Richard stabbed his fork into his salad. “I was older when I had my children, and that’s something I regret. I won’t have as much time with them as I wish I could.”
“Daddy, don’t talk like that.” Catalina patted his arm. “You’re still here.”
“But your mother isn’t,” he said after he chewed his bite. “And she could have had more time with you too if I weren’t so stubborn…”
“Mama is still here, Dad.” Catalina turned back to me. “Anyway, I’m sorry that we freaked you out. My father is just very candid—and I’m even more candid.”
“It’s okay,” I said with a chuckle. “It’s refreshing.”
“Because Damien looks like an old statue?” Catalina made a sour face, looking like an old woman with nothing left to do besides complain. “Like he’s constantly pissed about something?”
Her impression was dead-on, so I laughed. “He usually is pissed about something.”
“Oh, I know,” she said with a laugh. “Like, pull that stick out of your ass.”
Richard didn’t seem to care about the mocking at his son’s expense.
I would never have expected his family to be so easygoing, especially when Damien was subtly hostile all the time. I spread my napkin in my lap and placed a cucumber sandwich on my plate before I poured the dressing over my salad.
Catalina immediately spoke to me like a girlfriend, as if we’d known each other forever. “So, I went out with this guy the other night…” She told me the details about her date, what she ordered, and how she knew the guy, not caring if it made her father uncomfortable.
And it was as if that conversation with Liam had never happened.
I knew Damien was home because his footsteps were distinct down the hallway. He had a specific gait, moving like a man deep in youth, but with a purposeful stride that echoed his determination with every single step.
Then I heard his door open and close.
I closed my laptop, set it aside, and entered his bedroom. “Hey.” I shut the door behind me then searched for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Then he stepped out of his walk-in closet. He must have just shed his suit because he was in only his black boxers, the material hugging his powerful thighs. His physique was as chiseled as I remembered, so cut that every single muscle was outlined as if it were carved out of marble. Confident as always, he didn’t seem to care that I’d walked in on his semi-nakedness. He strolled over to his dresser and opened the top drawer so he could grab a clean pair of sweatpants.
Embarrassed, I wanted to look away and apologize…but I really didn’t. “Sorry…”
“Don’t be.” He pulled on his bottoms then walked toward me, his powerful shoulders tight with strength. The way he carried himself, the muscles all worked together to propel him, contracting and relaxing repeatedly because they were all so tense and powerful. “I’ve got nothing to hide.” His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked into mine, his thick arms resting by his sides. He waited for me to say something, probably noticing the blush of my cheeks and enjoying every second of my distress.
“I had lunch with your family today.”
“And how was that?” He turned away and headed to his living room. A fire was already going, and Patricia had a decanter of scotch waiting for him. He poured himself a glass and took a seat on the sofa, both of his hands together and cupping his drink.
I took a seat in the armchair, still uncomfortable with his near nakedness. His muscular chest and chiseled abs had always been objects of my affection when he was on top of me. I used to feel him everywhere, touching those strong muscles. He was lean and slender, like an athlete, and I liked that too. Liam had much fairer skin, but I preferred the olive complexion of Damien’s darker body. “Good. They’re really nice.”
“Nice?” He brought his glass to his lips and took a drink. “You must have met someone else, because my family isn’t nice.”
I knew he was teasing, so I rolled my eyes. “Your sister was really easy to talk to. She hugged me and talked to me like…she already knew me. She’s really interesting and outgoing…”
“Are we talking about the same person?”
“Oh, come on,” I said. “You know she’s lovely. And she’s beautiful.”
“That’s why she’s nice?” he asked incredulously.
“Of course not. But she’s really cool.”
He whispered under his breath. “My sister is cool?”
“And your dad is sweet.”
“I assume they made idiots out of themselves and me.”
I didn’t tell him about the grandchildren comment because he would probably get angry with his father. “Catalina is going to come over tomorrow for dinner. We’re gonna watch a movie and drink some wine.”
“You guys are friends now?”
“Yeah…is that okay?”