Plans were quickly made. We would ride Stud’s bike and after the party Stud would drive me to Wilmington to meet up with my family and resume my life. I wasn’t real sure that’s what I wanted, but it was a plan and made sense at the time. Thank God for the club women or else we never would have been able to pull this off with such a short time frame. Molly helped me sew a new dress, while Tambre and Betsey got my stuff packed into shipping boxes. They were sent to the hotel jobsite where Connor had setup, and he would keep my stuff until I got there. The trip to Stud’s family place would only be for one night, so I didn’t have to pack a lot for it. My return to my life was quicker than I expected, and I was really down about leaving the Dragon Runners, but no matter what, I was going to keep my ties with these people who had come to mean so much to me. I would be back at least for Kat and Mute’s wedding.

We had ridden the bike nearly five hours to get to Stud’s family home. My butt was numb, and I knew I would be a bit sore as I still had some twinges going on in my ribs and leg, but I was tough. I perked up when we rode through a fancy-schmancy neighborhood with big houses. Nope. Not houses. Mansions. Maybe even more like estates. With lots of land around man-made lakes. As a builder, I could appreciate the tall columns and creative architecture, and what kind of army it took to keep those lawns in showplace condition. As Eva, I thought what the fuck have I gotten myself into?

Stud pulled up to a fancy iron gate and pressed a number code into the security pad at the side. The gates clicked and we rode into a landscaped courtyard. It was painfully overdone. The flowers and shrubs were ranked and sculpted into geometric forms, appearing rigid and under such absolute control they couldn’t grow in any direction or place other than at the desire of the gardener. No unauthorized growth or weed would dare show itself and ruin the perfect lines and color scheme. It looked plastic. I had the urge to pick a flower just to see if some garden gnome would come and arrest me.

As we cruised the paved circular drive, I could feel the tension start in Stud’s back. He’d stopped talking to me several miles outside of the city and I knew he wasn’t happy. I’d seen so many different Studs. Happy, goofy, flirty, mad, determined, but so far, I’d never seen him dark.

I turned my attention to the house. Marble steps leading up to an impressive set of elaborately carved oak doors with heavy brass knockers, and they opened on a whisper as we pulled up and a man dressed in formal attire appeared.

“Master Beauregard, how nice to see you again, sir. We’ve made space in the garage for your—ah—vehicle. Shall I call a chauffeur to take it there?” he stated in a dry monotone voice. Obviously, this guy was the head butler, and just as obviously, he didn’t like either Stud or me at the moment.

Stud took off the helmet and shook out his long mane, almost in defiance. “No thanks, Jameson. I’ll take it later.” He slipped on his mirrored aviators, perhaps to shield himself from the bright afternoon sun, but more likely to hide his unrest.

I could feel the butler’s disapproval radiating down his arrogant thin nose. “Very well then. Luncheon is being served in thirty minutes on the small veranda. I’ll show your—ah—lady friend to her room. You, of course, sir, have your same chambers.”

Hmmm—Stud has chambers and I got a room. I didn’t know how I felt about that.

Stud dismounted after me and stretched his arms back. Experienced biker or not, it was a long trip. “I can show her, Jameson.”

“Mrs. Franklin decided to put your—friend—in the green room.” The disdain was unmistakable. I was starting to get pissed. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

The mirrored glasses jerked up to the pretentious man. “I specifically requested Eva be placed in the blue room near mine.”

“Mrs. Franklin thought it best otherwise.” The man practically sniffed.

I could see Stud’s jaw tighten up. Uh-oh! Time to make it real, Eva.

I took off my helmet and shook out my hair as well. I also reached down and grabbed double handfuls of my ass and began massaging. “Green, blue, purple, orange, or pink, I really don’t give a shit as long as it’s got a rack and a head.” I was fake as hell, but I got a twitch out of Stud’s upper lip. “My ass went numb passing through Burlington, and I could use a change of clothes. Lead the way, J-man!”

Jameson’s thin eyebrows seemed to disappear into his receding hairline. He stared at me as if he expected my head to start spinning around.

“Very well. Right this way.” His stiff movements were hilarious.

I leaned over and whispered in Stud’s ear, “Does Mr. Roboto run on a battery pack or do they plug him in every night?”

Stud burst into laughter and hugged me close, his whole demeanor relaxed at least for the moment.

If the butler was bad, lunch with his mother was worse. After we dropped off our packs in our rooms, Jameson led us to a nice covered veranda that overlooked another meticulously sculpted and painfully landscaped lawn. The grass was cut in uniform stripes, the flower beds arranged with colors and plants forced into more unnatural shapes and designs. I supposed it was pretty in a way, but I still found it cold and fake.

Stud’s mom really rounded that idea out perfectly.

“Beauregard,” a female voice greeted him.

