“I need to go,” she announces. “Your dad and I are meeting friends for dinner at a new bistro.”
Pushing her fingers through the brown curls on her hair, she glances up at me. “How do I look?”
“Beautiful,” I say without hesitation. “You’re the best. Never forget that, mom.”
Patting me on the cheek, she smiles. “I promise I won’t. Save the leftovers and soak the pan before you put it in the dishwasher.”
Memories of my childhood in the cramped apartment we lived in uptown flood over me. I pulled dishes duty almost every week. It meant one-on-one time with her, so I never complained.
“Do you want me to walk you to the subway stop?”
“Nicholas taught me all about Uber,” she says as she heads for her leather bag slung over the back of one of the chairs in the living room. “It’s my new thing.”
I smile at the grin on her face. “Looks like you’re set.”
“I love you, son.” She steps toward me, pointing a finger at the framed picture. “We all do.”
I know they do. I’m a lucky man. I’ve got my family behind me, and an evening in front of me with the most beautiful woman in Manhattan.
***
“I come bearing gifts.” Athena pushes a small round vase filled with purple flowers into my hands. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Why the fuck would I mind?
She showed up to my apartment dressed in a purple silk blouse, black jeans, and a touch of pink lipstick on her mouth.
I set the flowers in the middle of my coffee table. “Please work your magic.”
Tossing her purse at me, she walks over to the table and spins the vase half a turn. “It’s perfect, isn’t it?”
My eyes are glued to her ass. “So perfect.”
She taps the tip of her nose with her index finger. “Something smells delicious. Are you a good cook?”
Why the hell would I lie to her?
I own up when I place her purse on the arm of a chair. “My mom came by and got everything started.”
That sets her gaze over my shoulder and toward the kitchen. “Is she here? You didn’t say anything about her being here. I would have brought her flowers too.”
Of course, she would have.
I rub a finger over my bottom lip. “She took off twenty minutes ago.”
Relief draws her shoulders forward. “It was nice of her to cook dinner for us.”
I make a mental note that Athena is parent shy. If this stays on track, I’ll ease her into meeting the Wolf family at some point. I’ll start with one of my brothers or maybe a sister-in-law first.
I shake off the vision of her eating dinner here with my brothers and their families.
“It’s ready if you are.” I point at the kitchen.
I’m not a hurried host, but I want dinner over so I can feast on her body.
“I’m famished.” She rubs a hand over her stomach, pulling the material of her blouse taut over her tits.
I unpin my gaze from her and grab her hand. “Come with me, lilac. I think you’re going to enjoy every bite.”