Page 25 of The Burdens We Share (Satan’s Angels #3)

I look down and find Ivory scowling at her mother.

Is this something her mother has done to her before when she’s had boyfriends?

It can’t be because Ivory said she’s never brought a guy home with her before.

“You as well. Ivory has said such wonderful things about you, it’s nice to finally match a face to those things.

” I lean in closer to her mother and lower my voice as if to whisper, though I know Ivory can hear me clearly, “Though if you didn’t introduce yourself, I would’ve assumed you were her sister. ”

Her mother blushes and places a hand over her chest as if to calm a racing heart, “Oh, Ivory. I just love him already.”

I look down at my little devil and find her frowning at me, an annoyed look in her eye. I smirk at her and realize I’m already having fun in my role as her fake boyfriend. Especially if it elicits such a reaction from her.

Ivory forces out, “I know. Isn’t he just great?” Her eye twitches at the last word.

A loud crashing sound comes from somewhere inside and Tara’s smile falls as her eyes widen. “What is that child doing now?” She asks herself as she rushes inside to find the source of the sound. Something is definitely broken, I can confirm without having to look.

As soon as her mother vanishes from sight, Ivory swats my arm and I grin, “What the fuck was that?” She snarls.

I shrug, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She gives me a speechless expression before she whisper-yells at me, “You know exactly what I’m talking about! You flirted with my mother!”

I raise a brow, my smile falling. “I did not flirt with your mother. I simply charmed her.”

Ivory looks very impatient, “Okay, well do me a favor and don’t charm anyone ever again because you suck at it.”

“Clearly not. She loves me already. Who knows, maybe she’ll ask me to be her son-in-law? Wouldn’t that be something?” I tease her.

Her face pales. “What has gotten into you?” She looks shocked. “Has someone taken over your body?”

I frown, “Does it surprise you that much that I’m not completely unlikable?”

She retorts, “Yes, actually it does when all you usually do twenty-four-seven is frown and look all serious and not make any jokes at all or God forbid, smile!”

I lean in closer to her face as I whisper, “Careful, Little Devil. We don’t want your mother to think her new favorite couple is fighting on her porch.”

She opens her mouth to most likely snap back at me with some kind of response, but she must be so taken aback by the slip of my secret nickname for her that she’s speechless.

I use one finger to lift her jaw and close her mouth, “Now, are you done or are we going to continue our little show for your mother? I’m having fun.

” And I am. I haven’t felt this relaxed, this amused, this carefree in so long it almost feels foreign.

But I guess it’s only fitting that the feeling would come from something to do with Ivory Aslan.

It’s like she has a secret talent for bringing the Dallas from a year ago back to the surface.

I remove my finger and step inside the house, noting right away the clean smell of dark amber oud. The house is pristine, with farmhouse-style furniture and picture frames all over. I even notice a small miniature husky snoozing in a very cozy-looking bed.

The door shuts behind me and Ivory cuts me off, standing in front of me, “Dallas.”

“Ivory,” I tilt my head at her.

She looks stressed and I suddenly feel guilt for pushing her too far. I can see the exhaustion on her face and I know I’m not making this any easier on her. “What are you doing? Are you up to something? Please, if you’re up to something, don’t do it here. Just wait until we leave, okay?”

I sigh, “Ivory, relax. I’m just having a little fun with you. I promise you, I am not up to anything nefarious.”

She searches my face for evidence of a lie, but I’m not lying so she doesn’t find anything. Ivory gives me a suspicious look, “I didn’t know the word ‘fun’ was even in your vocabulary.”

My amusement returns only slightly as I tease her, “You know, it wasn’t until we walked up to the porch.

” I don’t know if it’s my excitement to see this part of her life, a part I didn’t have access to even in my research, or if it’s to learn more about her, or if it’s just her in general, but there’s something about the role I’m playing and the place I’m in that’s making the pressure in my chest dissipate and the storm clouds in my head roll away.

She looks entirely unimpressed as she pinches the bridge between her nose with her index finger and thumb. “I came here to reprimand a sixteen-year-old and now I have a thirty-year-old to reprimand too.”

I smirk. I never told her how old I was. It seems I’m not the only one in this fake relationship who did their homework on the other. A rush of pleasure washes through me at the inclination that my little devil is just as interested in me as I am in her.

