Page 48 of I've Got You

“I have seven,sevengoddamn dildos now, trying to get ready, trying to make sure I don’t make a fool out of myself when we finally, you know.” I paused, my stomach tightening. Davis and I had mastered foreplay over the past couple of weeks. I even gave myself a damn gold star when it came to giving head. “What if I’m crap? What if I can’t take it? What if I hurt—”

“Scott.” He tried again, this time his eyes impossibly wide. He even threw in a head shake for good measure. But I couldn’t stop the words from coming.

“—him? What did you do, you know, your first time?” His face actually paled at that. “Shit, it’s not okay for me to ask that, right? Yeah, sorry, but what if—”

“Scott, for the love of God, please stop. Just stop.” He shook his head, horror written on his face.

That worked. I stopped short, and sickness churned in my gut. I was going to hurl.

“My mom and dad arrived late last night for a surprise visit.”

I swallowed. Hard. I needed to remember how to breathe and had to figure out how I could both disappear and eradicate memories at the same time. I couldn’t speak in fear I’d vomit. It was a very real possibility.

“They’re in the kitchen.”

I closed my eyes, humiliation rushing through me. It clawed at my skin, threatening to do permanent damage.

Carter’s sigh was both resigned and somehow filled with sympathy. “Come on. Let’s just get this out of the way.”

Rooted. I was rooted to the spot. There was no way in hell I was going to meet his parents. I’d been in the kitchen plenty of times. I’d sat on those kitchen stools regularly enough to know you could hear everything that took place in the hallway. And I was hardly quiet during my breakdown. What the hell had I been thinking?

I tried to shake my head, but I couldn’t even seem to be able to manage that.

“Come on,” Carter tried again. This time he took my arm and pulled me toward the kitchen.

Reluctantly, I allowed him to do so.Best I get it over with.I attempted to put on my game face, not quite sure exactly what that would look like yet. This wasn’t a situation I ever expected to be in,ever. It rated high on the list of nightmare situations.

“Mom, Dad, this is Scott. Scott, these are my parents, Jack and Marcy.”

With a deep breath, I stepped further into the room. My face fixed in a painful half smile. I could do nothing about the small dip of my brows or the sweat breaking out on my skin though. “Erm, hi, Mr. and Mrs. Falon.” I stretched out my hand as I moved toward them. “Pleased to meet you both.” I swallowed the bile threatening to crawl up my throat.

Carter’s dad stood and took my hand in his, giving it a firm squeeze. He gave me a sympathetic nod, though I didn’t miss the amusement dancing in his eyes. “Scott.”

I turned to Carter’s mom. Her eyes narrowed a fraction as she studied me, doing a long sweep of my body. I held my hand out, not quite sure what I’d do if she refused. Probably turn tail and run, but I stayed as strong as I could manage considering the circumstances.

Her gaze dropped to my hand. “It’s not going to be a limp-lettuce handshake after all that porn watching, is it?”

“Mom!”

“Marcy!”

I blanched and shook my head furiously. “No, ma’am.” I breathed hard through my nose, willing my stomach to settle. Me vomiting all over her would take this meeting to a whole other level of humiliating.

She appraised me a moment longer. “Good.” Her hand took mine, her grip strong. When she released it, she smiled, and air rushed out of my lungs. And just in time too. Vomit and me blacking out from holding my breath would have been the icing on the cake. “So, you’re the enigmatic Scott.” There was no question in her statement.

“Mom, really? Leave him alone and drink your tea.”

An arched brow lifted ever so slowly, and she shot Carter a look a lesser man would have withered under. “And you”—she shook her head—“have been holding out on me.”

A mumbled, “Here we go,” left Carter as he stepped to my side. “It’s not too late to run,” he said in my direction.

I laughed. It was small and nervous. I wasn’t quite sure if he was joking or not, and I seriously wanted to do just that.

“No chance. Sit your heinie on this here stool, Scott. It seems like my dearest son has not been keeping me in the loop, and it sounds as though you need some advice.”

“Oh boy.” Jack shook his head. “Son,” he called out to Carter, who had since fully stepped into the kitchen. “Scott here will need something stronger. Coffee is not going to get him through this.” A small smile sat on his lips, and I lifted mine in return. He reminded me a lot of Carter. “No chance of escaping now, Scott. Best get comfortable and ride this one out.”

I took a seat on the offered stool, my back straight, as far from comfortable as could be. Carter’s family were insane, but in that quirky, awesome way. They were so unlike my own family, and I’d never experienced parents quite like them before. That was obvious in just the three minutes in their presence. Not to say I hadn’t heard stories. Saying that, I didn’t think anything could have prepared me for the Falons.

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