“I… um...”
Laughing, I leaned over and kissed her. “Yes, I want you to accompany me to visit my mother.”
“But… but… how will we explain… us?”
“With the truth,” I replied.
Athena nibbled her lip. “What about Elliot? She won’t tell him, will she?”
“I don’t think my mother and Elliot are besties, darling.”
She slapped her palm against my shoulder. “Ryker! Be serious.”
I chuckled. “Stop worrying. For one thing, she lives in Connecticut, so is hardly likely to swing by unexpectedly while Elliot happens to be visiting and then decide her first words are going to be to blurt about us. And secondly, my mother is one of the most discreet people I know. When ROGUES made it big, the press were all over us.”
“I remember,” she said. “It was a crazy time.”
“Very. And yet there isn’t one quote anywhere from my mother. She’s never spoken a single word to the press, and she never discusses me or my business even with Portia who is her closest friend. I trust her implicitly. She’ll be thrilled, that’s all. Like any mother, she just wants her only child to be happy.”
Athena gave me a coy smile. “I make you happy?”
I captured her lips in a brief kiss. “Ecstatic. My only regret is that I didn’t give in to the inevitable earlier. Think of all the sex we could have had by now.”
“You have a one-track mind.”
“You have no idea.” I smiled wolfishly. “But you will.”
“I can’t wait,” she whispered, gazing up at me from beneath her long, dark lashes.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I groaned. “We need to get on the road soon, and while I’m far from averse to a quickie, I’m in a savoring mood.”
I stood and cleared our plates, stacking them in the dishwasher.
“Shit,” Athena exclaimed.
I turned around, hoping she hadn’t remembered some urgent errand. I wanted us to spend the weekend together, not apart. “What’s the matter?”
She tugged on my shirttails. “Unless this is suitable attire for visiting your mother, which I doubt, I don’t have anything to wear. And if I go home, there’s the possibility I’ll run into questions.” She slapped her thigh. “I knew I should have gotten my own place.”
“Is that all. Jeez.” Picking up my cell, I dialed Patricia. She answered after a single ring, even though it was Saturday. If she ever tried to leave me or ROGUES, I’d chain her to the desk. “Patricia, sorry to bother you on the weekend.”
“No you’re not,” she said. “You’ve bothered me six weekends out of the last eight.”
Fuck. I owe this woman a raise.
“What do you need, Ryker?”
“Clothes,” I said. “More precisely, a pair of skinny jeans in a size four, regular length, a sweater in the same size, one with a decent neckline, and a warm coat. Oh, and sneakers. Actually, make it heels.” I glanced over at Athena to find her staring at me with incredulity. “Size seven.”
“What about underwear?”
“Yes, that, too. Hang on.” I muted the call. “What bra size are you?” I asked Athena.
“Ryker, for god’s sake. I can buy my own clothes.”
I sighed, ready for battle, then remembered her lingerie was on my bedroom floor. I left her standing in the kitchen and returned to the bedroom. I picked it up and found the label. “Patricia, you there?”
“Yes, waiting with bated breath.”
I chuckled. “Thirty-two C. Oh, and can you add nightwear to the list. Something—”
“Sexy,” she said, cutting me off. “Got it. When do you need it all by?”
“Thirty minutes ago.”
“Fine. I’ll call Hermione Granger and borrow her time turner.”
“I knew you’d find a way.” I grinned even though she couldn’t see me. “See you Monday.”
I cut the call and strolled into the kitchen, whistling. Athena hit me with what I liked to call her ‘Power Glare’.
“What?” I asked, holding my hands out to the side, palms up.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Thanks, darling.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“I know.” I wrapped my arms around her waist. “Don’t sweat it. You can pay me back by letting me use the nipple clamps on you tonight, and maybe one or two other delights.”
She tried hard to keep a straight face but failed miserably. Laughing, she shoved at my chest.
“You’re a bad man, Ryker Stone.”
“Yet you love me anyway.”
She stood on tiptoes and kissed my lips. “I do.”
Patricia worked miracles, and an hour after my call, Athena’s clothes were delivered. We left a short time after, riding the elevator down to the garage beneath my building. I gestured to the row of vehicles.
“Which one do you fancy?”
Athena glanced at the