He grinned and just as I was about to question him further, the front door opened and a petite woman with long black hair liberally mixed with silver, wearing a red ruffled apron, stood watching as he grabbed my hand.
Her dark gaze, exactly the same as her son’s, clocked the hand holding and she smiled wide. “Jonah, you brought a woman home for dinner. This is a great surprise, son.”
I nudged his shoulder and grinned.
“Ma, this is my friend, Simone. Simone, this is my mother, Loretta.”
“Your friend?” She squinted and assessed her son with a shrewd eye.
“Yeah, Ma, my friend.” Jonah ran the fingers not holding my hand through his hair making it messy sexy.
“What kind of friend?” She held her hand out toward me.
Before Jonah could answer, I did for him. “The kind who spent the entire day on a date with him, kissed him twice, and who he brought home to his mama,” I offered candidly.
“Fucking hell,” he growled, and I laughed.
Loretta smiled and held my hand and patted the top with her other one. “Aw, that kind of friend. I see. This makes me very happy. My boy needs a woman to look after. He’s happier when he has someone to take care of, and someone taking care of him in return.”
“Oh really?” I laughed. “Tell me more, Loretta. I’m all ears.” I smirked at Jonah.
“Come, come. I’ve got pasta and meatballs on the stove.” His mother waved.
My mouth watered at the visual. I gripped Jonah’s hand and followed his mother inside. “Come on, honey, let’s have dinner with your family,” I teased.
He tugged my hand so hard, I landed right against his side where he dipped his head straight to my ear. “You’re not at all bothered that I brought you home to meet my mother on the first date?”
“No. Why would I be? Moms always like me. What can I say? It’s a gift.” I shrugged.
His dark gaze traced my face and he lifted his hand and cupped my nape. Then he brought his lips to mine where he kissed me softly. “You’re not like any woman I’ve ever known.”
I smiled. “Thanks, baby. That’s sweet. The kiss is even sweeter, but my stomach is about to eat itself if I don’t get something inside of it and your mom is Italian. I’m counting on this being some really awesome spaghetti and meatballs, so can we get to the part where you get over how weirdly cool I am and feed me?”
He smashed our lips together in reply, touched his tongue with mine, and I instantly forgot how hungry I was, suddenly all about being hungry for more of Jonah.
“Kids!” I vaguely heard his mother call out from somewhere in the house. “Good Lord above,” his mother gasped from over my shoulder.
“Sorry, Ma. Try and make a little more noise when you approach next time,” he joked.
I started laughing and turned toward his mother, likely beet red. I hooked a thumb at Jonah. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help myself, but he started it. And have you seen him? You made the most beautiful man on earth, Loretta. I plain turn stupid when he puts his lips on mine.”
This had his mother beaming with what I assumed was pride. “No sorry needed. His father is the same.”
“Where is Dad?”
“Garage, tooling away on that old car.”
He smiled. “My father’s hobby is fixing up classic American vehicles.”
“Cool,” I said in awe. “Can we check it out?” Cars were great at getting you from point A to B. Though all the new shiny bling and curves kind of took the fun out of the deep rumbling engine and smooth edges of sculpted metal from eras past. If I had my pick, meaning the money to buy whatever I wanted, I’d totally buy a muscle car. I wanted to feel the rumble of a car underneath me as I drove. Be one with it. My old hand-me-down sedan definitely did not have that feel. Alas, another in the long list of things I loved but wasn’t sure I’d ever have, not to mention the car I did have had been stolen by my would-be captor.
“He’d love nothing more than to show you his baby…”
He was cut off when I heard a man’s voice from deeper in the house holler. “Loretta, woman, your man is wasting away in here!” A booming laugh could be heard from the