“I came to see you,” he said. She snorted and turned to lock up.
“I told you I was leaving. You missed your chance. I'm running late, I have to call my mom, go get a car, so many things,” she said, then she shivered as she felt his fingers on her spine, tracing down her back. She was only wearing a bandeau bra under her tank. There was very little fabric between her and him.
“No, you don't.”
When she went to turn around, he took her bag from her shoulder. Slung it over his own. She was a little surprised at his chivalry, but then he turned his back on her and walked away without saying anything. She had to jog to make it onto the elevator with him.
“What is going on?” she asked when he'd hit the button for the lobby.
“I called my mother yesterday.”
“Huh?”
She knew Wulf kept in touch with his mother. They weren't particularly close, but he checked on her, asked about his sisters. Still. What kind of phone call had it been, if it had him showing up at her place at nine in the morning?
“My mother. I realized it's been quite some time since I went home. She's visiting her sister, but she'll be home on Tuesday. Seemed like fate. I told her to tell your mother I'd give you a ride.”
Katya was so stunned, she forgot to move when the elevator stopped. He was halfway out the front doors before she remembered herself. She chased after him.
“You cannot be serious,” she gasped as they went outside. “I mean … what if I'd already left?”
“I called earlier, your roommate answered your phone, said you were in the shower. She's very interesting.”
She certainly is. Thanks for the heads up, Tori.
“Wulf, stop,” she insisted, grabbing her bag. He stopped so abruptly, she stepped into his back.
“I'm parked in the street, make this quick.”
She moved to stand in front of him, shielding her eyes from the sun's glare.
“What is going on? What are you telling me?”
“I'm going home for the week, too. I'll drive you down.”
“Why?”
They stared at each other for a while and she realized she was holding her breath once again. On the verge of passing out.
“Because,” he said in a low voice. “A week is a long time, Katya.”
It was happening. One of those moments. He could've told her to walk into traffic and she would've done it. As it was, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the street, and she went without hesitation. Sat in the passenger seat of his car without even being aware of him opening the door for her.
“Oh my god,” she breathed, looking up while he threw her bag into the trunk. “You took it off!”
“Yes. You said you wanted to ride with the top down. It's nice weather all the way to Carmel. I figured why not.”
He'd done something nice. Just for her. Several nice things. She couldn't bare it. Even though they were driving down a crowded, busy, two lane street, she squealed and grabbed his head, yanking him in for a kiss. He hissed a couple curse words, fighting to keep the car under control, but he managed to kiss her back.
13
Normally it only took about two hours, maybe less, to get from San Francisco to Carmel. But Wulf once again surprised her by heading out to Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway that traveled all along the shoreline. It was twisty and turny, hugging the ocean clear down to Santa Monica.
It was fun. She felt her age, probably for the first time ever. She pulled her hair up into a sloppy ponytail and wore Wulf's shiny aviator sunglasses. Took off her shoes and propped her feet on his side view. Laughed at him while he tried to eat a hot dog and navigate the winding road. She offered to drive, but he laughed at her and gripped the steering wheel tighter.
He tried to shrug out of his blazer at one point and she climbed onto her knees in her seat, reaching over to help him strip it off. Her hands had a mind of their own, though, pulling at his shirt. Unbuttoning it and scratching across his chest. She had her tongue in his ear, one arm around his shoulder, and the other hand was making a quick trip down to his crotch. His free arm was wrapped around her, his hand squeezing her butt, fingers worming their way under the bottom of her shorts. Only a passing truck blowing its horn brought her back to reality. She looked up in time to see a grizzled looking man give her a thumb's up. Wulf just laughed, smacked her on the ass, then pushed her back into her seat.
A little over two and a half hours later, they were rolling through the old neighborhood. It was surreal, returning with Wulfric Stone. She'd grown up on the street and had never once so much as stepped foot on a sidewalk alongside him.
“So, um ...” she suddenly felt shy as they pulled into his driveway.
