Tall.
Muscular.
Mahogany-colored eyes that match his hair.
And a thick…
Let’s just say he makes quite the striking picture in all his erect glory.
I give my head a quick shake to loosen those dangerous thoughts.
“Nope, not one bit.” I point to the closet at the far end of the room. “Hurry and hide in there!”
I’m almost afraid he’ll brush my concerns aside and jump back into bed. Instead, Kingsley gives me an exaggerated eye roll before taking a step toward the small room when the door handle turns.
The nightmare unfolds in slow motion and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. Before I can screech at the top of my lungs for her to stop, the door is flung open, and in walks Mom with a pink and brown floral basket full of folded laundry. For one sliver of a moment, she’s blissfully unaware of the naked boy standing in the middle of the room.
“So, I was thinking—” her voice abruptly falls off as her gaze crashes with Kingsley who, instead of making a mad dash to the closet, doesn’t move a damn muscle.
Shock washes over her features as her feet grind to a halt. Her impression of a deer frozen in headlights is spot-on.
Mortification sears my insides, making it impossible to breathe.
I’m not sure who I feel most sorry for.
Her.
Or me.
Want to guess who doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by the circumstances?
Kingsley.
He stands buck naked, his erection out there for everyone to see. And trust me when I say that my mother definitely sees it. It would be impossible not to. It’s long, thick, and…
Yeah.
Twin flags of color stain her cheeks as she hastily averts her eyes. Even so, I’m pretty sure she got an eyeful of what our next-door neighbor is packing. My guess is that if it ever became necessary, she could give an accurate description to a sketch artist.
I’m tempted to throw the comforter over my head and pretend this isn’t happening.
“Umm…” Her gaze skitters around the room to avoid settling on Kingsley as she presses her lips together until they turn bloodless. With halting steps, she moves toward the antique armchair in the corner before gingerly setting down the pile of clean laundry. Everything about her movement looks awkward and rusty. Like she’s the Tinman and her joints are in desperate need of lubrication.
How will I ever look my mother in the eye again?
And you know damn well she’ll blab this to my dad. A tortured groan escapes from my lips. And then Austin will find out and I’ll never hear the end of it.
Ugh.
With a great deal of deliberateness, she straightens and turns, her attention fastening on to mine like I’m a life preserver in a turbulent ocean. Only then do I remember that I’m naked. Thankfully, the sheet is still crumpled around the lower half of my body. With shaking fingers, I grab the cotton material and yank it over my breasts, shielding them from view. Although, we can all agree it’s a little late for modesty at this point.
I wince at the shock and disappointment that echoes throughout her expression. Heat singes my face as my teeth sink into my lower lip. Kingsley has yet to budge from the center of the room.
Oh my God, why is he still standing there, naked as the day he was born?
The least he could do is grab his boxers and cover up! His hard-on is only making the situation worse. I’m embarrassed to note that his erection has not deflated in the slightest.
“So,” Mom clears her throat before stabbing a finger toward the hallway, “I’m going to, umm, go.”
“Yeah.” What else am I supposed to say? I want to scrub this moment from our collective memories.
Her feet pad softly across the floor. Hours tick by tortuously before she reaches the threshold. Instead of crossing into the hall, she hovers awkwardly in the doorway. “Summer?”
Even though her voice barely rises above a strangled whisper, it breaks the silence of the room like a gunshot and I cringe. Any hope of coming to an unspoken agreement that the last five minutes never occurred is about to be shattered.
My fingers bite into the sheet as I clutch it to my chest. “Yeah?”
“After you’re dressed, I’d like to speak with you downstairs.”
“All right,” I mumble. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“Thank you.”
As she closes the door behind her, I collapse against the mattress before dragging a pillow over my face and pressing down on it. If only it were possible to smother myself. This episode ranks as a top contender for title of most mortifying moments ever. And just to be clear, the last month has been filled with a shit ton of humiliation.
Light filters through my eyelids when the pillow is removed and chucked to the side of the bed as Kingsley slides beneath the sheets.