Page 193 of Damaged Mogul

His warning scares me, but I don’t let on. “I’m honored you’d be willing to share something that personal.”

He responds with a slow nod.

He doesn’t speak for a long beat.

“Three years ago, my mom died.”

I suck in a breath.

“Even though I was the baby of the family, since I was a boy––the only boy––Dad made me promise I’d always take care of my mom and my sisters. He was most concerned about Mom because he always said she had a soft heart. He was right. Mom was always too trusting.”

“Your dad loved your mom.”

“He did. And she loved him right back.”

If we could all be that lucky in love.

“Mom was single for many years after my dad passed away,” he says. “She always proclaimed she would never love again.” A cloud of sadness veils his green eyes, turning them stormy. “My sisters kept nudging her, stating you’re allowed to fall in love more than once in your lifetime. Since I was never much of a romantic, I stayed out of it. Then, one day, Mom announced she had met Judson Timmons.” His eyes drift in the distance for a beat. “He was in his mid-forties, so a decade younger than Mom. He was a bit player?—”

“What’s that?”

“It’s industry talk to describe an actor who’s ranked higher than a background actor, but lower than that of a supporting actor.”

“I see.”

“Judson had one noteworthy supporting role, but struggled to get another. His side modeling gigs were his bread and butter.” He pinches his lips.

“You two didn’t get along?”

“From the moment I met him, I disliked him.” His eyes lower to his lap, and he curls his hands into fists. “I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I didn’t trust him. My sister Sara suggested I give the guy a chance.”

“Did your other sisters feel the same way?”

His gaze locks onto mine. “My two older sisters were in Europe, managing international StreamTunes offices, but they flew back and forth, so they met Judson. My eldest sister Lana was Switzerland. She couldn’t decide if she liked him or not. My middle sister Marika was one hundred percent team Judson. She was thrilled Mom hooked up with a hot man who was younger but still age-appropriate. She chastised me for taking the oath I took with my father too far. Mom was a grownwoman and she could date––and fall in love––with whomever she wanted.”

“You didn’t agree?”

“It killed me to bite my tongue, but I didn’t want to be labeled as the son who refused his mom’s happiness. A year into their relationship, Judson proposed. I put my foot down and told Judson point blank that hell would freeze over before I ever called him stepdad. I didn’t leave room for argument. Mom scolded me for using my size to threaten her soon-to-be husband. I towered over him when I explained how things were going to work between us. It’s not my fault he was only five-ten. Marika wasn’t impressed, but she shut up when I asked her if she intended on calling Judson stepdad.”

“Your sister was rooting for him.”

“She was. And she regretted standing by the idiot when we found out he was a lowlife.”

Yikes.

“I accompanied Judson and a bunch of his friends to Sin City for his bachelor party. I couldn’t get out of it without hurting Mom, but I wanted to be anywhere in the world except Vegas.” He lets out a long breath. “There was something about the way he looked at women during the weekend that irked me. I guess my annoyance was written all over my face. His best friend approached me as I was brooding at the bar, and decided to educate me.”

I tilt my head to the side. “What did he tell you?”

“Before a man gets the noose put around his neck, he’s allowed to look as long as he doesn’t touch.”

“That’s a horrible way of looking at a bachelor party. And marriage.”

He shrugs. “That’s what I thought. Judson might not have been touching those women, but he was undressing them with his eyes.”

“Did you tell your mom?”

“I did. She parroted a line similar to Judson’s best friend.”