Shit. I didn't know what to say. I wanted to say yes, and that scared the shit out of me. I'd vowed to never put myself in the same, dangerous position my father had been suffering in for years. I had vowed to never fall in love, but I couldn't risk losing her. I had to think fast.
"Well, that's not fair," I said with a mischievous twinkle in my eyes. "I just spent the last several hours telling you everything there is to know about me and answering all your questions about my past; but what do I really know about you? How do I know you don't have some secret skeletons in your closet I need to be made aware of first?"
The ploy worked, and she giggled like I hoped she would. "I'll tell you what. Come with me to my parents’ house this coming weekend. They're having a party to celebrate my father's 50th birthday. You'll get to hear all the stories you ever wanted to hear about me and I'll have nothing left to hide. Then, you can decide if we're in a committed relationship or not."
There was no way I could say no. Besides, I was surprised to discover that I wanted to go. "Agreed." I grinned and she kissed my lips happily.
We ended up making love on the balcony under the moonlight, overlooking the pond of leaping Koi, and then again in my bed, and every night that week after that, and every morning, too.
It was amazing how quickly I'd come to think of my Beverly Hills Mansion as not just being mine, but ours, and how the bed I'd purchased was now our bed. It was a perfect week and easily the happiest time of my life.
As much as I was looking forward to the weekend and meeting Kayla's family, I was also dreading it. Because then this perfect time would be over and I would have to make a decision to commit to keeping it going, or risk losing her forever.
Chapter Thirty-One
Kayla
I couldn't believe how excited I was to take Ethan home to meet my parents — and more than a little nervous, too. They hadn't approved of the last boyfriend I'd had, and they'd been right not to.
Ethan was the complete opposite of Mick, though, and I knew they'd love him. I just hoped the feeling was mutual. My family could be a bit overbearing, and I really wanted Ethan to feel accepted by them. I knew he grew up an only child, and I didn't want him to feel overwhelmed by the chaos that often filled the Brandt home.
Someday I wanted to have a big family of my own, and I was feeling more and more like I wanted Ethan to be a part of that future. A lot was riding on this visit, even if neither one of us admitted it.
"Are you ready?" I asked Ethan excitedly as I threw my backpack over my shoulder. It had two changes of clothes (just enough for a three-day weekend), my toiletries, and a few Hollywood souvenirs for my siblings. I was dressed in my favorite pair of black jeans, boots, a pink tank top with the Speed Motorcycles logo emblazoned on the front, and the new black leather motorcycle jacket Ethan had given me for the trip. My hair was pulled back into a braid to keep it from flying in my face and my helmet was tucked under my arm.
"Ready as I'll ever be," he replied with just a hint of dread. He was dressed in designer jeans, a tight-fitting, black tee-shirt, and a very expensive-looking leather jacket that must have come from Italy or France. His backpack was even fuller than mine, and his specially designed helmet was propped on top.
"Don't tell me you’re nervous to meet my family," I teased him, but there was a little too much truth to the jibe and he became defensive.
"I'm not. It's just I'm never been very good at the family thing. If you'd ever met my mother, you'd understand. She was never the warm nurturing type, and my dad was always just struggling to hold himself together. I never had what you have."
"Well, maybe someday you will; if you want it." I wrapped my arms around his strong neck, pulling him in for a sensuous kiss. My breasts pressed against his chest, and I felt his erection growing against my thigh.
"Maybe we should just stay home," Ethan arched his left brow at me mischievously.
Giggling, I shook my head emphatically and mounted my bike. "Forget it. We're going and that's final."
"Okay, but maybe we should take the sedan instead of the bikes," he said, procrastinating now for real.
I suddenly realized how nervous he really was about meeting my family and I longed to comfort him. "The bikes are terrific. My brothers will love seeing them and so will my dad. You should be proud of what you've created. I know I am."
"I just don't want to seem pretentious."
"And you think pulling up to our rundown little house in a luxury BMW would be any better?" I teased, and he flushed with chagrin. Touching his arm affectionately, I said, "Just be who you are. Don't worry about anyone else's opinion, and my family will love you or hate you just for who you are."
"Great, this is the first time you suggested they could hate me." He feigned being alarmed, but I could tell he was teasing. He kissed me passionately, drawing it out as our tongues intertwined. His hand grazed my breast before he let me go, seeming much more at peace.
He mounted his bike, and we took off onto the highway side by side. It was a beautiful trip as we road through grassy fields of wildflowers, shady patches of tall trees, and sunny horizons. The sky was clear blue with just the barest amount of clouds wafting through it.
We stopped at a field and ate the picnic lunch we had packed and ended up making love under a large tree. It reminded me of our first date, and when I said so, Ethan grinned brightly and agreed, "Me, too."
The sky was just turning to dusk when we reached my hometown, and suddenly all the sights became familiar. Excitedly, I pointed them all out to Ethan, shouting through the open facemask of helmet as he nodded and grinned at me.
"That's Polk High, where I went to school. That's the Tasty-Freeze, where I had my first job. That's the house where I went to that birthday party and threw up all over the hostess. I was so embarrassed; I never spoke to her again. I was always such a shy kid that I never had any friends. It's why I couldn't wait to get out of this town."
"What happened? You're not shy now," Ethan teased playfully, making me laugh.
"I guess I just needed to meet the right guy," I told him, trying to bluff away my nervousness, but he saw right through to the heart of me.