the least formal. She’d intentionally worn a white fitted dress that had more than a small amount of Lycra in it and hugged her curves seductively. It left her shoulders bare, a thin strip of the fabric reaching from her chest to tie at the back of her neck. It wasn’t obscene. After all, the front had a built-in bra and lifted her breasts just right. But she knew her mother would hate it and Rowen would drool over it. Win-win.
Working her way toward the library on her silver strappy heals, she squeezed Rowen’s hand. “Let the hurricane begin.”
He shook his head.
He was about to get the shock of a lifetime.
As soon as they rounded the door to the enormous library where her parents frequently entertained their guests before moving to the dining room, Faith spotted Hope sitting like a statue on one of the mahogany room’s leather loveseats.
The man standing next to her was older and he looked like he needed to take a shit. His face was drawn up in a serious expression that wrinkled his forehead and made her believe it was his usual look.
Hope stood, smiling fakely. “Faith,” she drawled as if she were from a southern plantation. “I haven’t seen you in forever.” She made her way around the coffee table and a few leather armchairs, taking her time, her back so straight it looked like she’d been practicing with books on her head.
Faith thought—not for the first time—that she was surely swit
ched at birth.
Hope was dressed similar to their mother—who probably picked out her clothes. Both her boyfriend and Faith’s father wore suits. Jackets and all.
“Hello, Hope,” Faith finally said. “This is my boyfriend, Rowen.” She turned her gaze up toward him and smiled. After all, he was the highlight of the room.
Hope didn’t look at Rowen or acknowledge him. Instead, she turned around and nodded toward the man she’d been seated by. “The handsome man I’m dating is Montgomery Ainsley.” She batted her eyes in his direction, tipping her head to one side.
Montgomery at least had the decency to nod in their general direction, but he looked bored out of his mind or like he needed to be somewhere else.
“Nice to meet you all,” Rowen stated, causing Faith’s skin to warm. He was far more polite than any of the rich fools in her family.
Faith lifted onto her tiptoes and whispered in Rowen’s ear, “Gonna grab us both a beer.”
He nodded, sauntering farther into the room to take a seat on one of the long leather couches even though not a soul had addressed him and he hadn’t been invited to sit.
Faith thought it was perfect. Fuck them. She was proud to have a man with her who had the gumption to work the scene while everyone else seemed intent to act exactly like the very rich snobby fucks he despised.
“A beer? Faith. Have you no couth?” her mother chided as Faith returned to Rowen’s side, handed him a bottle, and lowered onto the sofa next to him.
He took a long draw. She couldn’t blame him. In fact, she did the same, ignoring her mother’s taunt.
Finally, William and Jane stepped into the circle of seats. Her father sat in one of the armchairs with a high ball. Her mother stooped herself on the corner of the loveseat Hope had returned to, her wine spritzer in hand.
Montgomery remained rooted to his spot, standing while everyone else sat.
It was almost comical. If it hadn’t been so sad and absurd, Faith would have buckled over laughing.
“How was your event the other night, Faith?” her mother asked. “Did you get a lot of good contributors?”
“Yes. It was lovely. You were there.”
“There’s no need to be snippy. I’m simply making small talk.”
Whatever.
“That dress is dreadful on you, Faith. Did you get it at a thrift shop?”
Rowen stiffened. He shifted his beer to his far hand and lifted the other to settle on the back of her neck, lightly gripping her.
Faith ignored her mother’s taunt.
The woman kept speaking. “Haven’t you taken about enough time playing around with your little fundraiser project?”
Rowen’s fingers tightened on her neck. She wasn’t sure he was breathing. She glanced at him to find his eyes wide and unblinking.
Oh, yeah. He asked for this. Faith took another drink at the same time Rowen did. A long one. There wasn’t enough alcohol in the house.
To top things off, her mother continued. “I’m sure it was a fun diversion for a while, but you should really think about marrying a suitable man soon and settling down.”
Rowen is sitting right next to me. My date. My boyfriend. My life.
It was like he wore an invisibility cloak.
Jane sighed. “Really, Faith. I understand how you’d want to sow your oats. Find a few buff boys to have a fling with, but you’re twenty-eight years old. It’s time for someone serious with a college degree and a prestigious job. Someone with connections.”
Rowen calmly leaned forward and set his bottle on the coffee table, ignoring the coasters.
Faith set her bottle on the hardwood floor and rose to her feet as Rowen stood next to her. “Well, this was fun.” She took Rowen’s hand with the intention of pulling him from the room.
Turned out she didn’t have to. He threaded his fingers with hers and took control. At the entrance to the hallway, while both her mother and her sister were talking over each other, Rowen looked over his shoulder. “Thanks for the enlightenment.”
Faith nearly choked as she hurried her steps to get out of there as fast as possible.