“What?” he asked, shutting off the engine and climbing out of the car. She followed suit.
“What did you tell your mom?” Katya asked.
“I told her I was coming down for a couple days.”
“Oh. Okay. Did you mention me?”
“Yes. I said I would be giving you a ride.”
“Ah.”
She wanted to know how to handle her own mother. Mrs. Tocci was ridiculously obsessed with her daughter's love life. In her mind, a proper young lady was settled down and married by no later than twenty-five. Preferably earlier. She was going to lose her shit when she found out Wulf gave Katya a ride down.
Just get it over with. Crush her dreams. Maybe it'll help to remind you that this isn't a real relationship – no one has made any sort of declarative statements, least of all Wulf.
Katya smiled at him and pulled her bag from the trunk. While he went about getting his own belongings, she headed for her house, cutting across the grass divider between them. She didn't bother saying goodbye – Wulf never did, and he was right next door, after all. She pushed her way inside her parents' home, hollering as she did so.
“Mom! I'm here!” she called out.
“Eeeekk! My baby girl!”
Mrs. Elena Tocci came trotting out of the kitchen and hurried down the hallway. Katya took after her mother – they had the same slim build, blue eyes, and deep auburn hair. If Katya aged half as well as her mother, she figured she'd do alright in her old age.
“Oh my, what on earth are you wearing?” her mother asked after they'd hugged for a moment.
“Oh, I wanted something casual for the drive down. Don't worry, I have something nice for dinner tonight,” she assured her.
“Phew! I was afraid you were turning into a ragamuffin! We raised you better than that,” Mrs. Tocci shook her finger in her daughter's face. “Now, speaking of the drive down -”
“Mom,” Katya held up her hand. “Just stop. Wulf is a new friend, we found out we work close to each other. That's it. He offered to give me a ride because he's visiting his mother, too.”
“Dear, his mother isn't even here.”
“Stop it. Stop planning out your future grandchildren – I can see it all over your face.”
“But they would have such beautiful eyes!”
“Mother. I'm serious. No matchmaking. Don't embarrass yourself in front of him. Just a friend, just giving me a ride,” Katya insisted. Her mom rolled her eyes.
“Alright, alright, I'll contain myself. You can't blame me for hoping. Is there anyone else? Tony?” she asked, her voice full of hope as she referred to Katya's ex, a pro-golfer.
“No,” Katya was honest, even though Liam's image flitted across her mind. “No Tony, I haven't spoken to him in almost a year. Nobody. Just me and Tori and my job.”
“Oh, honey. Maybe you should try to have something with Wulf! He's such a respectable boy.”
Katya remembered the way he'd fucked her in his conference room. “Respectable” wasn't exactly a word she'd use to describe Wulf.
“Don't get your hopes up, Mother.”
“Hopes up for what?”
Katya whirled around, shocked to see the object of their discussion shoving his way through the open door. She'd assumed he'd just go
to his own place, settle in or whatever. But there he was, holding a small roller bag in his hand as he strolled down the hallway.
“Wulfric! So good to see you again, dear, it's been ages,” her mother gushed, leaning in to air kiss Wulf's cheek. “I keep telling your mother we need to plan some sort of get together. I'd love to see Genevieve and Brighton.”
Wulf's younger sisters, Vieve and Brie, Katya knew he hadn't seen either of them in a long time.
“You'll have to discuss that with her, I don't speak to my sisters very often,” he answered honestly while he pushed his sunglasses onto the top of his head. Katya didn't miss the way her mother's eyes bounced between them. She wanted to melt though the floorboards.
“Oh, that's a shame. Are you kids hungry? I was just making something for a light lunch.”
“Starving. Thank you, Elena. Katya, show me to the bathroom.”
