Worst of all, I didn’t want to risk believing in my mother again, not when she’d let me down so much in the past. Only suckers fell for the same punch half a dozen times.
“I’m worried her presence will affect future laying,” I said against her ear, grinning when she hooked her fingers in my belt loops and gave me a teasing tug.
“We’ll manage.” She turned her sinkhole-sized dark eyes on me and I almost forgot I’d ever any objections. “It’s the right thing to do, Tray.”
I groaned as the teapot started to whistle. “I’m not giving up the bed.”
Even as I said it, I knew I would. She was my mother, and I only had one. I had to take the chance one more time, just in case.
Mia took the pot off the burner and poured steaming water over the teabag she’d tucked carefully in the mug I’d selected. I always loved the glimpses of her domestic side, because they were so rare. “There is an option.”
“What? Sleeping in the shower?”
She turned to take the cream out of the fridge and poured in the small amount she’d learned my mother preferred. “Two words: sleeping bag.” She sailed past me while I worked on getting my tongue back in my mouth.
I was a grown man. The idea shouldn’t have turned me on that much. Then again, Mia and I all wrapped up tight, trying to be furtive and quiet in the dark…
“Here you go, Mrs. Knox.” Mia crouched at my mother’s side and set the mug in my mother’s hands. “Can I get you something else? My sister made cookies.”
“I don’t know how you manage to stuff three people in an apartment this small.”
From the kitchen, I cleared my throat. “So says the person with the suitcase and the pitiful expression.”
“Tray,” Mia snapped. She turned back to my mother. “It’s been an adjustment, but to be honest with you, I was alone for so lon
g that I’d rather have too many people here.”
I swallowed hard and gripped the edge of the counter at my back. Then I pushed off it and strode into the living room. “You’re not to say anything like that again. Understand me, Mother? She’s been nothing but kind to you, and you’ll show her the same respect or you know where to go.”
“Tray,” Mia said again, softer now. Her cheeks had paled.
“No, no, dear. He’s right.” My mother shocked the hell out of me by patting the hands Mia had loosely linked between her knees. “I’m sorry. I’m just on edge.”
“It’s okay. We’re on edge too.”
“I apologize if my arrival added to your discomfort,” my mother said stiffly, setting the tea down without taking a drink.
“No, it’s not that.” Glancing at me, Mia laughed awkwardly. “I have a fight this Friday and we’re getting back into training this week.”
I barely resisted a smile. That was Mia’s way of politely sticking her nose up at my mother. She knew my mother didn’t approve of me fighting, so she definitely didn’t think my girlfriend should. That wasn’t something classy women did.
Mia, in her own, overtly polite way, had no problem flaunting exactly who she was to my mother. As much as I hated Mia getting back into the cage, right then I had nothing but pride for my girl.
She was who she was, take her or leave her.
“You’re fighting again?” My mother’s gaze swung from Mia to me. “Both of you?”
“Just her.” I grabbed a seat on the coffee table and pretended not to see my mother’s lip curl. It was a toss-up whether it was from my choice of seating or news of Mia’s new fight. “I’m training her to fight for some likely mafia types who probably want her dead because she cold-cocked one in the mouth for talking shit.” I cracked my knuckles at their audible inward breaths. “Any other questions?”
“Subtlety was never his strong suit,” my mother said, shaking her head as she lifted the tea again and took a tentative sip.
“No kidding.”
I let them share a moment of fond smiles at my brutish behavior then cocked an eyebrow. “You’re welcome to stay here for a few nights, but we’ll have to figure something out after that.”
A large part of me expected her to say no. Staying in Mia’s tiny apartment was where the rubber would meet the road for a fussy type like my mother. If she consented to moving in, even temporarily, chances were good this was more serious than any other of the times that had come before.
“I appreciate the offer.” She fiddled with the tea bag. “I’m sorry to put you to any trouble.”