Chapter 10

Samson

My reflection in the bedroom mirror could’ve been better. I’d skipped a couple days in the gym, and shit, what were these dark circles under my eyes? Had to be from the late nights, and the constant need for Blair. She’d sucked the will to sleep right outta me.

I got up and looked at her empty space beside mine, the indent where her body had been plain.

Images from last night, the first time, streamed through my mind. I savored them.

Her breasts free to the air, her body angled upward, supple beneath my hands, and that tight pussy wrapped around my cock. Man, it formed the perfect moment. A series of perfect moments.

And now, she was gone, and I had a morning glory that could’ve been put to good use.

I shrugged it off, got up, and dressed in the cold. I’d find that woman and drag her back to bed, if I had to. She deserved rest, relaxation, and a series of orgasms from which she’d likely never recover.

No matter what happened after this weekend, I’d make sure that Blair never forgot her first time. That she was ruined for the hands of other men.

“Other men.” I clenched both fists. What’s the matter with you? You’re worried she’ll find someone else? Fuck, isn’t that what’s supposed to happen? I never got invested in sex or relationships.

It kept life simple. Until it didn’t anymore.

I walked to the bedroom door and opened up, then recoiled.

Regina Scott stood in front of me, one fist raised. Her silk and fur robe drooped open in the front, revealing a lacy teddy underneath it, encapsulating and lifting her breasts. She pressed her fingers to her mouth and stifled a coy smile. “Oh,” she said. “I was just about to knock. I wondered where you were.”

“Mrs. Scott,” I said.

“I told you, Mrs. Scott is my mother. You have to call me Regina,” she said and dropped her hand. She allowed her fingers to trail over the gap between the edges of her robe and over the slopes of her breasts.

I averted my eyes but held my ground. Christ, no wonder Blair had concocted this plan. Her mother was a fucking kook. Or just wildly loose.

Strange that Blair had come from her. In this case, the apple had wriggled free of the branch and rolled as far as possible from the tree.

“Are you all right, Samson?” Regina simpered. “You’ve gone quiet.”

“Just thinking about Blair,” I said.

Regina’s smile flickered but slammed into place again. “My daughter is otherwise indisposed. It’s a good thing. We haven’t had a chance to talk, you and me. Do you want to talk, Mr. Barnes?”

“About what?” I asked and checked my Rolex. I tapped it but the arm didn’t move. Either it’d frozen, or the battery had crapped out. “I’ve got to make a business call soon, Mrs. Scott.” I didn’t but it’d give me the excuse I needed to get away without embarrassing Blair’s mother.

“Oh, stay a while, please. We really haven’t spoken much at all. You haven’t told me what you do for a living. You said hospitality?”

“That’s correct. I own a series of hotels and nightclubs,” I replied. Both true, though Blair didn’t know that. And she never would. You think lying to her is smart? She’s an intelligent chick; she’ll cotton on to you soon enough, and then what?

“Nightclubs, ooh!” Regina said and pushed her lips out into an ‘O’ shape. “I haven’t been to a nightclub in years. I’d love to go sometime. Maybe you could take me.”

“If Blair wanted to go,” I replied. Not a chance in hell would I let her through the doors of one of my clubs. And not a chance would I go anywhere with you, Regina.

“Of course,” she said. “And hotels, too, huh? That’s fascinating. I’ve always wanted to stay in a fancy hotel but why would I when I’ve got such a fabulous home of my own?” She fanned her face. “It’s hot in here, isn’t it?”

My nose wrinkled, my lips twisted to one side. It was fucking freezing. “Huh?”

“Oh, I always run hot,” she said and licked her lips, red with lipstick. “Always. But enough about me, Samson, darling, let’s talk more about you. So, you’re a millionaire, you own hotels and clubs. You must meet a lot of women, yes?”

“Fifty percent of the people I encounter on a day to day.”

She nodded along. I could almost hear the sound of my joke whizzing over her head. Regina caught one of her curls in her finger and twirled the golden strands. “Fascinating. So, you’re a worldly man, then. Experienced.”

“I should find Blair,” I said.

“Should you? She’s busy, Samson. She’s doing what a good daughter should by helping out her mother. Why don’t you follow her lead and do what a good son-in-law should, too?” She took a step into the room and undid the front string of her robe. “Oops,” she said. “I’ve dropped my belt.” The strip of silk fell to the boards.

