Bound Together (Torn and Bound Duet 2)

“So, how did you all meet?” Molly asks.

“Mia’s my tutor,” Brayden says, locking eyes with me. “She’s the reason I’m currently passing all of my classes.” He shoots me a playful wink and I shake my head.

“Oh, that’s so nice of you.” She beams at me as she washes and chops up the lettuce.

I sigh in relief that he didn’t tell her I’m his ex-almost girlfriend, then go back to eyeing the vegetables, picking up a carrot next. Molly hands me some weird contraption and I eye it, having no clue what to do with it. Not wanting to look stupid, I consider Googling it or taking a picture of it and sending it to Clancy, my parents’ chef, but instead I set it down and move on to the green pepper. I turn it around in my hands, unsure how to slice it. I glance over at the other color peppers and realize I need to pick one because I’m running out of vegetables to skip.

As I’m about to admit defeat, muscular arms cage me in against the counter. I know based off the woodsy scent it’s Brayden, and when I glance up, it’s confirmed.

“Here,” he says softly, his warm breath against my ear. “Let me show you.” I should be concerned about how close we are, especially in front of his mom, but as he wraps his hand over the top of mine and shows me how to slice a pepper, all I can do is sigh in relief.

Molly grins over at me, not even fazed that her son is this close to me. “I know Brayden really wanted to go straight into the NHL,” she says, pride in her tone. “But it was so important to us that he get an education first. God forbid something happen to him, he needs a backup plan.”

I nod in agreement, as I watch Brayden show me how to cut each of the vegetables. Molly must notice by now that he’s showing me, but she doesn’t say a word, and for that I’m thankful.

Brayden takes the contraption she gave me and says, “It’s a peeler.” He slides it along the outside of the cucumber, then lets go of it, so I can take over.

“Thank you,” I whisper, turning my head to look at him. He grins and then pecks a sweet kiss on the side of my neck before stepping away.

“You’re doing a great job,” Molly says, scooping up the vegetables we’ve already sliced and placing them all into a big salad bowl. Her gaze meets mine and a smile spreads across her face. I can’t help but beam back with pride.

“Damn, MiMi,” Ashton says as he enters the kitchen. “Look at you going all Rachel Ray up in here.” Brayden moves to the side and Ashton takes his place, planting a kiss to my cheek. “Keep this up and I’m going to have you barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen in no time.”

“Ashton,” I whine, jutting out my arm to elbow him. He dodges my elbow and snags a slice of cucumber, popping it into his mouth.

Molly laughs. “You two are so cute.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Brayden groans, also grabbing a slice of cucumber. I pretend to stab his hand and he laughs, pulling his hand away.

“Dinner’s ready,” Tim calls out.

Molly hands me the finished bowl of salad and then we all join Drew and Tim in the dining room. It’s a small, cozy room with a circular wood table and chairs. It looks like it should seat four people tops, but enough chairs are squeezed together so we can all sit.

Ashton plops into a seat then pulls the one next to him out for me. Brayden and Drew sit next to each other with Brayden on the other side of me, and Molly and Tim do the same, across from me.

As Ashton is about to reach for the plate of steaks, Molly speaks up. “Who would like to say grace?”

Ashton pulls his hand back. “I will, Mom.”

“Have you ever even said grace?” I accuse, knowing damn well he hasn’t since his family isn’t religious.

Ashton shrugs. “No, but I’ve seen it on TV.”

We all groan and Molly giggles. “Thank you, sweet boy, that would be great.”

I catch Drew rolling his eyes and laugh under my breath, before I follow Molly and Tim’s lead and lower my head, waiting to hear Ashton’s speech.

“Grace,” Ashton says. I wait several seconds for him to continue, before I realize that’s it. He literally said ‘grace.’ My head pops back up in shock, ready to stab him with my steak knife, when he chuckles. “Kidding.”

He shoots me a devilish wink and I groan on the inside, afraid of whatever is about to come out of his mouth next. “Lord, thank you for the delicious food I’m about to devour, for the people I’m about to devour it with, and for MiMi, who I’ll most definitely be devouring later. Amen.”