I turned and saw an older, female version of Stud walking toward us. Thin and beautiful, she was definitely the Southern queen of her Southern kingdom. She was wearing a pale pink dress that came to just below her knees, low-heeled pumps, full makeup, and pearls. She looked younger than I expected, but since her face didn’t move much I suspected Botox or plastic surgery. Maybe both.

“Abigail,” Stud returned. Wait? Who calls their mom by her first name?

The regal woman offered her hand and tilted her head. Stud dutifully gave her a light kiss on her pale white cheek. It was one of the most choreographed moves I’d ever seen. The Jameson robot thing made sense now. Stud’s mom was an alien.

“You’re looking well. It’s very nice of you to come to your grandmother’s party. I trust your journey was pleasant?” she inquired stiffly.

“It was fine,” Stud replied. “This is Eva MacAteer.”

He gestured for me to come forward and meet his alien mom.

“Nice to meet you, Eva,” she said in a tone that said it was anything but nice.

We sat down to a white wicker outdoor table with so many twists and scrolls, it was more artwork than functional. There were white china place settings so thin and delicate, I was afraid to touch anything. Ranked next to the plates were way more forks and spoons than I had fingers. At least I knew what do to with the napkin. I looked at Stud who was wearing a stiff face, clearly not happy with this scene.

“This wasn’t necessary, Abigail,” he said in a low, cold voice. Nope. Stud was not happy.

“Nonsense, Beauregard. I should always want to put out the best for my oldest son, even though he never deigns to visit me.” I noticed she said nothing about putting out the best for any guest he may bring. “Besides, Danforth and Vanessa will be joining us.”

I’d way underestimated Stud’s feelings—to say he was simply unhappy was a total mistake. The heat from his rage poured off him in waves.

“What the fuck makes you think I would ever want them joining us?”

Abigail’s hand fluttered to her neck. “My word, Beauregard! Your language! Is this what you’ve learned by being with those—people?”

I wanted to bring out Smartass Eva to help defuse the situation and get Stud laughing again, but she was too busy getting angry herself at the snobbish remark.

As quick as that, Stud’s mom relaxed her posture and face, and again appeared to be the regal queen of her kingdom.

“Oh, and here they are now!” She rose and stepped forward to greet a man and a woman who had just walked onto the veranda.

The man looked like Stud in the face, but that’s where it stopped. His hair was cut, styled, and slicked in place. He wore an expensive-looking gray suit with a matching tie and pocket square. His shoes were tooled leather and looked expensive as well. He had the soft, pale look of a desk jockey.

The woman was a classic beauty, almost cookie cutter of Abigail. She had long blonde hair artfully done up in a fancy French twist and wore a plain pale yellow dress that fitted her like a glove, showing off a perfect figure. My first impression of her was porcelain doll more than Barbie lookalike, but Barbie still qualified.

I was still in my travel clothes of old jeans, tank top, and tennis shoes. Pretty big contrast, and I couldn’t say I wasn’t bothered by it, but there wasn’t anything I could do. Besides, Stud was more important and that’s who I was here for.

“Now that we’re all here, we can begin,” Abigail trilled lightly. “Jameson, we are ready.”

Mr. Roboto helped Abigail into her seat and moved to seat Vanessa as well. He didn’t look like he was moving in my direction, so I plopped down in the closest chair. Abigail raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows but said nothing. The men seated themselves and I was glad to have Stud next to me. I couldn’t quite call him Beauregard yet, but planned on teasing him later. I hoped I would get at least a half smile out of that.

Lunch was just as fancy looking as the garden. A waiter appeared in a black and white uniform, carrying a tray of little plates with little cantaloupes. They were cut out at the tops like crowns and filled with chicken salad topped with a circle of chopped celery pieces, red grapes, and chia seed sprinkles. Parsley sprigs and a lemon wedge decorated the edge of the plate. It looked like the fake food that gets set up by real estate people at one of those open houses, trying to entice people to buy. Too pretty to eat and with the array of forks in front of me, I wasn’t quite sure how!

No one was moving to start. Danforth was tapping on his phone. Stud had told me the names of his family members and mentioned he had a younger brother, but this guy looked older with bags under his eyes and deep lines around his mouth. He was a lawyer also and had taken a partnership in the family’s law firm. He had nodded in Stud’s direction but neither man had spoken a greeting nor even shaken hands. The only info I got on Vanessa was being Danforth’s wife. Stud clammed up tight after speaking her name.

Abigail and Vanessa were making small talk about the party, the arrangements, hair appointments, and other such bits. They were pointedly ignoring me. Stud was sitting stiffly, and I watched his hands clench and unclench on his thighs. Definitely time for Smartass Eva. I leaned over to Stud and loudly whispered in his ear, “Papa John’s come out this way? I gotta coupon code we can use.”

He burst into laughter, head back and mouth open. Mission accomplished. I smiled at him, finally relaxing. He tagged me at the back of my neck, pulled me in, and kissed me lightly.

“Love you, Cactus,” he said, before grabbing the biggest fork and digging up a massive scoop of the chicken salad.

