Page 4 of My Dirty Father In Law
Do my eyes deceive me, or does Juliette blanch slightly as Harry takes the ring out of the box before slipping it onto her finger? It must be my imagination because in the next moment, she’s smiling and nodding while admiring the giant gem.
“Thank you, Harry,” she says in a quiet voice. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, I thought you’d accept,” my son says with a proud nod. “Don’t all women love jewelry? Grandma Elinor’s diamond is especially notable due to its long and storied history.”
My son’s just about to launch into the tale of the diamond when I interrupt because my new daughter-in-law looks distinctly uncomfortable. She’s biting her lip and squirming a bit, and definitely looks like she’d rather be anywhere but here. I take pity on the poor thing and intervene.
“Why don’t we go into the dining room and talk?” I ask in a smooth tone. “We can discuss the history of the gem over Beef Wellington.”
Harry leaps to his feet.
“Yay, Beef Wellington!” he cheers. “My stomach’s rumbling already.”
Then, Harry scampers off in the direction of the dining room without a second thought for his new fiancée. I smile at Juliette, my expression nonchalant.
“After you, sweetheart. I look forward to discussing all sorts of topics over dinner.”
After all, it’s pretty clear that Harry and Juliette have made some kind of agreement. This isn’t going to be a real marriage, but rather a paper one for convenience. But why? What are the details? I look forward to ascertaining the truth ... because ultimately, it’s my lineage at stake.
3
Juliette
Dinner was awful. Harry prattled on about this and that, and I could hardly focus. All I could feel was Jordan’s deliberate gaze on my curves. I could feel those blue eyes scanning my rounded cheeks before going down to my slightly-parted mouth. Then, they’d dip lower to my big breasts, which were encased in a modest blue dress. Still, the man’s eyes are like x-rays, and I swear he could see through the fabric to the heaving ivory orbs with their hard pink nipples.
It’s taboo to think of your future father-in-law this way, the voice in my head scolds. What in the world is wrong with you?
My subconscious is right and I clench my hands tightly together as Harry prattles on next to me at the wheel of the Accord.
“So my Great-Grandfather Meriwether,” he continues.
I sigh because I’m in more of a bind than I thought. First, with this ring. I could swear that Harry and I agreed that we wouldn’t wear traditional matrimonial jewelry because our union isn’t real. The lack of a diamond wouldn’t alert authorities, either, because lots of people don’t wear rings these days. It’s not a big deal.
But instead, he popped out this monstrosity of a gem which glitters and gleams even in the darkness of the car. It’s so big that it weighs my hand down, and I feel like I’ve been chained to a future that’s filled with lies and deception. Holy shit, what have I gotten myself into?
Even worse, it turns out that Harry is descended from Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and that’s part of the reason why he’s so afraid to tell his dad that he’s gay. Evidently, their family is quite prominent in these parts, and has been in the Minnesota area since forever.
“But wasn’t Meriwether Lewis originally from Virginia?” I asked in a hesitant tone. “I didn’t know he eventually settled in Minnesota.”
“Oh, he didn’t,” Harry enthused. “But his expedition passed through this territory during its travels, and he wrote of our beautiful city in his journals. Of course, Minnesota wasn’t a state quite yet. This land belonged to the Native Americans, but that was one of the purposes of Meriwether’s travels. He was looking to liaise with various Native American tribes on behalf of Thomas Jefferson, the President, and he succeeded,” Harry said, his chest practically puffing out with pride.
I nod, acknowledging the amazing achievement. But the conversation only turned for the worse after that because it seems that Jordan Lewis is also committed to continuing the storied Lewis legacy. I sink lower in the seat of the car, recalling the older man’s words at dinner.
“So do you think you’ll have children?” he asked in a smooth tone while dessert was brought out. “A little girl or little boy, maybe, to continue the Lewis name?”
At that, Harry sputtered. I know the thought of sex with a woman makes him nauseous, and sure enough, he turned a little green. But I stepped in for the save.
“We are, but not any time soon,” I lied through my teeth. “Harry and I both just graduated, so we want to take some time to enjoy being together, sans kids. But I’m sure it’ll happen someday.”
“Good,” Mr. Lewis said in a dark tone, blue eyes flashing. “I look forward to seeing you pregnant, Juliette. Family is very important to us.”
Then, that masculine gaze raked over my form again, and was I imagining things, or was it possessive? Did Jordan Lewis just look me over as if he’s the one who’s going to knock me up? His gaze seared my curves, and to my horror, my insides went hot as my nipples hardened. Even worse, Jordan could see the effect of his words. The hard pebbles of my tips poked out against the soft fabric of my dress, and I could swear the alpha male grinned. Literally, the older man flashed a satisfied smile, as if he was looking forward to taking me upstairs before breeding me hard.
This is silly, the voice in my head reprimands in a stony tone. You’re engaged to his son, not him. In fact, you have the Lewis ring on your hand right now!
I look down, and sure enough, the diamond flashes at that moment. But for some reason, it feels as if Jordan’s the one who gave it to me, and not Harry. Oh my god. I feel so confused as my face heats up, my insides quivering as my thighs clench with need. I feel as if this ring binds me to the powerful older man, and not the younger one who fades in his shadow.
Okay, I’ve had enough. I can’t go forward with this farce when I’m so conflicted and confused. I can’t wear this ring anymore, either, and begin to pull it off while turning to Harry.
