Page 15 of Not So Happily Ever After (British Bad Boys)
“Why not? I bet you anything he’d be up for it. And the important thing is, then you’d get more than one night’s memory of him. Not being funny, but you know, he was your first. I think it kind of warped things for you.”
There’s no way I’d ever sleep with him again, no matter how badly my body wants to. It’d be a disaster. I’m supposed to be gettingoverhim, not ontopof him.
Graphic memories of when I did just that flood my traitorous mind, and I swallow a groan. As first times go, mine was pretty damn spectacular. If he’d been a selfish prick and not given me three orgasms that night, it would’ve been a lot easier to relegate him to a below average, never-to-be-repeated one-night stand.
My logical brain knows this.
It’s a shame my primitive instincts don’t.
Chapter Five
Will
Early Sunday evening I let myself into Mum’s apartment and come face-to-face with Jeremy Jones wearing a black silksomethingthat barely covers his arse.
“Will. Great to see you, mate.” He nods but doesn’t make the mistake of trying to give me a buddy hug. I might have to accept my mother’s dating the guy, but that doesn’t mean I like it. Or him.
And not just because he’s twenty years younger than her.
That’s totally the reason, so shut the fuck up.
“Cynthia, sweetheart,” Jeremy calls, which sends rusty nails scraping through my brain. He’s only a few years older than me.
They’re leaving for a four-month cruise Down Under first thing in the morning. Even though she hasn’t had a second stroke since that one at Christmas a couple of years ago, it’s always in the back of my mind. Especially since she refuses to discuss it with anyone.
But at least there’re doctors on board. It’s not like she’s roughing it.
Although she sold the family home in West London after Dad died and moved to a luxury apartment on the banks of the River Thames, it still feels strange visiting her here. I miss that rambling house with its massive garden more than I ever thought I would, but at least here there’s a full concierge service so if anythingdidhappen when I wasn’t around…
Don’t think about that.
I march by Jeremy and go into the reception room, with its view of Tower Bridge through the floor to ceiling windows. The sleek, modern furniture still reminds me of a show home, even after nearly three years. I don’t know why she sold most of the stuff she and Dad had collected over their marriage. Why didn’t she just put the lot into storage?
“Darling.”
I swing around as Mum slowly makes her way toward me. It’s the only lingering aftereffect of her stroke. Not that anyone would guess the reason. They just think she’s slowed down a bit, even though she’s only fifty and looks as though she’s just stepped out from the pages of one of herVoguemagazines.
The way she’s always looked, for as long as I can remember.Except that morning when I found her lying on the floor and I thought she was dead…
Chills skate over my arms, and I suppress a shudder. I’d never been so fucking scared in my life.
“I’m so glad you could pop in to say goodbye.” She gives me a kiss and holds my hand for a moment. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Me, too.”
When I was a kid, I hated the way she and Dad overprotected me and micromanaged every aspect of my life. As I got older, I knew it was because they couldn’t let go of the nightmare months when I’d fought to survive in the neonatal ICU. It didn’t help my competitive streak when they decided to delay a year before letting me start school. But the compulsion to push myself, to prove I was as good as any of my peers despite my rocky start to life, dominated my existence. Somehow, I still managed to live life on the edge and get my adrenaline fix without them ever finding out about it.
We sit on the sofa, and Jeremy disappears. I give her an update on what’s been happening at work, even though it’s basically the same as every other week I’ve worked there since taking over Dad’s position as CEO.
But she and Dad built the investment bank up from the ground years ago. I get that it’s hard for her to let go. Even though she’s returning to the company part time in the New Year, she’d still be working around the clock if not for her stroke.
And I’d be in the wilds of Wales, where every day would be an adventure, clinging to the side of a mountain or standing waist deep in freezing water, and loving every second of it.
It’s still going to happen.Just a few years later than I pictured when my mates and I planned our futures after Uni.
…
Will
