‘My mother is tickled pink you think she’s in her thirties when she hit the big five-oh a couple of months ago.’
‘Your mother is fifty!’ What was one more shock in so many? ‘But how old are…?’
‘I’m thirty-four. She was sixteen when she had me.’ She could hear the sting in his tone—as if he’d been asked the question a thousand times and was tired of answering it.
‘Okay.’ Although it wasn’t. ‘That explains my mistake, but it still doesn’t make what I said any less mortifying.’
‘Iona, this is dumb. You’re overreacting.’
‘I said the word threesome to your mother!’ she yelped. ‘It’s horrific. Inexcusable. I made a terrible scene in front of your whole family.’
He tucked a knuckle beneath her chin, forced her gaze to his, but the concern she saw made her stomach hurt.
He probably pitied her now. And who wouldn’t? Why had she said those things? Why had she even cared that much? Why did she always make such an idiot of herself where men were concerned?
‘Iona,’ he said, his patience almost as painful as the pity she thought she saw. ‘Nuclear war is horrific. The famine in Africa is inexcusable. This is neither one. You made a mistake, that’s all. And my family is Latino—and full to bursting with drama queens. As scenes go, this doesn’t even register a two-point-five on the Richter scale of family drama.’
She heard the distance in his tone, and while his observation made her feel a little better about the biggest faux pas in human history, she didn’t understand it. She’d just humiliated him in front of them. How could he not be mad as hell about that? Did their good opinion really mean so little to him?
CHAPTER NINE
‘ZANE, IS IONA okay?”
Iona’s stomach revolted at the sight of the goddess—his mother—hurrying towards them down the driveway.
‘Yeah,’ Zane said bluntly. ‘But we’re leaving. We’ve both had about as much as we can take for one night.’
Iona saw his mother flinch a little at the hostile statement and her stomach heaved. He shouldn’t talk to his mother like that.
‘I’m so sorry,’ his mother soothed, looking genuinely apologetic, which only made Iona feel worse. ‘I’m frequently mistaken for Zane’s sister, but this is the first time I’ve ever been mistaken for his lover.’
‘Please don’t apologise to me.’ Iona closed her eyes, not sure she could bear this woman’s kindness now, after the hideous way she’d behaved. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong.’
‘Of course, if Zane had had the good sense to introduce me to you when you both arrived this would never have happened.’ Maria rounded on her son. ‘And don’t think I didn’t see you trying to leave early.’
‘I didn’t much want to come in the first place,’ he protested. ‘So don’t blame me for this, Maria.’
Iona listened to the conversation in a trance, so mortified she figured the safest option was to keep her mouth shut.
‘Zane, isn’t it past time for you to let the anger go?’ his mother asked, cradling his cheek.
He jerked his head back ‘We have to go,’ he said, and Iona saw the shadow of hurt in his mother’s eyes.
‘Zane, please…’
‘I’ll give you a call during the week sometime.’ He cut off her plea, then placed a quick kiss on her cheek, but the gesture was more guarded than giving.
His mother nodded, her sadness and confusion making Iona’s chest ache. Why was he being so cruel? It wasn’t his mother’s fault that she’d made an idiot of herself—and the woman had a point: why hadn’t he made any effort to introduce them?
‘Adios, Iona,’ Maria said. ‘I will see you again, I hope.’
Iona watched her walk back towards the party, the lingering magnolia of her scent adding a sultry glamour to the earthy perfume of the vines.
‘Your mum seems like a really nice person. It must have been great having her around as a kid,’ Iona murmured, the wistful observation popping out unguarded. ‘You shouldn’t have been angry with her. It wasn’t her fault.’
‘I know that,’ he murmured, giving a tired sigh before guiding her to his convertible. ‘Come on, let’s get out of here.’
His dark hair shined black in the evening light as he opened the passenger door, those spectacular features cast into shadow by the glow of lantern light from the hacienda. But Iona could still see the unhappiness in his face, and felt the sharp stab of compassion. His mother, it seemed, wasn’t the only one hurting.