Page 120 of Their Cruel Play
Hmm. “Okay.”
Her face clears when she realizes I’m not going to press the issue.
“One more thing, kitten.”
She meets my gaze. “What, sir?”
Fuck, that’s good. My hand wraps around the back of her neck, and I draw her in close.
“Good girl,” I whisper before I claim her lips.
“No, Margaret.” My mother’s voice makes Harper stiffen in my arms, but I don’t release her. “I don’t know when Mr. Jacobs will be home. Oh, can I call you back?”
Pulling back from the kiss, I look into Harper’s panicked eyes.
“Eli.” Mother tucks her phone into her pocket. “I didn’t know you were home and with afriend.”
I wince because she’s caught me with Ashley and a few others before. I don’t hide my sex life from my parents, because they don’t hide their marital problems from me. It seems fair.
“We were just leaving.” Standing, I take Harper’s hand.
Mom’s attention drops to our hands, and she pulls a tight smile before raising her gaze to mine. She doesn’t bother looking at Harper.
“You’ll be here for dinner, right? Your father and I want to talk to you about colleges.” Mom brushes some lint off her skirt. “We want to discuss what your thoughts are and make sure you’ve applied to the correct universities. I’m sure you’ve applied to the ones I’ve sent you, but your father is concerned you didn’t look into his list.”
Harper shifts on her feet, and I draw her closer. Her startled eyes look up into mine. Like I’ve seen a million times with Luke and Caden, she softens and hugs me. Warmth surges through me, not in aI want to fuck herway.
I’ve known whytheywant to keep her.
But in this moment, when she senses I need her comfort and gives it so freely, I get it. The tightness in my chest eases, and I slide my arm around her shoulders and kiss the top of her head.
My mother’s mouth hangs open as she watches, but I just breathe in Harper’s vanilla scent.
She draws away and smiles before holding her hand out to my mother.
“I’m Harper, Eli’s girlfriend.”
My mother’s lips pinch, and she worries at her necklace while staring at Harper’s hand like it’s a snake.
She arches an eyebrow at me like I should do something.
“Mom, this is Harper Davidson, my girlfriend.”
CHAPTER 34
Checkpoint Charlie
Harper
Eli’s mother seriously glitches for a moment after Eli calls me his girlfriend. It’s probably a first, but from the way she acted when she arrived, he’s had other girls here before.
Now that I’m not watching her on a far away football field, I can see Eli in her smile and her dark eyes. Her hair has a red tone, but I remember her husband’s brown hair like Eli’s.
“Nora Jacobs.” She smiles tightly and holds her hand out to me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you.” When I take her hand, it’s small and cold, almost fragile in mine.
She draws it away quickly and focuses back on Eli. Her smile is bright and plastic as fuck. “Is your friend going to stay for dinner? I’ll need to set another place setting.”
