Page 71 of Their Deviant Love
When we pass the gates, the guards whisper something into their earpieces. And by the time we reach the house, up the long as driveway, there are at least fifteen additional men standing in front of the landing.
Aurora ignores them and leads me up the few steps to the door. “Are you sure we’re supposed to be here?” I whisper into her ear before she opens the door.
“It’s my home, Connor. Of course we are.” It’sherhome. Not it’sher parents’home. “Well, it was mine. Now it’s… my childhood home. You know what I mean,” she clarifies, reading the expression on my face.
I do know what she means. I really need to sort shit out so she can come back to New York. She needs to be with her family. As much as she says she’s happy with me, and I believe her, she loves them too. And I want her to have everything she wants. I’m going to make sure she gets it.
I pull my phone out and send a text message to Cillian, who I’ve left in charge while I’m not there.
Me:
Anything?
After hitting send, I pocket my phone again. I’ve been in this house before, in Aurora’s bedroom. I risked everything sneaking in here, but it was worth it to be there for her when she needed me.
“This is where you grew up?” I ask, looking around the perfectly-decorated space.
“Mhm, why?”
“It looks like something from one of those magazines with homes and gardens and shit in them,” I tell her. It looks like a display.
“My mom is the best interior designer there is. What did you expect?” Aurora asks. Before I can answer, she turns back and yells at the top of her lungs. “Mama, you here?”
What does she mean? We were invited, weren’t we? Why wouldn’t her mother be here?
The sound of clicking heels approaches us as Aurora leads me farther into the house.
“Aurora, oh my gosh, what are you doing here?” Her mother reaches out, pulls Aurora into her arms, and kisses her cheek. Aurora doesn’t let go of my hand while she returns the gesture with her free arm.
“You said to drop in, so we did. What’s for dinner?” Aurora asks, looking past her mom.
“Ah…”Shit, we were not invited for dinner.“I’m sorry Mrs. Valentino. I thought… I can go.” I do not need her mother to hate me as much as the rest of them do.
Mrs. Valentino looks at me and smiles. “This is her home. She’s always invited to dinner. It’s nice to finally meet you, Connor.” Her eyes roam up and down the length of me. “I can see why my daughter is so lost in you. You’re quite the looker,” she says, and I don’t know why but I fucking blush.
“Um, thank you, ma’am.” I glance over at Aurora, who is trying her best not to laugh at my discomfort.
“Come on, we were just about to eat,” Mrs. Valentino says.
“Who iswe?” Aurora asks, following her mother.
“You picked a night—that’s for sure, sweetheart,” Mrs. Valentino replies, and Aurora grips my hand tighter.
“You okay?” I ask her.
“Mhm, just making sure you can’t run away,” she tells me.
“I’m not running from you, princess, ever,” I whisper to her.
When we enter the dining room, I pause. The table is full of people. “Look, everyone! Princess came for dinner.” Mrs. Valentino turns and winks at me.Guess she heard that.
Aurora’s father is the first one out of his seat. He hugs her, clearly not liking the fact that she doesn’t release my hand as he does. “Princess, everything okay?” he asks her.
“Yep, Mama invited us,” she says.
“You invited them, Savvy?” Mr. Valentino asks his wife.
“It’s her home. She doesn’t need an invitation, Matteo,” Mrs. Valentino tells him.
