Perfectly Toxic (Sterling Shore 9)

He blows out a breath, not bothering to lean up, and he speaks into the pillow his head is on.

“Lies. All lies,” he grumbles, the words muffled a little.

Fighting the urge to laugh, I head over, feeling how warm his body is as soon as I touch his shoulder. He grunts as he forces himself to roll over and look at me.

I looked like a pale nightmare after Carrie’s bloody prom night when I was sick. He looks just as sexy as always. Life isn’t fair.

“I guess I get to return the favor now.”

“I’m not eating that disgusting concoction you call soup.”

I snicker lightly while standing up, noticing the empty bottle of water at his feet. Before I make it to the fridge, I hear the door opening and shutting.

“Ethan?” a woman calls out, causing me to tense. “Ethan, honey, where are you? Wren said you were sick.”

Who the hell is this chick?

I wander out of the kitchen in time to hear Ethan groan like he’s ready to hide, and I watch as a very curvy, regal, older woman walks toward him.

Oh my damn. That has to be his moth

er.

“I’m fine,” he lies, batting her hand away as she tries to touch his forehead. She came through the front instead of the back, where I parked. Apparently she doesn’t know I’m here.

“You’re not fine, sweaty boy. Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

I prop against the wall, thoroughly enjoying this little show. Ethan, the badass, surly, somewhat arrogant man is about to be babied by his mommy. Aww.

“Mom, please go. I have one person here already, so I’m good. I’m not in the mood for—stop feeling my head!”

“You’re running a fever.”

Ethan cuts his eyes toward me and glares when he notices me leaning against the wall and smiling like I just found the Holy Grail. His mother follows his line of view, and her eyes widen when she sees me.

Damn. Wish I had changed out of my scrubs now.

“You must be Ethan’s mystery girl,” she says, standing as a broad smile crosses her face.

“I’m Bella,” I tell her, moving closer to awkwardly stick my hand out for a handshake.

My breath is knocked out of me when she pretty much throws her arms around me and hugs me like I’m a long lost friend. Ethan mutters something under his breath before covering his head with his arm.

“You’re absolutely perfect,” the hugging woman says as she releases me.

I smile, because she’s totally not at all what I expected. Most of the elite mothers aren’t so… adorable?

Her short hair is bouncy and styled to perfection, but she looks like a little girl who just got her first doll when she stares at me. Her eyes pretty much go over me from head to toe, as though she’s checking for any flaws, but she’s too busy smiling to make me feel uncomfortable. Well, I’m a little uncomfortable.

“Stunning,” she finally says, meeting my eyes again. “Do you want children?”

Ethan curses, and I choke back a laugh. “One day,” I say, smirking when Ethan rolls over and buries his face in his pillow again.

His mother, bless her, is dancing from foot to foot right now.

“And is this serious between you and my son?”

“Mother…” Ethan’s tone is warning, but she doesn’t bat an eye, obviously not the least bit intimidated by him.