Page 52 of Red My Lips

“Woman’s intuition.”

“How do you even know—” My words cut off as it occurs to me. Stevie. “I’m going to fucking fire her,” I growl.

“Are you going to step aside? Or do I have to find my own way in?”

Seeing that neither of them is going to give this up, I exhale a heavy breath through my nose and step aside to let them in. My parents enter the house, and I make sure to herd them into the living room. I wouldn’t put it past my mom to go room to room until she’s tracked Jill down.

“Wait here,” I say, pointing to the couch. Dad sits on the couch and leans back to get comfortable, but Mom remains standing. She crosses her arms and raises her brows at me.

“Why, so you can sneak her out the back?” she accuses. I throw her a dirty look.

“What am I, fifteen?” I retort. “I’ll go get her. She’s not exactly expecting to meet my parents today.” I just barely convinced Jill to spend time with me. She’s probably going to skin me alive when she finds out they’re here right now.

Fuck.

“Just hurry up. I need to see what’s so special about this woman.”

“You better watch yourself,” I warn, turning to leave the room.

“Relax, I’m not going to hurt her or anything,” my mom says behind me.

“I can’t promise the same from Jill,” I say over my shoulder as I walk towards the hallway. My mom laughs at that, her raspy voice cracking.

“I like the sound of her already.”

Walking back to the bedroom feels like I’m walking into the lion’s den. Jill’s in the ensuite bathroom, putting on her makeup. Sensing my presence in the doorway, she glances over at me before returning her focus to her reflection.

“Was someone at the door?” she asks distractedly, her gorgeous ass sticking out as she leans over the counter to get closer to the mirror while swiping on her mascara.

“Yeah.” I let out a heavy breath and steel myself. “They’re here to meet you.”

“Meet me?” Her hand pauses mid-swipe, and she straightens, her tone turning suspicious. “Who?”

“My parents.” Those stunning green eyes of hers widen slightly in surprise, anger sparking in her gaze as her tone turns accusing.

“Your parents? Your parents.” She gestures to her bare legs. “I’m not wearing pants, Gage.”

She doesn’t have a single pair of pants at my place, just her dress from last night and the t-shirt she brought to sleep in. I glance down at Jill’s shapely long legs and how her oversized shirt stops high on her thick thighs. Her bare legs are nothing compared to how my parents have seen other women in the past.

Flashback to when I was nineteen, and they walked into my apartment while I was balls-deep in some blonde chick because I wasn’t answering their calls. My mom had offered the girl—I don’t even remember her name—a hair tie and said she liked her boob job while I was still inside her.

At least this time they fucking knocked.

“They don’t give a shit about that.” Her eyes narrow. “I’ll make it up to you, baby. I promise.”

“We’ll talk about this later.”

A smile spreads across my face as she straightens her shoulders and struts past me down the hallway toward the living room. I follow behind her, grinning from ear to ear.

Walking into a room with my parents, or even just one of them, isn’t for the weak. Intimidating isn’t a strong enough word to describe the experience, or so I’ve been told.

Jill doesn’t hesitate before striding into the living room. My mom is standing by the fireplace, looking at the pictures I have on the mantle. Dad is still sitting on the couch, arms crossed, as he watches my mom snoop around.

“Gage says you’re here to meet me.” Jill’s voice catches my parent’s attention. “I’m Jill.”

“This is my mom, Connie, and that’s my dad, Dwayne.”

“So you’re the woman my son is obsessed with.” I cut my mom with a look, but she shrugs it off. “What? Are you not?” She looks back at Jill. “Let me have a look at you.”

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