Rowen held his hands over his ears and cringed at the incredibly loud noise that filled the inside of his car with each balloon explosion as Faith used the hoop of her earing to pop every single balloon one by one until the inside of the car was covered with flying bits of colorful rubber. Several pieces were even stuck in her hair.
He removed his hands, glancing around to make sure not one remaining balloon was left behind to sneak up on him and deafen him for good. “You done?” he teased, grabbing her wrist after she put her earing back in and hauling her toward him. She was forced to lean awkwardly across the console to meet his lips.
“Yeah,” she breathed. “But it would have been better if we’d gotten another dozen. I’ve never felt such freedom before. Like punching a wall or something.”
He flexed his hand. “I tried that a few months ago. I don’t recommend it. The balloon trick was a much better way to relieve stress.” He glanced out the window of the car at the front of her parents’ house and shuddered.
“You believe me now?”
“Yes. I’ll never doubt you again.” He released her to start the engine. He didn’t want to sit in her parents’ roundabout for another moment.
Her parents were every bit as insane as she’d explained, perhaps more so. He was shocked by how fast he’d been schooled.
It was also true that Rowen never in a million years could have taken her word for it and allowed himself to imagine parents existed who had so much more love for money than their own children.
Listening to Jane Davenport berate her daughter for making another horrible choice when it came to men had shocked him speechless.
It was incredible to think anyone could speak that way so blatantly in front of a guest as if he were nothing more than dog shit on the bottoms of her shoes. The woman knew nothing about Rowen. She clearly assumed he was some sort of flunky. Sure, he was built and a little rough from years in the army, but he was also an accountant with a reputable business. Not that it should matter who Faith dated.
Now he was educated. He’d seen it for himself. Neither of her parents had looked him in the eye or shook his hand.
Her sister had fidgeted across the room while whoever the apparently appropriate man she had next to her pretended he was too engrossed in the expensive paintings on the walls of the library to notice there was a squabble going on. Neither Hope nor her suitor said a word in support of Faith.
Twenty minutes had been about eighteen minutes too long as far as Rowen was concerned. He would never again put Faith in a position where anyone anywhere for any reason treated her poorly. He actually felt like an ass for permitting it to go on as long as he had.
The reality was he’d been too stunned to move, and part of him wondered how far her mother would really go. She’d proven she would go any length necessary to lure the black sheep back into the flock.
Faith turned to him as he sped away from the asylum. “What did you say to my dad as I stomped ahead of you to the car?”
“I told him if he or his wife ever wanted a relationship with you, they were welcome to contact us, but only if they did so knowing I would not tolerate you being mistreated ever again for even one second. Their choice.”
Faith was smiling when he glanced at her.
“If it makes you feel any better, I think your father heard me and knew I meant it. He nodded as I walked away.”
“Really? My father rarely gets a word in edgewise. I’m not even sure he’s had an opinion of his own for thirty-five years.”
Rowen laughed and reached across the console to grab her hand as he pulled up to a red light. “Frankly, now that I’ve seen your parents in person, I’m surprised you would agree to any communication at all.”
Faith squeezed his fingers. “Like I told you before, I do it for my dad. After all, he is a congressman. It would create a scandal if I never showed my f
ace. Even though he’s a crappy, uninvolved parent, he’s good at his job. I don’t want to jeopardize that.”
“You’re a bigger person than I could probably be. I’ll give you that.” He lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them. “Come home with me.”
She didn’t hesitate. “Okay.”
“I mean, I want you to pick up some things and plan to stay.”
“Overnight, you mean?”
“Longer.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m not suggesting you move in. But I’d like to explore this thing between us further, and the best way to do that is to have you in my home.”
“After the way you dominated me without seeing me this past week, I can assure you my proximity isn’t a factor,” she joked.
“I want more,” he stated firmly, glancing at her.
“Okay.” She leaned closer and set her head on his shoulder. “But I hope you mean it because I’ve already fallen so hard for you that I don’t think I can retreat now. If there was any doubt, you chased it away in the last half hour. I thought you’d want to bail after that shitshow, but you stuck up for me in a way no one ever has.” She lifted her face. “I’m in love with you.”
He grinned, his heart soaring. “After one week?” he teased.
She flushed, apparently not catching his intonation. “You don’t have to say it back. I didn’t mean to—”
He cut her off with another kiss to her knuckles. “I was kidding, sweet girl. I think I fell in love with you before I knew your name.”
Her smile grew slowly wider. “Yeah?”
The light turned green and he pushed on the gas. “Don’t even think it will make me soft or lenient toward you. I’m so totally going to spank your bottom when we get home.”
“Why…Sir?” She straightened her spine, sitting up taller.
“Because it’s the fastest way to lull you into a subspace that makes you so wet and horny you can’t say no to me.” He shot her another smile and then focused on the road.
She leaned back in her seat, pensive. It wasn’t until he pulled the car into a spot in the parking garage under his apartment building that she spoke again. “Sir?”
Obeying Rowen: Club Zodiac, Book Two Page 25
