Forbidden Lust

“Lourde, darling. How are the Hamptons?”

“Lovely, Mom. How’s everything at the house?”

“Your brother tells me you moved in with Barrett?”

Of course, that’s her lead-in. “Yes, I did, after I caught Hunter cheating on me.”

“Yes, yes. That wasn’t ideal. But how lovely of Barrett to take you in.”

“Ideal? No Mother, it most certainly wasn’t ideal.”

“Well, forget about Hunter. The good news is I have found someone perfect for you.”

“Like Hunter that you thought was perfect?”

“Hush, darling. Onward and upward. I’d like you to come home next Friday night where we can have dinner with the whole family. Your brother will be there, and so will Finigan Connolly. You see, Finigan’s father, James, is an acquaintance of your father’s, and he is popping by before he and his wife jet off to Cannes for the summer. His son is staying in Manhattan, so it’s the perfect opportunity for both families to meet.”

“Mom, please. I think I might take a break from dating. I just want to be single for a while.”

“Nonsense. You aren’t getting any younger, you know.”

“I’m twenty-three!”

“Well, I was married to your father at twenty-one, so you're already behind, and time is ticking away. You know, with privilege comes responsibility. Finigan’s father is the Governor of Massachusetts. The family is old money with a long line of respectable politicians going back to the early 1900s.”

Wow. So what?

“Come home, darling. If only for the evening. Then you can pop back to the Hamptons and be with Pepper and Grace. Take the helicopter this time if you want to.”

I knew she only wanted the best for me, but honestly, meeting Finigan was the last thing I wanted. Worse, I knew if I didn’t come back, she’d hound me every day until I did. “Okay, Mom.”

“Marvelous. I’ll ask the chefs to prepare your favorite.”

“Great,” I drawled, hoping she couldn’t hear me rolling my eyes.

I hung up, determined more than ever to make the limited time I had with Barrett count.