Page 70 of Zero
“No.” Rei replied. “All my guys are exhausted—either with Mouth or at home.”
I watched as he left me where I was in the kitchen and disappeared down the corridor toward the foyer. While he answered the door, I grabbed an unopened bottle of wine from the fridge along with a couple wine glasses and set them on the table.
“Hoshi?” Rei called softly.
I turned and almost swallowed my tongue. “Um—hello.” I greeted the older woman standing with an arm around Rei’s back.
“Haha,” Rei said. “This is Bailey.”
The day Mouth was shot, I was supposed to have gone to Rei’s mother’s for dinner to meet her. But things happened and we never got around to it.
“I figured it was time I met you.” She stepped forward. “I probably should have called first.”
I offered her a small, shaky bow. “No—please. Let me set you a place.”
Quickly, I blew out the candles and turned on the lights. My heart raced inside my chest while praying she didn’t realize what was going to happen to her son after, before or even during dinner.
I cleared my throat and motioned to one of the chairs.
“Please, have a seat.”
In the kitchen, I pressed my back to a wall and took a few cleansing breaths, trying to stop my heart from trying to jump out of my body. My eyes stung with tears.
“Hoshi?” Rei’s voice was soft. “Are you okay?”
He took my arms in his hands, rubbing up and down them.
“I can’t breathe…”
“It’s okay.” Rei pulled me into his chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was coming. I would have given you a heads up, so this didn’t feel like such an attack.”
“It’s fine. I just need a moment.” I replied then walked around him to gather what was needed for her to get a place at the table. “Take these in for her. Does she use fork or chopsticks? Is she a drinker? I’m not even sure—I took out red wine to go with the steaks. Maybe I should make something else. What if she doesn’t—”
“Bailey.” Rei set the plate and other things on the counter and framed my face as I babbled. “Baby, calm down.”
I stopped speaking and realized my lungs were screaming for air. Resting my forehead to his chest, I inhaled and trembled.
“I know you had plans for tonight.” Rei spoke. “And believe me, no one was looking forward to these plans more than I was, but—”
“I had candles lit, Rei.” I sobbed in embarrassment. “Candles!”
“Maybe she didn’t know what they meant.”
I lifted my head to glare at him, but he was grinning handsomely. “Rei Hakama, I will kick your butt.”
He laughed. “Baby, you don’t have to be ashamed. My mother knows how much you mean to me. I’m sure she is under no delusions of what we do to each other.”
“Oh gawd!”
I kissed her. “Stop worrying. My mother isn’t a prude.”
“Take those in for the table.” I told him after a kiss. “I’ll run upstairs and make sure one of the guestrooms is presentable for her. It’s too late for her to drive back home tonight, especially if she’s going to have wine.”
He kissed both my cheeks, my nose then my forehead. Somehow, I managed a smile as he gathered the things. I darted up the stairs to straightened up the guestroom furthest from ours. My night together with my man didn’t have to really change much. All I had to do was not scream too loudly when he hit my special spot just right.
My cheeks heated.
No, Vagina. We can’t tonight.
