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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

REED

I’m almost thirty-five, and I’ve never been on a real date before, not really. My conquests or chosen escorts might have accompanied me to a nightclub, but there was an expectation of sex at the end of the night, with no feelings involved. Don’t get me wrong, I’m hoping I end tonight with sex, but if I don’t, as long as I’m in Gia’s bed and it’s her I wake up to every morning moving forward, I’m happy.

When I first told Gia I was taking her on a date, her head reared back, and her stunned expression was priceless. Of course, I had no choice but to take her parted lips in mine and tell her to go and get ready.

Even Tyson the Dickwad was on board with me taking her out. He grunted his approval and nodded like a puppet when I said I needed him to watch over Bryce and the out-of-control hounds from hell. Bubbles has taken to the He-man wannabe. So much so, I’m kind of hoping he takes the dog with him, pretty sure it could be used as a service animal.

This past couple of weeks with Gia have been the best weeks of my entire life, and I’m itching to make it permanent.

“I can’t believe you organized all of this.” Gia smiles widely, and my heart thuds in my chest as I entwine our fingers together. Then she scans the room again, and my eyebrows furrow. This is the third time she’s done this in the span of only five minutes.

The restaurant is high-end, with crystal chandeliers that the candle lights flicker off of and a violinist playing Mozart in the corner of the room. The tone is romantic and elegant, but the way Gia fidgets from side to side and her eyes dart around the room gives away how uncomfortable she is, and I hate it.

I could be anywhere with her. I don’t need any of this, and neither does she.

“Sir, the Pinot Noir 1945 is available,” the server says, and I cast my eyes over Gia and her glass of water.

“I’m good, thank you.”

My eyes narrow, and she bites into her bottom lip, and my cock hardens. Her green eyes twinkle as if knowing my thoughts.

“You can have a drink, Reed. I’m happy to drive home.”

“Absolutely not.” I hold her eyes. “I don’t need a drink. I’m just happy to have you.”

“You already have me. Smooth talker.” She sticks her tongue out at me, and I chuckle. “Thank you for bringing me here, Reed. I love it.” Glancing round the room again, she smiles whimsically.

“Do you?” I lift my eyebrow and lean forward. “Because I’m starting to regret it.” Her face falls, and she darts her eyes away from mine, so I instantly regret my words. I tug on her hand to draw her attention back to me. “Let me rephrase that. I’m regretting choosing here. You deserve better.”

She scoffs on a laugh, then takes in the other customers again. “Pretty sure, you don’t get much better than this.”

“Anywhere with you being comfortable is better than this.” I motion around the room with my hand.

She pulls her top lip into her mouth. “This is the type of place my father would bring me to as a child.” Her eyes meet mine, and there’s so much sorrow in them I could drown in it. My spine straightens, and a newfound determination kicks in.

“Okay, we’re leaving.”

Her eyebrows shoot up, and I push my chair back, throw my napkin on the table, and stand. “Reed? N-no. It’s fine.” A spike of adrenaline floods my veins.

“Come on.” I hold my hand out for her, and the moment her shoulders relax, and relief floods her face, I know I’ve won, and when her hand slips into mine, I feel like everything is how it should be.

“Reed, is that you?” a sneering voice has my stomach plummeting, then I spin to face the one woman I truly cannot stand.

My mother.