Page 23 of Hello Kitten

“You can back out right now. You have no idea what you’re getting into and if you don’t want to do this, I understand,” I say, still staring at the door. “You can just enjoy a vacation.”

“Open the door, Emily,” he says, lightly patting my ass.

I hiss between my teeth, give him a glare, but he pushes my now shiny, soft brown hair behind my ear. He strokes my cheek. “I’ll be the perfect gentleman.”

“They’re going to eat you alive,” I whisper.

Adrian opens the door, we get into the elevator and he wraps his hand around my throat, pushing me back against the elevator wall. “Three fucking weeks.”

“Sir, please, I—”

He kisses me, sucking my bottom lip, slipping his tongue between my lips and branding himself on me as his fingers squeeze my throat. He grinds against me, then draws back, his lips brushing against mine as we pant.

“Be sweet for me so we can both get what we need tonight, kitten,” he orders.

I lick over my bottom lip as he backs away and straightens his button up. I run my fingers through my hair and try to pretend nothing happened as we walk through the hotel and to the attached restaurant where my family is waiting.

I’m not sure if I’m more worried for Adrian or for me.

eleven

Dinner is awkward. My mom keeps eyeing Adrian with obvious questions. My dad keeps scoffing when I say I’m doing well in my English classes, and my sister and her fiancée are so focused on the wedding and clearly mooning over each other, I can’t focus on anything.

“Sarah,” I say, trying to get my sister’s attention. “Are you excited?”

“So excited,” she says, leaning into her fiancée.

She and Mark met in college, fell head over heels for each other and are the picture of the perfect couple. My sister’s small business now has multiple locations, and her fiancée is successful in ethical hacking. They already own a house, they had the perfect proposal at Disney, they make more than enough to take care of their home and vacation twice a year. They’re perpetually happy and into each other.

“I can’t wait to call you my wife,” Mark says.

“Hey, no kissing until Sunday,” Mom says as she glances at Adrian.

“So, Emmy, I’m sorry again about not making you a bride’s maid, but I know how easily you get stressed and how busy you get ... with school,” Sarah says.

“You mean partying, going out with her friends, spending money she shouldn’t, and wasting her tuition in a major that only lets her teach. She should have been using her time more wisely and helping to plan the wedding,” my dad butts in.

Adrian shoots my father a glare and grips my thigh under the table, silencing my normal bratty retort. “Emily is actually working for one of her professors. From what she’s told me, she’s networking in the department and making a name for herself as one hell of a writer.”

I blink at him, not sure what to say or what to do with myself as the awkwardness around me spreads.

My family likes taking jabs at each other, feeling out the weaknesses with the exception of my mom. If anyone takes a jab at her, my dad, mom, and even my grandfather gets involved.

By the time dinner is half way through, I’m drowning in unspoken words. Every time I defend myself nicely though, Adrian’s hand moves further up my thigh. It’s all the incentive I need. And it surprises me that they haven’t even asked Adrian what he does for a living, they truly don’t care.

When dessert is served and Mark serves my sister, my mother sighs. “We need to find you someone like that, Emily.”

Oh, there it is.

“Someone you can grow with, is ageappropriate, and can really provide for you. No offense, Artie.”

“Adrian,” Adrian corrects evenly.

I put my hand on his. “Adrian’s wonderful, Mom. I don’t need a man to support me anymore than Sarah does. Even though he can, the fact he makes me happy is more than enough.” The words flow so easy, perhaps a little too easy.

“For now,” my mother agrees. “Once you get out of college, you’ll realize that love and happiness aren’t enough.”

I bite my tongue to stay quiet, then bite it harder when Adrian’s hand brushes my pussy.

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