Page 55 of Claiming Her Cougar
Faith hugs me as my parents become reacquainted with Mike and Holly.
“Daphne’s gone with the guys to pick up pizzas.They should be right back,” she tells me.
No sooner has she made that pronouncement when the door opens and Will, Liam, Logan, and Daphne come in bearing pizzas and subs.It did not take all four of them to make that run, especially since the pizza place they went to delivers.
The kitchen is suddenly Grand Central Station with the food being put on counters and my parents meeting first Will and Faith and then Logan and Daphne.The moment I’ve been dreading is now upon us.
“And this is our son, Liam,” Will says.“He works with me at Morgan Development as Vice President of Operations.”
Liam holds out his hand.“Nice to meet you, Mr.Carter, Mrs.Carter.”
Dad shakes his hand first.“Have we met before?You seem familiar.”
Kill me now.
Mom shakes his hand next.“Robert, hush.Nice to meet you, Liam.Please, call us Robert and Beth.”
Liam smiles, nods, and turns to me.“Hey, Mallory.”
“Hey, Liam,” I respond.
We stand there awkwardly, looking at each other, unsure what to do next.What’s the proper protocol for seeing each other after being caught in the shower by one set of parents and now spending the afternoon with All.The.Parents?Heck, we have parents who aren’t even ours here to share in the awkwardness.Yay.
Daphne, bless her heart, comes to our rescue.“It’s almost kickoff!You better get your food and settle in so you don’t miss any of the game.Gotta watch the Eagles kick some ass.”There’s a bloodthirsty gleam in her eye.
I laugh.“You’re like this about football too?I thought you were only a freak for hockey.You’re so sweet until game time.”
“Hockey is Daphne at her worst.Her football reactions are mild in comparison,” Logan says, wrapping an arm around Daphne’s shoulder and pressing a kiss to her temple.I sigh at the tenderness of the gesture.I wish I had something like that in my life.But I don’t.And I’m not going to.My arrangement with Liam is for mutually satisfying hookups to keep my lady bits from getting cobwebs.It’s not for temple kisses.
“What about baseball?”Mom asks.That’s her favorite sport.
“I don’t care about it that much unless Andy is playing,” Daphne answers.
Mike and Holly explain that their son Andy is the star pitcher for his university’s baseball team.He’ll be graduating this spring and then joining Morgan Development as well.
The guys take their food and drinks and settle in the family room just as the coin flip is taking place.Daphne and I join the moms at the table in the breakfast area.
“Wine?”Holly offers.
Hell yes.I may end up sleeping it off in Holly’s guest room, but I think wine is going to be how I survive this afternoon.
23
LIAM
We spreadout around the family room watching the game.Logan and I have claimed the loveseat, and Uncle Mike has his recliner, leaving Dad and Mr.Carter, um…Robert, on the couch.I chose the loveseat because it gives me a clear view of Mallory in the breakfast area between the family room and the kitchen.Her discomfort is clear in the tense set of her shoulders.I don’t know if it’s being here with my family or if it’s because of her parents or something else.All I know is I want to make it better.I wish I could go over and massage the stiffness in her shoulders, press kisses against her neck, nibble her earlobe until she giggles.I’m willing to do anything to make her comfortable.Having her parents hanging out with my family is probably awkward as hell for her.I don’t love it either.I don’t know if they know for sure it was me naked in the shower with their daughter yesterday afternoon, but I’m assuming they do, based on the comment from Robert about me being familiar.
“So, Logan, what do you do?”Robert asks my cousin.
Logan lifts a finger to show he’ll answer when he finishes chewing his bite of pizza.When he swallows, he says, “I’m a travel photographer.”
Robert furrows his brow.“You just travel around and take pictures?You can make a living at that?”
Mike and Will exchange glances, but Logan only smiles.“Yep.I travel around and take pictures.I make a decent enough living at it.I’ve been published in several magazines and sell the images on different media.I’m also going to do photo tours, taking people to locations and helping them learn how to take quality images.”
“Oh,” Robert says, turning to Dad.“At least your son works in the family business.”
Logan shakes with silent laughter next to me.Uncle Mike looks ready to shift into his golden eagle and peck out some Lycan eyeballs, but when he sees how unconcerned Logan is with Robert’s ignorant comments, he relaxes.