All three of his family members visibly froze, first at his loud laugh and then at his words. I managed to cover my reaction to his words by grabbing my biggest fork too and shoveling a big bite into my mouth. Nah. He was just talking, like when you say you love steak or love to go fishing. I glanced up and caught Vanessa staring at me with an unreadable look. Disdain maybe? Regret? Envy? No matter. I was not planning on ever seeing these people again after this weekend. I’d gladly take another sore ass from a long trip to get out of this place come tomorrow morning. Abigail just looked at me like I was a bug that crawled across the table. I forked up more chicken salad. It was actually pretty good.

Stud moved me to the blue room he wanted me in by taking my pack there himself and daring Jameson to say something. I thought Mr. Roboto’s eyebrows would take root in his hairline. He didn’t protest, however, just an eye twitch as he left us alone. I managed to nap a bit, laid out on the ginormous bed. The blue room connected to Stud’s “chambers” via a shared bathroom. We “lower sort” call that a jack and jill. I bet the upper crust call it something else.

Later that night, I sat before the antique vanity table and stroked the last coat of mascara over my lashes, leaning back to check the final results. My eyes looked bigger and brighter with the silver and smoke colored eye shadows Molly had found for me at Psalm’s shop. However, instead of curling my hair and teasing it into a big halo as she had suggested, I ironed it flat and let it hang straight down my bare back like a shimmering curtain. My dress, I had designed for me and my body. Molly let me raid her fabric closet for the material, and with her help in cutting and fitting, I was able to finish it in a day. The halter-style top fastened around my neck leaving my shoulders, back, and arms bare. This showed off my hard body quite well. The long skirt came just below my ankles and was slightly A line, making my body long and lithe. It had a long front spilt that opened and closed when I walked. The color was a deep forest green that had a light iridescence that shimmered when I moved. I liked my dress and felt really good wearing it. I was still sore from the accident and my thigh ached a bit as I was building my strength back up. I wished I could have worn my fabulous silver Jimmy Choos and maroon LBD, but they were currently in Wilmington with Connor and Da. Thankfully, Molly had a closet full of heels and we were the same size. This was the moment in life I had hoped for, to be Princess Eva. Beautiful Eva. I didn’t really have a name for her as I’d never been her before.

A knock on the shared door startled me enough to make me jump. I was nervous as hell but trying not to show it. Stud was on edge as well. He was wound tight like a coiled spring, and I thought he would snap at any minute. I hoped Smartass Eva was enough to help him get through the night. I was to meet his grandmother, the only person he really wanted to see and the only reason we’d come to this event.

I heard the door open and Stud filled the frame. My breath stopped for a moment at how he looked. The handsome Viking biker was still there, but decked out in a fitted black tuxedo. He was fastening a cuff link that winked burnished gold. When he turned to close the door, I spotted the gold clasp he used to pull back his hair into a brushed ponytail at the nape of his neck. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, he was hot! I felt myself flush with color.

“You ready for this, sweetheart?” he asked, meeting my eyes with his. I could drown in the blue.

“Yeah, I’m good,” I said, more breathily than I should have. I smiled and stood up. “Let’s go see Grandma!”

Stud fiddled with his cuff link, trying not to think about Eva and the fact that her bed was only a few feet away. The dress she wore was the stuff of dreams, showing off her curves and her tight body. The slit in the skirt draped back, showing her super toned legs. Many women in this social circle spent hours in the gym with personal trainers and huge amounts of money on plastic surgery to get bodies like Eva’s. She simply worked at her job. What was even more amazing was that she didn’t even know how beautiful and sexy she was. He’d seen Vannie looking at her earlier during that damnable lunch where his mother had ambushed him. He frowned when he spotted the edge of the still-red scar on her thigh. He knew she would probably be hurting before the night was over, but the woman was damn stubborn.

She stood up from the vanity, her skirt swishing into place and the heels putting her nearly at his height.

“Yeah, I’m good. Let’s go see Grandma,” she said, her voice low and husky in a way that shot straight to his dick.

Fuck! He was glad she was here. He hadn’t realized how much he’d come to enjoy and need her company. He slipped up at lunch and said the “L” word. It startled him that it came out of his mouth as naturally as it had.

He tipped up her chin with an index finger and covered her lips lightly with his, and paused, taking in her taste. Cherry. She was wearing lip balm instead of some expensive designer lipstick. The symbolism was not lost on him.

The kiss was brief and he folded her into his arms, feeling her strength and support blend into his.

“You look stunning, Eva. Thank you for being here with me. I couldn’t do this without you,” he said, meaning every word.

She squeezed him back, her face soft with meaning. “No problem, Stud. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else tonight but here. Now let’s get to this fancy shindig! I’m hungry. Should’ve got that pizza earlier.”

He chuckled and scooped up the gift bag as they left the room. He held her hand on the way down the steps to face the coming stress known as his family.