Page 35 of Under His Touch

I go in search of my phone, and find it in my pants on the bathroom floor. I slide my finger across the screen. “Hey, Mom.”

“Is it true?” she asks.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Is what true?”

“You hired Megan Williams to find you a wife?”

“Technically Granddad hired her.”

A beat of silence then, “Alec...”

I can hear the worry in her voice, the fear...maybe even a hint of disappointment. She always liked Megan and was the one who warned me to distance myself from her all those years ago. Honestly for as long as I can remember, my mother criticized the Carson men, and constantly reminded me that I’d grow up to be no better, and would only end up breaking a woman’s heart. It wasn’t easy to hear I was cursed when I was just a boy, when I did

n’t really understand the history of my family. The older I got, the more I struggled with it, and I swallowed it down until I met Megan. I was so goddamn scared of hurting her, I had no choice but to walk away, even though it was, by far, the hardest thing I ever had to do.

“Mom...”

“Alec, do you still have feelings for Megan?”

“I need to get married and she’s helping me.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“She’s a nice girl and—”

“And you’ll just end up breaking her heart.” I swallow. Hard. “Have you talked to your father lately?”

“No, why?”

She snorts. “He’s got a new young thing on his arm.”

“I didn’t know.”

“How could you at the rate he goes through them. The Carson men just can’t commit, Alec. I’m sure you don’t need me to bring up Will and the splash done on him in Starlight.”

“No. I remember it well.”

“Thank God, Naomie found out and left him before she became other casualty.” She makes a tsking sound. “How embarrassing for him, and the entire Carson family.” She goes quiet for a second. “Alec, honey,” she says, softening her voice. “You know I love you. I’m just trying to save you from falling into your father’s footsteps. I want you to be better than that, and I don’t want to see your private affairs made public.”

I cringe. She has about as much faith in my ability to remain monogamous as the rest of the Carson family. “I’m looking for a wife in name only,” I tell her.

“I see.”

“I know what I’m doing,” I tell her, even though I’m pretty sure I don’t. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.” We say our goodbyes and I end the call. I make my way back to Megan, who is looking at me with concern.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, you were going to tell me about Karla. Karla the librarian, who wants to go out for sushi on a Tuesday night. Although I shouldn’t complain. The sooner I find someone, the better, right?”

“Right,” she says, and pulls the blankets up to cover herself. Now, why did that feel more like a kick to the nuts? Oh, maybe because someplace deep inside me I want her to tell me not to go out, that she’s the girl for me and we can make forever work. But there is no forever in my world, as I was just reminded, and I’d be wise to remember that.

Yeah, I’m totally fucked.

CHAPTER NINE

Megan

IT’S BEEN FOUR WEEKS. Four glorious, yet horrible weeks and not one of the dozen women I’ve set Alec up with have been “suitable.” While one part of me is far too thrilled about that—seeing as I end up in his bed every night—the other part of me is distraught. The clock is ticking, and Blackstone’s annual golf tournament where Alec is to introduce his fiancée is coming up fast. He needs to have a woman on his arm, and a ring on her finger, if he wants to impress the aging board of directors, with their old-fashioned values.

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