Wulf had never been in her family's house before, though she'd been in his plenty of times. Genevieve was only two years younger than her, Brie around four years younger. Vieve had been away at soccer camp that fateful summer, when Katya had been talked into babysitting the youngest Stone child. The same time she'd first noticed the cranky, rude, boy next door was the sexiest thing her tiny fourteen year old brain had ever comprehended.
When Wulf passed the elder Tocci woman, she gave the thumbs up to her daughter. Katya swallowed a groan and put her hand on his back, pushing him towards a door. She should've warned him about her mother. She hoped he wouldn't do anything else to encourage her mom, but just before he disappeared into the bathroom, he stepped out and wrapped his arm around her waist. Leaned down close to whisper in her ear.
“You had better warn your mother that I never plan on giving anyone grandchildren.”
Katya wanted to die, but he gave a small chuckle and squeezed her once before letting go. The door had barely clicked shut behind him before her mother started squealing.
“Oh, honey,” she breathed, fanning herself. “I think he likes you. I think he really likes you.”
“It's not like that, Mom, I promise. Just go get lunch,” she urged, ushering her mom into the kitchen.
“The way he touched you! Katya, if he doesn't like you, then I don't know what's what anymore,” her mom said, hurrying to the fridge and pulling out a tray of tiny finger sandwiches.
“It's not like that,” Katya spoke through clenched teeth as she took the tray and carried it out to the sun porch.
“Oh really,” he mom huffed, joining her with a pitcher of lemonade. “Then enlighten me, what is it like?”
She stared while the other woman went about arranging the food on a decorative serving platter. Katya had been expanding her boundaries over the past few weeks. She wanted to become her own kind of adult, independent of the way she'd been raised, and more in line with what she actually wanted. Now was the moment to prove that she wasn't all talk. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.
“It's casual,” she said, as close to the truth as she was brave enough to get.
“Excuse me?”
“Our relationship. Mine and Wulf's. We bumped into each other, and yeah, sparks kinda flew. But neither of us is interested in a relationship right now. He really came down here to see his mom. He knew I was coming down here to see you. He offered to drive me. That is it. I don't want to explain this again,” she stated.
Her mother stood upright, looking shocked at the words she was hearing.
“A casual relationship? Oh honey, I don't really think that's good for you,” she tsked tsked. Katya took another deep breath.
“I'm sorry, Mom, but I know what's good for me, now. And whatever it is, it's none of your business.”
She waited for arguing. Some cajoling. The common sense talk. But none of it happened. Her mom stared at her for a long second, making worry lines across her brow. Then she smiled. Reached a hand out and smoothed her fingers down Katya's cheek before cupping it.
“Of course you know what's best for you, dear. As long as you're happy, that's all I worry about.”
Katya fell into her seat while her mom wandered back into the kitchen, looking for the fruit bowl. That was it? It was a big moment in her life, standing up to her mother's antiquated views of how a woman should behave and handle herself. For god's sake, it was noon on a Sunday, and the woman was wearing full makeup, heels, and a dress just to make snacks in her own home. Katya had assumed her admission would've caused a minor breakdown.
Of course, she realized it wasn't a fair assumption. She'd never ever once stood up to her parents before – how could she have known how they'd react? It was unfair of her, really. Her parents had always encouraged her talents and done their best to steer her in the right direction. They'd never really punished her for anything. How could she have thought they'd think less of her for wanting to live life her own way?
I had no idea my narrow-mindedness expanded to so many different parts of my life. I really need to thank Liam when I get home.
They ate lunch on the sun porch. She got to watch Wulf turn on the charm – he'd never done it for her. He smiled and teased her mother, flattering her. Distracting her from the fact that his hand spent a majority of the time on Katya's thigh. After they finished eating, he excused himself to go back to his own home, so he could unpack and take a shower, but he asked about their dinner plans.
Mrs. Tocci had made reservations at a very good restaurant downtown, but Wulf said that wouldn't do. After a few phone calls, he got them reservations at the very best restaurant. When six o'clock rolled around, he took the keys from Katya's mom, then drove both women downtown. Ordered fancy wine and fancier champagne, really showing off.
