“Family,” I grunted, shaking my head.
“Please, honey? It would make me so happy. And Jonathan, too.”
“No way.”
She frowned but didn’t say anything more.
We parked in front of the place and climbed out. Mom smiled hugely and gestured.
“Here we are! You’ll see it’s really beautiful and modern inside, plenty of space for you if you change your mind.”
I rolled my eyes as I followed her up the front steps. She paused at the door and looked at me seriously.
“Please, Nathan,” she hissed. “Don’t embarrass me.”
Before I could say anything, she pulled open the door, the fake smile back on her face.
“Jonathan, dear?” she yelled out, moving into the house.
I clenched my jaw and balled my fists. I wanted to get the fuck out of there, find some bar, and get shitfaced wasted. Or maybe go for another run until I couldn’t feel my lungs anymore. But I knew that was delaying the inevitable. And if there was one thing I learned in training, it was how to do things I didn’t fucking want to do.
I followed her into the hall, the sound of her heels clacking on the hardwood floor and echoing off the high ceilings. The place was the epitome of rich modernity, all clean, smooth lines and simple colors. There was nothing gaudy or anything that really screamed wealth, but that made it all that much richer. Jonathan was clearly the kind of man that signaled his money through quality and not through show.
I followed my mother into the kitchen, where we found Jonathan Forester eating a sandwich and reading the paper. Mom walked up to him and they kissed chastely, and then he turned his gaze on me.
I didn’t know much about Jonathan Forester, except for what was in the press. He owned a lot of real estate and restaurants and clubs and made his money banking. He was one of the richest men in the country, and why he was with my washed-up, ex-model mother, I had no clue.
“You must be Nathan,” he said, standing.
“Nate. Good to meet you.”
We shook hands. His grip wasn’t as weak as I expected. We were about the same height, though I had at least twenty pounds of muscle on him. Still, he was in decent shape for a civilian, with deep brown eyes and a full head of salt-and-pepper hair. I instantly understood what Lucille saw in him.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from your mother.”
“Lucille can embellish some.”
“She tells me you’re in the military?”
I nodded. “Yes, sir. With the Navy.”
He looked at me conspiratorially. “She mentioned something about the SEALs.”
“I don’t know anything about that.”
“Come on. You can tell me.”
“National security, sir. Secrecy is part of the job.”
He nodded, smiling. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. We’re family now.”
“Looks that way.”
“Will you be staying with us?”
“I don’t think so, sir.”
I hated calling him “sir,” but I knew the military manners would impress him, and it would probably keep Lucille off my back for the day. As skeptical as I was about the guy, I knew that having him on my good side could be beneficial. Lucille would likely leave me alone much more if she knew her precious rich husband liked me.
“We have plenty of space if you change your mind.”
“Well,” Lucille cut in, “why don’t we find Claire?”
“Good idea. Claire?” Jonathan yelled out.
I moved to the side as Jonathan walked down the hall, calling her name. Finally, he returned, smiling. A minute later, she walked in through the door.
I couldn’t stop the huge grin from breaking out across my face.
It was her.
It really was the girl from the night before, the girl with the white-hot pussy, the perfect round tits, and the amazing ass that went for miles. It was my mystery girl, the one I couldn’t stop thinking about.
And the look on her face was priceless. She was shocked, beyond shocked. I gave her a quick little wink, which only made her face contort even more. I wanted to laugh out loud, and suddenly things seemed like they were looking up for me.
“Is everything okay, honey?” her dad asked.
Suddenly, she gathered herself together. “Of course. Hi, I’m Claire,” she said, extending her hand.
I took it, looking her right in the eye. “Hi, Claire. I’m Nate. I guess I’m your big brother now.”
Jonathan laughed, and the look of horror that flashed over her expression was totally priceless. I held her hand for half a second too long before letting it go. She walked over to the island and sat down, slowly composing herself. I could read every emotion that flickered across her face due to the hours of interrogation training I had gone through. I knew pretty much what she was thinking, and it was simple: she wanted to fuck me, and badly, but she was afraid.