Page 52 of The Desire

Mum’s voice next to me breaks my distraction.

“Yes, and now we just have to find him a wife and a mother for Blaise.” Her voice is loud enough when she gets excited about something that everyone pauses their conversations, and all eyes are on me.

But there is just one set of beautiful warm brown eyes that I care about, and they seem to be looking straight into my soul with the same question that I lie in bed and think about each night.

Is she that person?

Before I can even say a word, my mother is already answering her own statement that she was telling Nic, which turned into a conversation with the whole group.

“But all I have heard from him for years is that he doesn’t do relationships and will never marry. He seems to think that being single and having a smorgasbord of women parading through his bed is a far better option. Maybe watching you and Tori will give him some ideas.” My mother is completely oblivious to the way Elouise’s shoulders sag, and the warmth in her eyes disappears the moment Mum reiterated every fear in Elouise’s head.

“Heidi, stop harping on Remington about this. I think his life is full enough right now to be worrying about looking for a soulmate. Don’t they say that when you aren’t looking for something, it will fall into your lap?” My dad’s deep voice from across the circle gets her attention.

“Oh, like I did. Seriously, Warwick, I had to chase you down and almost smack you in the forehead before you decided to ask me out on a date. You men are oblivious to what’s in front of you.” Mum laughs at her own joke, but Tori and Elouise are now joining in too.

“Sounds a lot like being dragged along kicking and screaming to me.” Dad rolls his eyes but then winks at her as he takes the last sip of the wine in his glass.

This is what their marriage is like. Constantly laughing at each other but with so much love underlying the joking.

Needing to break this conversation that is directed at me, I start standing.

“On that note, I think it’s time I get these oldies home and tucked into bed, along with their grandson.”

“Can’t we sit a little longer and sort out your love life? Surely Tori and Elouise have friends they could introduce you to. They are good girls who seem like the settling-down types, so we just need to find a girl like them.” Yep, Mum has had one too many wines now. Time to get her out of here.

Before I can say a word, my damn so-called friends are all joining in.

“I’m not sure Victoria is the best example of a good girl.” Nic smirks at Tori across the fire and lifts his glass in the air to her.

“Be careful, Nicholas, you don’t want to start an argument.” She lifts her glass in return.

Christ, I need to get my parents out of here.

“Yes, Rem, let’s find you a good little girl.” Flynn is almost convulsing trying to hold in his laughter.

“You wouldn’t know a good girl if she bit you on the nose,” Forrest throws back at Flynn, and we all know that he looks for the opposite. He likes naughty women, and I don’t need to say any more.

“Lies, Elouise is my kind of good girl…” Flynn starts to say, but I jump in before I let him finish this sentence.

“Let’s move, we’re leaving.” Leaving the group out the back and striding straight inside, I message my driver who brought my parents out here in a hired car so it wasn’t too squished in my car with Blaise’s car seat. Not even waiting for them, I pick up Blaise who is in such a dead sleep he doesn’t even murmur, just snuggles into my chest, and I know no matter what, I’ll always have him.

But even that doesn’t calm the fury that is running around my body hearing how much Flynn wants her. How she is his type of woman.

Bullshit.

She’s not!

Not even close to what he needs. He would be the worst kind of man for her.

The word mine is floating in the back of my head, but I won’t let it come to the front of my thoughts because I’m not allowed to think it or feel it. Instead, it just makes me want to take them all home and leave for the rest of the night to take out my frustration. To call Cherie and see her now. I don’t want to have to go back to my frequent visits with her, I thought I was past this. That my life was different, but just like Elouise said, there’s no way I’m going to be able to get through this year without something.

Settling Blaise in the car, his head falls slowly to the side, he lets out a little sigh, and then is back in a deep sleep. Backing out of the car door space, I feel a hand on my forearm, and I know she can tell that what was said bothered me. Looking over my shoulder, the look of pity on her face is not what I need right now.

“Rem,” she whispers, but I don’t want it from her.

“Don’t, just don’t.” Pulling my arm away and closing the door, I pull the mask on that I seem to be getting too good at wearing and walk back over to the group. Not showing that I just want to get out of here, I’m busy thanking the guys for the beautiful food, wine, and evening. Everyone says their goodbyes, but the one person besides Elouise that is giving me a strange look is Tori. I need to continue to push through as if I’m not so pissed off that I just want to hit something.

“Thank you, all you lovely people, we will see you soon when we come for our next visit,” Mum calls out from the car door as Dad closes it for her. The wine is catching up with her, and I think all we will hear from her tonight will be her atrociously loud snoring, which is made worse when she drinks.

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