I don’t get the chance to respond because her mother screeches from upstairs, “Ivory! He broke my fucking mirror!”

Ivory groans and throws her head back, “Here we fucking go.” She takes a long breath before she makes her way up the stairs.

When she makes it up four, she stops, turning to look at me over her shoulder.

She looks hesitant and slightly nervous as if she wants to ask me something but doesn’t have the courage to.

Like she’s trying to figure out if she can really rely on me.

I tilt my head at her, “What is it?” I know right away with her when she needs something or has something to say that she isn’t saying. I’ve come to know her very well in our few weeks together.

She bites her lip anxiously before she asks, “Can you come with me? For emotional support.” Those three words hit me like a shot to the chest.

I’m behind her on the stairs in a second, “Whatever you need.” I reassure her because it’s true. I’d do anything for her and I want her to know that. She barely has to ask. I’m putty in her hands and I’d deny it to anyone else.

Ivory’s body relaxes immediately at my presence and it sends a flash of warmth through my chest to know she finds comfort in my proximity. My cock hardens in my pants almost instantly and I have to rearrange it before we make it up those stairs and her mother gets a look at my junk.

We make it to the top of the stairs and she leads me down a long hallway to what must be her mother’s room.

There’s yelling coming from inside and I know right away Sam and Tara are inside arguing.

Ivory takes a deep breath before she twists the knob and pushes the door open.

When she takes in the sight on the other side she sucks in a small breath.

The mirror attached to the gray dresser is completely shattered, shards scattered all over the floor around Sam and Tara’s feet.

Tara is waving her finger in Sam’s face and he’s screaming right back in hers, not letting her speak.

Ivory freezes and I place a hand on her shoulder to remind her I’m here and she isn’t alone.

She relaxes under my touch and I even notice that she seems to lean into my body slightly whether she knows what she’s doing or not.

I want desperately to spin her around and kiss her, but that will have to wait for another time.

“You’re such a fucking bitch!” Sam snarls in his mother’s face.

Ivory fumes, “Sam!”

He focuses his attention on his sister and I notice right away that these two siblings look absolutely nothing alike.

Sam’s hair is a highlighted blond and while they may have similar bone structures, his eyes are lighter than hers, and his complexion is an entirely different color.

Another thing they have in common is their frames.

They’re both extremely slim and lean, but Sam is incredibly tall.

He’s probably only four or five inches shorter than I am.

I also notice his pearl choker necklace and pink tank top. Maybe they have similar styles as well.

He spares me a quick glance before he snaps back at his sister, “Why are you even here?”

“Because you are out of control,” Ivory rages.

He scoffs, “More like Mom can’t parent her own kid.”

Tara shrieks, “Sam! How dare you?”

Ivory raises her hands to silence them both, “Mom, can you please just go downstairs or something so I can talk to Sam?”

Tara immediately rushes out of the room and slams the door shut as if she’s been dying to push Sam onto someone else.

I truly pity my little devil. Her mother has no patience to parent her own son and she pushes the job onto Ivory who already works her ass off to not only make a name for herself but to support her family.

All Tara’s concerned with is what rich man she can date next.

Ivory lowers her voice so as to speak calmly to Sam, “Sam, please calm down and talk to me.”

He crosses his arms over his chest, “I’m not interested in talking to you.”

Ivory sighs, “Please. I came all the way here to talk to you.”

Sam looks at me, changing the subject, “Are you the new boyfriend?”

I nod, stepping up to Ivory’s side. “I am. I wish we could be meeting under better circumstances.”

He shrugs, “Whatever.”

Ivory asks, “What’s going on? You usually talk to me. Why are you being aggressive? I’m just trying to help.”

Sam snaps, “Have you ever considered that nobody fucking wants your help? I didn’t ask you to come here from your fancy mansion and leave your fancy friends or your fancy job.”

She frowns, “You know I worked really hard to make all of those things happen.”

“I don’t really care how hard you work. It seems I only see you when Mom calls you to parent me and do her job. Well guess what, Ivory? I don’t fucking need you to parent me. You and Mom are fucking bitches and I can’t stand either of you,” he bellows.