Page 69 of Falling for Fury

“Addy, this is my mother, in case you hadn’t worked that out… Mamá, Addison, my girlfriend, of like two months, so just… irémise .” I remind mom to take it easy, and I give Addy an apologetic look, although she looks confused at what I said. Didn’t we establish the labels already? I shrug. We’ll just talk about it later when we don’t have an embarrassing audience. Mom finally lets go of Addison and does a chef’s kiss with her fingers. She isn’t wrong, Addison is beautiful on a normal day, but today her hair is down and curled around her face, a flowing summer dress that is a deep jade green that lightly dusts the top of her knees, leaving nothing to my imagination.

Despite my future being mapped out for me and my sister throwing out slurs, I don’t think this introduction could have gone smoother. Everyone is met, happy, and making our way into the kitchen for food. The room in the house I spent most of my time in. Mom’s cooking was always exquisite. Mostly traditional Greek food, but even her spaghetti was out of this world. I honestly don’t know how she does it.

“Mrs. Karvelas, this is divine!” Addy practically moans on a fork full of lamb. That moan sending my thoughts to inappropriate places. Would it be rude to excuse ourselves already?

“Darling, just call me Iris. You are small, here eat more.”

“Mamá!” Evie and I shout at the same time. Jesus Christ, I should have prepared my mother, not Addison.

“Ahh, it’s fine… really.” Addy gives mom her best confident smile, but I can see right through it—she is self conscious and uncomfortable.

“Noah, you don’t feed her. She will blow away if you’re not careful, and this one is special. You need to keep her.” And don’t I know it. Addy looks at me from across the table, her eyes pleading. I don’t think she was ready for Momma Karvelas in all her glory. Christ, I wasn’t even ready. I completely forgot what it was like to be home.

“Addison, tell me about your family,” my mother grills. I send Addy an apologetic smile, hopefully encouraging her to just be herself.

“Umm… Well, I have an older brother Jessie, an older sister Ava, and my baby sister Riley. Except, well, she isn’t a baby. She is twenty-one.”

“And your parents?” I swallow roughly and try to keep my thoughts from showing in my body language.

“Um…” She swallows and pushes her food around with her fork.

“Henry owns an Investment Firm that’s been in his family for several years. Lillian, Addy’s mom, is a decorator.” I got the rundown in Maplewood, plus I’ve been pestering Ava with questions about her parents, trying and failing to understand the dynamic better. I pray that no one can hear the anger that coats my words. Speaking of Addy’s parents, or at least her dad, fills me with rage, and I’d like to leave the topic pronto.

“Why thank you, Addison,” my mother teases.

I roll my eyes at my mother and Addy thanks me silently with her eyes.

“You must be proud of your father. It sounds like he has done well for himself and the family.” My mom sounds so proud and I hate it. Hate that this man gets credit for anything. If anyone should be celebrated, it’s Addison, for turning out so goddamn perfect after what she has had to deal with.

“Addison just finished her Law Degree, actually received magna cum laude. And she is killing it at Bozzelli’s. I told you about Lucas’s bar, didn’t it?” I take a swig of my beer as I redirect the conversation back to Mom. Ethan and Lucas were regular visitors here during the college days, with absentee parents themselves. They are like brothers, and my mom treats them as such. Mom gives me a quick, assessing glare. That woman misses nothing, but thankfully she takes the bait.

“Lucas, he is such a good boy. I knew he would do good things. They don’t visit. When will they come home?” She feigns mad at this, but she means well.

“I’ll bring them next time.”

“So you like the bar Addison?”

“Yes, actually, Lucas is so amazing, super easy to work for. Definitely a change of pace from my previous workplaces, that’s for sure. Plus, the other staff are great, so it makes it worth it.” I elect to ignore the so amazing description Addy gave Lucas and decide to let her continue. If only so I can just hear her speak, watch those strawberry lips. I have other ideas for those plump lips. She told me she loved me and we barely had a second to soak in the moment. I had a plan, a really great, long, strenuous, and romantic plan. Those plans would need to wait.

We settle into comfortable conversation. Mom pulls out the photo albums in the most cliché thirty minutes of my life. Although, photo albums were the least of my worries. I was actually super adorable, didn’t really suffer an awkward phase, so if anything, I was happy for the flex. Addison spends the whole time rolling her eyes and scoffing, “Of course you were fucking cute your entire life.” I just shrug. What can I say? Just another pretty face.

I managed to steal Addy away upstairs a few hours before dinner. I had wanted to stay at a hotel, giving me lots of uninterrupted Addy time, but she had insisted we spend the time with Mom and E, which I’m glad for. I don’t get much time to come home and see them, and this night has been great. I’m ready for it to get better. I give her a tour of my childhood bedroom, the shelf of trophies and collection of sporting photos, as the tour moves on to my favorite location—the bed.

“It’s weird being in your childhood bedroom.” She bites down on her lip and walks backwards towards the wall as I stalk towards her.

“How so?” I ask, although not really caring about the answer. I have one mission right now. Her back hits the wall and I crowd her space, leaning an arm on the wall above her, and I use a finger under her chin to tilt her head up at me.

“It’s another side of you I feel like I don’t know.” She considers me questioningly, but I don’t miss the hunger in her eyes as she looks me up and down.

“We have all the time in the world, shortcake. If you let me, I’ll show you everything.” I lean down and take her lips in a searing kiss, my tongue at the seam of her lips, and she opens to take me instantly. Our tongues dance slowly, intimately, as my hands find her waist and her fingers twirl and pull at the hair at the base of my neck. Something she does every time we kiss and I’ve grown to love this feeling, love the scrape of her nails on my scalp.

“My sweet Romeo,” she says as she pulls away, panting from our kiss. “And what are you going to show me now?”

“The stars on the ceiling.” I kiss down her neck, but she remains silent as I lower myself, peppering kisses along her body. Still clad in clothes, and unfortunately, my mom and sister are downstairs, so I can’t waste time stripping off her clothes or risk them wondering what’s going on. Now, my one mission is to thank Addy for loving me, for choosing to take a chance on us, ask for forgiveness for things she doesn’t know, and to show her how much I love her.

“What stars?” she asks, panting as I kneel in front of her and trail my fingers teasingly up her legs then reaching under her dress. I run a finger along the seam between her wetness. “My needy shortcake. You’ll understand what stars in a minute.” I wink at her as I run my finger up her seam again, the soft cotton of her panties the only thing between us, and she throws her head back against the wall on a moan.

“We can’t do this with your family downstairs,” she pants and whispers but makes no move to stop me. My little demon loves the thrill.

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