Her teddy, lacy black and red, left nothing to the imagination. She wasn’t bad looking for a woman in her forties but the thought of her or anyone other than my virgin turned me off.

“That’s all right.” I bent and picked up the belt, handing it over. “Here it is. I’m sure you must be freezing. Better cover up before you catch cold.”

“I told you,” she said and ran the silk through the loops on her robe. “I run hot.” She tugged a little too hard on the end and the fabric ripped. One of the loops sprang free.

I walked past her and out into the hall, gripping the balustrade and studying the living room below.

Leather sofas, an indoor Christmas tree, bare of trimmings except for lights, which were off thanks to the lack of power, and a polished walnut coffee table – it reminded me of a reception area in high-class hotel. And Blair wasn’t in it.

“Where is she?” I muttered.

Our bedroom door clicked closed, footsteps creaked across the wooden boards, and Regina slipped her hand through the gap between my arm and chest. She took hold of my bicep. “You seem worried about her. Why is that?”

“Because she’s my fiancée,” I replied.

“Strange that she slipped out of bed before you were awake,” Regina whispered, her red nails digging into my coat. “Does she usually do that?”

I opened my mouth to say that I had no idea, then shut it again. I wasn’t the best at keeping up appearances but mentioning that I didn’t usually spend mornings with Blair would surely let the cat out of the bag.

“How long have you two been living together?”

Shit, I couldn’t say anything we hadn’t pre-approved, and the length of time we’d lived together hadn’t been part of any of our conversations. “Six months,” I replied. I’d tell Blair the amount later.

“Six months. That’s not too long. Are you sure you’re making the right decision? My Blair is sweet, but she can be quite a handful. She gets that from me,” Regina said.

“Of course I’m sure. I put a ring on her finger. I never look back.”

“You live a life without regrets?”

“Yes.” So far. But after this weekend…

“What I’d give to live a life like that. I’m always regretting my decisions, probably because I’m so impulsive.” She pressed her breasts to my arm. She was relentless. I’d met strippers less amped to rub up against men.

“Samson, are you happy with my daughter?” Regina asked.

“Exceptionally,” I replied.

She squeezed my arm too hard and shrank back a little. “That’s good. Then you’ll soon be a part of our happy little family.”

“Good.” I extricated myself from her grip, yet again, and moved past her. “I’d better go find her.”

“Such a handsome man,” Regina said, behind me. “My daughter is very lucky, indeed. I hope you don’t think I’m indecent for saying so, Samson. I’m sure a lot of women find you irresistible.”

I looked back over my shoulder. “I don’t really give a damn what other women think, Mrs. Scott.”

“Good,” she said and shifted her robe closed. Christ, at least she’d tied the damn thing up again. “That’s good. I’m glad to hear it, of course. You’re not hungry, perhaps? Chef’s got some gas plates to work with. She could whip us up some eggs for breakfast. But the coffee, I’m afraid, requires electricity.”

“No, thanks. I’ll eat with Blair.”

“All right,” Regina said and sighed. Her shoulders drooped, and she dropped the saunter, at last. The sexy Marilyn Monroe act dissolved and revealed the woman underneath. A forty-something-year old wearing too much makeup and too little clothes. She was beautiful in her own right but the other crap ruined it.

Regina tittered a laugh and tinged it with bitterness. “Men are so oblivious. Anyway, you can find Blair downstairs in the garage. She went to start up the generator but it looks like she’s having trouble, hence the lack of power. Would you mind helping her out?”

“It would be my pleasure,” I replied. “Thanks for the chat, Mrs. Scott. It was illuminating.”

Illuminating as to why Blair couldn’t bear being around her mother. The woman had no shame.

I walked down the stairs, keenly aware of Regina’s stare on the back of my neck, boring a fucking hole into my flesh. If I turned, she’d likely forget the coy act and launch herself at me like a woman dying of thirst. Didn’t she have a boyfriend? That Joseph guy who owned the funeral homes.

And if she did launch herself at me, I’d be forced to restrain her and that’d lead to untold embarrassment and likely my ass kicked to the curb. No more Blair time.

I took a right at the bottom of the stairs and made for the garage, turning my thoughts to my ‘fiancée’ and the desperation that had driven her to make this decision in the first place.