Corruption - Leigh Lennon Page 0,45
bit sweeter.” My wine fridge is behind me, and I grab a Gewurztraminer. “This is a German wine. It’s my sister’s favorite, so I keep it for her when she comes over to shoot the shit with me.”
Once the cork is out, she starts to rub her hands together as though she’s a little girl waiting for a lollipop. “Okay, so you aren’t patient, are you?” She shakes her head as she shoves more noodles in her mouth. “I’m not sure how this will pair with Indian food, and normally, you should let a white wine breathe for twenty minutes, but I don’t think you’re going to wait.”
She shakes her head again, and I pour us both a glass. “So, you’ve really not had alcohol, ever?”
She finishes chewing her noodles. “Not unless you count communion, which I’m almost positive is grape juice.”
This makes me howl as she takes a long swig of her wine. I can watch her innocence all day long. “Holy Moley, that’s good,” she calls out, drinking the small amount I poured in her glass.
She doesn’t ask for anymore. She knows if I want her to have more, I’ll give it to her.
“So, tell me about your sister. Do you have any more siblings?” she asks as she rips a piece of her Naan bread and pops it in her mouth.
“My sister, her name is Calla. It’s just her and my mom. My father died several years ago. I moved them up here from LA, and before you, they were the only women in my life.”
“Calla, as in a Calla lily?” she asks, now with a bite of tandoori chicken on her fork.
“Yep, it was the first flower my dad gave my mom. And believe me, once you meet my sister, there’s no other name that fits her. She’s a single mother. Her college sweetheart turned out to be a shithead. When she got pregnant with her daughter in graduate school, I made sure she was able to reach her dream, and with her daughter, she made it through the pressures of both her master and doctorate degree, and in less than five years, she’s become one of the most sought after professors in British literature. And I’m very protective of both her and my niece, Rain. She’s six and is the apple of my eye.”
“So,” she begins with a little tap of her fingers, “what you’re telling me is that there are three women in your life, and it sounds like Rain has her uncle Maddox wrapped around her finger?”
I grab a kabob off Jewel’s plate, stabbing at a piece of chicken. “Yeah, Rain is a bit spoiled by me, to say the least,” I admit.
She pushes her plate away, her eyes soften, and I wonder what she’s about to ask. “Can you tell me about your father?”
I take a deep breath, moving my hands over my head. “He was the best man I knew. I grew up on a large estate as I told you earlier. And all the fathers on the estate became second fathers to me. But no one was as great and good in heart as my dad.” It’s all I can say because talking about him is almost as painful as thinking about the woman I had once loved aborting my baby.
“What about your mom? For some reason, I envision a feisty and fearfully protective woman as your mother.”
“Well, you’ve certainly just described Tanya Sobota.” My thoughts reflect on my mother as Jewel’s eyes flutter with twinkles in her emerald orbs.
“What?” I ask.
“Big bad Dom is a mama’s boy, isn’t he?” she teases.
I don’t answer her but place my index finger in front of her lips. “Don’t tell anyone.” This causes her to let out a little chortle. “Although all our mothers are pretty feisty, out of all the female servants, my mother most certainly holds the crown for the most spirited.”
As she continues to speak, her eyes become heavy. “Oh, sweetheart, let’s get you up to bed.” She nods, accepting defeat that she’ll soon be asleep. “I want you in my bed tonight, but nothing is going to happen. You understand me?”
“Yes, Sir,” she replies, standing as she starts to clear the dishes.
“No, I’ll be down later to clean up. You’ve been through too much tonight. I’ll make sure you’re comfortable, and then I’ll take care of this.”
When she doesn’t argue with me, I’m not surprised. I’ve never been more happy with someone in my personal space as I am