“I know it's casual, dear,” her mother had whispered while they'd waited for valet to bring the car around. “But you could consider making it serious. Any man who knows wine that well is a keeper.”
Katya actually laughed.
Wulf left them at their doorstep, kissing them both on the cheek before saying goodnight. Then Katya got to spend some real one-on-one time with her mom. They put on their pajamas and finally made those cookies. She'd always wondered where her baking talents came from – her mother was awful at anything involving an oven. How she managed casserole was a mystery. Half the batch turned out runny, the other lumpy. Katya's turned out perfect. They took all of them into the sitting room and sat on the couch together, watching an old movie.
“I'm very proud of you, honey.”
Her mother said it randomly, without ceremony, at the end of the film.
“What?”
“It occurred to me that we don't say that to you enough. Your father and I are both so proud. I worried a lot while you were growing up that we weren't giving you enough,” her mom said.
“Why on earth would you think that? I went to a private school, I grew up in this amazing home,” Katya was stunned.
“Well, I always thought you deserved brothers and sisters, but it just didn't happen. I never wanted you to be lonely, so I tried my hardest to help you become the type of girl that would have lots of friends. Be well liked. Get a good job. But I don't want you to think that's all that mattered to me. Lord, no.”
“Jesus, where is this all coming from!?”
“Your thing with Wulfric. It was hard for you to tell me that, which made me feel bad. I don't care who you're dating, honey. I don't care if you never get married. I mean, I'm your mother, of course I would like grandchildren, and I hate the thought of you being lonely up there in that big city. But your happiness is all I care about – not Wulfric, not your fancy job, not the way you dress. None of it. Your well being is my only concern. I never want you to feel like you can't tell me something. Just because we may view things differently, doesn't mean we can't talk about them. I always want to know everything that's going on with you,” her mom assured her.
She couldn't help it, Katya started crying. Of course, it set her mother off, and soon enough they were a Hallmark cliché. Mother and d
aughter, hugging each other and crying, though neither was really sure why they were crying. It devolved into laughter, and then into wine and more cookies. And eventually, into talking. Katya told her mom about her relationship with Wulf. And about her relationship with Liam. She left out all the naughty bits, but gave enough that her mother knew she was sleeping with both of them.
It was very late by the time she was done talking and answering questions. When she finally closed her mouth, her mother sat still for a while, munching away at a cookie.
“Alright. I think I understand. Liam is your friend, whom you have a casual, sort of open, relationship with.”
“Yes.”
“And Wulfric you go on dates with, you see each other, and you feel something for him.”
“Yes.”
“But he doesn't for you.”
“I don't know. I don't think so, most of the time. But sometimes ...”
“And what about Liam? Does he like you?”
“I think he genuinely does. More than what's going on between us.”
“Do you feel anything for him?”
“I feel like I should, because wow, Mom, the way that guy treats me. He's crazy and he's sloppy, but I really think you'd like him. He's so nice and caring and thoughtful.”
“So what's not to like?”
“Literally nothing. He's amazing. But whenever I think maybe I should try to have a real relationship with him … all I can think about is Wulf.”
“Whom you think doesn't like you.”
“Yup.”
It was all making Katya depressed. She shoved an entire cookie into her mouth, then washed it down with a healthy chug of red wine.
“I know I'm just your clueless mother and you think I'm oblivious to everything, but I am speaking to you as a fellow woman right now – I think Wulf cares about you. He had no plans to see his mother, until he found out about your plans. Ms. Stone told me this herself, she said it was very strange, the way he was acting. We both agreed that something was going on, and now that I've witnessed it, I believe it more than ever. The way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching, the way he finds reasons to always be touching you. Give him a chance, Katya. It may take him a while to get there – Wulf's had a rough life. But I think he'll find his way to you.”
Neighbors (Twin Estates #1) Page 16
